Classified Ads for Oscar Winning Performances Quiz

Answer: Julie Andrews, for "Mary Poppins"

Julie Andrews (b. 1935, Walton-on-Thames, England) received acclaim as Eliza Doolittle in the Broadway production of "My Fair Lady", but Warner Bros. chose Audrey Hepburn for the role in the film version. Disney Studios, seeing an opportunity, promptly cast Andrews for "Mary Poppins". While "Lady" would go on to win Best Picture, Andrews got the last laugh (or, as some say, 'sweet revenge') by winning the Best Actress award. Andrews received two more Best Actress nominations; for the following year's "The Sound Of Music, and 1982's "Victor/Victoria".

Released in 1964 and directed by Robert Stevenson, "Mary Poppins' also starred Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson and Ed Wynn. The film was nominated for 13 Academy Awards, winning a total of five.

Answer: George C. Scott, for "Patton"

Before "Patton", George C. Scott (1927-1999) received two Best Supporting Actor nominations; 1959's "Anatomy of a Murder" and 1961's "The Hustler". He refused "The Hustler" nomination, so it should not have been that much of a shock to the Academy when he also refused the Best Actor Oscar for "Patton" (becoming the first actor to do so; Scott later branded the concept of the Awards as a "meat market"). He was renowned for his acting skills on both stage and screen as well as his 'occasional hard-to-handle moments' while on the set. Other notable Scott films include 1964's "Dr. Strangelove", 1971's "They Might Be Giants" and "The Hospital", and my personal favorite (after "Patton"), 1972's "The New Centurions".

Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, "Patton" also starred Karl Malden as General Omar Bradley. The film was nominated for ten Oscars, winning seven.

Answer: Marisa Tomei, for "My Cousin Vinny"

A nifty little urban legend began to circulate after Tomei's (b. 1964, Brooklyn, NY.) win; film critic Rex Reed put forth the possibility that Jack Palance (the previous year's Best Supporting Actor for "City Slickers") might have had 'just a few too many' and read the wrong name in the envelope during his presentation (although he would have had to have quite a few too many to mistake Tormei's name from Redgrave, Plowright, Richardson and Davis, the other nominees). Naturally, the Academy 'pooh-poohed' Reed's theory immediately, and although it is a highly unlikely scenario, the legend still persists. Tormei would be nominated for two more Best Supporting Actress awards; 2001's "In the Bedroom" and 2008's "The Wrestler".

"My Cousin Vinny", directed by Jonathan Lynn, also starred Joe Pesci, Ralph Macchio and Fred Gwynne (in his last role).

Answer: Tom Hanks, for "Forrest Gump"

The old Virginia Slims cigarette slogan, "You've come a long way, baby", would serve as a summary of Tom Hanks' (b. 1956, Concord, CA.) career as well, especially when one thinks back to his early "Bosom Buddies"/"Bachelor Party" days. With his Oscars for "Forrest Gump" and the previous year's "Philadelphia", Hanks became the second actor in Academy history to receive consecutive Best Actor awards, joining Spencer Tracy (who won his in 1937 and 1938). Most recently, Hanks reprised his role as Professor Robert Langdon in 2009's "Angels & Demons", the sequel (or prequel, if you will) to "The Da Vinci Code" (2006), and will once again voice Sheriff Woody in "Toy Story 3".

Directed by Robert Zemeckis and released in 1994, "Forrest Gump" also starred Sally Field, Gary Sinise and Robin Wright Penn. Nominated for 13 Academy Awards, "Gump" brought home six, including the above-mentioned Best Actor, Best Picture and Director.

Answer: Louise Fletcher, for "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"

Louise Fletcher (b. 1934, Birmingham, AL.) only had one credited film role (1974's "Thieves Like Us") before being cast as the cold and calculating Nurse Ratched in the big screen adaptation of Ken Kesey's powerful 1962 novel of the same name. In one of Oscar's most emotional moments, Fletcher used sign language to thank her parents (both suffering from hearing loss) after accepting her Best Actress award. She would later star in films such as "Exorcist II: The Heretic", "Flowers in the Attic" and "Firestarter", as well as television roles including "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine", "Picket Fences" and "Heroes".

Released in 1975, directed by Milos Forman ("Amadeus") and nominated for nine Oscars, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" was the second film in Academy history to win all five major awards (Picture, Actor, Actress, Director and Screenplay), following 1934's "It Happened One Night" (and preceding 1991's "The Silence of the Lambs"). The film also starred Jack Nicholson, Brad Dourif, Danny DeVito and Christopher Lloyd.

