Movies of the '50s - Part III Trivia Quiz

Answer: Betty Hutton

Betty Hutton (1921 - 2007) was a singer, comedienne and stage, film and TV actress. Her acting career spanned from 1938 - 1980. Howard Keel played the male leading role in the movie. Judy Garland originally had the leading role but was fired shortly after filming began because of her continual arguing with the director and arriving late for scenes. Doris Day played the lead role in "Calamity Jane" also a musical about a frontierswoman with Howard Keel also playing the leading male actor in this movie. Debbie Reynolds was also an actress, singer and dancer.

Answer: Strangers On A Train

In "Strangers On A Train" the two would-be killers meeting on a train were played by Farley Granger and Robert Walker. Granger plays the role of an amateur tennis player (Guy) and Walker a charming psychopath (Bruno). Bruno is to kill Guy's unfaithful wife and Guy is to kill Bruno's father. Like all Hitchcock thrillers there are twists and turns before the final scene. "I Confess" (1953) starred Montgomery Clift and "Dial M For Murder" (1954) starred Ray Milland and Grace Kelly. "The Wrong Man" (1957) starred Henry Fonda which was his only appearance in a Hitchcock movie. All of these movies were Hitchcock thrillers.

Answer: Don Lockwood

Don Lockwood was a popular silent film star who had trouble with the new concept of talking pictures. To overcome this challenge he came up with the idea of a musical. Howard Keel was the original choice of the character Don Lockwood but the studio finally settled on Gene Kelly for the role by adjusting the script. All of the above were characters in the movie. Donald O'Connor (Cosmo Brown), Millard Mitchell (R. F. Simpson) and Douglas Fowley (Roscoe Dexter). Debbie Reynolds also starred in the movie.

The story evolved around a silent film production company making the difficult transition to sound.

Answer: Glasses

Marilyn plays the role of Pola Debevoise who is extremely near-sighted and hates to wear her glasses where any man might see her. As she states in the movie "Men aren't attentive to girls who wear glasses". Through her near-sightedness she meets the man whom she marries. Although looking for millionaires to marry, the three girls find true love in the process.

Answer: June Allyson

June Allyson (1917 - 2006) began her career as a dancer in the late 1930s and with her "girl next door" image was paired with Van Johnson in five movies in the 1940s.
Lauren Bacall (1924-2014), Barbara Stanwyck (1907-1990) both appeared in many movies throughout their careers. Stanwyck was nominated four times for the Academy Award for Best Actress in a leading role. Grace Kelly (1929-1982) became Princess consort of Monaco from 1956 to 1982 after her marriage to Prince Rainier of Monaco.

Answer: Cal Trask

Cal Trask is one of two sons to Adam Trask (Raymond Massey). Cal believes his father favours his brother Aron (Richard Davolos) and the two brothers fight for the affection of Abro (Julie Harris). Of the three films in which James Dean was the leading male this is the only film which was released during his lifetime and which he was able to see. James Dean (1931-1955) played Jim Stark in "Rebel Without a Cause" and Jett Rink in "Giant". Rock Hudson played Jordan "Bick" Benedict Jr. in "Giant". "Giant" was released in 1956 after Dean's death and Nick Adams recorded some of Jett Rink's dialogue after Dean's death. James Dean remains the only actor to receive two posthumous Nominations for the Academy award for Best Actor.

Answer: Cantinflas

Cantinflas (1911-1993) from Mexico was, at the time, the most famous Latin-American comedian in show business. He was referred to as the Charlie Chaplin of Mexico. His character eventually becomes a focus of the film. Passepartout has an eye for the ladies plus being a jack of all trades.

His character has great humour which is in complete contrast to his master who is strictly formal, like the classic Victorian gentleman. Jose Greco plays the part of a flamenco dancer, Fernandel is a Paris coachman and Jack Oakie is the captain of the vessel SS Henrietta.

In the movie there was a star studded cast of actors and actresses who played cameo roles (Frank Sinatra, Red Skelton, Marlene Dietrich, Noel Coward, Trevor Howard, George Raft, John Mills, Buster Keaton too name just a few).

It was claimed to be a film in which most of Hollywood's Who's Who were extras.

Answer: Lon Chaney

Lon Chaney (1883-1930) was one of the most versatile and powerful actors of the silent film era. He was known for his artistry of makeup and being able to
transform his roles into grotesque characters. He is best known for his roles in the silent horror movies of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1923) and
"The Phantom of the Opera" (1925). Through his makeup techniques he became known as The Man of a Thousand Faces.
The other three actors were all stars of the silent screen era. Chaplin (1899-1977), Valentino (1895-1926) and Fairbanks Snr. (1883-1939).

Answer: Ski Instructor

German ski instructor Christian Diestl believes that Adolf Hitler will bring back respectability to Germany so he joins the army. Eventually he becomes disillusioned by what the war does to his fellow Germans. After witnessing the horrors of a concentration camp he throws away his weapons and, while wandering through a forest, he is shot in one of the final scenes by GI Michael Whiteacre (Dean Martin). In the movie Barbara Rush (Margaret Freemantle) had an affair with both Brando and Martin. She had the affair with Brando while on a skiing holiday in 1938 in the Bavarian Alps and later with Martin in London.

Answer: Australia

The opening and closing music of the film is the non-official Australian anthem "Waltzing Matilda". Australia is one of the last places on Earth that has not been effected by the nuclear war, however, radiation will eventually get to the southern hemisphere and kill all inhabitants.

As the air currents slowly carry the nuclear fallout to the southern hemisphere, Australia prepares for the worst in the event of radiation sickness. Gregory Peck (Cmdr. Dwight L. Towers) is the captain of the nuclear submarine USS Sawfish, under Royal Australian Navy command.

In the opening credit thanks is given to the Royal Australian Navy and to the officers and crew of the H.M.A.S. Melbourne. The movie was mostly filmed in and around Melbourne. Ava Gardner is reputed to have said during filming is that Melbourne "is the perfect place to make a film about the end of the world".