Pop and Rock Singers in Films Quiz

Answer: Carny

Jodie Foster played a bored waitress who took up with carnival hustlers named Frankie and Patch played by Gary Busey and Robbie Robertson. The two carny workers had a routine where they cajoled people into trying to dunk one of them into a tank of water. The carnival atmosphere and characters provided an interesting backdrop to the story.
The 1980 film was the Robertson's first feature film after The Band's musical finale in "The Last Waltz" (1978). Busey had already appeared in 11 films before "Carny" including "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" (1974) and "The Buddy Holly Story" (1978).
"Honeysuckle Rose" was a 1980 Willie Nelson film. Gary Busey starred with Willie Nelson in the 1982 film, "Barbarosa", and "Raggedy Man" was a 1981 film with Sam Shepard and Sissy Spacek about a Texas town set during WW II.

Answer: Two Lane Blacktop

"Two Lane Blacktop" was the only film to star either Dennis Wilson or James Taylor. The "Sweet Baby James" album was released by Taylor the year before the film was released. Dennis Wilson missed several Beach Boy concert dates due to his filming schedule. Laurie Bird also had a role in "Two Lane Blacktop".

In addition to the film she had roles in "Cockfighter" (1974) and "Annie Hall" (1977) before she committed suicide in Art Garfunkel's apartment in 1979. Warren Oates starred in "Two Lane Blacktop" as a GTO driver. Oates had recently been in "The Wild Bunch" (1969) before filming "Two lane Blacktop". The 1976 film "The Gumball Rally" starred Michael Sarrazin, Norman Burton and Gary Busey. Chuck Connors, John Smith and Lori Nelson were in the 1956 film, "Hot Rod Girl". "Corvette Summer" came out in 1976 and starred Mark Hamill, Annie Potts and Eugene Roche.

Answer: Toni Basil

Toni Basil had worked as a choreographer for several movies before being in front of the camera in "Easy rider". She had also been a choreographer for television shows such as "Shindig" (1964) and "The Monkees" (1966). She had a bit part in the Monkees' film, "Head" as a dancer the year before "Easy Rider".

She had a small role in "Five Easy Pieces" in 1970 and had another minor role as a druggie in "Mother, Jugs and speed". In 1982 her hit, "Mickey", topped the charts. Joan Jett appeared in the 1987 film, "Light of Day" and some independent films. Juice Newton took "Love's Been a Little Bit Hard on Me" to the Number Seven spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982 and Karla Bonoff released the Top Twenty, "Personally", in 1982.

Answer: Trick or Treat

Nuke was a Dee-Jay who befriended a boy that was a fan of a deceased rock star in "Trick or Treat". Simmons' character gave the boy a rare copy of the singer's last record and the boy discovered that the record mysteriously spoke to him. Simmons was originally offered he role of the late rock star, but preferred the Dee-Jay role. Simmons and Osbourne had relatively minor roles in the movie but the promotional ads featured them prominently to attract viewers.

In the 1984 movie, "Runaway" Gene played an evil electronics expert opposite Tom Selleck and in 1986 he portrayed a drag queen in "Never too Young to Die". "Asylum of Satan" was a 1975 film about a girl in an asylum. "Rituals" was a 1977 Horror release and "The Legend of Hell House" came out in 1973.

Answer: Performance

Mick Jagger starred as a reclusive rock star named Turner in "Performance". The movie was shot in 1968 but not released until 1970. Anita Pallenberg and Michele Breton played his female roommates. James Fox had the role of Chas, a enforcement member in an East London gang. Chas ends up taking refuge with Turner.
Jagger starred in "Ned Kelly" in 1970. "Freejack" was a 1992 film with Mick Jagger, Jonathan Banks, Rene Russo and Anthony Hopkins. "Walkabout" was a 1971 film set in Australia starring British and Australian actors.

Answer: Give My Regards to Broad Street

"Give My Regards to Broad Street" also included Ringo Starr and his wife, Barbara Bach. Linda McCartney also had a role in the film. The plot centered around a missing master tape of McCartney's album. The prime suspect was a dubious employee, but the employee was eventually found locked in a building.

The film did not fare well but the soundtrack LP featured new McCartney hits including "No More Lonely Nights", "Silly Love Songs" and "Ballroom Dancing" along with some redone Beatles tunes. Some of the guest musicians to play tracks on the soundtrack album were David Gilmour and John Paul Jones. John Lennon was Gripweed in the 1967 film, "How I Won the War", filmed while The Beatles were still together. George Harrison produced and had cameo roles in "Shanghai Surprise" (1986) and "Life of Brian" (1979).

Answer: Surf Party

Bobby Vinton was featured in "Surf Party", a black-and-white surf genre film. The film centered around girls who came to the beach to visit one of the girls' brothers. Vinton's character runs a surf shop and the surfers have to deal with a policeman who is blatantly against the surfing crowd.
Bobby Vinton was born in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, the same home town as singer Perry Como. He was at the top of the charts with "There! I've Said It Again" in 1964 when "I want to Hold Your hand" knocked him from the top spot and kicked off the British Invasion.
"Beach Party" (1963) kicked off the Annette/Frankie Beach films of the sixties. Annette Funicello and Dwayne Hickman were in the 1965 Beach movie, "How to Stuff a Wild Bikini'. Deborah Walley and Tommy Kirk starred in the 1967 film, "It's A Bikini World".

Answer: The Fastest Guitar Alive

"The Fastest Guitar Alive" featured Roy as a Confederate soldier after the Civil War destined to rob a US Mint in San Francisco. His weapon of choice was a gun in a guitar case. The movie soundtrack featured ten Orbison songs and was released as an LP. None of Roy Orbison's single releases made the top fifty on the charts in 1967.
"The Flim-Flam Man" was released the same year and starred George C. Scott and Michael Sarrazin as con men. "Stay Away, Joe" was a 1968 Elvis flick. "Alice's Restaurant" was a 1969 film starring Arlo Guthrie that was based on his hit song of the same name.

Answer: True Grit

"True Grit" was the first film to feature John Wayne as the U.S. Marshal with an eye patch named Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn. Kim Darby's character hired him to find her father's killer. Glen Campbell portrayed a Texas Ranger named La Boeuf who was tracking the same killer in anticipation of collecting a reward. Mia Farrow was originally slated to play the role of the deceased man's daughter that went to Kim Darby. John Wayne took home an Academy Award for Best Actor. Kim Darby, Joe Namath and Glen Campbell starred in "Norwood", a 1970 movie about a recently released Marine who had ambitions to appear on a radio show. "Rio Lobo" and "Chisum" were 1970 John Wayne Westerns that did not co-star Campbell.

Answer: Rio Bravo

Howard Hawks directed "Rio Bravo". Rio Bravo is the name of the town where the film is set. Dean Martin played a drunk named Dude and Wayne played a sheriff named Chance. Along with Walter Brennen and Ricky Nelson they have to defend the jail against a rancher intent on getting his son out of jail.

In 1967 a remake of the film was produced titled "El Dorado". James Caan played the role originally done by Nelson and Robert Mitchum played the drunk. A second remake shot in 1970 titled "Rio Lobo" also starred John Wayne but strayed vastly from the original plot line. "The Horse Soldiers" was another 1959 John Wayne Western that also starred William Holden and Hoot Gibson.