Tricky Movie Trivia and Movie Reviews

See the My Man Godfrey trailer and view Carole Lombard home movies. They’re free!

Leave it to Carol Lombard to make the Great Depression so funny. Set in 1936, My Man Godfrey contrasts the hard times most Americans were experiencing with the wealthy and privileged world of socialite dingbat Irene Bullock, played to perfection by Lombard.

Irene happens upon Godfrey, played by William Powell, in the city dump, when she and her too-rich friends are in the midst of finding a forgotten man as one of the items in a scavenger hunt. Seeing that her rude and hateful sister Cornelia, played by Gail Patrick, also wants to bring Godfrey back only makes Irene more determined to have him as her prize.

Once Irene spends a little time with Godfrey, she decides she wants him to be her protege. There’s precedent for this, as her mother also has a protege — the useless but hilarious musician Carlo, played by Mischa Auer. (His imitation of a gorilla alone is worth watching the movie for.) So she makes Godfrey the family’s butler, because the last butler in a long line had just quit the day before. It seems no one wants to live with the nutty Bullock family.

But Godfrey is unphased by the lunacy that surrounds him, even though Irene and Cornelia fight over him, the family matriarch sees pixies, the father is a gruff but ultimately reasonable man who often yells with a booming voice, and police officers have come to find out which one of the crazy family members stole a policeman’s horse and rode it up the front steps of the Bullock mansion.

The more sturdy Godfrey behaves, the more the women fall in love with him. Not only is Irene smitten but the maid falls hard for him too. Hilarity ensues as they — especially Irene — fall all over themselves to be with him. Little do they know that Godfrey is hiding a secret, one that will change everything when revealed.

Movie trivia and goofs from My Man Godfrey

• My Man Godfrey is the only film to ever win Oscar nominations for directing, writing and all four acting awards without also being nominated for Best Picture. It’s also the only film to get those six nominations and lose them all.

• This was the first movie to receive four acting Oscar nominations. It did so in the year that supporting categories were introduced.

• William Powell and Carol Lombard had been married and divorced before this movie was shot. Powell, however, insisted that Lombard play Irene, knowing she would be the best person for the part. He was right. I can’t imagine anyone else playing that role but her.

• My Man Godfrey was voted one of “The 50 Greatest Comedies Of All Time” in 2006 by Premiere.

• When Irene first goes into Godfrey’s room, the door opens in the direction of the kitchen, where we see Molly in the background. In the next shot, the door opens in the direction of the bedroom.

• In one scene, Godfrey is placing roses in a vase while ignoring Irene. In one shot we see that there are already five stems in the vase. When the camera cuts away to the rest of the cast and Godfrey is seen again, there is only one rose in the vase.
• While Irene is talking to Charlie Van Rumple at the tea party, you see Godfrey in the background serving Cornelia with a tray, and she takes one item in each hand. A few seconds later, we see Cornelia close up as Godfrey serves her and she takes the same two items again.

Versions

My Man Godfrey is available on DVD in the original black and white form, as well as in a computer colorized version.

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More Tricky Movie Trivia classic movie reviews:

• To Kill a Mockingbird
• The Enchanted Cottage
• Now, Voyager
• All About Eve
• 
• Born Yesterday

Posted January 18, 2008 Comments(1)

It’s hard to summon enough superlatives to describe To Kill a Mockingbird, which I consider one of Hollywood’s greatest classic movies. I suppose it would have been difficult to go wrong, considering the book it came from continues to be a huge success. In my opinion, though, the movie transcended the book. The timeless story of a good man standing up for what is right is dynamic on the page, but it becomes even larger on film.

Artfully directed by Robert Mulligan, the movie was filmed on the Universal Studios backlot. Due to set decorator Henry Bumstead’s efforts, the set didn’t look like yet another Hollywood creation. It was made to look like Macomb County, Alabama, with the help of houses scheduled to be destroyed to make way for the Pasadena Freeway. Bumstead found the Craftsman-style houses just in time and moved them to the Universal lot to recreate the specific world that was the South in the 1930s.

