No Solo, No Jones Trivia Quiz

Answer: American Graffiti

"American Graffiti" was produced by Francis Ford Coppola on a $770,000 budget, yet the film ended up grossing $200,000,000 in box office and home movie sales. Furthermore, it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture and has been preserved in the National Film Registry by the United States Library of Congress because it is considered "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". Harrison Ford was busy with his carpentry career when he was approached to play Bob Falfa. Ford looked at the script and agreed to play the role on the condition that he did not have to cut his hair, for according to the script, Falfa was supposed to have a flattop.

A compromise was reached with Ford who agreed to wear a stetson hat to cover his hair.

It was through Ford's connection with Lucas during work on this film that he would eventually land the role of Han Solo in the Star Wars movies. Ford's character was not one of the major characters of the film; they were played by such as Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfus, Cindy Williams, Paul le Matt, Charles Martin Smith, and Mackenzie Phillips.

Answer: Blade Runner

The United States Library of Congress chose "Blade Runner" to be preserved in the National Film Registry in 1993 because of its being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". IGN and "The Guardian" have both listed the film as #1 in a list of top science-fiction films of all time, and the Online Film Critics Society ranks the movie as #2 on its list of "Top 100 Sci-fi Films of the Past 100 Years".

It also won the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation in 1983 and the BAFTA Film Award for Best Cinematography in 1983. Sean Connery, Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, Tommy Lee Jones, Paul Newman, Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino, Burt Reynolds, and Arnold Schwarzenegger were all considered as possible actors for the role of Rick Deckard; however, Harrison Ford got the part because of his work in "Star Wars" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and because of Ford's own interest in the story.

Some of the other actors who worked on the film are Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Daryl Hannah, and Edward James Olmos.

Answer: The Mosquito Coast

This was the second film Harrison Ford did with Peter Weir, the first being "Witness", in which Ford played a role that earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. When "The Mosquito Coast" was first released, many critics and much of the viewing audience rejected the film for its slow pace and for its presentation of Ford in a dramatic role in which he is not a likeable character.

However, many critics now laud the film as a very fine one, and Ford himself remains proud of his work on the film regardless of public opinion. Ford was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Dramatic Role for his performance.

Other actors appearing in the film with Ford are Helen Mirren, Martha Plimpton, and River Phoenix. Because of his work with Phoenix on this film, Harrison Ford personally recommended him to Steven Spielberg to play the young Indiana Jones in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade". Also, Butterfly McQueen, from "Gone with the Wind" fame gives her final film performance in this film.

Answer: Regarding Henry

This was the second film Harrison Ford did with Mike Nichols; in 1988, he peformed in 'Working Girl" with Sigourney Weaver and Melanie Griffith. Ford nearly refused the role of Henry Turner in this film because he had recently played a trial lawyer in the 1990 film "Presumed Innocent"; however, when he learned that he would be playing a trial lawyer for only about the first ten minutes of the film, he accepted the role.

Many critics consider Ford's performance in this film to be representative of some of his best dramatic acting; however, the film as a whole has not received much praise (many believe it trivializes the very issues that it claims to take seriously). Ford acted with Bill Nunn and Annette Benning, who received praise as a promising newcomer to Hollywood due to her performance. John Leguizamo, who played the small part of the convenience store robber who shoots Henry Turner, received hate mail from several Harrison Ford fans who were not used to seeing their favorite actor in such a vulnerable or suffering role.

Answer: The Devil's Own

Harrison Ford landed the role of O'Meara after Brad Pitt, who co-starred with Ford, recommended Ford for the role. Ford accepted the role only after others agreed to rewrite the script so that Ford had more of a prominent role in the film and had a more complex relationship with Brad Pitt's character, Frankie McGuire / Rory Devaney, the young man looking for weapons to assist the I.R.A. back home in Ireland.

However, Pitt later almost walked out on the making of the film because the script had changed from the original one that he had loved.

This film ended up being Ford's second time to be directed by Pakula; his first was "Presumed Innocent" in 1990. Other actors appearing in the film include Margaret Colin, Treat Williams, Ruben Blades, George Hearn, and Julia Stiles.

