Biographical Movie Match-up Trivia Quiz

Answer: Claudette Colbert

"Cleopatra" is a 1934 epic film directed by Cecil B. DeMille starring Claudette Colbert as Cleopatra, Warren William as Julius Caesar, and Henry Wilcoxon as Marc Antony. In the movie, legendary Egyptian Queen of the Nile becomes the Queen and ruler of Egypt by manipulating and seducing the Roman men in her life.

Answer: Barbara Stanwyck

The 1935 movie "Annie Oakley" stars Barbara Stanwyck, Preston Foster, Melvyn Douglas, and Moroni Olsen. The film is based on the life of Annie Oakley (Phoebe Ann Mosey), a female sharp-shooter who beats American sharp-shooter Frank E. Butler in a shooting match.

Answer: Burt Lancaster

The 1962 movie "Birdman of Alcatraz" stars Burt Lancaster as convicted murderer Robert Stroud. Stroud, while in prison, becomes a bird fancier and raises birds in his cell at Leavenworth Prison. When his birds get sick and start dying, he dives into deep study about birds and becomes an expert on birds, their diseases, and cures.

When Stroud gets transferred to Alcatraz, he has to leave his birds behind because of new prison rules and a mean warden.

Answer: Charlton Heston

The 1965 movie "The Agony and the Ecstasy" stars Charlton Heston as Michelangelo and Rex Harrison as Pope Julius II. The movie is about Michelangelo Buonarroti being commissioned by the Pope to paint the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo doesn't like his first attempt at painting the chapel and runs away to the mountains of Carrara.

There, he finds the inspiration to continue, and returns to finish painting.

Answer: James Caan

The 1971 TV movie "Brian's Song" stars James Caan as Brian Piccolo, and Billy Dee Williams as Gale Sayers. The movie is about two rookie running backs, one black and one white, acquired by the Chicago Bears. The two competing backs are first rivals but become good friends as the seasons progress. Brian is stricken with cancer toward the end of the movie and dies at the age of 26.

Answer: John Hurt

The 1980 movie "The Elephant Man" is a historical drama film about Joseph Merrick, a severely deformed man in late 19th century London. In the movie, Joseph's name is changed to John. The film stars John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins, Anne Bancroft, and John Gielgud.

While at a carnival, surgeon Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins) finds and removes John Merrick (John Hurt) from a freak show attraction in order to study him. Later, when Treves finds that John is actually an intelligent person, he attempts to introduce John to the finer things in life.

Answer: Kirk Douglas

The 1956 movie "Lust for Life" (1956) is a biographical film starring Kirk Douglas and is about the life of the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh. In the movie, Van Gogh endures a life of squalor and hardship for the sake of his art, which went unnoticed in his own time.

Answer: Jennifer Jones

The 1943 movie "The Song of Bernadette" stars Jennifer Jones as Bernadette Soubirous, the daughter an unemployed miller in Lourdes, France in the mid 1800s. Bernadette sees an apparition of the Virgin Mary in a dump and is ridiculed by town officials until certain miracles are performed. Church authorities confirmed the authenticity of the apparitions in 1862. Bernadette Soubirous was declared blessed on 14 June 1925 by Pope Pius XI.

Answer: John Goodman

The 1992 movie "The Babe" stars John Goodman as George Herman (Babe) Ruth. It tells the story of problem child George who is sent to the St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys at a young age. There, he shows that he is a natural born baseball player and gets signed by the Baltimore Orioles at the age of 19. Babe was later sold to the New York Yankees and became the greatest baseball player of all time.

Answer: Gary Cooper

The 1941 movie "Sergeant York" stars Gary Cooper as Alvin York, a poor Tennessee hillbilly and sharp-shooter who gets drafted by the Army and must serve in WWI. At first, Alvin doesn't know if he would be able to take the life of another human being due to his religious beliefs. He later decides that he had to kill in order to save hundreds. Alvin returns to Tennessee a national hero.