Classic Movies of the 1940s - Part III Quiz

Answer: Henry Fonda

Henry Fonda (1905-1982) was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role of Tom Joad. However, he lost out to James Stewart in "The Philadelphia Story". His first acting coach was Dorothy Brando, the mother of Marlon Brando. However, in 1981 he become the oldest recipient of the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in "On Golden Pond". "The Grapes of Wrath" was a novel by John Steinbeck and is the story of a family that lost their farm in Oklahoma during the Great Depression of the 1930s and they travel across the country to California in search of work. John Carradine played the role of Jim Casy a former preacher in the movie and James Stewart did not appear in the movie.

Answer: Lana Turner

Lana Turner (1921-1996) was a film and TV actress spanning the years 1937 to the mid 1980s. She was married eight times to seven different husbands. During her career she received one Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in 1957 for "Peyton Place". Along with Betty Grable and Dorothy Lamour, they were pin-up girls for servicemen throughout WWII.
Ingrid Bergman (Ivy Pearson), Sara Allgood (Mrs. Higgins) and Lydia Bilbrook (Lady Copwell) all appeared in this 1941 horror movie.

Answer: Onward, Christian Soldiers

"Onward, Christian Soldiers" is an English hymn from the 19th Century. The "Christian" being a soldier of Christ and taken from a reference in the New Testament. In the movie the hymn was sung in the church as RAF fighter planes could be seen overhead heading into battle with the Luftwaffe.

The movie received 12 Academy Award nominations. However, it won six including Best Actress (Greer Garson as Kay Miniver) and Best Supporting Actress (Teresa Wright as Carol Miniver, the daughter-in-law of Kay Miniver). "Rule, Britannia" is a British patriotic song written in 1740 and mainly associated with the Royal Navy. "God Save the King" was the British National Anthem at the time and "There Will Always be an England" is also a British patriotic song, written in 1939 and made popular during WWII by Vera Lynn.

Answer: Falls in front of an oncoming train

Charlie Oakley believes his niece (Charlotte "Charlie" Oakley) knows that he is the Merry Widow Murderer and tries to kill her on the train but instead he falls into the path of an oncoming train. His niece never discloses her suspicions that her Uncle Charlie was the real Merry Widow Murderer as he is honoured at his funeral by the people of the town. Charlotte "Charlie" Oakley (Teresa Wright) actually falls down the steep stairs which were supposedly cut through by Charlie Oakley.

A second suspect which was thought to be the Merry Widow Murderer runs into an airplane propeller while being chased by police.

Answer: Her former swimming coach

Anne Revere (1903-1990) played the role of Mrs. Brown for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Mi's late father had been Mrs. Brown's swimming coach when she had become the first women to swim the English Channel many years ago. It was also significant that her daughter, Velvet Brown became the first women to ride the Grand National winner.

Answer: Hurd Hatfield

Hurd Hatfield (1917-1998) was an American actor who appeared in movies and TV from 1944-1991. However, it is this role of Dorian Gray for which he is best known. The movie was an adaption of the Oscar Wilde novel of the same name written in 1890. George Sanders (1906-1972) played the role of Lord Henry Wotton and Lowell Gilmore (1906-1980) played Basil Hallward the artist, who painted the picture. Peter Lawford (1923-1984) played David Stone and in real life was the brother-in-law of the US President John F. Kennedy.

Answer: Philip Marlowe

Humphrey Bogart (1899-1957) played Philip Marlowe in the movie, yet many described this movie as confusing with many different plots and characters. The fictional character of Philip Marlowe was created by the writer Raymond Chandler and appears in a number of his books. Robert Mitchun played the role of detective Philip Marlowe in the remake of the movie in 1978. Bogart played the roles of Harry Morgan in "To Have and Have Not" (1944), Rick Blaine in "Casablanca" (1942) and Sam Spade in "The Maltese Falcon" (1941).

Answer: Phil Greenberg

When asked to write an article about anti-Semitism in the New York City area and in the community of Darien, Connecticut, Philip Green was not very enthusiastic about the idea. He eventually decides to pose as a Jew to do his research and changes his name to Phil Greenberg.

It is during this research that he experiences hatred and bigotry towards Jews. The movie received eight nominations for Academy Awards but was successful in three categories. Best Director (Elia Kazan), Best Picture, and Best Supporting Actress (Celeste Holm).

The movie also starred Dorothy McGuire, John Garfield, Anne Revere, June Havoc and Dean Stockwell.

Answer: In a large antique wooden chest

The two friends played by John Dall and Farley Granger hoped to commit the perfect crime. Some of the guests are family of the deceased and James Stewart plays the role of Rupert Cadell their former prep school housemaster and now a publisher. While at school, Cadell had taught them the art of showing superiority over others.

This they thought would show their superiority of committing the perfect crime and thus used the antique wooden chest with the body inside, as the buffet table for the food. During the dinner and listening intently to the conversations of all those present Cadell concludes that the two hosts have committed a crime.

The movie was edited in such a way that the movie appeared in real time as one continuous shot.

Answer: Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn

In their careers Tracy and Hepburn co-starred in nine movies (1942-1967) together and this one was their sixth together. Spencer Tracy (1900-1967) won two Academy Awards for Best Actor (1939 and 1939). Katharine Hepburn (1907-2003) won four Academy Awards for Best Actress (1934, 1968, 1969 and 1982). Bogart and Bacall co-starred in many movies together during the 1940s and were actually married from 1945 until his death in 1957. Grant and Russell co-starred in "His Girl Friday" (1940) and Stewart and Reed co-starred in "It's A Wonderful Life" (1946).