Off The Shelf - Part 3 Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Thief Of Bagdad

"The Thief Of Bagdad" was directed by Raoul Walsh, and starred Douglas Fairbanks, Julanne Johnston, Snitz Edwards, Sojin Kamiyama and Anna May Wong.
The thief poses as a prince in order to win the hand of the princess, but he is found out. He must undergo a perilous journey and many trials to find a precious gift for the princess and be accepted by her father, the Caliph. In the end, he saves her and the city of Bagdad from the evil Mongol prince and his army.
The film was hugely popular on its release, and confirmed Douglas Fairbanks' place as America's most popular film actor. It retains its charm well into the 21st Century.

Answer: Unfaithfully Yours

"Unfaithfully Yours" stars Rex Harrison in one of his finest comic roles, with Linda Darnell, Rudy Vallee, Barbara Lawrence, Lionel Stander and Edgar Kennedy.
A world famous symphony conductor suspects that his wife is being unfaithful to him and, during a concert, he imagines three possible courses of action, including murder.
The film is an often hilarious mix of sophisticated comedy of manners, melodrama and low slapstick. It shouldn't work, but it does, brilliantly.
A decidedly inferior remake starring Dudley Moore and Nastassja Kinski was released in 1984.
Preston Sturges is considered to be one of America's finest writer/directors of the 1940s. Following an unsuccessful career in the commercial world, he turned to playwriting with "The Guinea Pig". The huge success of his second play, "Strictly Dishonourable", led to a contract as a screenwriter at Paramount. Sturges soon became frustrated at having other directors film his work, and he was given his first opportunity to direct with "The Great McGinty", which was a box office success. He went on to direct a number of films which are considered to be among the finest comedies to come out of Hollywood's Golden Era, such as "Hail, The Conquering Hero", "The Miracle Of Morgan's Creek", "The Palm Beach Story", "Sullivan's Travels" and "The Lady Eve". Sadly, "Unfaithfully Yours" was his final Hollywood film, following which his career went into a decline.

Answer: The Royal Tenenbaums

Gene Hackman is Royal Tenenbaum, the estranged husband and father of the family, and a disbarred lawyer who embezzled his son's money and was sued twice by him. He has just been kicked out of the hotel where he has been living, and tries to ingratiate himself back into the family by pretending that he has stomach cancer.
Etheline (Anjelica Huston) is the family matriarch. She is a famous archeologist and noted author, and has lately found love with her accountant.
Ben Stiller is Chas, a financial genius who was a millionaire by age 14. Since his wife was killed in a plane crash he has become over protective of his two sons, Ari and Uzi.
Margot, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, is the adopted daughter of the family, and was a successful playwright at an early age. She is married to a famous neurologist, whom she ignores, and is a secret smoker.
Luke Wilson plays Richie, a former tennis prodigy who ended his career by having a nervous breakdown in the middle of a match. This is due to the fact that he is in love with his adopted sister, and the breakdown occurred the day after she got married.
Eli Cash (Owen Wilson) is a friend of the family, who desperately wants to be a Tenenbaum. He once had an affair with Margot, and is now a successful author and addicted to cocaine.
The film also stars Danny Glover and Bill Murray, and is narrated by Alec Baldwin.
It was given mostly positive reviews on its release, and received a Best Picture Oscar nomination.

Answer: The Manchurian Candidate

"The Manchurian Candidate" was adapted from a novel by Richard Condon, and starred Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh, Angela Lansbury and James Gregory.
The story involves a Communist plot to take over the U.S. presidency by assassinating the main contender and substituting a puppet of the Communists in his place. The chief conspirator, and controller of the brainwashed soldier is his own mother, a chilling performance by Angela Lansbury.
A second rate remake was directed by Jonathan Demme in 2004.

Answer: Transsiberian

"Transsiberian" was written and directed by Brad Anderson, and starred Woody Harrelson, Emily Mortimer, Ben Kingsley, Kate Mara, Eduardo Noriega and Thomas Kretschmann.
An American couple, who have been working as missionaries in China, are going home via the Trans Siberian Railway. They befriend a young couple who are involved in drug smuggling, and their own lives are put in danger when they also become involved with a corrupt Russian police inspector.
The film premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival to predominantly positive reviews, and was a modest success at the box office.
It's well worth seeking out.

Answer: The Cider House Rules

"The Cider House Rules" was directed by Lasse Hallstrom, and starred Tobey Maguire, Michael Caine, Charlize Theron, Jane Alexander, Kathy Baker and Delroy Lindo.
Homer has grown up in the orphanage, and has been treated like a son by Doctor Larch. However, when a young couple come to the orphanage seeking an abortion, Homer decides that he wants to experience more than just the sheltered life he has led, and goes off with them to make his own way in the world. When Dr. Larch dies from an accident with some ether, Homer decides that his place is back at the orphanage taking care of the children.
The film was both a critical and box office success. Michael Caine received his second Best Supporting Actor Academy Award, and John Irving the Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Answer: Le Corbeau (The Raven)

"Le Corbeau" (1943) was written and directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot, and starred Pierre Fresnay and Ginette Leclerc.
It caused a considerable amount of controversy, as it had been produced by Continental Films, a German company. The film was initially banned, and Clouzot was banned from directing for life, as the French government saw it as vilifying the French people. Both bans were lifted in 1947. Ironically, the German occupying forces also banned the film, as they saw it as an anti German allegory.
"Le Corbeau" remains a powerful and disturbing film.

Answer: Calendar Girls

"Calendar Girls" is a 2003 film directed by Nigel Cole, and starring Helen Mirren, Julie Walters, Celia Imrie, Penelope Wilton and Annette Crosbie.
It is based on a true story.
Made on a budget of $10,000,000 it made almost ten times that amount worldwide.

Answer: The Trouble With Harry

"The Trouble With Harry" was directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and starred Edmund Gwenn, Mildred Natwick, John Forsyth, Mildred Dunnock and Shirley MacLaine in her film debut.
It was based on a novel by Jack Trevor Story, and the music score was by Bernard Herrmann.
The trouble with Harry is that he is dead, and no one is sure just who is responsible. Captain Wiles thinks that he accidentally shot him; Jennifer Rodgers, his estranged wife, hit him over the head with a milk bottle and believes that is what killed him; Miss Gravely, a local spinster, hit him with the heel of her hiking boot and is sure that is the cause of his death.
Eventually, the truth comes out, but only after Harry has been buried and dug up again three times.
The film had a mixed reception on its initial release, and was not a success at the box office. However, its reputation has grown over the years.

Answer: Johnny Depp

"Ed Wood" was directed by Tim Burton and starred Johnny Depp along with Martin Landau (in an Oscar winning performance as horror legend Bela Lugosi), Sarah Jessica Parker, Patricia Arquette, Jeffrey Jones and Bill Murray.
The film concentrates mainly upon the relationship between Edward Wood and Bela Lugosi, who, by all accounts, Wood idolized. Lugosi at this stage had a severe addiction to pain killing drugs as a result of suffering from painful arthritis. Although it was claimed by some that Wood exploited Lugosi, there is plenty of evidence that the two were close friends, and that Wood did all he could to help Lugosi through his final days.
"Ed Wood is one of a number of films on which Burton and Depp have collaborated, including "Edward Scissorhands", "Sleepy Hollow", "Charlie And The Chocolate Factory", Sweeney Todd" and "Dark Shadows". "Ed Wood" is generally considered one of their best and most successful.