Name the Director (Multiple Choice) Quiz

Answer: F.W. Murnau

Widely regarded as one of silent cinema's masterpieces, "Sunrise" was directed by Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau (1888-1931). The German director, who had previously achieved success with the silent horror classic "Nosferatu" (1922), emigrated to Hollywood in 1926, where he directed four films (of which "Sunrise" was the first) before dying in an automobile accident in 1931.

Answer: Martin Scorsese

"To me, being a gangster was better than being President of the United States." - One of the first lines of one of the most famous of all American gangster movies. "GoodFellas" was based on Nicholas Pileggi's "Wiseguy", a non-fiction book that chronicles the story of Henry Hill, a mobster in the New York Mafia who later turned informant.

When production of the film started, in order to avoid confusion with the popular TV series "Wiseguy" (1987-1990) and Brian de Palma's "Wise Guy" (1986), Martin Scorsese and Pileggi decided to call it "Goodfellas".

Answer: Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980), having already made a name for himself with his British mystery and suspense productions, moved to Hollywood in 1939, where he made his greatest and most famous films. "Rebecca", produced by David O. Selznick (1902-1965), was his first American movie. Ubiquitously called "the master of suspense", Hitchcock established a Hollywood oeuvre that included the likes of "Notorious" (1946), "Rear Window" (1954), "Vertigo" (1958), "North by Northwest" (1959) and "Psycho" (1960).

Answer: Howard Hawks

Although probably mostly remembered today for his westerns starring John Wayne (such as "Red River" or "Rio Bravo"), versatile director Howard Hawks (1896-1977) was a master of many genres. Amidst a filmography rich in thriller, adventure, western and war films, he proved with films like "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" (1953), "Bringing Up Baby" (1938) and "His Girl Friday" (1940) that he could just as easily apply his craftsmanship in directing comedies.

Answer: Woody Allen

Not usually considered Woody Allen's best work (most people, including myself, would list "Annie Hall", "Manhattan" or "Crimes and Misdemeanors" as better films), "The Purple Rose of Cairo" is probably his most warmhearted tribute to the magic of cinema.

Answer: Stanley Kubrick

Despite having completed only 13 feature films in 46 years, Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999), whose other credits include "Paths of Glory" (1957), "Dr. Strangelove" (1964) or "A Clockwork Orange" (1971), is something of a sacred cow in the history of cinema.

A few of his films are routinely voted as the best of all time. One of these is the 1968 science-fiction classic "2001: A Space Odyssey", a film at once visually stunning and intellectually stimulating. From its awesome opening sequence of the Moon and Sun rising over the Earth, to the mind-boggling, mystifying final minutes, the film is nothing short of a masterpiece. An atmospheric reflection on the relationship between mankind and technology, the advent of intelligence on Earth, and its possible relatedness with other-worldly intelligences, this film epitomises the very purpose of art; to search deep within ourselves for who we are and in doing so, if even for a few moments, to experience transcendence.

The scene where man, represented by an ape-looking hominid, becomes "homo faber", coming up with the idea to use a bone as a tool, remains one of the most famous moments in the history of cinema.

The choice of soundtrack has also been described as very inspired.

Answer: Robert Altman

Though certainly not everyone's cup of tea, Robert Altman (1925-2006) remains one of Hollywood's most acclaimed directors. He made this well known western (or more appropriately anti-western) in 1971, at the start of what proved to be the best decade of his career (other films he directed in the 1970s include "M*A*S*H", "The Long Goodbye", "Nashville" and "3 Women"). Regarding this movie, it may suffice to quote famed critic Roger Ebert: "Robert Altman has made a dozen films that can be called great in one way or another, but one of them is perfect, and that one is 'McCabe and Mrs. Miller'".

Answer: Norman Jewison

"In the Heat of the Night" is the detective movie (based on the John Ball novel) that introduced the popular character Virgil Tibbs ("Mr. Tibbs" as he dubs himself) to a wide audience. It confirmed director Norman Jewison's status as one of Hollywood's rising stars.

His filmography includes other well-known films such as "The Thomas Crown Affair" (1968), "Fiddler on the Roof" (1971) and "Moonstruck" (1987).

Answer: Milos Forman

Famous as much for the top-class acting as it is for its direction, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975) was Milos Forman's second American film. The Czech director fled his native Czechoslovakia, where he had shown promise of a great career, after the crushing of the Prague Spring (1968). Based on Ken Kesey's eponymous novel, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" was one of only three motion pictures of the 20th century (the other two being "It Happened One Night" and "The Silence of the Lambs") to have won the so-called "Big Five" Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Screenplay. Forman went on to direct "Amadeus" (1984), another picture generally ranked among Hollywood's finest achievements.

Answer: Arthur Penn

As influential as it is intriguing, "Bonnie and Clyde" was considered revolutionary upon its release in 1967, and to this day it is still considered an important point of reference in movie history. It turned out to be director Arthur Penn's (1922-2010) finest achievement, in a career comprising such films as "The Miracle Worker" (1962), "Little Big Man" (1970) and "Night Moves" (1975).