Sunday, April 25, 2010

Asthmatic quiz

This is my first attempt at such endeavor and, to complicate matters, my wife and I are three thousand miles away from home on a rainy Sunday afternoon in the friendly confines of Hammersmith, one of our favorite places. We are also equidistant from our images file, so the interspersal of pictures is limited.

None the less a delightful quiz. I am anxious to read the responses made by others but have held off doing so until we finish this. Please excuse any breaches of quiz etiquette -- attribute to my recent entry into such ranks -- and advise of same. Thank you.

Postscript: I am also a member of Advair Anonymous.




1. Which actors do you always (or did you always) mix-up?

Bonita Granville and Priscilla Lane

Bonita Granville (on the right)



Priscilla Lane (on the left)



Or is it the other way around?
























2. Gidget or Beach Party?

My wife says Gidget

3. Favorite Movie Outfit?

The monks in The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. My wife (Enola) also likes the Elizabeth Taylor outfit at the pool table in A Place in the Sun.

4. If you could be ANY character in ANY movie...who would you choose?

Rupert of Hentzau. Fairbanks Jr.

5. If you could marry ANY character in ANY movie...who would you choose?

Gerald: If I were single it would be Susan Ricci in The Spanish Prisoner or Ann Black in State and Main. Or any character played by Rebecca Pidgeon in any movie. (Mr. Mamet might object.)



6. If you could live in ANY movie...which would you choose?

Enola: Shadow of a Doubt. But only once Uncle Charlie was removed.

7. Black & White movies you wish were in Technicolor, or vice-versa?

The Long Good Friday.

8. Favorite Movie Soundtrack?

Odds Against Tomorrow. Modern Jazz Quartet (Gerald)
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (Enola)
And all the Allan Gray scores for the Powell/Pressberger films.

9. Favorite Movie Dance Sequence?

Gerald: Our Love is Here to Stay in American in Paris.
Enola: Begin the Beguinne (Astaire and Powell). She is probably right.

10. Coolest Movie Star? (Cough, cough, BOBBY DARIN, cough, cough -Millie)

Enola: James Coburn

11. Sophia or Gina (Oh, how Kate enjoys replaying Gina's sad defeat OVER AND OVER! -Millie)

Sophia

12. "Isn't It Romantic" in most Billy Wilder films, or "Red River Valley"

Gerald say Wilder; Enola says Ford.

13. If you could re-cast ANY role in ANY movie, what would it be?

Colin Blakely in The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. He ruined what might have been a Wilder masterwork. Andre Morrell might have done fine, thank you.

14. Favorite movie character with your first name?

Enola has long lived with remarks about her name and a certain aircraft -- so she passes. Gable had Gerald's first and last name in No Man of Her Own.

15. One movie that should NEVER be remade? (under THE THREAT OF A SLOW, PAINFUL DEATH!)

Enola says A Canterbury Tale but Gerald suspects, although he loves it, there is little fear of that.

16. Actor or Actress who you would love to be best friends with?

Gerald would like Enola to be best friends with Rebecca Pidgeon.


17. Are you an Oscar or a Felix?

Role reversal. Enough said.

18. Actor/Actress you originally hated and now love?

Gerald never hated Harlow, but did not think much of her. He was very wrong. TCM was the antidote.

Enola was that way about Clark Gable.

19. Actor/Actress you originally loved and now don't like?

This is heresy to some, but I really liked Jack Lemmon in the early years, however, the grimacing got old. Nicholson's grimacing was always old.

20. Favorite performance that was looked over by Oscar? (Not to be confused with the aforementioned Oscar of Felix fame.)

Jean Hagen in Asphalt Jungle


21. Bewitched or I Dream of Jeannie?

Is this a repeat of Question 1?

22. Hannibal Heyes or Kid Curry? (Hint for those who don't know who they are: pick Hannibal Heyes.)

I had the latter in an Indian restaurant in Southall.

23. Favorite Style Icon: Fred Astaire or Cary Grant?

Enola thinks Grant. Gerald thinks Astaire because he had less of the initial package with which to work.

24. Single most favorite movie scene EVER?

Wendy Hiller going up the path to the castle with the three pipers.

