Three Actors, One Film Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Sting

'The Sting' was directed by George Roy Hill, who also directed the only other film which Newman and Redford made together - 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'. Released in 1973, Paul Newman and Robert Redford play two con men who put together a complicated, and daring plan to part a gangster (Shaw) from his money. There are various twists and turns along the way.

The film is also notable for its use of ragtime music, giving Scott Joplin (who had died in 1917) an unexpected second chance of fame.

Answer: Ben-Hur

Directed by William Wyler, this 1959 film starred Charlton Heston as the title character. Set in Jerusalem during the Roman occupation, the story involves the conflict between two former friends, Judah Ben-Hur and Messala, played by Stephen Boyd. Frank Thring portrays Pontius Pilate. Messala is a supporter of the Romans, while Judah is a proud Jew. Messala contrives to have Judah sent into slavery, where he has a brief meeting with Jesus.

The highlight of the film is undoubtedly the famous chariot race between Ben-Hur and Messala. At the end of the film, Ben-Hur witnesses the crucifixion of Jesus, who performs a final miracle.

Answer: Lawrence of Arabia

With a running time of nearly four hours, this David Lean directed film was unusual in being split in two, with a break in the middle. Hitting cinema screens in 1962, the film was primarily set during World War I and depicts the involvement of the British Army, with T E Lawrence, in the Arab Revolt against the Ottomans. It was based on the book 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom' written by the real life Lawrence, although the film doesn't adhere too closely to its source.

Peter O'Toole played the part of Lawrence, with Alec Guinness portraying Prince Faisal, the Syrian leader, and Omar Sharif playing Sherif Ali ibn el Kharish, a composite character of several Arab leaders of the time.

The film won seven Oscars from the ten it was nominated for and remains one of the most highly regarded British films of all time.

Answer: L A Confidential

Curtis Hanson was the driving force behind this 1997 adaptation of James Elroy's novel, being director, producer and co-author of the screenplay with Brian Helgeland. As the title rather gives away, the film is set in Los Angeles, in the 1950s, with Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce playing police officers dealing with corruption in their own department. The film also stars Kevin Spacey.

Kim Basinger plays the part of a prostitute, who becomes involved with the detective played by Guy Pearce. The film also features Danny DeVito.

Answer: The Maltese Falcon

This 1941 adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's novel was the first film directed by John Huston, who also wrote the script. The film starred Humphrey Bogart as the private detective Sam Spade with Mary Astor as the woman who involves him in a murder plot and turns out to be one of the villains of the piece.

The film was also a debut for Sydney Greenstreet, who plays Kasper Gutman, one of the many characters looking for the statuette which gives the film its title.

Answer: To Kill a Mockingbird

This 1962 film was an adaptation of the famous novel of the same name written by Harper Lee. Gregory Peck plays the main role of Atticus Finch, the lawyer who takes on the defence of a black man (Tom Robinson, portrayed by Brock Peters) accused of raping a white woman.

Robert Duvall plays Arthur 'Boo' Radley, the shy and reclusive neighbour who saves the Finch children when they are attacked. The film was directed by Robert Mulligan, who was nominated for the Best Director Oscar but did not win it. Gregory Peck did rather better, winning the Best Actor Oscar for his role.

Answer: A Room with a View

One of the many films credited to Merchant Ivory Productions, this 1985 adaptation of E M Forster's novel of the same name was directed by James Ivory, produced by Ismail Merchant and with a screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, the three main principals of the company. Set in Florence in the early twentieth century, the film shows Maggie Smith as the chaperone to a young Helena Bonham Carter. The 'room' is literal, as the ladies discover they do not have the promised room overlooking the river Arno, until another guest and his son offer to swap rooms with them.

The two young people (Julian Sands plays the son) fall in love despite the differences in their backgrounds. Eventually, love conquers all and the pair honeymoon back in the same small hotel in Florence.

The film received several Oscar nominations with Ruth Prawer Jhabvala winning the award for the Best Screenplay (adapted from another source).

Answer: Some Like It Hot

This well known trio were among the actors who brought us the extremely funny 'Some Like it Hot', directed by Billy Wilder and first screened in 1959. Set in Chicago, during the Prohibition years in the USA, Lemmon and Curtis play musicians who play in a club owned by a local gangster portrayed by George Raft. Marilyn Monroe plays the wonderfully named singer Sugar Kane.

Having witnessed a gangster massacre (based on the real life St Valentine's massacre of 1929) Lemmon and Curtis disguise themselves as women so they can play in an all female band and evade the gangsters after them. This leads to much confusion as both men try to gain the affections of Sugar Kane while maintaining their disguises. One of them gets the girl, while the other gets something altogether different.

Answer: Rebel Without a Cause

Released in 1955, the film had a young cast who depicted the alienation felt by young Americans from a background which would be considered well off by many standards. All three characters suffer from different kinds of parental neglect, and meet while they are in police custody for various, relatively minor, misdemeanours. The trio form a friendship of sorts, but tragedy awaits.

The film was directed by Nicholas Ray and is the best known of his works. Dean died soon after making the film, the middle one of the three for which he is remembered. 'East of Eden' from the same year and 'Giant', released in 1956 after Dean's death, are the other two.

Answer: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

This is just one of the many westerns to star John Wayne and dates from 1962. The film opens with the funeral of Wayne's character, attended by an American senator (Stewart) and his wife (Miles). The film then goes back in time to show how the lives of the three main characters became intertwined. In his earlier days, Stewart's character was a lawyer who met a rancher (played by Wayne) and the rancher's girlfriend (Miles). The town in which they all live is being terrorised by a gang led by Liberty Valance who is eventually shot dead - it is believed that Stewart killed him but he knows that it was actually Wayne's rancher who fired the fatal shot.

The truth never comes to light and Stewart not only establishes a successful political career but also marries the rancher's girl.