The World of Movie Musicals Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Jazz Singer

This movie ushered in the sound era. It featured sound sequences with dialogue and of course the music. It was received to much acclaim in its day, has been remade several times (the last in 1980), and has been selected for preservation by the American National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

However, now it is seen as controversial because of its use of blackface. The movie followed a young Jewish singer who defied his family by singing.

Answer: 42nd Street

During the early '30s Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell starred in many musical vehicles together; however, this is commonly seen as their best. In 2006 it was placed at number 13 on the American Film Institute's (AFI's) list of greatest musicals. "42nd Street" is about the production of a Broadway musical during the Great Depression.

Answer: Easter Parade

"Easter Parade" was released in 1948, long after the dissolution of the Rogers-Astaire team. It did feature Astaire, though, who was this time partnered with Judy Garland. "Easter Parade" featured a score by Irving Berlin, and is about a Broadway star (played by Astaire) who is looking for a new partner and eventually finds one (who is Judy Garland).

It was the highest-grossing movie of 1948 and of Fred Astaire's entire career.

Answer: Meet Me in St. Louis

Many of the songs sang by Judy Garland in this film would be associated with her the rest of her life. It was nominated for several Academy Awards (including Best Song for "Trolley Song"). It was the second highest grossing picture of 1944, behind the Bing Crosby movie "Going My Way".

It was ranked number 10 on AFI's list of greatest musicals, and two of the songs were ranked as two of the greatest songs in movies. "Meet Me in St. Louis" was about a family staying in St. Louis for the 1904 World's Fair.

Answer: Singin' in the Rain

"Singin' in the Rain" is often seen as one of the greatest movie musicals of all time (this was reinforced by its placement on AFI's list of greatest musicals- number 1). It was directed by both Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly, who also starred in the movie (along with Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds). Most of the songs in the film were written for it; they were taken from prior musicals from the 1929-1933 period (the song "Moses Supposes" was the lone exception).

The song "Singin' in the Rain" was also originally to be sung by all three main stars (in the end only Gene Kelly sang this iconic song).

It appears on 4 AFI movie lists. The movie spoofs the transition of silent stars to talkies during the late 1920s.

Answer: West Side Story

Who can forget the outstanding "West Side Story": the battles between the Jets and the Sharks, the love between Maria and Tony, and of course the songs and dances in between? This movie ranked just below "Singin' in the Rain" on AFI's list of musicals at number 2.

It is one of the earliest Hollywood films to feature representations of the Puerto Rican community (albeit a representation associating it primarily with gang violence). Interestingly, both actors who play Maria and the Sharks' leader Bernardo were white.

The musical was based on the classic Shakespeare tragedy "Romeo and Juliet", but moved to a modern setting.

Answer: Milos Forman

The acclaimed Czech director Milos Forman directed the film version of "Hair". While it was well received by many critics, the writers of the original musical, James Rado and Gerome Ragni disliked it and felt that it wasn't a faithful adaptation. Tom O'Horgan may sound familiar to those who remember the 1968 Broadway run: he was the director. "Hair" was a representation of the 1960s counterculture, a rock musical that portrayed the lives of hippies in New York City who were fighting the conscription for the Vietnam War. Needless to say, when it first appeared in 1968 it was a big hit.

Answer: Grease

The "Grease" on Broadway appeared in 1972 and was rather different than the well-known 1978 film version, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. The film was hugely successful and spawned a sequel which was a flop. "Grease" was about Danny, a greaser, and Sandy, a preppy cheerleader, who were in love.

Answer: Catherine Zeta-Jones

Catherine took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, for her role as Velma Kelly. The other three actors were all nominated but did not win. "Chicago" was the first musical to win the Oscar for Best Picture since "Oliver!" in 1968. It was based on a 1975 Broadway musical, in turn based on a 1927 silent film, which itself was based on a 1926 play. "Chicago" was enormously popular with critics and at the box office (though it never peaked at #1 on the weekly box office charts).

Answer: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

The musical was directed by Tim Burton and was released to critical acclaim. The stage musical had been first staged in 1979. The movie kept several songs from the stage version but also eliminated a few. Stephen Sondheim was at first wary of a film version, but after seeing it was largely impressed. It was nominated for four Golden Globes (won two) and three Oscars (won one). "Sweeney Todd" was about a barber who had been unlawfully imprisoned (Johnny Depp) and who came to exact revenge on the evil Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman).

Hoped you enjoyed my quiz and if you haven't seen any of these wonderful movies, go out there and see 'em!