The perfect set is in keeping with the exemplary cast. Gregory Peck, who embodied the part of dignified Southern lawyer and father Atticus Finch as if he were born to play him, was joined by unknowns Mary Badham and Phillip Althorp as his children Scout and Jem. Also in the mix was Macomb visitor Dill, an odd-looking little boy based on author Harper Lee’s childhood friend, Truman Capote. John Megna’s Dill visits Macomb County during the summer and it’s through his, Scout and Jem’s perspectives that the story unfolds. It’s also through their eyes that we’re introduced to the town boogeyman, played by Robert Duvall in his first film role. But Duvall’s Boo Radley isn’t the only supposed monster in town. Robert E. Lee “Bob” Ewell and his daughter Mayella Ewell (played by James Anderson and Collin Wilcox), who wrongly accuse black man Tom Robinson (played by Brock Peters) of rape, are frightening in a much more substantial way.

I know most people wouldn’t consider this a Halloween movie, but for me, the final moments of the film invoke that spirit. I won’t ruin the ending; I’ll just say that it’s scary in the way that only old-fashioned story-telling can be. There are no special effects; the characters have just been so well developed by the end, you feel like you’re right there with them in Macomb County. You can’t help but sit on the edge of your seat as they move through harrowing circumstances. In the end, however, you find safe haven along with them on their faded but cozy Alabama front porch.

Movie trivia and goofs from To Kill a Mockingbird

• Alice Ghostley also made her movie debut in Mockingbird.

• Rock Hudson was Universal’s first choice for the role of Atticus Finch. Jimmy Stewart also was offered the part, but believed the script was “too liberal” and feared the film would be controversial.

• Mockingbird writer Harper Lee picked the name Finch because it was her mother’s maiden name.
• Mary Badham ruined almost every take when the family was eating at the table. Phillip Alford didn’t like eating the same meal repeatedly, and thought Mary was a brat in general, so when he rolled her in the tire down the street, he intentionally aimed it at an equipment truck to try to hurt her.
• The American Film Institute voted Atticus Finch the top screen hero of the last 100 years. They also ranked Mockingbird as #2 on their list of the 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time and as the #25 Greatest Movie of All Time.

• The pennies in the cigar box in the film’s opening are dated 1962, but the story is set in 1932.

• When the marble rolls during the opening credits, several members of the camera crew can be seen reflected in it.

• When Old Man Radley startles the children when he comes to put cement in the tree, Jem and Scout suddenly appear a few feet farther back than they were just a second before.

• The defense table is set next to the jury box during the trial. In real life, the jury always sits on the prosecution’s side of the courtroom.

DVD extras from the collector’s edition of To Kill a Mockingbird (on two discs)

• Scene access
• Interactive menus
• Cast and crew interview
• Movie trivia
• Featurette: Movie by Gregory Peck’s daughter Cecilia that chronicles both her father’s speaking engagements and his later years
• Featurette: Fearful Symmetry: The Making of To Kill a Mockingbird
• Audio commentary by director Robert Mulligan and producer Alan Pakula
• Original trailer
• Subtitles

To be updated whenever there’s a new movie review or movie trivia quiz, please subscribe using the free subscription options in the sidebar.

If you enjoyed this movie review, check out our movie trivia quiz about the star of To Kill a Mockingbird, Gregory Peck.

More Tricky Movie Trivia classic movie reviews:

• The Enchanted Cottage
• My Man Godfrey
• Now, Voyager
• All About Eve
• Born Yesterday

Can you guess the answers to this movie trivia quiz about chick flicks?

Also, check out part 1 and part 2 of the chick flicks movie trivia quiz series.

1. You probably know that Lindsay Lohan starred in the 2005 movie featuring Herbie the Volkswagen, called Herbie Fully Loaded. But can you name the six other Herbie movies? (You don’t have to include the TV version made in 1997, which had the same name as the original 1968 theatrical release.)

2. The 1983 movie Valley Girl starred Francis Ford Coppola’s nephew. What is his name?

3. As part of the initiation to the Ya-Ya Sisterhood club in Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Sandra Bullock’s character Siddalee Walker has the palm of her hand cut. In which other movie did a character played by Sandra Bullock cut the palm of her hand?

