Teddington's Great Wit Trivia Quiz

Answer: Blithe Spirit

Charles Condomine (Rex Harrison) is working on a new mystery novel but needs some professional help into the workings of mediums. He employs Madame Arcati (Margaret Rutherford) to perform a séance for him but, as she falls into a trance, Charles hears his (dead) wife's (Elvira) voice. Problem is, no one else does and they, including his current wife (Ruth, played by Constance Cummings), think he is pulling their leg. Further issues arise after everyone retires for the night and Elvira materialises, but only Charles can see her. Elvira is working towards re-uniting with Charles.

She tampers with Charles' car, but it is Ruth who drives off in it and is killed. Ruth is now in the spirit world and she is out to get Elvira.

Answer: Brief Encounter

Laura has a dull marriage and part of her routine is going into town every Thursday to shop and see the matinee. There she meets Alec Harvey, a doctor, who consults to the local hospital once a week. You guessed it, Thursdays. Their affair goes deeper with every meeting but theirs is an impossible arrangement. Both can see the writing on the wall but neither knows how to stop.

In 1999 this was voted the second greatest British film of all time by the British Film Institute.

Answer: Easy Virtue

Larita (Jessica Biel) takes a fancy to John Whittaker at the Monaco Grand Prix and marries him on the spur of the moment. However, when she gets home she finds that mother and father don't like him, which then sees family tensions escalate.

The film, which also stars Ben Barnes as John Whittaker and Kristin Scott Thomas (mother) was first released at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2008.

Answer: This Happy Breed

This film would be David Lean's solo directorial debut and it is the first of three films he'd complete (solo) that were taken directly from Noel Coward's works. The other two being "Blithe Spirit" (1945) and "Brief Encounter" (1945). Previously though, he had co-directed "In Which We Serve" (1942) with Noel Coward.

The film follows the trials and tribulations of the Gibbons family, commencing directly after World War I, and we watch them trying to re-establish their lives after the big upheaval of war. The film culminates with Frank and Ethel, now "empty nesters", being asked to look after their new grandchild with the spectre of World War II looming on the horizon.

Answer: The Astonished Heart

(Sorry, but a massive spoiler follows) Coward's Dr. Faber has an obsession rather than a desire to be with Leanora Veil (Margaret Leighton) and this ends up destroying his marriage. With his world crumbling he then leaps off a building and commits suicide.

This film was sparked by the great success that David Lean had had with "Brief Encounter" in 1945. It also represents one of Coward's rare forays onto the silver screen.

Answer: Bitter Sweet

Sarah (MacDonald) runs of to Vienna and marries her music teacher Carl (Eddy) to avoid an arranged marriage at home. The pair struggle to make a living out of the music game, until Carl manages to write an operetta that holds much promise. A Viennese baron helps them along the way but he has schemes of his own.

He hoodwinks Carl into a sword-fight and kills him. The operetta is then picked up by a bigtime producer who places Sarah in the lead role and turns it into a huge success. As the title suggests, the success for Sarah is, bitter sweet.

Answer: Pretty Polly

The passing of Aunt Eva, a wealthy spinster, who was Polly's travelling companion, provides Polly with a freedom she never knew existed. A perennial wallflower, Polly matures from a dowdy young girl into free-spirited womanhood.

Adapted from a Noel Coward short story, "Pretty Polly Barlow", the film was directed by Guy Green and also stars Trevor Howard, and Brenda De Banzie.

Answer: Design For Living

Tom (Fredric March) and George (Gary Cooper) and Gilda (Miriam Hopkins) wind up sharing an apartment together in Paris. Both men were in love with Gilda prior to the arrangement and Gilda proposed the living arrangement on the proviso that they are friends without benefits (sex).

This works well until Tom has to go to London and George gets even friendlier with Gilda. When Tom returns and George has to go to Nice, the reciprocal happens. When the two men begin to argue Gilda throws her hands in the air and decides to marry her boss.

Answer: We Were Dancing

Shearer (as Vicki) is a Polish princess with not much to her name. She is engaged to a wealthy lawyer, Hubert, played by Lee Bowman. She falls madly in love with Nicki (Douglas) who is an Austrian baron but doesn't have two pennies to rub together. They elope and marry. All goes well until Nicki decides he wants to get a real job and also finds one of his ex-girlfriends pursuing him.

The fact that Nicki tells Vicki that he loves her means nothing and Vicki sues for a divorce. Guess who the lawyer is... Hubert and he resumes his old relationship with Vicki. Long story short, Nicki attends Vicki's engagement party with the aim of saying goodbye to her.

He asks her for one last dance and it happens to be the same one that sparked their passion the first time they met.

They find that the magic is still there and they elope, again.

Answer: Private Lives

Elyot (Robert Montgomery) and Amanda (Norma Shearer) have had a stormy marriage and get divorced. Both find new partners and marry. However, both end up in the same hotel on the French Riviera on their honeymoons and the old storms re-surface.