Q 01/05

Which 1959 epic won a then-record eleven Academy Awards?

A) Ben-Hur

B) The Ten Commandments

C) Around the World in 80 Days

D) The Bridge on the River Kwai

Answer · why

A) Ben-Hur

Its nine-minute chariot race used some of the 2,500 horses and 10,000 extras on the production.

Q 02/05

Who co-directed and choreographed Singin' in the Rain with Stanley Donen?

A) Fred Astaire

B) Donald O'Connor

C) Gene Kelly

D) Vincente Minnelli

Answer · why

C) Gene Kelly

MGM treated it as a routine musical and it was only a modest hit on release in 1952.

Q 03/05

What transition in Hollywood history is Singin' in the Rain set during?

A) Black and white to colour

B) Studio system to independents

C) Stage revues to film

D) Silent films to talkies

Answer · why

D) Silent films to talkies

Producer Arthur Freed built it around his own back catalogue of songs written in that period.

Q 04/05

Rebel Without a Cause was released how long after James Dean's fatal car crash?

A) The same week

B) Nearly a month

C) Six months

D) Two years

Answer · why

B) Nearly a month

It was the only one of his films in which he received top billing.

Q 05/05

Which future Easy Rider star made his film debut in a minor role in Rebel Without a Cause?

A) Dennis Hopper

B) Peter Fonda

C) Jack Nicholson

D) Warren Beatty

Answer · why

A) Dennis Hopper

He also appeared alongside Dean in Giant the following year.