Answer: Cuba Gooding, Jr., for "Jerry Maguire"

Cuba Gooding Jr. (b. 1968, Bronx, NY.) was a professional breakdancer before debuting on the big screen (as "Barber Shop Customer") in 1988's "Coming to America". He went on to bigger and better roles in films such as "Boyz n the Hood" (1991), "A Few Good Men" (1992) and "The Tuskegee Airmen" (1995), before landing the part of wide receiver Rod Tidwell in "Jerry Maguire" (1996), in which he was 'shown the Oscar'. Other films featuring Gooding include "As Good As It Gets" (1997), "Men of Honor" (2000), "Rat Race" (2001) and "Daddy Day Camp" (2007).

Directed by Cameron Crowe, "Jerry Maguire" also starred Tom ("You complete me") Cruise and Renée ("You had me at 'hello'") Zellweger; the film was nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture and Actor.

Answer: Frances McDormand, for "Fargo"

Francis McDormand's (b. 1957, Chicago, IL.) film debut, 1984's "Blood Simple", was also the first film directed by her husband, Joel Coen (who actually co-directed with his brother Ethan). Before winning the Best Actress award for her role as the down-home but deceptively savvy (and very pregnant) police chief Marge Gunderson in "Fargo". She was nominated in the Supporting Actress category for her work in 1988's "Mississippi Burning". McDormand would be nominated again (Best Supporting Actress) for "Almost Famous" (2000) and "North Country" (2005). Other notable films include 1987's "Raising Arizona" (also by the Coen brothers) and 2000's "Wonder Boys".

Released in 1996, "Fargo" also showcased wonderful performances by two of my favorite actors, William H. ("You're darned tootin'!") Macy and Steve 'The Funny-Lookin' Fella' Buscemi. Nominated for seven Oscars (including Picture, Supporting Actor and Director), the Coen brothers also won for Best Original Screenplay.

Answer: John Wayne, for "True Grit"

One of the few film legends who (in my opinion) truly deserved his iconic status, John Wayne (b. Marion Mitchell Morrison, 1907-1979) was respected and admired even by those who adamantly disagreed with his conservative political opinions (1960's radical Abbie Hoffman was quoted as saying "I like Wayne's wholeness, his style. As for his politics, well--I suppose even cavemen felt a little admiration for the dinosaurs that were trying to gobble them up."). While many critics and film historians consider his role as Ethan Edwards in "The Searchers" (1956) as the highlight of his extensive movie career (over 180 films from 1926 to 1976), Wayne finally won the Best Actor statuette as Marshall Reuben "Rooster" J. Cogburn in "True Grit". During his acceptance speech, he remarked to the audience that "If I had known this, I would've put that patch on thirty-five years ago.". Wayne died of stomach cancer in 1979, three years after his final film, 1976's "The Shootist".

Directed by Henry Hathaway and released in 1969, "True Grit" also starred Glen Campbell, Kim Darby, Robert Duvall and Dennis Hopper.

Answer: Judi Dench, for "Shakespeare in Love"

A highly respected and accomplished stage actress (as well as screen), Judi Dench (b. 1934, York, England) received the OBE ("Order of the British Empire") in 1970, adding the title of "Dame" to her impressive list of awards and accomplishments. Her approximately eight minute performance (Best Supporting Actress) as Queen Elizabeth in "Shakespeare in Love" was not the shortest to win an Oscar for that category however, as Beatrice Straight won for about six minutes of screen time in 1976's "Network". Since 1995, Dame Judi has also played British Secret Service chief "M" in the James Bond film franchise.

Nominated for twelve Academy Awards, "Shakespeare in Love" won a total of seven, including Best Picture and Actress. Directed by John Madden (NOT to be confused with the sportscaster/ex-Raiders coach/Budweiser aficionado), the film also starred Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes and Geoffrey Rush.

Answer: Christoph Waltz, for "Inglourious Basterds"

Prior to being cast as SS Standartenführer (the equivalent of an Oberst, or full colonel) Hans Landa in "Inglourious Basterds", Christoph Waltz (b. 1956, Vienna, Austria) was relatively unknown, although he had several films to his credit, as well as extensive stage and television work in the European market. That all changed after the release of "Basterds", and Waltz walked away with not only an Oscar, but practically every acting and critic award known to man (and probably a few that no one has ever heard of). A short sample of the list included the Golden Globe, Bafta, Cannes, Screen Actors Guild, and over 20 others (Waltz did lose the coveted MTV "Best Villain" award to "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" bad-guy Tom Felton, but I'm sure he took it well. What do those kids know, anyway?).

Directed by Quentin Tarantino and released in 2009, "Basterds" was nominated for eight Academy Awards (including Picture and Director), but only Waltz brought home gold. The film also starred Brad Pitt (in an Oscar-worthy performance as well, in my opinion), Eli Roth, Diane Krüger and Til Schweiger.