Characters Portrayed by Oscar Winners: Part II Quiz

Answer: Blanche DuBois

Vivien Leigh (1913-1967) was a British stage and film actress who won two Academy Awards for Best Actress. Her first was as Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone with the Wind" (1939) and her second was as Blanche DuBois in the 1951 movie "A Streetcar Named Desire".

Her role of Blanche DuBois is a disturbed aging school teacher who moves to New Orleans. She stays with her sister (Stella) and husband (Stanley) and Blanche is harassed by Stanley who is cruel to her and his wife. Blanche's life falls into disarray and she is eventually admitted to a mental institution. Stella (Kim Hunter) won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and Stanley (Marlon Brando) was nominated for Best Actor.

Answer: Charlie Allnut

Humphrey Bogart (1899-1957) was an American stage and film actor. Humphrey portrayed many characters in a number of classic movies, however, he won only one Academy Award for Best Actor. He won the award for his role as Charlie Allnut in the 1951 adventure movie "The African Queen".

A brother (Robert Morley) and sister (Katharine Hepburn) are missionaries in German East Africa at the outset of WWI. Their mail and supplies are delivered by a rough and ready boat captain named Charlie Allnut on his tramp steamer "African Queen".

The brother is killed and Charlie encourages the sister (Rose) to accompany him on the African Queen to escape the German soldiers. On their journey of escape and evading the enemy they encounter many obstacles and finally get captured by the German authorities.

They eventually escape captivity after being married.

Answer: Georgie Elgin

Grace Kelly (1929-1982) was an American actress who became the Princess of Monaco in 1956 when she married Prince Rainier III. Grace won her sole Academy Award for Best Actress in the 1954 movie "The Country Girl" portraying Georgie Elgin. She starred opposite Bing Crosby(Frank Elgin) and William Holden (Bernie Dodd).

A director (Bernie) hires a has-been and alcoholic actor, Frank for a new play. The director believes the actor's problems and insecurity are the fault of his wife, Georgie. Bernie and Georgie strike up a stormy relationship but then Bernie falls in love with Georgie Elgin, however, she remains faithful to her husband, Frank. Opening night is a huge success and Frank asks Bernie for renewed belief in him.

Answer: Sgt. J. J. Sefton

William Holden (1918-1981) was an American actor who starred in many of Hollywood's critically acclaimed films during the 1950s-1970s. He won his Oscar for Best Actor in the 1953 war film "Stalag 17" portraying Sgt. J. J. Sefton. The film tells the story of group of US airmen being held in Stalag 17, a German POW camp.

The group suspect that one of their fellow prisoners is an informant to the Germans and they believe it to be Sefton. Sefton uncovers the real informant and sets a trap and diversion for him to be revealed.

The diversion works and the informant is accidentally killed by the Germans and Sefton manages to escape from the camp.

Answer: Alma Brown

Patricia Neal (1926-2010) was an American stage and screen actress. She won her Academy Award for Best Actress as the worn-out and tired housekeeper Alma Brown in the 1963 movie "Hud" opposite Paul Newman and Melvyn Douglas. Alma Brown is the housekeeper on the Bannon's ranch which consists of Homer Bannon (Melvyn Douglas), his son, Hud (Paul Newman) and Homer's grandson, Lonnie (Brandon deWilde). Alma has to put up with the conflict between the honest and hard working father and his unscrupulous, arrogant, selfish and alcoholic son.

Answer: Homer Smith

Sidney Poitier is a Bahamian-American actor, director, author and diplomat. By winning the Oscar for Best Actor in the 1963 movie "Lilies of the Field" he became the first African-American to win the award. Homer Smith is a jack-of-all-trades handyman and stops one day at a farm in Arizona.

He notices ladies working in the fields and many of them do not speak English as they are German, Hungarian and Austrian nuns. He stays for a few days doing odd jobs around the farm and he eventually answers their prayers by helping to build a chapel for them.

Answer: Martha

Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011) was a British-American actress. She began her screen career as a child in the early 1940s and was active up to 2007. She was nominated five times for an Academy Award for Best Actress. She won on two occasions. It was her role of Martha in the 1966 drama "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" The movie was nominated for eleven Academy Awards, winning five.

The story follows the break-down of the marriage of a middle aged couple named Martha (Elizabeth Taylor) and George (Richard Burton).

They invite a young married couple to their house for drinks and they drag the young couple into their live of misery and bitterness. Nick (George Segal) and Honey (Sandy Dennis) are the young couple.

Answer: Harry Coombes

Art Carney (1918-2003) was an America film, stage, radio and television actor. He may be best remembered as Ed Norton (Ralph Kramden's best mate) in the 1950s TV show "The Honeymooners". However, Art won the Academy Award for Best Actor in his role of Harry Coombes in the 1974 road movie "Harry and Tonto". Harry Coombes is a widower and retired school teacher and is evicted from his New York apartment as the building is condemned.

He decides with his cat (Tonto) to travel across the USA to Los Angeles. Along the way Harry, with Tonto, visit old friends and encounter a number of problems and challenges.

However, Harry deals with all the situations but shows the hardship of dealing with matters thrust upon you in your old age.

Answer: Sally Hyde

Jane Fonda is an American actress, writer and activist. She won her second Academy Award for Best Actress as Sally Hyde in the 1978 drama "Coming Home".
Sally is a military wife and is left alone while her husband (Bob Hyde-Bruce Dern) is shipped to Vietnam. Sally decides to do volunteer work at a veteran's home and meets and falls in love with Luke Martin (Jon Voight) a paraplegic veteran. Bob returns from Vietnam, confronts both Sally and Luke and then suffers from post traumatic stress disorder.

Answer: Howard Beale

Peter Finch (1916-1977) was an English-born Australian actor. He was the first person to receive a posthumous Academy Award and ironically the second posthumous winner was also an Australian, being Heath Ledger for his role in the 2008 movie "The Dark Knight". Peter Finch played the role of Howard Beale, the crazed television anchor-man, in the 1978 satirical film "Network". Beale was a long time anchor-man on the "Evening News" but is informed that he will finish up in two weeks time as ratings have dipped.

He then reveals on air about his departure and admonishes the television corporation. He stays on air and informs viewers that he will commit suicide on live TV. He eventually hosts his own show being "The Howard Beale Show". Unfortunately, ratings fall and to get rid of him the corporation takes drastic measures.