Preachers In Movies Trivia Quiz

Answer: Harry Powell

Robert Mitchum played Harry Powell, a marrying and murdering psycho who hid his wicked ways behind the disguise of a fire and brimstone preacher. Ben Harper was awaiting hanging for a bank robbery gone bad, and he refused to tell his cellmate, Preacher, where the loot was stashed.

As soon as Preacher was released, he made a beeline for Harper's widow and two young children, John and Pearl. The children soon became Preacher's prey as he tracked them across the countryside in a harrowing, unrelenting chase in "Night of the Hunter".

This was the only film that acting great Charles Laughton ever directed. Years later, Robert Mitchum would say that Laughton was the best director he ever worked with. "Night of the Hunter" was based on the novel by David Grubb.

Besides Mitchum, the cast included Peter Graves as Ben Harper, Shelley Winters as Willa, Billy Chapin and Sally Jane Bruce as the Harper children, and Lillian Gish as Rachel Cooper.

Answer: Yes

Based on the book "A Man Called Peter" by Catherine Marshall (Peter Marshall's widow) this inspiring 1955 movie was about the life and ministry of Peter Marshall, a Scottish immigrant who became pastor of the Church of the Presidents in Washington, DC and Chaplain of the US Senate in the 1940s. Catherine and Peter Marshall were happily married until his sudden death from a heartattack in 1949. Catherine Marshall also wrote the very popular book "Christy" which was about a 19-year old city girl, Christy Huddleston, who moved to the Great Smoky Mountains in 1912 to teach school.

Answer: Jean Simmons

Based on the novel by Sinclair Lewis, "Elmer Gantry" was the story of a con man who teamed up with an evangelical preacher, Sister Sharon Falconer (nee Katie Jones) to spread the gospel in midwest America in the 1920s. Burt Lancester received a Best Actor Academy Award in 1961 for his portrayal of Gantry. Shirley Jones received the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Lulu Bains, a prostitute determined to ruin him. Richard Brooks (who also directed "Elmer Gantry") won the Oscar for his screenplay adaptation of Sinclair Lewis' novel. "Elmer Gantry" also garned Oscar nominations for Best Picture and for Andre Previn for Best Music. Jean Simmons (who was married to Richard Brooks) played Sister Sharon, and also successfully worked with her husband in the 1969 film "The Happy Ending" for which she received an Oscar nomination as Best Actress.

The cast of "Elmer Gantry" also included Patti Page and Dean Jagger.

Answer: Angel In My Pocket

No one played homespun characters like Andy Griffith, and he was at his best in "Angel In My Pocket", the story of a minister who wanted to be accepted by his new small town congregation. The cast inclued Lee Meriwether as Mary Elizabeth Whitehead, Jerry Van Dyke as Emery, and Margaret Hamilton as Rhoda.

Answer: Cold Turkey

If the 4,006 chainsmoking residents of Eagle Rock, Iowa could just quit "Cold Turkey" for thirty days, they could claim the $25 million prize offered by the Valiant Tobacco Company. There were two big complications: some of Valiant's executives were out to sabotage the town's smoke-out, and the pastor who was spearheading the campaign was having trouble quitting himself. "Cold Turkey" was directed by Norman Lear (who also co-authored the screenplay with William Price, Jr.). Dick Van Dyke was Rev. Clayton Brooks. Pippa Scott appeared as his long-suffering wife, Natalie. Edward Everett Horton was Hiram "Mr. Tobacco" Grayson. Vincent Gardenia and Jean Stapleton played Mayor and Mrs. Wappler.

Answer: James Brown

"The Blues Brothers" was loaded with great musical numbers and one of the best was when Jake literally saw the light at the church of Rev. Cleophus James. James Brown, the "Godfather of Soul", was one of the 1986 Charter Members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and some of his hit records include "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" and "I Got You (I Feel Good)".

Many other musical greats showed up during Elwood and Jake Blues' mission to save the orphanage where they grew up, including Ray Charles, Cab Calloway, and Aretha Franklin. John Belushi was Jake Blues. Dan Ackroyd, who co-wrote the script with director John Landis, was Elwood.

Answer: Footloose

A town without rock music and dancing has to be every teenager's nightmare, and it was especially bad for Ren McCormack who was having to adjust to life in a small town in "Footloose". Kevin Bacon played Ren McCormack. John Lithgow played Rev. Shaw Moore, the preacher who had led his congregation in the anti-dance movement. Lori Singer played his rebellious daughter, Ariel Moore.

The cast also included Chris Penn and Sarah Jessica Parker. (Although the storyline of "Footloose" might have been a little thin, it was appreciated by Kevin Bacon fans who got to watch his physique showcased in several dance numbers).

Answer: Robert Duvall

Multi-talented Robert Duvall wrote, directed, and starred in "The Apostle". Rev. "Sonny" Dewey thought he had everything, including a beautiful wife, Jessie, and a successful ministry. Then he found out, that behind his back, Jessie had led the faction which put him out and her boyfriend, Horace, in as pastor.

He confronted Horace at a softball game, and in the heat of the moment, hit Horace in the hit with a bat, putting him into a coma. "Sonny" fled to Louisiana and began a successful radio ministry and began preaching under the name Apostle E.F.

It was always on his mind, no matter how much good he accomplished, that if Horace died, he would be wanted for murder. Farah Fawcett played Jessie Dewey, and Todd Allen was Horace. The cast of "The Apostle" also included Miranda Richardson as Toosie, June Carter Cash as Momma Dewey, and Billy Bob Thornton appeared as the troublemaker who threatened to bulldoze the Louisiana church.

A few other of Robert Duvall's memorable roles were Tom Hagen in "The Godfather" (1972), Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore in "Apocalypse Now" (1979), Frank Childers in "Sling Blade" 91996), and Hub in "Second Hand Lions" (2003).

Answer: Five Card Stud

Cheating at cards was a serious thing back in the Old West, but maybe the stranger could have gotten off lighter, if the other players hadn't been drinking so hard. In any case, they strung him up and would have forgotten all about it, except that, one by one, someone began murdering them. Who could it have been? Was it the mysterious stranger who'd showed up in town calling himself Rev. Jonathan Rudd? Was it one of the other players for some hidden reason of their own? "Five Card Stud" was really a good mystery set in the Wild West.

It was based on the novel by Ray Gaulden. Robert Mitchum played Rev. Jonathan Rudd. Dean Martin played Van Morgan. Inger Stevens was Lily Langford, and Roddy McDowall was Nick Evers.

Answer: Signs

Rev. Graham Hess had lost his faith when his wife was killed. Then he got up one morning and found a crop circle in his cornfield. At first he thought it was just a prank but then crop circles started turning up all over the world--directional maps for an alien invasion force.

It was not until the very end of the film that all the signs came together in this engrossing and humorous film. The cast included Mel Gibson as Rev. Graham Hess, and Joaquin Phoenix as Merrill Hess. Abagail Breslin and Rory Culkin played the Graham children, Bo and Morgan. M. Night Shyamalan (who wrote the screenplay and directed "Signs") also appeared in the film as Red Redding, the man who accidentally killed Graham's wife when he fell asleep while driving. I hope you enjoyed this look at preachers in movies.