Plays in Movies That Have Plays in Them Quiz

Answer: Romeo and Juliet

"Shakespeare in Love" beat out the heavily favored "Saving Private Ryan" for the best picture Oscar in 1999. Many still think this was a mistake and, it must be said, Spielberg's war epic may be the superior film. That shouldn't take anything away from "Shakespeare in Love". It is a beautifully written valentine to the live theatre.

Answer: Aged in Wood

"All About Eve" may be the ultimate backstage film. Great performances by Bette Davis and Anne Baxter have much to do with the movie's success and longevity. Nominated for a record 14 Oscars, it won six, including a best supporting actor award for George Sanders.

Bette Davis, a brilliant actress, appeared on Broadway numerous times before and after achieving movie stardom. Her Broadway debut came in a long-forgotten play entitled "The Earth Between" in 1929. In 1961-62, she appeared in the original production of Tennessee Williams' classic "Night of the Iguana."

Please note that the three alternate answers are all Davis films based on Broadway plays.

Answer: Pretty Lady

"42nd Street" was given new life when it was turned into a Broadway musical in 1980. In a plot twist worthy of a 1930s Warner Brothers' backstage drama, producer David Merrick walked onstage during the opening night curtain call and interrupted the wild applause to announce that the show's legendary director/choreographer Gower Champion had died earlier in the day. Champion would win his fifth Tony Award for the "42nd Street" choreography. Sadly, it was awarded posthumously.

Answer: Springtime for Hitler

"The Producers" made the transition from film to stage when Mel Brooks adapted his Oscar-winning screenplay into a Tony-winning Broadway musical in 2001. With Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick filling in for Mostel and Wilder, "The Producers" was a massive hit, winning 12 Tonys and running for 2,502 performances.

Answer: Red, White, and Blaine

Meryl Streep is among "Waiting for Guffman's" many fans, having identified it as her favorite film. Director/actor Christopher Guest has made several films in the mold of "Waiting for Guffman". "Best in Show" uses the faux documentary style to lampoon the world of dog shows and "A Mighty Wind" does the same for the folk music scene. And, of course, Guest was both an actor in and writer of Rob Reiner's "This is Spinal Tap", which uses a similar format to skewer the world of rock music.

Answer: Serpico

Pacino starred in "Serpico" in between making the two "Godfather" films. Directed by the masterful Sidney Lumet, "Serpico" tells the story of an honest New York City cop who finds himself in jeopardy when he blows the whistle on corruption in the city's police force. Pacino won his second Oscar nomination for the role and justifiably so. He's terrific in the role.

The "Serpico" scene is one of the comic highlights of "Rushmore". Performed by the Max Fischer Players, it's quite an elaborate production, with a live model elevated train moving behind the set. But it's nothing compared to the Max Fischer production that concludes the film. Max's "Heaven and Hell" is a Vietnam play complete with tropical foliage, aircraft moving in front of the cyclorama, and Max parachuting onto the stage.

Answer: Othello

The part of Anthony John was originally written for Laurence Olivier, but he was unavailable when it went into production. This was good news for Ronald Colman who would go on to win his only Oscar for this performance.

"A Double Life" provided actress Shirley Winters with a breakthrough role as Pat Kroll, one of John's murder victims.

Answer: Oedipus Rex

"The Bandwagon" features the song that would become a signature tune for MGM in the years to come. That song, of course, is "That's Entertainment". In the 1970s MGM released two feature-length documentaries--"That's Entertainment" and "That's Entertainment II"--celebrating the studio's rich history of musical films. The lyrics to the song feature an apt and amusing nod to Sophocles' great tragedy:
"The plot can be hot, simply teeming with sex
A gay divorcee who is after her ex
It could be Oedipus Rex
Where a chap kills his father and causes lots of bother."

Answer: Enchanted April

"Stage Door" is based on a play by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber. Kaufman was not thrilled with the changes made to his play by screenwriters Morrie Ryskind and Anthony Veiller. He suggested that since so many changes had been made to the script, they should change the title as well - to "Screen Door."

The "calla lilies" line that Hepburn speaks in the play within the movie, is taken from "The Lake", a play that Hepburn starred in on Broadway. Critic Dorothy Parker famously wrote of Hepburn's performance that she "ran the gamut of emotions from A to B".

Answer: God of Our Fathers

"Bullets Over Broadway" was nominated for seven Oscars but won only one--a best supporting actress Oscar for Dianne Wiest. This was her second supporting Oscar--she won her first for Woody Allen's "Hannah and Her Sisters".

Like "42nd Street" and "The Producers" before it, "Bullets Over Broadway" was turned into a Broadway musical in 2014--directed, in fact, by Susan Stroman who won two Tonys for directing and choreographing "The Producers." "Bullets Over Broadway" did not fare as well as the others, running for only 156 performances.