1: In ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ what was the name of the character played by Marilyn Monroe?
2: What is the name of the song Marilyn sings in the show stopping number wearing a pink gown and gloves?
3: What was the name of the musical in which Marlon Brando actually sang?
4: Which famous musical was a spoof of Shakespeare’s ‘ Taming Of The Shrew’?
5: Which was Anne Miller most famous for? Singing or dancing?
6: Can you name the three male musical stars of ‘It’s Always Fair Weather’? ( Two were also sought after choreographers. )
7: Which famous musical starring Judy Garland was about becoming discovered and turned into a major Hollywood star by an ageing alchoholic star down on his luck?
8: Fred Astair and Cyd Charise starred together in a musical titled ‘Band …..’ about a group of artists getting together and putting on a show.
9: In which musical did Delores Gray co star with Cyd Charisse?
10: Lena Horne was a black singer who was mostly a solo performer in many Hollywood films. She did, however, star in two huge musicals. Can you name them?
11: Who were the three girls starring with Gene Kelly in ‘Les Girls’ and in which European city does the film take place?
12: Who was Marylin’s co-star In ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ ?. This actress had become famous in a previous film directed by Howard Hughs .
13: What was he name of the musical in which Judy Garland sings ‘C’mon Get Happy’?
14: In which film did Doris Day play Singer ‘Ruth Etting’ opposite James Cagney?
15: What role did Debbie Reynolds play in ‘Singin In The Rain’
16: Who danced with Gene Kelly in ‘American In Paris’ Cyd Charisse or Leslie Caron?
The best of Betty Davis to my mind was in the 1930s and 40s when she exuded both glamour and grit simultaneously. It has been said of her that she was an actress on camera but very real when off.
Apparently the opposite was true of Joan Crawford who was real on screen but a total prima donna in every day life. The two absolutely loathed each other.
Miriam Hopkins, on the other hand, was pure theatre at all times and was also a rival in the acting stakes especially to Bette.
Davis and Hopkins would make to films together ‘ The Old Maid’ in the thirties and ‘ Old Aquaintance’ in the forties. Funny that both should have the word ‘old’ in the titles. Both films dealt with enduring friendships, love triangles and betrayals of trust. Brilliant fodder for great drama. Something both actresses relished.
Joan Crawford and Bette Davis made only one film together long after their careers had lost momentum. ‘ Whatever Happened To Baby Jane’ was a horror film in which both excelled playing charicatures of themselves. The electric chemistry between them on screen was largely due to their off screen enmity.
Of the three Joan Crawford was the most glamorous and was the complete movie star with every fibre of her being. Like Davis, Crawford, commanded the screen and did not give up without a fight. Their careers endured for decades. It was, however, Bette who outlasted them all. Even after a stroke which left her paralysed down one side she continued. Such stamina is extremely rare nowadays when a woman’s career is deemed over once she hits 40. How many female ‘stars’ go on to parody themselves or are prepared to play mothers,aunties or grandmothers?
Not many. Now it’s surgery or mega amounts of botox so that they can go on playing ingenues way into their fifties. It’s not their fault though. It’s the fault of a youth obsessed film industry that is not really interested anymore in portraying the perils of the human condition. So long as there are plenty of action sequences and one dimensional stock characters there is money to be made at the box office. Crawford, Davis and Hopkins could never have played stock characters.
They knew their craft and their portrayals of real women , down trodden, riddled with jealousies, consumed with passions of the heart or with conflicts between mind and soul were mesmerising to audiences of their day and still are to those of us lucky enough to have been exposed to the glories of classic cinema. And like you I wasn’t even born when black and white films were all the rage. Back then it was all class and these three will forever shine.
It was July in the year 1936 and I was on my honeymoon. The world had recovered from the great war and I, ever the one to be different , had fallen in love with a young Turk. His name was Gurel and the meaning of that name would become more significant than life itself. We had met In Australia of all places in a beautiful mountainous region which I shall speak more of as my story progresses. We were spending some time with his family in Istanbul in a small apartment near the bustling suburb of Gostepe. This had been quite an adjustment for me and I had at times felt very lonely. So I did what I had always done. I read everything I could lay my hands on.
Gurel would buy novels for me from an English book stall near the market place and found it difficult to keep up with my never ending requests for new books. Most were historical romances set in far off places like India or Tibet. Lust, intrigue and unrequited love filled my every day moments with splendour. When Gurel arrived home in the late afternoons he found me full of life and ready to share the intricacies of my new found expediencies with him.
