Firsts in Movies Quiz / Test | Movie Mixture

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. There is some debate as to which was the first movie ever made, if only because it's hard to define what a "movie" is. One Australian movie produced in 1906 was certainly one of the earliest true feature films. Which real person was this film's subject?

Answer: Ned Kelly

"The Story of the Kelly Gang" follows the life of bushranger Ned Kelly, famously hung in Old Melbourne Gaol in 1880. The film, which ran for just over an hour, was written and directed by Charles Tait. It is generally accepted that the first piece of moving film is "Horse in Motion" from 1878.

2. "The Jazz Singer" is often touted as the first talking film, but which element of the film actually accounted for the majority of synchronized sound and motion?

Answer: Songs

"The Jazz Singer", produced in 1927, was in fact 75% silent. It follows the story of Jakie Rabinowitz (played by Al Jolson), who runs away from home to become a jazz entertainer. "The Lights of New York", produced the following year, is thought to be the first fully synchronized talking movie.

3. The first Academy Awards ceremony, held in 1929, was not broadcast on either television or radio.

Answer: True

Entry to the first Academy Awards was five dollars and 270 people attended the event. It was the only Academy Awards not to be televised or broadcast on radio. "Wings" won the award for Outstanding (Best) Picture. Awards in this first ceremony honored films in both 1927 and 1928.

4. There was no best actress award at the first Academy Awards ceremony.

Answer: False

Janet Gaynor won the first Best Actress award at the tender age of 22. She was the youngest Best Actress winner for the following 58 years, until Marlee Matlin won as a 21 year old in 1987.

5. While color was used in movies from quite early on, which musical film, from 1939, famously used Technicolor by beginning the film in black and white and switching to color between scenes?

Answer: The Wizard of Oz

Technicolor's triumphant debut in cinemas came in this 1939 classic musical film, which follows the adventure of Dorothy Gale, a young girl from Kansas who dreams of a more exciting life and finds herself in a mysterious land after a tornado strikes. The movie switches to color after Dorothy wakes up and lands in Oz (to signify her journey 'over the rainbow').

It switches back to black and white on her return to Kansas at the end of the film. This film was also the first to be broadcast on television (in 1956).

6. "The Lost World" (an adaptation of an Arthur Conan Doyle classic novel) is a movie first for two reasons. Not only is it considered the first science fiction feature film, but is also regarded as the first film showed where?

Answer: On a plane

The 1925 film was shown on Imperial Airways flights. Arthur Conan Doyle appeared in the film as himself. The movie is about an explorer who discovers that dinosaurs have survived and are living in a remote part of the Amazon Jungle. He leads an expedition team to explore and they find not only dinosaurs but a range of other interesting creatures.

7. The first animated film with sound was titled "Steamboat Willie". Which famous character made a debut in this cartoon?

Answer: Mickey Mouse

This black-and-white cartoon was directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The film only lasted for eight minutes. It was also the first appearance of Mickey's girlfriend, Minnie. Since his debut in 1928, Mickey has become famous worldwide as the mascot of the Walt Disney company. Walt Disney himself famously stated that "it was all started by a mouse". According to the Disney company, the character of Mickey is 2 foot 3 inches (69 cm) tall and weighs 29 pounds (10 kg).

8. Which Steven Spielberg box-office record-breaker went by the ominous tagline "Don't go in the water"?

Answer: Jaws

"Jaws" was released in 1975, and hit two large milestones: $100 million US in box-office receipts, and the same amount in video rentals. The movie tells a story of a small island, Amity, that is terrorized by a Great White Shark. Three brave members of the community set out to stop its reign of terror.

As the tagline suggests, getting into the water near Amity Island with Jaws around is a highly dangerous pastime.

9. While it's hard to pinpoint exactly which movie had the honor of being the first ever DVD release, it is generally agreed that this happened following the release of DVD technology in the mid 1990s. Which natural disaster movie was one of the first movies to be released in DVD format?

Answer: Twister

"Twister" follows an estranged couple and their obsession with chasing tornadoes. The advent of the DVD in the mid-1990s changed viewing technology. Unlike their predecessors, the VHS, they do not generally deteriorate over time (unless scratched), are not affected by magnetic fields, and do not require rewinding.

10. Movies are very big business. Accordingly, actors are paid some impressive salaries. Which comedian set a new record when he played a starring role in "The Cable Guy"?

Answer: Jim Carrey

Jim received an impressive $20 million for his role in the film (directed by Ben Stiller). This followed on from successful lead roles in "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective", "Dumb and Dumber" and "The Mask".

Source: Author timence

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor jmorrow before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Firsts in Movies Trivia Quiz

Movies have been around in various shapes and forms since the late 19th Century. This quiz looks at some famous (and perhaps not-so-famous) movie firsts.

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>