Answer: Random Hearts

"Random Hearts" took over 15 years to make. It was originally an interest of Dustin Hoffman's in the 1980s; however, he eventually abandoned the project after he rejected several script revisions. Then Kevin Costner was at one point selected for the starring role with James L. Brooks directing. Finally the film became Sydney Pollack's with Harrison Ford playing the lead male role.

The final result was not well received by either the critics or the public. Other actors appearing in the film are Kristin Scott Thomas, Charles S. Dutton, Bonnie Hunt, and Sydney Pollack himself.

This was the second film Ford starred in that was directed by Sydney Pollack, the first one being Pollack's remake of "Sabrina" with Ford playing Linus Larrabee (originally played by Humphrey Bogart).

However, Ford first worked with Pollack during the production of "Presumed Innocent" as Pollack was that film's producer. An interesting observation about "Random Hearts": this is the first film in which Harrison Ford's character wears an earring, something Ford does in real life.

Answer: Firewall

Richard Loncraine is a British director known for such films as "Brimstone and Treacle" (which stars Denholm Elliot, who acted with Ford in two of the "Indiana Jones" films, and Sting) and "Richard III" (an interesting adaptation set in the 1930s and starring Ian McKellen). "Firewall" was not well received by the critics though it performed fairly at the box office.

The film also stars Paul Bettany, Virginia Madsen, and Alan Arkin. Harrison Ford offered Virginia Madsen the part of playing his character's wife by texting her, and she initially disregarded it, thinking an offer by text from Harrison Ford must be a joke.

Answer: Morning Glory

The producer of the film, J. J. Abrams, immediately sought Harrison Ford to play the role of Mike Pomeroy. Abrams had worked with Ford before as he wrote the script for "Regarding Henry" and even played a bit part in that film. While "Morning Glory" as a film received mixed reviews, most critics lauded Ford's performance, admiring his style of humor, glimpses of which had been seen in earlier days when he played Han Solo and Indiana Jones. Ford's co-stars included Rachel McAdams, Jeff Goldblum, and Diane Keaton. Oddly enough, considering the number of years Ford and Keaton have worked in Hollywood, this was the first time they had ever worked on the same film together. Ford remarked about the situation, "We have been working in the same business, different branches of the business.

She was in the intellectual branch, and I was in the running, jumping and falling down branch. So, we never had the chance to work together. But it was a real pleasure to finally get that opporunity."

Answer: Cowboys & Aliens

"Cowboys & Aliens" was produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, among others, and was executive produced by Steven Spielberg and Jon Favreau, who also directed the film. Favreau has achieved fame for his production and direction of the "Iron Man" films starring Robert Downey, Jr.

Interestingly, Favreau rejected the suggestion to film "Cowboys & Aliens" in 3-D because he wanted to maintain a classical western feel or experience for the audiences viewing the film in theaters. Favreau chose Ford to play Dolarhyde because he felt Ford was a respected action/adventure actor who would not appear comedic in a film in which aliens from space invade America during its earlier history.

However, he worried about Ford wearing a hat because of the iconic Fedora associated with Indiana Jones.

Other actors appearing in the film are Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde, Clancy Brown, Paul Dano, Adam Beach, and Sam Rockwell.

Answer: Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round

"Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round" starred James Coburn, a con man who achieves parole after charming a psychologist, played by Marian McCargo. He then skips around the country manipulating as many women as he can to profit himself. A very young, boyish Harrison Ford appears momentarily as a bellhop wearing a name tag bearing the name of Thornton Wild and delivering a message to Coburn's character Eli Kotch. Ford earned $125 for his work. Ford was a contract player with Columbia Pictures at the time, and many of Columbia's producers were unimpressed with Ford. According to "People Magazine Profiles", one in particular, Jerry Tokovsky, pointed out to Ford that he didn't have movie star quality.

He contrasted him to Tony Curtis who played a grocery store clerk for his film debut and remarked that as soon as one saw him, one knew "that is a movie star." Ford replied, "I thought the point was that you were supposed to look at him and think that this is a grocery clerk."