Call Girls and Courtesans in the Movies Quiz

Answer: Klute

"Klute" was filmed in 1971. Donald Sutherland plays the detective John Klute and Jane Fonda is Bree Daniels, and they are terrific. Jane Fonda shows a natural acting style very unlike the more melodramatic performances we were used to seeing from most actresses up until then. Fonda's intelligence and vulnerability make for a fascinating portrait of an unhappy and frightened woman, and she won the Oscar for it. I decided to write this quiz after seeing "Klute" again recently, I was so impressed with Jane Fonda's acting in this movie.

The other three films mentioned were all released in 1975.

Answer: L.A. Confidential

L.A. Confidential is the film that made Russell Crowe a star in the United States, in his role as the toughest cop in the Los Angeles Police Department. Guy Pearce, Danny DeVito and James Cromwell also appear in this one, and give great performances. Kim Basinger is absolutely gorgeous as a woman who is made to look as much as possible like actress Veronica Lake, for her clients.

The film is based on a 1990 novel by James Ellroy, and it is said to contain many incidents based on real life. The other three movies mentioned all feature Kim Basinger: "No Mercy" is from 1986, "Final Analysis" from 1992, and "The Getaway" from 1994.

Answer: From Here to Eternity

Donna Reed won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for this one. She was almost always cast in wholesome roles, so this was a breakthrough for her. It also earned an Oscar for Frank Sinatra. The fine cast includes Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr and Ernest Borgnine.

The romance between Lancaster and Kerr, and their love scenes together, captivated movie-goers. "From Here to Eternity" won a total of eight Academy Awards. "The Young Lions" (1958) "Stalag 17" (1953) and "The Bridge on the River Kwai" (1957) are all World War II movies as well.

Answer: Belle du Jour

This 1967 film is typical of the work of the master director Luis Buñuel, enigmatic and fascinating, with great performances from the actors, especially gorgeous Catherine DeNeuve. Michael Piccoli, Jean Sorel and Geneviéve Page are also in the cast. The other three movies mentioned here were also directed by Buñuel; "Tristana" was released in 1970, "Susana" in 1951, and "Viridiana" in 1961.

Answer: Nuts

Richard Dreyfuss plays her attorney in this movie, and Karl Malden and Maureen Stapleton play her parents. She previously portrayed a call girl in the 1970 film "The Owl and the Pussycat". The other two films listed here feature Streisand as well. "What's Up, Doc?" was released in 1972, and "All Night Long" in 1981.

Answer: Moulin Rouge!

Filmed in 2001 in Australia by an Australian director, this musical film was very successful, both critically and at the box office. "Moulin Rouge!" was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including best actress for Nicole Kidman. (She lost out to Halle Berry's fine performance in "Monster's Ball".) John Leguizamo plays the role of the artist Toulouse-Lautrec. "Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical" (2005), "Save the Last Dance" (2001), and "Chicago" (2002) are recent musical films.

Answer: Mona Lisa

Bob Hoskins received an Oscar nomination for his work in this very good film, and well deserved..he's a great actor. Michael Caine and Robbie Coltrane are in this one as well. It is directed by Neil Jordan. The other three films mentioned here are all British films, "Blowup" was British-Italian (1966), "The Long Good Friday" (1980) also starred Bob Hoskins, and "The Crying Game" (1992) was also directed by Neil Jordan.

Answer: Elmer Gantry

"Elmer Gantry" was nominated for several Oscars, and Burt Lancaster and Shirley Jones both won for their portrayals. The film is based on the novel by Sinclair Lewis, written in 1927. Lancaster was a terrific actor, and he is at his best here, as the amoral, hypocritical preacher, always with an eye for the ladies. "The Apostle" was released in 1997, Robert Duvall's amazing, great film about another evangelist. "The Rapture" (1991) and "The Gospel" (2005) are both films with religious themes.

Answer: Gone With the Wind

In "Gone With the Wind", Belle is a very good friend of Rhett Butler. She helps save the lives of some of the most important men in Atlanta, by providing them with an alibi, telling the Yankees they were all at her place while a killing occurred. Remember? Belle is really a rather sad character, looked down on by everyone in town, with her only son far away. Kindly Melanie Wilkes is the exception, of course, since Belle helps save Ashley from the vengeful Yankees. Belle Watling is played by Ona Munson. All four classic movies listed here were released in 1939.

Answer: Risky Business

Who can forget Tom Cruise suddenly sliding out in his underwear, lip-syncing to "Old Time Rock and Roll"? Or his father's Porsche slowly sinking into Lake Michigan? This comedy put Cruise squarely on the road to super-stardom. The other three movies mentioned here all featured Tom Cruise, and they were all released in 1983.

Answer: Milk Money

Malcolm McDowell, Anne Heche and Casey Siemaszko are in this one too. Melanie Griffith gives her usual adorable performance, and Ed Harris is always interesting to watch. All four films mentioned were released in 1994. "Milk Money" is directed by Richard Benjamin, the comic actor and director.

Answer: Dressed to Kill

This movie is Brian DePalma's take on Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho". It scared the heck out of me when I first saw it. Angie Dickinson is the murder victim, bumped off near the beginning of the film, in horrifying fashion. Then there is the surprise ending as well. Ken Russell's "Crimes of Passion" was released in 1984, "Body Double" in 1984 (another Brian DePalma film) and "Frenzy" is from 1972, made by Hitchcock.

Answer: Irma La Douce

Shirley MacLaine received an Oscar nomination for her work in this 1963 one. The other three movies also starred MacLaine, "All in a Night's Work" was from 1961, "Can-Can" from 1960 and "Sweet Charity" from 1969. James Caan and Bill Bixby both have tiny parts in "Irma La Douce".

Answer: Night Shift

This movie is fun to watch; it's one of Ron Howard's first projects as a director. All the films mentioned were released in 1982. This one has an interesting cast: Shannen Doherty makes her film debut here as "Bluebird", a co-worker of Shelley Long, and Kevin Costner appears in his first film as well, as "Frat Boy #1". Ron Howard and his wife even appear very briefly, Hitchcock fashion.

Answer: Camille

The mysterious Greta Garbo received an Oscar nomination for her work as Marguerite in "Camille". It's one of her finest performances. Lionel Barrymore and Laura Hope Crewes are in the supporting cast; the film was directed by George Cukor. "Emma" was played by Gyneth Paltrow in 1996, Martine Carol played "Nana" in 1955 with Charles Boyer, and "Tess" was played by Nastassja Kinski in 1979.