"Pirates of Penzance" Movie Specifics Quiz

Answer: Angela Lansbury

Angela Lansbury has made a living off of lively, animated characters, and this one is no different. She adds an element of British to the role of Ruth, the pirate maid, that is missing in a number of the other actors.

Lansbury is best known to Americans as Jessica Fletcher, a role she played for twelve years on the Sunday evening staple for CBS, "Murder, She Wrote".

Answer: Attending church

With their collective canines waiting outside, the townspeople are ending a church service. Once they leave the sanctuary and notice the arrival of the pirate ship, they quickly make all attempts to board up the town, making it look nearly deserted, showing more respect for the Pirates of Penzance than they actually deserve.

Answer: Linda Ronstadt

Linda Ronstadt, while having a good voice, always had an element of pop in her voice throughout her early career. That all changed after "Pirates". Her career headed toward a more orchestrated sound, as shown on her album "What's New", with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, or a lush sound on such recorded duets as "Somewhere Out There" and "Don't Know Much", with James Ingram and Aaron Neville, respectively.

Answer: Kevin Kline

Kline won his Academy Award for his portrayal of Otto in "A Fish Called Wanda".

Kevin Kline played the role of the Pirate King on stage and screen with a panache that oozed an atypical, non-Broadway heterosexuality, but with a hint of Peter Sellers' Inspector Clouseau from the "Pink Panther" movies. A friend of mine who saw the production said the women in the audience seemed to gravitate toward him, leaning forward in their seats whenever he appeared on stage.

Answer: Rex Smith

Rex Smith had a short-lived music career, but his looks got him several appearances in the teen magazines, as well as this role, Frederick. Rex would later appear in the short lived television series "Street Hawk" in 1985.

Answer: Sing it again, and do it faster

Upon seeing the Major General succeed in performing the song at rapid speed (more rapid than before!) to a rousing ovation, the Pirate King grumbles to his pirate entourage, "Shut up or he'll do ANOTHER encore!"

George Rose performed this song on stage and the movie. He had already had a 35 year career on Broadway, so his appearances on stage during "Pirates" were to rousing applause, due to his longevity and storied career.

Answer: My Eyes Are Fully Open To My Awful Situation

All of the titles are quick-tongued songs from Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, but "My Eyes are Fully Open to My Awful Situation" is the one in question. Kevin Kline is given a chance to show off in this one, doing his verse at nearly twice the speed of his fellow actors.

Answer: During the duet song "Oh, Here Is Love, And Here Is Truth"

The kiss occurs as he is leaving to reluctantly join the pirates, as they attack Mabel's father. He has just learned, through a stroke of bad luck, that he is to be indentured to the pirates until he is 84 years old. But one last kiss gives her the strength to be brave, and hold out for another 63 years.

Answer: HMS Pinafore

As the fight wanders aimlessly through the town's limits, a chase occurs into the theatre, which grandly displays a sign above the entrance that advertises the "HMS Pinafore" performance.

"Pinafore" and "The Mikado" rank closely as the second and third most familiar operettas of G&S, but "Penzance" runs a heavy first. Music from the fight scene does not follow the standard libretto of "Pirates of Penzance", but with such an extended fight scene, they were forced to improvise.

Answer: Queen Victoria

"We charge you yield in Queen Victoria's name" is the lyric in question, delivered by the Sergeant of Police. This puts the pirates in a state of surrender, for no mere mortal would ever denounce the Queen!