One Word Title Movies of the Fifties Quiz

Answer: Picnic

Although "Theme From Picnic" reached Number One on the Billboard charts in 1956, the film was not a musical. The setting of the movie was Kansas and the production was actually shot in five Kansas towns. It involved an ex-football player who returned to his home town and developed an interest in a girl who was already someone's girlfriend. The entire storyline took place over a 24-hour period. William Holden and Kim Novak headed the cast that included Susan Strasberg, Cliff Robertson, Nick Adams and Rosalind Russell. In 1986 and 2000 there were television remakes of the movie.
"Gigi" was a 1958 musical film directed by Vincente Minnelli. The film starred Leslie Caron and Maurice Chevalier and featured 15 musical numbers.
"Carousel" starred Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones. The 1956 film had over a dozen musical numbers.
Gordon MacRae and Gloria Grahame were among the cast of the 1955 film, "Oklahoma". "The Surrey With the Fringe On Top", "Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'" and "People Will Say We're In Love" were among the songs from the film.

Answer: Prison

"Caged" was a 1950 movie about a teen bride who attempted a robbery in which her husband was killed. The young newlywed was played by Eleanor Parker. Once in prison she learned she was pregnant. She gave the baby to her grandmother to raise, but her mother ended up sending the child to an adoption agency.

These events, compounded by physically harsh treatment by a guard (Hope Emerson), turned the bride into a bitter convict. The movie was nominated for three Academy Awards but failed to win any. "Convicted" (1950) was another fifties film set in a prison.

Answer: James Dean

James Dean was posthumously nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Jett Rink in "Giant". Nick Adams was called in to do voice-over work for Dean after Dean died in a September 30, 1955, auto accident. Dean's first on-screen appearance was in a Pepsi commercial on television.

He developed an interest in auto racing and was barred from racing while filming as a condition of his movie contracts. He finished in the top five in a few races between films. Although he had received a speeding ticket earlier on the day of his accident, there was no evidence that Dean was speeding when he was struck and killed by a driver who swerved into his lane. Paul Kelly was an actor who passed in 1956 and appeared in over 15 films. "Giant" cast member Sal Mineo died in 1976 and "Giant" actor Earl Holliman went on to appear in several more films.

Answer: Audrey Hepburn

"Sabrina" was Hepburn's tenth on-screen appearance. In the film, Hepburn's character was in love with a playboy played by William Holden. Bogart played Holden's older brother who tried to discourage the romance because Holden's character was engaged. Cary Grant was the first actor considered for Humphrey Bogart's role. Although several actors involved with the film were nominated for Academy Awards, the only winner was Edith Head for Hepburn's costumes. Harrison Ford and Julia Ormond starred in a 1995 remake of the film.
Sandra Giles was part of the cast of "Daddy-O", a 1958 B movie notable for being the first film score done by John Williams.
Jean Arthur starred in "Shane" in 1953.
Grace Kelly appeared in more than ten films in the fifties.

Answer: Harvey

Harvey was the name of the six-foot, three 1/2 inch rabbit. Stewart played Elwood P. Dowd, a kind man who annoyed people when he kept introducing the imaginary rabbit to everyone. The film dealt with the attempts made by Dowd's sister to try to find out whether the imaginary rabbit was a by-product of Dowd's alcoholism or mental illness. While Stewart was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Dowd, Josephine Hull received the Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress for her role as his sister. Stewart and Helen Hayes revised the roles of Dowd and his sister for a television movie of the same name in 1972.
"Smiley" was a 1956 Australian release.
"Jeopardy" was a 1953 black-and-white film featuring Ralph Meeker as an escaped killer.
The 1958 release, "Hercules", starred Steve Reeves and Sylva Koscina.

Answer: Sophia Loren

"Houseboat" paired Grant and Loren in the romantic comedy. In the film Grant's character's wife died and he developed a romance with Loren's character. His three children didn't care for Loren's character and tried in various ways to rebel. When the couple planned to get married on a houseboat the children initially refused to attend, but during the wedding finale they all appeared.
Ingrid Bergman was cast with Grant in the 1958 release, "Indiscreet".
Doris Day starred with Rod Taylor in "The Glass Bottom Boat" in 1966.
Barbara Lawrence appeared in "Kronos", a 1957 black and white science fiction movie.

Answer: Mogambo

"Mogambo is the Swahili word for passion. The movie centered around four people and the emotional web woven between them while game hunting in Africa. The film was done on location in several African locales and at the MGM studios in England. Ava Gardner played the role of Honey Bear Kelly. In the finale Gable and Gardner's characters ended up together. Ava Gardner and Grace Kelly were both nominated for Oscars, but failed to take one home for their work in "Mogambo".
"Madhumati" and "Sadhna" were two 1958 films set in India.
"Sampo" was a 1959 Finnish and Soviet collaboration about the earth freezing.

Answer: Butcher

Betsy Blair played the female lead opposite Ernest Borgnine in "Marty". The film won an Oscar for Best Picture. Borgnine also garnered an Oscar for playing a middle-aged butcher from New York who still resided with his mother. During a chance meeting with Blair's character, Borgnine's character learned that her blind date abandoned her because she was plain looking.

She and Borgnine struck up a relationship. Borgnine's mother was concerned that if he married her she would be alone so she discouraged the relationship.

In the end Borgnine decided to marry her.

Answer: Sayonara

"Sayonara" was a Warner Brothers film released in 1957 about an American Air Force Ace set during the Korean War. Marlon Brando starred in the lead role. When he fell in love with a Japanese entertainer he had to deal with the prejudice toward Japanese women that was prevalent during that time. The movie was based on a James Michener book of the same name. The movie ending differed from the novel. In the book the character said goodbye to the Japanese girlfriend while in the film he stayed with her and said goodbye to the military.
"Ikiru" was a 1952 Japanese film written and directed by Akira Kurosawa.
"Rodan" was a 1956 Tokusatsu release by Toho Studios of Japan.
"Rashomon" was another Japanese film directed by Akira Kurosawa in 1950.
"Godzilla" was also a Japanese release done in 1954.

Answer: Them!

James Whitmore and future "Gunsmoke" (1955) star James Arness were cast in "Them", a film about ants who became giants after receiving radiation from a nuclear bomb blast. Entomologists and police tried to kill the ants with machine guns but two queens escaped. One ended up on a ship that sank and the other was killed with flamethrowers in a Los Angeles sewer system. Whitmore's character died trying to save two youths from the ants in the sewer. The film was originally conceived as a 3-D project, but equipment malfunctions resulted in a black and white version being produced. Leonard Nimoy, Richard Deacon and Booth Colman all had bit parts in the movie and went on to star in television series.
"Enjo" was a 1958 Japanese film directed by Kon Ichikawa.
"Rififi" was a 1955 French film.
"Heroism" was a 1958 Polish feature in two parts.