My parents arrived from Cumberland two months later and I was terribly excited to see them. An itinerary was arranged by Gurel’s family and I ,along with my parents , was finally going to experience all the famous sites of the city. There was only one site I was interested in. Topkapi Palace home of the Ottoman Empire.
The palace of the sultans, of gleaming domed rooftops,of a secret harem hidden from the world of men. Although aware that the time of sultan rule was long since past and that the harem was no more didn’t faze me one bit and my imagination ran wild. I remember that first glimpse of the palace from the deck of the ferry gliding through the smooth waters of the Bosphoros
Magnificent! A maze of tiled roofs with towers and turrets reaching to the heavens surrounded by flowering gardens and cedar trees.The palace was now a museum and had become so in 1924 after having been left to retired servants following the demise of the Ottoman Empire.The governing powers had saved it from decay and turned it into a mecca for tourists. When we arrived at the gate of the first courtyard inside the palace grounds we joined a long queue of said tourists and waited for what seemed like an eternity for our guide.
A strange little man with an all knowing, all powerful, all encompassing sense of … something … appeared and we began the tour. In that very moment as I gazed beyond the crowds and into the corridors ahead I had a feeling of a life lived within these walls that I had somehow been a part of. I felt myself drifting as if in a daze but then became aware of the touch of my husband’s hand on mine and attuned myself to the hypnotic voice of the strange little man leading us through ….
So who were they? These handsome leading men? Were they lovers or fighters? Well they were a bit of both really. Here are some questions for you. See if you can match these stars with the type of characters they played.
James Cagney
1: He was generally cast as an English gentleman. Handsome,debonaire and charming at all times. He even made a some westerns and quite a few war films in the 1940s. Oh and he was actually born in Australia. A real adventure hero and swashbuckler. Dark hair and twinkling eyes with athletic physique.
2: He was public enemy number one. The most feared film gangster of the 1930s. A real tough guy and one that no-one wanted to mess with. Even though he was short in stature he could pack quite a punch. He was also a brilliant dancer and made a couple of musicals.
David Manners
3: Equally talented in both drama and comedy this star was suave and sophisticated to boot. He was impeccably dressed at all times and could make women swoon just by smiling at them. A smooth operator with class. Probably one of his classiest roles was as a thief stealing from the upper classes of Monaco. His co star in this film was Grace Kelly.
Tyrone Power
4: This leading man was the king of the silver screen and was adored by both male and female movie fans. On the screen he was the essence of masculinity. He was the rough on the edges but had an endearing little boy quality which made women want to mother him. Still he was also the strong and dependable type. Every woman’s hero.
5: He made a series of detective movies, ‘The Thin Man’ , which were incredibly popular. His character, a detective who was friend to criminals and law enforcers alike, was aided by a beautiful wife and a very smart little dog. Quite a charmer with a quick sense of humour and the fine tastes of a well groomed gentleman.
Errol FlynnCary GrantJames ( Jimmy ) Stewart
6: Originally from Canada leading man virtually started at the top as soon as he reached Hollywood. His most famous role was alongside Bela Lugosi in ‘Dracula’. However he became bored with Hollywood and quit whilst still in his prime.
Allen Ladd
7: Very well known for gritty roles in the Film noir genre and was even the lead in an earlier version of ‘The Great Gatsby’. His most famous role,however, was in a western.
Clark Gable
8: Dark, handsome and brooding this star was one of the most romantic of leading men. Usually cast in films based on classic novels. He looked incredible in period costumes. He was famous also for roles which required much soul searching.
Robert Powell
9: This good looking all rounder with a bright personality and positive outlook was everyone’s best friend and confidante. He was equally adept at serious roles as the loyal knight in shining armour or even as a reformed gangster trying to straighten out the bad guys.
!0: Probably the deepest of them all this leading man was more of the anti hero. If anything he was often representative of everyman in everyman situations. Quietly working out a clever strategy for getting things sorted. Whether playing the family man protecting the home or a businessman trying to outsmart the competition this was someone audiences could relate to.
11: Another very famous gangster. Also regarded as one of the worlds finest actors. His film noir’s are classics as is the persona he created. He made four of them with his wife who was one of the greatest femme fatales in Hollywood.
Garry Cooper
12: Often played characters overwhelmed with the dilemmas of every day life. Always a loveable character with a boyish charm and high moral standards. The good guy who takes a stand to protect those less fortunate. Famous too for his very distinctive voice and a sort of stammer when in the middle of a very emotive scene.
1: In ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ what was the name of the character played by Marilyn Monroe?
Bourgeoise Bloomers 