Michael Caine Films Trivia Quiz

Answer: Rita

The film was 'Educating Rita' and was based on the play written by Willy Russell, who also wrote the screenplay. The character of Rita decides to improve her life by studying literature with the Open University and is assigned to Frank Bryant as a pupil. He has turned to alcohol, having become disillusioned with his own life, and the film shows how each of the main characters helps each other. Rita was played by Julie Walters, who also appeared in all the 'Harry Potter' film adaptations in the role of Molly Weasley and also played Rosie in the 2008 film version of 'Mamma Mia'.

Annie was a character in 'Alfie' (1966) and Hannah was from 'Hannah and her Sisters' (1986). Juliet appeared in 'Gnomeo and Juliet' (2011), and all three films featured Caine.

The photo hint was a nod to The Beatles and their song 'Lovely Rita', about a traffic warden, or meter-maid, as the song lyrics describe her.

Answer: Jude Law

Both films were based on the original play by Anthony Shaffer, but developed the plot in totally different ways. In the 1972 version, Olivier played Andrew Wyke with Caine as Milo Tindle, while in 2007 Caine took on the role of Wyke with Law as Tindle. Both films essentially involved only the two actors, with the tension building between them as they have a battle of wits while the viewer tries to work out who (if either) is telling the truth. Jude Law also starred in the remade version of 'Alfie' (2004), playing the role which Caine made famous in 1966. His other roles include Dickie Greenleaf in 'The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) and Dr. Watson in 'Sherlock Holmes' (2009).

The 2007 film was directed by Kenneth Branagh. David Tennant and Damian Lewis have no connection to Law other than being British actors of a similar age to him.

The photo of the scales of justice was an additional hint to the actor's name.

Answer: Croker

Caine played Charlie Croker, the character who gave him one of his most memorable lines in 'you're only supposed the blow the (expletive deleted) doors off', as his colleague manages to demolish the whole van instead of just gaining access to it. One of the best loved films of all time, with a (literally) cliff-hanger ending, 'The Italian Job' also featured the Mini Cooper car whizzing through the pavements, steps and sewers of Rome. The film was remade in 2003, with Mark Wahlberg playing Croker.

The photo is of a frog, which is a croaker...

Answer: Carve Her Name with Pride

'Carve Her Name with Pride' starred Virginia McKenna as Violette Szabo, a British secret agent in occupied France. Szabo, the daughter of a French mother and English father, is recruited as an agent after being widowed. In both real life and the film, Szabo is arrested and executed by the Nazis. Caine's role as a prisoner, a soldier, on the train taking Szabo to Germany was uncredited.

The other options are all real film titles. 'Hearts of Oak' was a 1927 film directed by John Ford, and 'Under the Greenwood Tree' was based on the novel by Thomas Hardy and came out in 1929. David Guterson's novel 'Snow Falling on Cedars' was released as a film in 1999.

The photo of carvings in a tree trunk should have pointed you towards the right answer, I hope.

Answer: Winston Churchill

The film was an adaptation of the novel written by Jack Higgins and involves a plot to kidnap Winston Churchill and bring him to Germany. Caine plays the role of a disgraced German officer, who has been posted to the Channel Islands, the only part of the UK occupied by the Germans during the second World War. Having discovered, via an agent, that Churchill will be in Norfolk, the team parachute into England. Their plan appears to have succeeded, when Churchill is shot and killed, but there is an unexpected twist in the plot.

Churchill was well known for his cigar smoking, so the photo clue should have pointed you in the right direction.

Answer: Geoffrey Rush

The film is a fictional version of the final years of the Marquis de Sade, who is shown as being imprisoned in a lunatic asylum. He manages to publish various writings which are smuggled out by one of the laundry workers, played by Kate Winslet. Caine plays the part of the traditional doctor, who has barbaric ideas on the treatment of the mentally ill. Rush was nominated for an Oscar for his role, but lost to Russell Crowe's 'Gladiator' (2000). Geoffrey did win an Oscar for 'Shine' (1996) and has also appeared in 'Shakespeare in Love' (1998), 'The King's Speech' (2010) and as Captain Barbarossa in the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' series of films.

The photo hint is of some rushes.

Answer: Funeral in Berlin

The films came out in two batches, in the 1960s and 1990s. The first three were based on the books of Len Deighton, with the first one being 'The Ipcress File' in 1965 and the third being 'Billion Dollar Brain' in 1967. Harry Palmer was a rather seedy character who became a secret agent as an alternative to prison. The 1990's films were original screenplays, not involving Deighton, with Caine playing Palmer as having been forcibly retired from his original role at MI5. 'Funeral in Berlin' was set in the city while it was still divided by the infamous wall, and involved double dealings in both the eastern and western sectors.

'Bullet to Beijing' came out in 1995 with 'Midnight in St. Petersburg' being the following year.

The photo is of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, which became one of the symbols of both the erection and demolition of the wall.

Answer: Larch

The film was an adaptation of a book written by John Irving. Caine plays the role of Dr. Wilbur Larch, the director of an orphanage, who has an addiction to ether and a sideline as an abortionist. The focus of the film is Homer Wells, played by Maguire, who grows up in the orphanage and is treated as an apprentice by Larch in his operations. The film ends with Larch having died from an overdose of ether, and Wells taking on his role as superintendent of the orphanage.

The photo shows larch cones, and the larch is the only conifer listed in the options I gave you.

Answer: California Suite

All the listed films are adapted from Simon plays, but Caine appeared only in 'California Suite', which came out in 1978. Caine plays the role of the secretly homosexual Sidney Cochran, married to Oscar nominee actress Diana Barrie, played by Maggie Smith. Smith actually won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role. The film screenplay was written by Neil Simon himself, with the suite in the Los Angeles hotel linking the stories of four different couples.

'Plaza Suite' (1971) was also set in an hotel and starred Walter Matthau. 'The Goodbye Girl' (1977) starred Richard Dreyfuss and 'The Sunshine Boys' (1975) was another Walter Matthau film with George Burns.

The photo hint of a gold nugget may have pointed you towards the golden state of California.

Answer: Alfred Pennyworth

The trilogy is comprised of 'Batman Begins' (2005), 'The Dark Knight' (2008) and 'The Dark Knight Rises' (2012). Christian Bale played the part of Batman in all three films, and Caine was also a regular as the butler for Batman's alter ego, Bruce Wayne. Pennyworth was shown as being a surrogate father to Wayne, having cared for him since the death of Wayne's parents, and a trusted source of advice.

Lucius Fox was played by Morgan Freeman, who appeared in all three films as the man in charge of Wayne's business empire. Liam Neeson played Henri Ducard in the first film. The role of the Joker was famously played by Heath Ledger, who received a posthumous Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, having died from an overdose in 2008.

The photo clue shows a lot of pennies.