Captains Courageous IV: World War II Movies Quiz

Answer: Flying Tigers

"Flying Tigers" was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Special Effects, Best Music, and Best Sound Editing. The film went into production while the AVG was still in production. Two former members of the AVG served as technical advisers.

John Wayne did star in "Flying Leathernecks," but as a major named Dan Kirby, not a captain. "Flying Leathernecks" was a 1951 production of RKO Radio Pictures.

Both "Wings" and "Aces High" were set in World War I. "Wings," released in 1927, was the first winner of the Best Picture Oscar and the only silent movie to win one. "Aces High" was an Anglo-French war film released in 1976.

Answer: Robert Mitchum and Curt Jürgens

Jürgens was born in Munich in 1915. His name is more properly written as Curd, but was known as Curt in the States. His full name was Curd Gustav Andreas Gottlieb Franz Jürgens. Similar to von Stolberg in the film, Jürgens was critical of the Nazi regime. "The Enemy Below" was his first Hollywood film, but he appeared in over 100 movies internationally during his career, including "The Longest Day", in which Mitchum also appeared, and "The Spy Who Loved Me."

In the film, after being damaged by a torpedo from the U-boat, Murrell uses a ruse to bring the sub to the surface to bring it under attack from his guns, and both ships are subsequently destroyed.

The American Film Institute listed Mitchum at number 23 of the greatest male stars of classic Hollywood.

Answer: Eddie Albert

In 1951 Albert and his wife Margo were both blacklisted by Hollywood for suspected communist leanings, in spite of Albert's war record. Furthermore, in addition to his war record, prior to the war he had toured Mexico as a clown and high-wire artist in a circus, but was secretly working for Army Intelligence by photographing German U-boats in Mexican harbors.

Albert was twice nominated for Best Supporting Oscars.

Jack Palance and Lee Marvin, also starring in "Attack!", were also World War II veterans.

Because of its portrayal of Albert's character as a coward, the US Army refused to grant production assistance, meaning the Army would not allow the use of its equipment or film footage. As a result, for a key scene in the film, Aldrich had to buy a tank for $1000 and rent another from Twentieth-Century Fox.

Answer: Claude Rains

Born in London, Rains was nominated four times for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, but never won. He was, according to the "All-Movie Guide", "at his best when playing cultured villains." In addition to "Casablanca," his nominations came in "Notorious", "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington", and "Mr. Skeffington."

Greenstreet was born in Sandwich, Kent, and played Signor Ferrari. Peter Lorre was born in Austria-Hungary and played Signor Ugarte. Paul Henreid, who played Victor Laszlo, was born in Trieste, Italy, to Viennese parents. When he was born, Trieste was also part of Austria-Hungary.

Answer: Memphis Belle

"Memphis Belle" was a joint British-American production about World War II's most famous bomber and its 25th, and last, mission. Forced to lead the mission after the loss of two other bombers to German planes, the Belle completes the bombing of an aircraft assembly plant before limping home to England while under damaging attacks of more German fighters.

Besides using the name of the Memphis Belle, the film is actually just a composite of bombing missions in Europe during the war and does not use actual crewmen names or other details of Memphis Belle missions.

Only eight surviving B-17s were still airworthy at the time the film was being made, and five of them were used in the production. One of them, The Pink Lady, was found in France. It is a B-17G, and while having seen action in World War II, it was only retired in 2010.

My Gal Sal was forced to land in Greenland during the war and has since been restored and is one of only three intact B-17E's in existence.

The Enola Gay, which is actually a B-29 Superfortress, is famous for having dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

Answer: Captain Matthew Garth, played by Charlton Heston

Edward Albert played Ensign Thomas Garth, who gets wounded in the battle. Both Garths are fictional characters.

Born John Charles Carter, Heston won the Oscar for Best Actor for the title role in 1959's "Ben-Hur." He served in World War II as a staff sergeant with the 77th Bombardment Squadron. Besides having served as president of the Screen Actors Guild and the National Rifle Association, Heston was inducted into the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum's Hall of Great Western Performers.

Answer: Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett

"Pearl Harbor" was the first film to win an Academy Award while also being nominated for Worst Picture in the Golden Raspberry Awards. Among four nominations, its Oscar came in the category of Best Sound Editing.

Wikipedia describes the film as an "epic historical romantic war film." Critics gave both the romance and historical aspects low marks, although the movie did well at the box office.

One laudable sequence was the portrayal of the heroic actions of Dorie Miller during the Japanese attack. A messman third class aboard the USS West Virginia, he first manned an anti-aircraft gun before helping to move wounded personnel to safety, saving the lives of several. He was the first African American to be awarded the Navy Cross.

Answer: Steve McQueen

McQueen attained the status of being the world's highest-paid movie star in 1974 following such films as "The Getaway" in 1972, "Papillon" in 1973, and "The Towering Inferno" in 1974. He competed in off-road motorcycle racing and has been inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame. Ever popular as an actor, even after dying of cardiac arrest due to several cancers in 1980, in 2007 his estate entered the top ten of highest-earning dead celebrities.

Answer: Gregory Peck

Peck was nominated for a total of five Academy Awards. In 1969 President Lyndon Johnson presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1983 he was also named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame. In '89 the American Film Institute awarded him with the AFI Life Achievement Award.

In 2000 the National University of Ireland made him a Doctor of Letters, in part because Peck was a founding patron of the University College Dublin School of Film.

Answer: Errol Flynn

Known for his flamboyant roles as such characters as Captain Blood, Robin Hood, Don Juan, George Custer, and William Tell, Flynn was born in Tasmania in 1909 and became an American citizen in 1942. Although he tried to enlist in American forces during World War II, health problems prevented it. An autobiography, "My Wicked, Wicked Ways," was published immediately after his sudden death in 1959 and has enjoyed great popularity, selling over a million copies and never having been out of print.

"Objective, Burma!" was filmed immediately after the raid it was based on, and even included actual combat footage from the China-Burma-India theater and New Guinea. It was made with authentic US Army equipment, including aircraft and gliders, due to their availability. One controversy revolved around the film when it was released in the UK, as Winston Churchill was infuriated by Hollywood making hay with an entirely British, Indian, and Commonwealth campaign. An apology accompanied the showing of the film in the UK on its release there in 1952.