The Asphalt Jungle Trivia Quiz

Answer: Kentucky

Dix Handley came from the state of Kentucky. He lived on a farm there when he was a boy, as he later told his would be girlfriend, Doll Conovan. Stirling Hayden played Dix, the hooligan-come-stick-up man and gunsel who teamed up with Doc. Erwin Riedenschneider for the perfect heist on a jewelry store.

Stirling Hayden received the Silver Star during his WWII service as Lt. John Hamilton in the OSS. It was after running guns to Yugoslav partisans that he briefly joined the communist party. He admitted his membership to the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), during the McCarthy era in the USA, in the '50s, but he later held himself in contempt for his cooperation with the committee. He was acting in the '60s & '70s in roles such as Gen. Jack D. Ripper in "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb" and Captain McCluskey in "The Godfather".

Answer: Dix Handley

When Dix and the Doc came to Emmerich's house with the loot, after the heist, Brannum drew his gun on them and Dix Handley shot him dead. Brannum's character in "The Asphalt Jungle" was a private detective who sometimes worked for lawyer Alonso P. Emmerich, collecting debts. He then became his partner in the planned double cross on Dix Handley and Doc Riedenschneider.

Bob Brannum played by Brad Dexter, was the first person to die in this movie. Ten years later he played Harry Luck who, as one of "The Magnificent Seven" was the first of the seven to die.

Answer: Nervous and sweaty

Cobby, played by Marc Lawrence, was a very nervous and sweaty character when handling money, especially his own. He had to finance this caper because Emmerich, who had agreed to fence the stolen jewelry, was strapped for cash. Marc Lawrence was another actor to come before the HUAC and admit that he had been a member of the communist party.

He named actor Jeff Corey as a communist. Lawrence was blacklisted and had to go to Europe to find work until the '60s.

Answer: John Huston

One of my favourite directors, John Huston must have been unique in many respects. He had 15 Oscar nominations and won twice for best director and best screenplay in 1948 for "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" starring Humphrey Bogart. He directed his father Walter Huston in this movie, who won an Oscar for best supporting actor. He also acted uncredited in the movie as an American in a white suit, who Bogart's character begged money from. In 1985 he directed his daughter Anjelica Huston in "Prizzi's Honour", and she won an Oscar for best supporting actress. John Huston's first outing as a director was "The Maltese Falcon" in 1941, again staring his great friend Humphrey Bogart. Huston's father Walter, already a star had an uncredited non-speaking walk-on part in the movie as Captain Jacobi. John Huston died at the age of 87 in Rhode Island in 1981.

Fritz Lang directed the 1953 Columbia Pictures movie "The Big Heat" starring Glen Ford.
Billy Wilder directed the 1944 Paramount Pictures movie "Double Indemnity" starring Barbara Stanwyck.
Otto Preminger directed the 1944 Twentieth Century Fox movie "Laura" starring Dana Andrews.

Answer: Lt. Ditrich

Barry Kelley played Lt. Ditrich, who was a cop on the take and a bully. Ditrich wanted Cobby to turn states' evidence on the rest of the gang. Cobby refused and threatened to tell the commissioner how crooked Ditrich was and got a beating. The alternate names are other lieutenants Kelley had played in other movies and TV shows. He also played a couple of Brig. Generals and a Governor.

Answer: Marilyn Monroe - Uncle Lon

Marilyn Monroe played Alonso P. Emmerich's extramarital love interest, Angela Phinlay. She called Emmerich Uncle Lon, which was her pet name for him. Later in the movie he asked her not to call him by that name because he didn't like it anymore. After some minor roles, Monroe's part in this movie and in "All About Eve" brought her greater attention and larger acting roles. "Niagara", "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and "Some Like It Hot" are among her best remembered movies.

Answer: In the cash register

Gus Minissi, played by James Whitmore, hid the gun in the cash register. Just in time, as the cops then arrived and took Dix downtown on a vagrancy charge, for an identity parade.

Answer: Belletier's

Louis Ciavelli the safe cracker, had to descend through a man hole to a utility's tunnel and knock a hole in a wall before entering Belletier's jewelry store. He then had to pick a lock on the back door to let the other gang members in to carry out the heist. On the way out after the heist, he was shot by the gun that fell out of a security guard's hand during a struggle. How unlucky could you get?

Answer: "You big banana head"

Marilyn Monroe had her longest piece of dialog in the movie in this scene. As Angela she opened the bedroom door and said to Det. Andrews, "Haven't you bothered me enough you big banana head? Just try breaking my door and Mr. Emmerich will throw you out of the house". She then admitted to Commissioner Hardy that her alibi for Emmerich had been false.

Answer: Cleveland

Riedenschneider (played by Sam Jaffe) climbed into a taxi and on seeing that the driver was an ex-pat German like himself, he relaxed. He then offered the driver a cigar and asked him to drive him to Cleveland for a $50 tip. He was caught by the police when he stopped at a road side cafe for coffee and stayed too long watching a teenage girl dancing to music on the jukebox.