Nominations and Oscars: What a Night! Quiz

Answer: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" received nine nominations with five wins, all being the Big Five categories: Best Picture, Best Director (Milos Forman), Best Actor (Jack Nicholson), Best Actress (Louise Fletcher) and Best Screenplay (Laurence Hauben/Bo Goldman).
"Gone with the Wind" was nominated in 13 categories, winning eight and were nominated in all the Big Five categories: Best Picture, Best Director (Victor Fleming), Best Actor (Clark Gable), Best Actress (Vivien Leigh) and Best Screenplay (Sidney Howard). However, Clarke Gable was beaten for Best Actor by Robert Donat in "Goodbye, Mr. Chips".
"Titanic" received 14 nominations and won 11 at the 1998 awards night. However, it was only nominated in three of the Big Five, winning Best Picture and Best Director (James Cameron).
"West Side Story" received 11 nominations and won 10 at the 1962 awards night. However, it was only nominated in the Big Five for Best Picture and Best Director (Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins), which it won.
Two other movies have also won the Big Five, being "It Happened One Night" (1934) at the 1935 awards night winning all its five nominations - Best Picture, Best Director (Frank Capra), Best Actor (Clark Gable), Best Actress (Claudette Colbert) and Best Screenplay (Robert Riskin) - and "The Silence of the Lambs"(1991) nominated in seven categories and winning five in 1992, all being the Big Five - Best Picture, Best Director (Jonathon Demme), Best Actor (Anthony Hopkins), Best Actress (Jodie Foster) and Best Screenplay (Ted Tally).

Answer: Vito Corleone

Marlon Brando won the Best Actor award for his role of Don Vito Corleone at the awards night in 1973 for "The Godfather" (1972). In 1975, Robert De Niro won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the young Vito Corleone in "The Godfather Part II" (1974).
Both John Wayne and Jeff Bridges have played the role of Reuben "Rooster" Cogburn. Wayne in "True Grit" (1969) won the Best Actor Oscar in 1970 and Bridges in "True Grit" (2010) was nominated for Best Actor in 2011.
Rex Harrison won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role of Professor Henry Higgins in "My Fair Lady" (1964) and Leslie Howard played the same role in "Pygmalion" (1938) and was nominated for Best Actor in 1939.
Charles Laughton won the Best Actor Oscar for his role of King Henry VIII of England in "The Private Life of Henry VIII" (1933) and Richard Burton was nominated in 1970 for Best Actor for the same role in "Anne of the Thousand Days" (1969).

Answer: He never won an Oscar.

Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980) was considered the "master of suspense" as he pioneered numerous elements of suspense in his movies. Born in England, he moved to the USA in 1939 and his career spanned from 1919-1980. He quite often made cameo appearances in some of his films.

He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1980. His other nominations for Best Director were "Spellbound" (1945) and "Lifeboat" (1944).

Answer: All won Best Actress Oscars in their debut movie.

Each of these actresses won the Best Actress Oscar in their debut movie. Shirley Booth (1898-1992) won for her role as Lola Delany in "Come Back, Little Sheba" (1952), and Julie Andrews won for her role as Mary Poppins in the 1964 movie of the same name.

The Best Actress Oscar in 1969 went to Barbra Streisand for her role as Fanny Brice in the 1968 movie "Funny Girl" and Marlee Matlin won in 1987 for her role as Sarah Norman in the 1986 movie "Children of a Lesser God". Marlee was discovered by Henry Winkler and is the first deaf performer to win the award. Shirley, Barbra and Marlee were all born in the USA, whereas Julie was born in England. "Mary Poppins", Funny Girl" and "Children of a Lesser God" were all nominated for Best Picture.

Answer: Huston

There are two families that have won Academy Awards in three generations (Huston and Coppola). However, the Hustons were first (Walter in 1949, his son John in 1949 and John's daughter Anjelica in 1986).
The Coppolas have won at least seven Academy Awards in various fields with Carmine winning in 1975, his son Francis in 1971, 1973 and three in 1975 and Francis' daughter Sofia in 2004.
Both Judy Garland (Juvenile Academy Award, 1940) and her daughter Liza Minnelli (Best Actress, 1973) have won Academy Awards.
Both Jon Voight and his daughter Angelina Jolie have also won acting Academy Awards.

