Movies of the '50s - Part I Trivia Quiz

Answer: Frank Sinatra

Sinatra won the award for his role of Private Angelo Maggio. Frank Sinatra had a very successful career as a solo singing artist during the 1940s. However, by 1953 his professional career was in limbo, and it was this award that re-started his career. He signed with Capitol Records in 1953 and released a string of solo hits.
Donna Reed won Best Supporting Actress for her role of Alma "Lorene" Burke. The title of the movie came from a quote from a Rudyard Kipling poem (1892) called "Gentleman-Rankers".

Answer: Wendell Corey

Wendell Corey (1914 - 1968) appeared on Broadway and in numerous movies over a 30 year period, until his death in 1968. He was the President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1961-63.
The movie was based on a 1942 short story "It Had to Be Murder" by Cornell Woolrich. James Stewart played L.B. "Jeff" Jeffries, Raymond Burr was Lars Thorwald and Broderick Crawford was not in the movie. Grace Kelly was Jeffries' girl-friend Lisa Carol Fremont.
Broderick Crawford won an Academy Award for Best Actor in 1949 ("All the King's Men"). However, he is probably best remembered for his role as Chief Dan Mathews in "Highway Patrol" (TV Series 1955-59).

Answer: Brother and Sister

The movie takes place in German East Africa during WWI. Morley and Hepburn played the brother and sister roles of Samuel and Rose Sayer. Samuel is beaten by the German soldiers and soon dies. Charlie rescues Rose and, after many escapades, they eventually marry. The adventure film was based on a 1935 novel of the same name by C.S. Forester. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards but received just the one - Best Actor.

Answer: Will Kane

Will Kane had been a long-time Marshall of Hadleyville. He had just gotten married and was intending to give up his badge to be a store keeper.
This all changed when Frank Miller, who was sentenced to be hung, was pardoned on a technicality. He vowed to get even with the marshall who had put him away.
Harvey Pell (Lloyd Bridges) was the Deputy Marshall. Frank (Ian MacDonald) and Ben (Sheb Wooley) Miller were brothers with Jack Colby (Lee Van Cleef) and Jim Pierce (Robert J. Wilke) played the roles of the outlaws that came after Will Kane. Grace Kelly played the role of Kane's wife (Amy Fowler Kane).

Answer: Charlton Heston

This achievement of 11 Academy Awards was equalled by "Titanic" in 1997 and "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" in 2003.
Charlton Heston (1923 - 2008) appeared in over 100 movies in a career which spanned 60 years. He also appeared in such movies as "The Ten Commandments", "El Cid", "The Greatest Show on Earth" and "The Planet of the Apes". He was also a political activist supporting a number of Presidential candidates over the years.
It is interesting to note that quite a few actors turned down the role of Ben Hur before Charlton Heston was offered the part. Burt Lancaster, Paul Newman, Marlon Brando and Rock Hudson were some who turned down the role. Kirk Douglas wanted the role but Heston was preferred.
This inspired Douglas to star in another historical epic, "Spartacus", in 1960.
Frank Thring (Pontius Pilate in the movie) was an Australian actor who appeared in many Hollywood epics in the 1950s and 60s, usually as a bad guy.

Answer: The Beetles

Johnny Strabler had broken away from the Beetles to form his own club. Chino arrives in town with Johnny's trophy on his bike. Johnny wants his trophy back so he pushes Chino off his bike and then Chino explains that after Johnny broken away all The Beetles have missed him.
Outlaw biker clubs in the USA were popularised by the movie.
"The wild Angels" (1966), "The Rebel Rousers" (1967) and "The Hellcats" (1968) were names of movies released in the 1960s but never reached the fame of "The Wild One".
Brando went on to win two Academy awards for Best Actor (On the Waterfront-1954 and The Godfather - 1972). Marvin also won the award in the same category in "Cat Ballou" in 1965.

Answer: Colonel Bogey March

All of these songs were military marching songs that were composed during WWI. The "Colonel Bogey March" was written in 1914 by a British army bandmaster, Lt. F. J. Ricketts and is sometimes wrongly credited as "River Kwai March". The Kings Own Calgary Regiment of the Canadian Forces still today use "Colonel Bogey" as their march past tune, which caused a diplomatic row in 1980 when played during a visit by the Japanese Prime Minister.
"Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit-Bag and Smile, Smile, Smile" is probably the most famous WWI marching song.
The movie won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor(Alec Guinness for his role as Lt. Colonel Nicholson).

Answer: Jazz musicians

Joe played the saxophone and Jerry played the double-bass. Broke, freezing cold and in a rush to get away from the mob, they join an all-female band travelling by train to Miami, disguised as females named Josephine and Daphne. Marilyn Monroe (Sugar Kane) was the band's vocalist.
The two lads had trouble in high heels and staying away from the other members of the band. They thought that Sugar Kane walked "like Jello-O on springs".
Jack Lemmon received a nomination for Best Actor for his role as Jerry, however, the award for that year went to Charlton Heston in "Ben Hur".

Answer: Marlon Brando (Stanley Kowalski ) - Best Actor

The Academy Award winners were Leigh (Best Actress), Malden (Best supporting Actor) and Hunter (Best Supporting Actress). Brando was nominated for Best Actor but was beaten that year by Humphrey Bogart in "The African Queen".
Brando did go on to win two Best Actor Academy Awards in "On the Waterfront" and "The Godfather".

Answer: Butcher

In Borgnine's opening scene you see him serving behind the counter in his butcher shop. Marty is a single, Italian-American butcher, who still lives with his mother in The Bronx, New York city. He gets hounded by family and friends to get married. The movie won four Academy Awards in 1955. Borgnine is probably best remembered for his role as Lt. Commander Quinton McHale in the 1962-66 TV series "McHale's Navy". Borgnine actually did serve in the US Navy during WWII.