25. Movie you really "should" see, but have subconsciously been avoiding for who knows what reason?

Should see Star Wars because of its historical place in film history but cannot rise above the damage it did by establishing the template for that which was to come.

26. Movie quote you find yourself most often repeating in real life?

The Scots phrase uttered / shouted by Pamela Brown on seeing Torquil in I Know Where I'm Going! Might some linguist help?

27. 50's Westerns or 60's Spies? (I can't even answer this myself...but you have to! MWAHAHAHA! - Millie)

Cooper, Stewart and the lot.

28. Favorite splashy, colorful, obnoxious 50's musical?

29. Favorite film setting (example: Rome, Paris, Seattle, Siberia, Chile, Sahara Desert, etc)

Gerald says Paris because he reveres Jean Pierre Melville. But Gerald was born in the South Bronx, so ...

30. If you could own the entire wardrobe of any film, which would it be?

Le Samourai. Alain Delon. Including the bird.

31. Carol Burnette or Lucille Ball?

We split. Gerald Carol. Enola Ball.

32. Favorite Voice. Ever. Period?

Ronald Colman and Joan Greenwood.

33. Favorite movie that takes place in your home-state?

Gerald: Woody Allen's Manhattan and Radio Days
Enola: Miracle of the Bells (They have since torn down the church.)

34. Which actors would you want for relatives? (Mother, Father, Grandma, Crazy Aunt, annoying cousin, older brother, etc...)

Mostly done by Enola

Grandmother: Ethel Barrymore (Gerald remembers her non-Grandmotherly days)
Annoying Cousin: Rosalind Russell
Father: Ben Johnson
Mother: Irene Dunne (Gerald opts for Spring Byington)
Crazy Aunt: Elsa Lanchester, Carmen Miranda and Edna May Oliver
Crazy Uncle: Burt Lancaster and Danny Kaye
Pet: Adolf from We're No Angels (he would be handy to have around)



Click here to access the originators of the quiz

5 comments:

  1. If you're in Hammersmith I could probably just shout this and you'd hear, but it might frighten the neighbours...

    Interesting answers - I never tire of Lemmon's grimacing but I take your point; surprised that you don't like Blakeley in the Private Life (perhaps you could elaborate?); amused to see your reasoning re: Asatire and Grant is the same as mine, though I still had to give Cary the gong, notwithstanding his disproportionate natural advantages.

    Hope you are enjoying our uncharacteristically balmy weather!
    Matthew.

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  2. Dear Matthew- I suspect Hammersmith has seen its share of shouting. And your balmy weather has made a virtual invalid of me. The Asthmatic part of the quiz lingers. An air conditioned pub with good Wi Fi remains my only respite until cooler temperatures prevail.

    I think we all loved “Willie” Bruce until we later learned that Watson was a wounded veteran of some fierce fighting. But Bruce still remains a fond memory, a more suitable answer to the question about quirky relatives. I think Blakely's Watson is far closer to Bruce than Brett's two Watsons (both very good).

    Watson was a bit slow off the mark, perhaps, but a solid steady hand at any helm that was traversing treacherous waters. Sherlock trusted him completely. Blakely's approach (or Wilder's perhaps) seems much too excitable to provide that steady hand. And Watson was also a ladies man, which I cannot imagine the Blakely characterization encompassing.

    Conversely, I loved Stephens and the poignant love story between him and the would be Madame Valladon. The carriage scene with the parasol bidding “auf wiedersehen” is priceless. Thank you. I have a few comments on your ducksoupian quiz responses, but will wait for a better keyboard. Erich von Stroheim indeed! Gerald

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  3. Fantastic answers on the favorite voice question! Joan Greenwood is sorely underrated!

    Also, I'm thrilled with the I Know Where I'm Going references! I adore that movie :)

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  4. Thank you Kate. IKWIG is my favorite film of all time. I am pleased that you are among the legion of its admirers. I am very impressed by your knowledge and that of your quiz partner. And the fact that you are a Greenwood aficionado makes it all the better.

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  5. Fascinating answers.

    Since you like classic Hollywood so much, I cordially invite you to visit my blog, "Carole & Co." (yep, it's named for Lombard):

    http://community.livejournal.com/carole_and_co

    ReplyDelete