Q 01/05

In which city was Steven Spielberg born in 1946?

A) Cincinnati

B) Los Angeles

C) Cleveland

D) Chicago

Answer · why

A) Cincinnati

Cincinnati: there his grandmother taught English to Holocaust survivors, and one taught little Steven his numbers from the tattoo on his arm.

Q 02/05

Young Spielberg made a short Western film to earn what?

A) A high-school filmmaking prize

B) A Boy Scout photography merit badge

C) A spot on local television

D) A summer job at Universal Studios

Answer · why

B) A Boy Scout photography merit badge

A Boy Scout photography merit badge: after a movie train wreck terrified him, he also staged and filmed crashes with his Lionel train set.

Q 03/05

Which film school famously rejected the young Spielberg because of his mediocre grades?

A) NYU

B) UCLA

C) USC

D) AFI

Answer · why

C) USC

USC: turned down, he studied elsewhere, then dropped out when Universal hired him to direct television.

Q 04/05

Spielberg later named his production company after which 1968 short film of his?

A) Slipstream

B) The Last Gunfight

C) Fighter Squad

D) Amblin'

Answer · why

D) Amblin'

Amblin': impressed, Universal executive Sidney Sheinberg offered Spielberg a seven-year directing contract.

Q 05/05

Spielberg's directorial debut, Duel (1971), pits Dennis Weaver's salesman against what?

A) A menacing tanker truck

B) A malfunctioning computer

C) A rogue helicopter

D) A pack of wild dogs

Answer · why

A) A menacing tanker truck

A menacing tanker truck: after Duel aired on ABC, Universal had Spielberg shoot extra scenes so it could be released in cinemas.