Classic Movie Quotes Trivia Quiz

Answer: William Holden/"Bridge on the River Kwai"

William Holden portrays American Navy Commander Shears. In a conversation with Colonel Nicholsen (played by Alec Guiness) he tries to stress the importance of the Japanese war prisoners being treated like soldiers while they're being forced to build a bridge.

The entire quote is "I hope they can remain soldiers, Colonel. As for me, I'm just a slave, a living slave." The movie is a fictional account of a bridge being built by POWs as part of the Burma railway in WWII. It was filmed mostly in present day Sri Lanka.

The movie won several Academy Awards including Best Picture. Alec Guiness won the Best Actor Oscar. William Holden did not receive an Oscar for his performance. Born William Franklin Beedle Jr. in Illinois, Holden's first major film role was in 1939's "Golden Boy", a movie about a boxer who becomes a violinist.

Answer: Elvis Presley/"Jailhouse Rock"

In the movie Elvis plays ex-con Vince Everett. Upon his release he meets a record company talent scout named Peggy Van Alden. She agrees to allow Everett to record a song. Everett and Van Alden start their own label and Everett becomes successful and famous. When he makes advances to Peggy she rejects him. Elvis says the line to Peggy in an attempt to explain his behavior.
Judy Tyler plays Peggy Van Alden. She died in a car wreck soon after the film was made and Elvis claims that he never watched the completed film. Elvis made 31 films during his career as an actor.

Answer: Mae West/"Belle of the Nineties"

The 1934 film working title was "It Ain't No Sin". Censors objected and the name was changed. It was Mae West's fourth movie. In the film she stars as Ruby Carter, a dance hall entertainer who relocates from St. Louis to New Orleans. She becomes the toast of the town. Eventually her ex-boyfriend, The Tiger Kid, comes to town for a prizefight and they reconnect.

In the movie Molly Brant, played by Katherine DeMille, asks Mae if she ever gets annoyed with all the attention that the saloon patrons give her. Mae remarks with the quote. Mae was born Mary Jane West in Woodhaven, New York.

She started her stage career at age 5 and by her teens she was a vaudeville entertainer who became known for her sexy demeanor and remarks. She occasionally clashed with censors of the day and even spent ten days in jail on a morals charge.

Answer: Elizabeth Taylor/"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof"

The movie version of the Tennessee Williams play was made in 1958. It starred Paul Newman, Elizabeth Taylor, Judith Anderson and Jack Carson. Burl Ives and Madeleine Sherwood were in the play and are the only actors from the stage production cast in the film.

The movie depicts the intrigue and problems of a Southern family. Elizabeth Taylor plays Maggie the Cat. During one of their nasty spats her alcoholic husband, Brick, reminds her about their living arrangements with the line "Now, you keep forgetting the conditions on which I agreed to stay on living with you". Taylor replies with the quoted line. London born Taylor had her first screen role when she was nine.

She went on to star in several Hollywood blockbusters such as "Cleopatra" and "Butterfield 8".

Answer: Martin Landau/"Crimes and Misdemeanors"

This 1989 Woody Allen film deals with Martin Landau's character having to come to terms with murder. Martin's character is Judah Rosenthal. In an imaginary conversation with a rabbi Judah says "God is a luxury I can't afford. Jack lives in the real world. You live in the kingdom of heaven." After Judah confirms that Dolores has been killed he goes to her apartment and takes her address book and anything that could link him with her.

He gets away with the murder. New York native Martin Landau is probably best known for his roles in the television shows "Mission Impossible" and "Space 1999".

In 1968 and 1969 he received Emmy award nominations for Best Actor for his "Mission Impossible" roles. In 1994 he won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Bela Lugosi in "Ed Wood".

Answer: John Huston/"Chinatown"

The son of actor Walter Huston, John is known for directing several classic films including "The Maltese Falcon", "The Asphalt Jungle", "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre", "Key Largo" and "The African Queen". He is the father of actress Anjelica Huston and director Danny Huston.

He portrays Faye Dunaway's millionaire father, Noah Cross, in "Chinatown". He relates the line during a cat-and-mouse dinner conversation with Jack Nicholson's character, J J Gittes. J J Gittes believes that Cross is involved in a scandal and asks Cross how he can feel respectable if he's involved in a water supply scandal.

The entire line is "Of course I'm respectable. I'm old. Politicians, ugly buildings and whores all get respectable if they last long enough."

Answer: Walter Pidgeon/"Forbidden Planet"

"Forbidden Planet" is a 1956 release. It is a science fiction film that features a number of Oscar-nominated special effects, an all-electronic music score and the first film appearance of "Robby the Robot". Robby cost $125,000 to create, which was extraordinary in the early 1950s. Walter Pidgeon plays Dr. Edward Morbius.

He is the head of a space expedition sent to check on a previous mission in the year 2200. They are soon terrorized by creatures on the planet. In the film, Pidgeon's character speaks the line while he is consoling Commander Adams (Leslie Nielsen) after his poor performance on an alien IQ test. Canadian-born Pidgeon began in silent movies and made the transition to talking pictures because of his good voice.

He continued to act in television and movies into the 1970s.

Answer: Audrey Hepburn/"My Fair Lady"

Audrey Hepburn plays Eliza Doolittle in the award winning 1964 film adaption of George Bernard Shaws's play, "Pygmalion". The film depicts the transformation of a Cockney gal into a society girl. When Rex Harrison's character reminds Eliza of her birthplace in lower-class Lisson Grove she bursts into tears and cries "I'm a good girl, I am!" Julie Andrews played Eliza in the stage version. Jack Warner wanted a known star so Audrey Hepburn was cast in the movie adaptation.

Hepburn's vocals were dubbed in the musical numbers.

At the time Andrews was not yet considered a box-office draw. Elizabeth Taylor reportedly also wanted the role. Belgium born Hepburn was a WWII occupation survivor who wanted to be a dancer. Because she was too tall she ended up acting.

Her first starring role in a Hollywood film was with Gregory Peck in "Roman Holiday".

Answer: Errol Flynn/"The Adventures of Robin Hood"

In the 1938 film, Robin and his band of Merry Men rob from the rich and give to the poor. Robin still has time to court Maid Marian and keep Prince John off the throne. The line is spoken in a serious moment at the end of the movie. King Richard says to Robin Hood; "My first command to you, my lord Earl, is to take in marriage the hand of the Lady Marian. What say you to that, Baron of Locksley?". Robin Hood then replies with the quoted line.

Born in Tasmania, Australia, Flynn became an overnight sensation with his first role in "Captain Blood".

He was in several films including "The Dawn Patrol", "Dodge City" and "Adventures of Don Juan".

Answer: Sessue Hayakawa/"Bridge on the River Kwai"

Sessue Hayakawa, in the role of Colonel Saito, makes this remark to the group of prisoners-of-war while they are working like slaves to build a bridge. Hayakawa was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his work in the film but did not win. In addition to being an ordained Zen monk, Hayakawa starred in over 80 movies.

He was also a producer, author, and a martial artist. Hayakawa was signed with Paramount early in his career. His contract with Paramount expired in May 1918, but the studio asked him to star in "The Sheik". Hayakawa turned down the role to start his own production company.

The role went to an unknown actor named Rudolph Valentino and propelled him to stardom overnight