Movie Milestones and Record Holders Quiz

Answer: The Blair Witch Project

Here's the info on the three runners-up: "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", which had a budget of $5 million and took in over $241 million at the box office, over forty-eight times what it cost. Due to subsequent re-releases, "Gone With the Wind" has grossed 198.6 million in theatres alone, not even counting video sales, with a budget of $3.9 million (which seemed exhorbitant at the time). "Star Wars" has taken in $461 million on an $11 million budget, counting two re-releases. When "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" reached its box office peak, industry observers cited it as the most profitable movie of all time. This was wrong! "Witch" only cost $35 THOUSAND, and earned over $140 MILLION domestically! And even without "Witch", the percentage on "Wind" is slightly higher than "Wedding". This question has had to be changed twice due to the wrong information I found on the internet and in articles. It is correct now, and the "Blair Witch" record will probably stand for a long time.

In 2005, a documentary entitled "Inside Deep Throat" was released with the erroneous claim that the pornographic film, "Deep Throat", had grossed in excess of $600 million, a virtual impossibility given that a ticket price in the early 1970s was less than three dollars.

Answer: Town & Country

The U.S. release of "Town & Country" was delayed thirteen times, the first sign of trouble for this film. Its star Warren Beatty demanded many changes, leaving the final result incoherent. By the time it was released, the cost had ballooned to $105 million, but it earned just over $6.7 million. Any chance at a foreign release was abandoned after that. Eddie Murphy's "The Adventures of Pluto Nash" earned even less money, but the budget was slightly less, at $100 million, so it lost about $2 million less than Warren's flop.

Answer: Hal Roach

Roach was 92 when he won an honorary Oscar in 1984 for his long career. He had met a fellow extra, Harold Lloyd, and they decided to produce films together, starring Lloyd. A long running series involved a character known as "Lonesome Luke". He is best remembered, though, for the "Our Gang" and "Laurel and Hardy" series.

Answer: Thelma Ritter

They were all great character actors, but Ritter is the actress, the one with the most nominations without ever getting the gold statue before her death in 1969. Her best known films are "All About Eve", "Pillow Talk", "A Letter to Three Wives", and "Rear Window." Shirley Booth did win an Oscar for her lead role in her film debut, "Come Back Little Sheba".

Answer: Dr. T. and the Women

In this 2000 film, Richard Gere plays a gynecologist. At one point in the movie, there is a live birth. Therefore, that baby made her "movie debut" at the age of 0. It was supposed to be a surprise to moviegoers, but I'd prefer to know when something like that is coming!

Answer: Penny Singleton

The others aren't even close. Penny Singleton played "Blondie", based on the comic strip character, 28 times from the late 1930's to the early 1950's. She was also the voice of Jane Jetson, even in the 1990 "Jetsons" movie. In 2002, Singleton showed up at the re-dedication of one of her stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at age 94! Arthur Lake played Blondie's husband, Dagwood. (P.S. I am sad to report of Penny Singleton's passing, just five weeks after the creation of this quiz, November 12, 2003. By all accounts, she had a fulfilling life and career.)

Answer: Laurence Olivier

All the other men listed won the Oscar for Best Director, but Olivier is the only one who has won for acting, in "Hamlet" (1948), which he directed. So far no woman has been nominated for acting in a film she directed, though some have been eligible.

Answer: Women In Love

Actually, it was two men. "Midnight Cowboy" and "Myra Breckenridge" were both given an X-rating at the time of release, but it was kinky director Ken Russell who broke down the nudity barrier in 1969 (released in 1970 in the U.S.) with a memorable scene featuring Alan Bates and Oliver Reed wrestling in front of a fire. "The Last Picture Show" came out in 1971 with a nice shot of a young man emerging naked from a pool.

Answer: Linda Hunt

Linda Hunt won for playing a young man named Billy Kwan in the 1983 film, "The Year of Living Dangerously." Hilary Swank won for 1999's "Boys Don't Cry," the true story of a person who lived as a young man but was born in a female body. With Hunt's role, however, Billy's gender was not part of the plot. She was that convincing.

Answer: the first interracial kiss

Hard to believe, but it happened over a century ago. It would be 65 years before such a kiss was shown on television, on "Star Trek". And another decade before one appeared on a daytime show. And even then, some Americans weren't ready to see it. Soap opera actor Tina Andrews, now a movie producer, got hate mail for it in 1979. Thanks for playing!