All Singing! All Dancing! All Movie Musicals! Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In which musical would you find an erudite professor listening to a trash collector explain the hypocrisy of middle class morality?

Answer: My Fair Lady

Rex Harrison portrayed Professor Higgins and Stanley Holloway was the "dustman" and Eliza Doolittle's worldly father, Alfred. When Doolittle finds out Eliza has moved in with Higgins (just to get diction lessons, nothing more), he decides to take advantage of the situation and hit the Professor up for some cash. While talking, they get in a discussion about morals.

2. A hard-nosed Soviet secret agent finds herself falling in love with a Hollywood movie producer in what 50's musical?

Answer: Silk Stockings

Cyd Charisse is the no-nonsense Russian sent to Hollywood find out why three other undercover operatives (Peter Lorre, Jules Munshin and Josepf Buloff) have failed to track down a defecting Soviet composer. In true Hollywood musical fashion, she gradually falls under the spell of a romancing producer played by Fred Astaire.

3. In what 1955 musical movie did Howard Keel portray a scheming poet/beggar in ancient Persia who, by happenstance, has a beautiful daughter with whom the Caliph's son falls in love?

Answer: Kismet

Of course, after a series of setbacks, the young Caliph (Vic Damone) marries the daughter (Ann Blyth), the poet gains wealth by this, and everyone lives happily ever after.

4. Leslie Caron portrays a French orphan who joins a traveling carnival and finds herself falling for a handsome, but already married magician, in what 50s musical?

Answer: Lili

Leslie plays Lili Daurier, who becomes a hit attraction in the circus when she "accidentally" strikes up a conversation with the puppets operated and voiced by puppeteer Paul Berthalet (played by Mel Ferrer). Paul is bitter after being crippled by war wounds and can no longer pursue his dancing career.

However, he starts to fall for Lili and must come to terms with his troubled emotions and her attraction to the magician.

5. A down-and-out baseball team gets some much needed help from a old fan who has been rejuvenated by Mr. Applegate (a.k.a. the Devil) in what late 50's musical?

Answer: Damn Yankees

SPOILER ALERT: Tab Hunter portrays Joe Hardy (as the young version of Joe) who wishes that his favorite team, the Senators, could beat the Yankees for the league pennant. Of course, the Devil (played by Ray Walston) appears in the guise of Mr. Applegate and strikes up the usual deal - Joe's soul in exchange for a Senators winning season.

The only catch, so to speak, is that Joe must become the Senators star pitcher. Near the end of the season, Joe starts having second thoughts about the agreement so Applegate calls on seductive siren, Lola (Gwen Verdon), to get Joe's mind off of things.

However, this plan backfires when Lola ends up becoming a Joe Hardy fan and double-crossing her boss.

6. Which late 60's musical would have a story line: An Irishman steals a leprechaun's gold and heads for Fort Knox in America, where he believes burying it in the soil there will make it increase?

Answer: Finian's Rainbow

When portraying Finian, Fred Astaire was near the end of his career as a dancer, quite understandable as he was 69 when this film was made. Also on hand was Petula Clark as Finian's daughter Sharon, Tommy Steele as Og the leprechaun who ends up falling in love and turning mortal, and Keenan Wynn as a laughably bigoted southern politician, Senator Rawkins.

7. In what 70's musical does Barbra Streisand play a young woman who consults with a psychologist, only to discover she has psychic abilities and lived a past life?

Answer: On a Clear Day You Can See Forever

Yves Montand plays psychology professor, Dr. Chabot, who Daisy Gamble (Streisand) approaches to get help to quit smoking. He hypnotizes her and realizes, through her behavior under hypnosis, that she was Melinda, an 19th Century femme fatale. Chabot finds himself attracted to the seductive Melinda, but can hardly stand humdrum Daisy.

However, he keeps Daisy coming back for hypnosis just so he can be with her alter ego.

8. In the old west, a gruff loner finds a "pardner" and together they create a boom town and share a wife in what light-hearted musical?

Answer: Paint Your Wagon

Lee Marvin (Ben Rumson) and Clint Eastwood (Pardner) did their own singing for this Lerner and Loewe musical. Jean Seberg had the dubious honor of playing the wife to these two rough-and-tumble characters, after four other actresses turned down the role.

9. In which movie musical would the plot be: An ambitious young man starts work in a large corporation and quickly makes his way to the top (much too fast to suit some of the other employees) by reading a small pamphlet and flattering the CEO?

Answer: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Robert Morse reprised his role from the Broadway musical, playing J. Pierpont Finch, whose meteoric rise in the Worldwide Wicket Company, has some other jealous employees suspicious of his motives and they start to plot against him. Of course "Ponty" finds romance in the boss's secretary, played by Michelle Lee. Rudy Vallee is also on hand as the somewhat stuffy company head, Mr. Biggley.

10. Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly played sailors on shore leave in which two movie musicals?

Answer: "Anchors Aweigh" & "On the Town"

In "Anchors Aweigh" (1945), Kelly and Sinatra played a pair of sailors on liberty in Los Angeles, who get involved trying to help an aspiring actress (Kathryn Grayson) land a movie contract by claiming they have important Hollywood connections. In "On the Town" (1949), Kelly and Sinatra are teamed with Jules Munshin as three sailors on shore leave who have only one day to see all of New York City.

However, they get sidetracked when they meet up with three lovely ladies (Betty Garrett, Ann Miller and Vera-Ellen) who just happen to ring their bells.

Source: Author debodun

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor skunkee before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

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