Answer: Helen Hayes

Helen Hayes (1900-1993) received her Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Madelon Claudet in the 1931 movie "The Sin of Madelon Claudet". Her Best Supporting Actress Oscar was won for her role of Ada Quonsett in the 1970 movie "Airport".
Ingrid Bergman (1915-1982) won two Best Actress Oscars in 1945 and 1957 in "Gaslight" (1944) and "Anastasia" (1956) and Best Supporting Actress in 1975 for her portrayal of Greta Ohlsson in "Murder on the Orient Express" (1974).
Katharine Hepburn (1907-2003) was nominated 12 times for Best Actress Oscars and won on four occasions in 1934, 1968, 1969 and 1982.
Bette Davis (1908-1989) was nominated for ten Best Actress Oscars, winning two (1936 and 1939) with her last nomination in 1963.

Answer: Dances with Wolves (1990)

"Cimarron" not only won Best Picture but also had both Wesley Ruggles nominated for Best Director and Richard Dix nominated for Best Actor. "Dances with Wolves" beat "Awakenings", "Ghost", "Goodfellas" and "The Godfather Part III" for Best Picture at the 1991 Oscars. The movie also won for Kevin Costner, Best Director and five other Oscars from 12 nominations.
"High Noon" was nominated for Best Picture but lost out to "The Greatest Show on Earth". "How The West Was Won" was nominated for Best Picture in 1964 but lost out to "Tom Jones".
"Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid" was nominated for Best Picture in 1970. However, it lost out to "Midnight Cowboy".

Answer: Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward

Paul Newman (1925-2008) was married to Joanne Woodward for 50 years from 1958 until his death in 2008. Joanne won her Academy Award for her role as Eve White/Eve Black/Jane in "The Three Faces of Eve" (1957). Paul won his Academy Award for Best Actor as Fast Eddie Felson in "The Color of Money" (1986). He was nominated for an acting Academy Award in five decades for "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1958), "The Hustler" (1961), "Hud" (1963), "Cool Hand Luke" (1967), "Absence of Malice" (1981), "The Verdict" (1982), "Nobody's Fool" (1994) and "Road to Perdition" (2002).
George Burns (1896-1996) was married to Gracie Allen (1895-1964) for 42 years. George won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Al Lewis in the 1975 movie "The Sunshine Boys".
Mel Brooks was married to Ann Bancroft (1931-2005) for 41 years and he received an Academy award for Best Original Screenplay for "The Producers" (1968). Ann Bancroft won an Academy Award for Best Actress in "The Miracle Worker" (1962).
Ossie Davis (1917-2005) was an actor, director, playwright, author and poet. He was married to Ruby Dee (1922-2014) for 57 years. Ruby Lee was an actress, playwright, poet, screenwriter and journalist who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mahalee Lucas in "American Gangster" (2007).

Answer: First time all awards were won by non-Americans

Rex Harrison (1908-1990), an English actor, won Best Actor for his role as Professor Henry Higgins in "My Fair Lady" (1964). Julie Andrews, an English actress, won Best Actress for her role in "Mary Poppins" (1964). Peter Ustinov (1921-2004), an English actor, won Best Supporting Actor for his role as Arthur Simon Simpson in "Topkapi" (1964), and Lila Kedrova (1918-2000), a Russian-born French actress, won Best Supporting Actress for her role as Madame Hortense in "Zorba the Greek" (1964).

Answer: Spartacus

"Spartacus" (1960) is an epic historical drama movie taking place in the first Century BC during the Roman Republic. It is the story of a slave who is forced to become a gladiator and through his leadership he organises a slave revolt against the might of the Roman nobility. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards, winning four. Peter Ustinov (1921-2004) won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
"Champion" (1949), "The Bad and the Beautiful" (1952) and "Lust for Life" (1956) were the three movies for which Kirk received Academy Award nominations for Best Actor.