4. In Dirty Dancing, Jennifer Grey was older than her 17-year-old character Baby. How old was Jennifer when she filmed the movie?
a. 23
b. 25
c. 27
d. 29

5. Evening co-starred Meryl Streep’s daughter, who played the younger version of Streep’s character in the movie. What is Streep’s daughter’s name in real life?

6. Which other famous mother and daughter starred in Evening?

7. Which English actress was originally considered for Miranda, the role that Meryl
Streep played in The Devil Wears Prada?

8. Which teenaged actor turned down the role of Ducky in the 1989 release of Pretty in Pink? (Jon Cryer played the role instead.)

9. The line “Can I borrow your underpants for ten minutes?” was voted #86 of “The 100 Greatest Movie Lines” by Premiere in 2007. Which movie was it from?

10. A famous brother and sister had supporting roles in Sixteen Candles. What are their names?

Scroll down to see the answers.

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Answers

1. There are six Herbie movies, all of which were made before Herbie Fully Loaded star Lindsay Lohan was even born:

• The Love Bug (1968)
• Herbie Rides Again (1974)
• Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977)
• Herbie Goes Bananas (1980)
• Herbie the Matchmaker (1981)
• Herbie, the Love Bug (1982)

2. Francis Ford Coppola’s nephew’s name is Nicholas Cage. He changed it from Nicholas Coppola in the 1980s. Valley Girl was the first movie credit he had that used the new name.

3. Sandra Bullock’s character Sally Owens cuts the palm of her hand in the movie Practical Magic.

4. Jennifer Grey was 27 when she filmed Dirty Dancing.

5. Meryl Streep’s daughter and Evening co-star’s name is Mamie Gummer.

6. Natasha Richardson plays the daughter of the character played by her real-life mother Vanessa Redgrave in Evening.

7. Helen Mirren was originally considered for the role Meryl Streep played in The Devil Wears Prada.

8. Anthony Michael Hall turned down the role of Ducky in Pretty in Pink. Jon Cryer played the part instead.

9. The line “Can I borrow your underpants for ten minutes?” came from Sixteen Candles and was said by Anthony Michael Hall’s character.

10. Brother and sister John and Joan Cusack were in Sixteen Candles. John Cusack played Bryce, one of Anthony Michael Hall’s geeky friends, and Joan was the girl in the neck brace on the bus and who had trouble sipping water from a drinking fountain.

How did you do on this movie trivia quiz about teenage chick flicks? If you didn’t get the answers to most of these questions, don’t worry; you’re not alone. A lot of them were hard!

If you enjoyed this quiz, why not subscribe via RSS or e-mail to get free updates? See the sidebar for easy subscription options.

Posted January 16, 2008 Comments(1)

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Can you guess the answers to this movie trivia quiz about chick flicks?

Also, check out chick flicks part 1 and part 3.

1. In A Walk to Remember, who was originally considered for the role of Jamie Sullivan, which was eventually played by Mandy Moore?

2. A Walk to Remember was filmed in 2002 in Wilmington, North Carolina, at the same time as which hit film starring Sandra Bullock?

3. In Freaky Friday, during the end scene when Anna is dancing with Jake, there’s a woman in the background who looks directly at the camera while she dances with an older gentleman. This woman is the mother of one of the stars of the movie. Whose mother is she?

4. In Freaky Friday, which famous actress was originally supposed to have the part of Tess Coleman, which ended up being played by Jamie Lee Curtis?

5. How many different hairstyles did Reese Witherspoon’s character Elle wear in Legally Blonde?

6. Which major learning institution did Elle attend in Legally Blonde?

7. On which Shakespeare play is the movie 10 Things I Hate About You based?

8. One of the characters in the movie The Notebook is the mother of the movie’s director, Nick Cassavetes. What’s her name?

9. In The Notebook, Ryan Gosling had to wear contact lenses so his eyes would match the color of the older version of him, played by Jim Garner. What color contacts did he wear?

10. Which chick flick was the first movie production allowed to film in New York after the September 11, 2001 attacks?

Scroll down to see the answers.

