Potent Quotables Trivia Quiz

Answer: Gloria Swanson

Billy Wilder directed the film noir "Sunset Boulevard", a 1950 movie with William Holden as Joe Gillis and Erich von Stroheim as Max Von Mayerling. The film is narrated by Joe Gillis, but he is already dead and floating face down in a pool. Norma Desmond is a fading star trying to make a comeback in movies, and she says this to screenwriter Gillis when she first meets him. Gloria Swanson (1899-1983) starred in dozens of silent films, many directed by Cecil B. DeMille.

Her first 'talkie' was "The Trespasser" in 1929, about a humble woman who marries a rich man. Swanson was nominated for an Academy Award in the first year the Oscars were given out.

Answer: Thelma and Louise

If I told you that the part of J.D. was played by Brad Pitt, would that have helped? The movie was the 1991 chick flick "Thelma and Louise" about a housewife (Geena Davis) and a waitress (Susan Sarandon) who decide to go on a fishing vacation but, when a man in a bar attempts to rape Thelma, Louise shoots and kills the guy.

Thelma then gets sidetracked by sexy J.D., who gives her the 'line' above when attempting to seduce her, right before he steals the money the women were going to use to flee to Mexico.

Their trip turns into a hunting expedition by the law, i.e., Detective Harry Slocumb (Harvey Keitel) who attempts to get them to surrender, but without success.

Answer: Vivian Ward

"Pretty Woman" (1990) is a modern version of Cinderella, where Julia Roberts is Vivian Ward, a prostitute who is hired by rich businessman Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) 'as a lark'. The quote of "$3,000" is what Vivian is asking for the weekend. Edward makes his money by buying companies and breaking them up, and is willing to pay Vivian's price; of course, since this is a fairy tale, they wind up falling in love, but find it difficult to adapt to each other's world.

The escargot scene is hilarious! Julia Roberts was Liz Gilbert in "Eat Pray Love" (2010), Anna Scott in "Notting Hill" (1999) and Rachel Mannus in "Flatliners" (1990).

Answer: Now, Voyager

Boy, you don't hear dialogue like that anymore (mercifully)! The quote is from 1942's melodrama "Now, Voyager", where Bette Davis plays Charlotte Vale opposite Paul Henreid as Jerry Durrance. Charlotte is a neurotic heiress who winds up at a sanitarium. Feeling better, she goes on a cruise where she meets Jerry and falls in love.

They have an affair in Rio but it must end as Jerry is married (to a shrew) and has a daughter, Tina. Davis goes back to the sanitarium again and meets (unwanted) Tina.

She winds up taking Tina back to live with her. When she meets Jerry again, he asks if she is happy with her life because they never got together. The quote above is her answer.

Answer: Derek Zoolander

This quote is from the 2001 movie "Zoolander", starring Ben Stiller as a male model; tagline "3% Body Fat. 1% Brain Activity". Derek Zoolander is at the top of the fashion world, despite the fact (as you can see) that he is, umm, 'a couplet sort of a sonnet'.

When talking to Matilda Jeffries (Christine Taylor), Derek asks if she's there to tell him what a bad "eugoogoolizer". He is. When Matilda says "A what?", he responds by saying "A eugoogoolizer ...one who speaks at funerals", at which point he says the quote in the question. Stiller was Larry Daley in "Night at the Museum" (2009), Greg Focker in "Meet the Parents" (2000), and White Goodman in "Dodgeball" (2004).

Answer: A Fish Called Wanda

Jamie Lee Curtis is Wanda Gershowitz in the comedy "A Fish Called Wanda" (1988). Among her other conspirators in this heist film is Otto West (Kevin Kline) to whom the quote is directed, after he breaks in on her and Archie (John Cleese) who she is trying to seduce. Otto gets annoyed when Wanda calls him stupid.

He says "don't call me stupid" and Wanda replies "To call you stupid would be an insult to stupid people! I've known sheep that could outwit you. I've worn dresses with higher IQs." After the robbery is committed, they all try to double-cross each other for the diamonds. Jamie's other characters include Helen Tasker, Laurie Strode and Tess Coleman.

Answer: The Dark Knight

Heath Ledger, as The Joker, said this at one point in the 2008 film "The Dark Knight. While holding a knife to his next victim's throat, the Joker explains how he got the scars on his face. It seems his father was a fiend who killed his mother in front of him, then asked "Why so serious son? Let's put a smile on that face"; he then proceeded to put the knife in his son's mouth and gashed him.

The Joker then repeats the phrase, right before killing his next victim; but his story changes with each telling. Somehow, Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker is all the more poignant because Heath died from a drug overdose just months after making the film.

Answer: "Just keep swimming."

Ellen DeGeneres is brilliant as the voice of the blue tang fish, Dory, in 2003's animated "Finding Nemo". She teams up with Nemo's dad Marlin, a clown fish voiced by Albert Brooks, to find little, lost Nemo. Dory has a very short memory, and she is alternately both amusing and inspirational.

In their search, they encounter all kinds of dangers, e.g., sharks and jellyfish; The line is said by Dory says "When life gets you down do you wanna know what you gotta do...just keep swimming"; she says it over and over, and turns it into a song. The other lines come from Norman Bates, Andy Dufresne and Dorothy Gale.

Answer: Bill Murray

The answer is Bill Murray as weatherman Phil Conners, in the fantasy/comedy "Groundhog Day". The premise is that Phil gets caught in a 'time warp' and the same day keeps repeating over and over (until he gets it right). Phil makes this comment to Rita, his potential girlfriend.

A very egocentric Phil first takes advantage of the situation, but then realizes he needs to make some changes. Bill Murray earned an Emmy Award for his performance on "Saturday Night Live", and for Best Supporting Actor in "Olive Kittridge" (2015), and a Golden Globe Award for "Lost in Translation" in 2004. All the choices were in "Ghostbusters" in 1984.

Answer: When Harry Met Sally

In the 1989 movie "When Harry Met Sally", Estelle Reiner (Carl's wife and director Rob Reiner's mother) spoke the line as a customer in a restaurant where Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan) were eating. Harry and Sally argue over whether men and women can ever have a strictly platonic relationship. Sally fakes an orgasm, and that's when the line is said by another diner.

When they meet up ten years later, they again attempt to answer this question. Do they or don't they? The other movie choices all had famous quotes: from Rick Blaine in "Casablanca" (1942), Mr. Miyagi in "The Karate Kid" (1984) and Harry Lime in "The Third Man" in 1949.