Highfalutin People Trivia Quiz

Answer: Sol C. Siegel

Born in Manhattan Siegel moved to Los Angeles in 1934 and acted as producer in 99 films in a career that ran until 1968. Cutting his teeth initially on Westerns he came to prominence for his handling of Marilyn Monroe in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" (1953), before receiving an Oscar nomination for Best Picture for "Three Coins in the Fountain" (1954).

He wasn't allowed to rest on those laurels and he needed all of his skill to deal with the egos of his highfalutin cast that included Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly and Louis Armstrong.

Answer: True

Grace Kelly, at age 26, married Prince Rainier III in a civil ceremony on 18 April, 1956 (the religious ceremony would take place the next day) after a courtship that had lasted a year. The film would be released three months after the wedding. If you look closely at the film you may note the ring on her finger, it is the Cartier engagement ring that her future husband had given to her.

Answer: Cole Porter

This would be Porter's first original film score in eight years and, at $250,000, was amply rewarded for it. And he was in fine form for this movie, producing two excellent pop standards in "You're Sensational" and the Oscar nominated "True Love". Ignoring Porter's brilliance, it would have been difficult to misfire on this score.

The backing cast was incredible. He had two fine crooners in Crosby and Sinatra delivering the majority of the songs and they were backed up by Conrad Salinger and Nelson Riddle, two of the best orchestra masters of their time, and the delivery came under the care of baton master Johnny Green. (NOTE) "Kiss Me Kate" was one of Porter's most successful musicals.

Answer: Now You Has Jazz

When Cole Porter, who wrote the score, heard that Armstrong was engaged to be in the film he decided that he had to make room for a jazz number. Not being totally familiar with the genre he sought out the help of Fred Astaire to assist him in understanding jazz. "Now You Has Jazz" is sung by Bing Crosby in the film with Armstrong and his band providing the backup.

In the process of the song Crosby names the members of the band - Edmond Hall on the clarinet, Trummy Young on trombone, Billy Kyle tickling the ivories (piano), Arvell Shaw is on the bass, Barrett Deems beating on the drums and the sublime Louis Armstrong provides the trumpet sounds.

Answer: The Philadelphia Story

Helen Hope Montgomery Scott was a Philadelphia socialite, well known for her boisterous celebrations, who became married to one of Philip Barry's friends. In the process she became, for Barry, the inspiration for Tracy Lord. When he commenced the work Barry had Katherine Hepburn in mind for the lead role.

This, back then, was a gamble as Hepburn had endured a series of failures and had been labelled "box office poison". Hepburn was taken by the role and sacrificed her salary for the play in exchange for a percentage of the profits.

The play proved to be a great success and would became an even greater film, winning rave reviews, two Oscars and receiving nominations for four others.

Answer: They're divorced

Tracy is about to get married in Newport, Rhode Island to George Kittredge but, in the lead up to the wedding she falls for Mike Connor, a reporter from the tabloids assigned to cover the wedding. C.K. Dexter Haven has decided that he may not be out of the picture yet and decides to make his way to Newport using the flimsy excuse that he's there only for the jazz festival.

The truth is, he's still in love with Tracy and he wants to win her back.

Answer: Sidney Blackmer

Sidney Blackmer plays Seth Lord, Tracy's father. Bing Crosby is C.K. Dexter Haven who is divorced from Tracy but is still in love with her. John Lund is George Kittredge, the man she is due to marry and Frank Sinatra is MacAulay "Mike" Connor, the newspaper reporter with the assignment to cover Tracy's wedding but who falls head over heels in love with her.

Answer: Spy Magazine

"Spy Magazine" is holding some rather embarrassing information on Seth Lord, Tracy's father, and are looking to use it to gain a scoop on everyone else when they send journalist Mike Connor (Frank Sinatra) and photographer Liz Imbrie (Celeste Holm) to cover the wedding. Tracy Lord gets wind of this and decides to turn the tables on the magazine with a charade that introduces her Uncle Willie (Louis Calhern) as her real father and Seth (her real father) as the wicked Uncle Willie.

Answer: C.K. Dexter Haven

Tracy falls for the charms of Mike Connor, the reporter played by Sinatra, and this is spelled out when she meets him for a romantic swim on the eve of her wedding. She is in the throes of advising the guests that the wedding is off but George Kittredge is having none of it.

In steps C.K. Dexter Haven and he proposes to her. Three men... what is Tracy to do? It is at this point that Tracy realizes where her heart truly lies and accepts C.K.'s proposal.

Answer: False

Whilst this film carried some incredible firepower within its cast the writing could not support them. "High Society" lacked the bite and wit of its predecessor, "The Philadelphia Story" (1940), and was not well received by the critics. The film did manage to garner two Oscar nominations; one for Johnny Green and Saul Chaplin for Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture and the other went to Cole Porter for his song "True Love".

Unfortunately, neither was successful.