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Answers

1. Jessica Simpson was originally considered for the role of Jamie Sullivan in A Walk to Remember.

2. A Walk to Remember was filmed in 2002 in Wilmington, North Carolina at the same time as
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.

3. The dancing woman in Freaky Friday is Lindsay Lohan’s mother, Dina Lohan.

4. Annette Bening was originally slated to play Tess Coleman in Freaky Friday.

5. Reese Witherspoon’s character Elle wears 40 different hairstyles throughout Legally Blonde.

6. The character of Elle attended Harvard University.

7. 10 Things I Hate About You is based on The Taming Of The Shrew. The titles intentionally rhyme a little.

8. Gena Rowlands, who plays Allie when she’s older, is Notebook director Nick Cassavetes’ mother.

9. Ryan Gosling wore brown contacts so his eye color would match Jim Garner’s.

10. Sweet Home Alabama was the first movie to film in New York after 9/11.

How did you do on this teenage chick flicks movie trivia quiz? If you didn’t get the answers to most of the questions, don’t worry; you’re not alone. They were hard!

If you enjoyed this quiz, why not subscribe via RSS or e-mail to get free updates? See the sidebar for easy subscription options.

Can you guess the answers to this movie trivia quiz about chick flicks?

Also, check out part 2 and part 3 of the teenage chick flicks movie trivia quiz series.

1. In Mean Girls, which of the actresses who played a “plastic” was initially supposed to play Cady, the part played by Lindsay Lohan?

2. On which book was the movie Mean Girls based?

3. Which of the “plastics” actresses is actually 10 years older than Lindsay Lohan?

4. Drop Dead Gorgeous screenwriter Lona Williams was once a contestant in local beauty pageants and appears in the film. Which part does she play?

5. Which actress who was in a hit 2007 movie had her screen debut in Drop Dead Gorgeous?

6. In Saved, Pastor Skip enters the library to talk to Hilary Faye and the Christian Jewels about Mary. There’s a poster featuring which band visible over his shoulder? (Hint: The band’s lead singer was a co-producer on the movie.)

7. Mandy Moore was given the part of Hilary Faye in Saved, but which actress was originally supposed to play her?

8. What are the letters on the license plate of Hilary Faye’s car?

9. In Clueless, Alicia Silverstone (who played Cher) didn’t know how to pronounce a word in one of the classroom scenes. Director Amy Heckerling told everyone not to correct her so she could include the entertaining mispronunciation in the film. Which word was it?

10. On which classic story is Clueless loosely based?

Scroll down to see the answers.

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Answers

1. Amanda Seyfried, who plays Karen in the film, was initially supposed to play Cady, but producer Lorne Michaels thought she would be better as the dumb girl and that Lindsay Lohan would make a better “good girl.”

2. Mean Girls was based on Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and Other Realities of Adolescence by Rosalind Wiseman, even though it is a non-fiction self-help guide for parents that has no narrative. Tine Fey of Saturday Night Live wrote the script.

3. Although Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams play characters who are presumably in the same grade, there’s a 10-year age difference between the two actresses.

4. Lona Williams plays Jean, the pageant’s non-speaking judge, in Drop Dead Gorgeous.

5. Amy Adams, who starred in Enchanted, had her film debut in Drop Dead Gorgeous.

6. The poster visible over Pastor Skip’s shoulder is for R.E.M. Lead singer Michael Stipe co-produced the film.

7. The role of Hilary Faye was originally given to Anne Hathaway, but funding fell through and then Hathaway had to start shooting Ella Enchanted.

8. Hilary Faye’s license plate is “JC GIRL.”

9. Alicia Silverstone mispronounced “Haitians” as “Hate-ee-uns.”

10. Clueless is loosely based on Jane Austen’s book Emma.

How did you do on this movie trivia quiz about teenage chick flicks? If you didn’t get the answers to most of the questions, don’t worry; you’re not alone. Some of them were hard!

If you enjoyed this quiz, why not subscribe via RSS or e-mail to get free updates? See the sidebar for easy subscription options.