One Oscar Nomination Equalled One Win Quiz

Answer: Yul Brynner

Yul Brynner played the role of the King in "The King and I" on Broadway and won a Tony Award. When in 1955, 20th Century Fox commenced making a movie of the musical, Yul Brynner was contacted. Brynner, in his biography "Yul" written by his son Rock, says that at first he wanted to direct and have Marlon Brando play the King. Fortunately he played the King and Deborah Kerr played the part of Anna Leonowens, on whose book the play was based.

Yul Brynner was nominated for the Oscar in the Best Actor category, which he subsequently won. This was his one and only nomination. 1956 was a good year for Yul Brynner. Apart from the "King and I" he also appeared in "The Ten Commandments" and "Anastasia". Other notable film appearances for Yul Brynner were "Taras Bulba", "The Brothers Karamazov", "Westworld" and my all time favourite movie "The Magnificent Seven".

TRIVIA: Yul Brynner played the King on stage, in the movie and on television. He played the role onstage in over 4,500 performances.

Answer: Red Buttons

Red Buttons was nominated for and won an Oscar in the Best Supporting category for his portrayal of Joe Kelly in the 1957 Marlon Brando vehicle "Sayonara". The movie centres around mixed relationships between American servicemen and Japanese women just after the Second World War. Red Buttons' co-star and romantic interest in the movie, Miyoshi Umeki, was also nominated and won an Oscar. This was also her only nomination.

Red Buttons appeared in many movies and television shows. Some notable movies were "The Longest Day", "Hatari" and "The Poseidon Adventure". Buttons was well known as a stand up comedian and played for many years in Las Vegas.

Answer: Jo Van Fleet

Jo Van Fleet was a remarkable actress making an impression with every role she played. As Kate, the prostitute mother of James Dean in "East of Eden", her movie debut, she garnered her only nomination and took away the prize. The prize was Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role. Jo then played another Kate as Susan Hayward's mother, Kate Roth, in "I'll Cry Tomorrow". In 1957 she was great as Big Nose Kate (Kate again) in John Sturges' "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral".

Jo beat out some stiff competition for her Oscar win, namely Betsy Blair for "Marty", Peggy Lee for "Pete Kelly's Blues", Marisa Pavan for "The Rose Tattoo" and Natalie Wood in "Rebel Without A Cause".

Answer: John Houseman

John Houseman turned the role of a crusty professor into an Oscar winning performance in "The Paper Chase". He played that same role later in the television series based on the movie. John Houseman started as a producer and ally to Orson Welles with the Mercury Theatre in the 1930s. He then worked as a producer and writer until the 1970s when he moved in front of the camera.

Answer: Judy Holliday

Judy Holliday recreated her Broadway role of Billie Dawn in "Born Yesterday" and carried off the major acting Oscar for her performance. Judy sadly only appeared in 12 films, starring in seven, before her untimely death at age 43. She won a Tony award for her role on Broadway in "The Bells are Ringing".

She recreated the role in the movie of the same name, starring alongside Dean Martin. That was her last role.

Answer: Dean Jagger

Dean Jagger's one and only nomination was for playing Major Stovall, group adjutant of Gregory Peck's bomber group, in "Twelve O'Clock High". This performance won him the Best Supporting Actor award. Other notable performances were as Brigham Young in "Brigham Young", as the company man in "Western Union" and as Jesse Grimm in the wonderful "Executive Suite".

Answer: Van Heflin

A very accomplished actor, Van Heflin brought life to every role he played. For his turn as Robert Taylor's alcoholic best friend in 1942's "Johnny Eager" he received his only nomination and duly won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Some of his other notable roles were "Green Dolphin Street", "The Strange Love of Martha Ives", "The Prowler", "Shane" and my favourite of all his performances, the reluctant deputy who is set to take outlaw Glenn Ford to prison in "3:10 to Yuma".

Answer: Kim Hunter

Kim Hunter was a lovely and talented actor, whom I believe was much underrated during her life. Her one and only Oscar nomination resulted in a win for her role as Stella DuBois in "A Streetcar Named Desire". Due to blacklisting in the 1950s she returned to the stage.

She brightened the big screen again in 1968 when she played Zira in the original "Planet of the Apes" and its subsequent sequels. Kim was exceptionally good as the doctor in the mental hospital tending to Warren Beatty in "Lilith".

Answer: Don Ameche

Veteran actor Don Ameche claimed his only nomination for his role as the playboy Art Selwyn in "Cocoon".

Ameche appeared in over 90 movies and TV shows in his long career. Indeed prior to his Oscar win he was best known for role as Alexander Graham Bell in the biopic made in what many believe to be the golden year of Hollywood, 1939. Don Ameche was extremely popular on radio during the 1930s, '40s and '50s.

If you enjoy reading biographies of older movie stars, I recommend his biography, "The Kenosha Comeback Kid" written by Ben Ohmart.

Answer: Art Carney

Extremely popular on television, Art Carney won six Emmys - five of them for his work with Jackie Gleason. In 1973 he accepted a role in an independent movie alongside Ellyn Burstyn titled "Harry and Tonto". The movie garnered Art Carney his only Oscar nomination and a win. Although his performances were always good, sadly the material he often had to work with was not always so good. One exception was his scene stealing supporting role in "House Calls" starring Walter Matthau and Glenda Jackson.

Art Carney's Oscar for Best Actor saw him beat the following actors, Albert Finney in "Murder on the Orient Express", Dustin Hoffman in "Lenny", Jack Nicholson in "Chinatown" and Al Pacino as Michael Corleone in "The Godfather, Part II".