Ultimate Movie Trivia

[flashback42]

Thanks, Miles.

The Will Geer part of your question brings up a situation seen now and then, in wherein a Great Western Historical Name has a walkon in somebody elses story. ("That redheaded fellow just went past. -- Name's Sam Clemens. Writes funny stuff for the papers. Uses the name Mark Twain.) It made me think of one specific instance.

 

I'm not asking for the actor to be named. -- He had a long career, and seems to have worked steadily, but with a lot of his appearances "uncredited." The example I have in mind is one of those. Naming the movie, and the star, will do, -- but there are some well-known names in the cast.

 

Supposedly it's a biopic, but History mostly loses to Hollywood in this script. The notorious outlaw is in a town where he's not welcome. The uncredited support actor, "Marshal Wild Bill Hickcock" gives him an hour to get out of town. Next scene, the Star/Outlaw is in a saloon playing cards, and a shot rings out. "Marshal Hickcock" is back, and he has shot the pendulum off the grandfather clock against the wall. He tells the outlaw that now he has one minute left to get out. Now the outlaw departs.

 

As mentioned, the actor's name can be found, but he is not in the movie's credits. Name the Movie, the star and the historical outlaw at the center of this story. Okay to name the walkon actor also.

[MilesArcher]

Could it be "The Lawless Breed" in which Rock Hudson plays legendary outlaw John Wesley Hardin? The part of Wild Bill Hickock is played by an actor named Robert Anderson. He also had a small part in "Winchester '73".

[flashback42]

Spot on, Miles, at less than 80 Views.

 

I'm not sure how to trace it down for confirmation, but I believe it was James Agee who wrote some comments about "name dropping" in scripts -- referring to actual names and events as sidebars to the stories. Example: "I ran into George Custer out at the Fort this morning. He says he's planning a reconnaissance in force up into Little Big Horn country." It does help add flavor to a story, and maybe helps pad a script.

 

Thread goes back to Miles.

[MilesArcher]

Rock Hudson also appeared in "Winchester '73". Now, name dropping is going to happen in historical movies, but I would rather see someone playing the historical figure. There have been many actors who have portrayed Abraham Lincoln in films, some of them did it several times. One actor not only played Lincoln a few times, he also played Lincoln's father in a movie, as well as a Lincoln look-alike in another movie. Can you name the actor and the two movies I referred to?

 

Edited by: MilesArcher on Oct 24, 2012 12:46 PM

[lavenderblue19]

Miles, Joseph Mawle ? played Thomas Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's father in *Abraham Lincoln - Vampire Hunter* ? , sorry but I don't know the other film that he played a look alike for Abraham Lincoln. Maybe someone else can answer the other part.

[MilesArcher]

Sorry, lav, wrong guy. My guy was a pretty well known character actor. He once played Gene Autry's father in a movie that also featured former silent screen actress Betty Bronson, of Peter Pan fame. That fact ought to get some some research started!

[vickisilverwolf]

 

I would have been utterly baffled without the hints and some research.

 

Sounds like we're talking about Charles Middleton.

 

Abraham Lincoln in *The Phantom President* (and some short subjects, apparently)

 

Tom Lincoln in *Abe Lincoln in Illinois*

 

 

Abraham Lincoln look-alike in *Strange Faces (and "actor dressed as Abraham Lincoln" in Stand-In)*

 

*(Best known to me as Ming the Merciless, whose evil influence is no doubt responsible for the fact that I can't turn off Bold and Italics!)*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MilesArcher]

You got it, Silverwolf. He played Gene Autry's father in "Yodeling Kid From Pine Ridge". He also played the sheriff in the 1936 version of "Show Boat". He had to tell Julie and Steve to leave the boat and get out of town. Your turn now.

[vickisilverwolf]

Thank you very much!

 

For something completely different . . .

 

I'm thinking of a very famous writer, who passed away this year. His work was often adapted for TV and movies. As a screenwriter, he may be best known for co-writing an adaptation of a literary classic by another author. Can you name the author and the movie?

[mudskipper]

Are we talking about the provocative Gore Vidal ?...Mr. Vidal’s reputation as a script doctor was such that in 1956 MGM hired him as a contract writer; among other projects he helped rewrite the screenplay of “Ben-Hur,” though he was denied an official credit. He also wrote the screenplay for the movie adaptation of his friend Tennessee Williams’s play “Suddenly, Last Summer"...

[vickisilverwolf]

 

This answer is so good that I must accept it, although I was actually thinking of Ray Bradbury (who co-wrote the screenplay for *Moby Dick*.)

 

 

 

 

 

Your turn!

 

 

[vickisilverwolf]

Just bumping this up to keep it on the first page

[mudskipper]

This actor/director's first wife was a grand niece of Leo Tolstoy...His next three wives were also actresses...Name the actor.

[lavenderblue19]

John Derek ? Pati Behrs, Ursula Andress, Linda Evans and Bo Derek were his wives.

[mudskipper]

John Derek it is...Your thread, Lavender.

[lavenderblue19]

 

Thanks.

 

Included in the cast of this film was the director's wife, mother, father and brother. Also included was a real life husband and wife, the son of a film legend and the daughter of a well known actress. Name the Film and for extra credit complete the question by naming names.

 

 

[DownGoesFrazier]

Name names like Elia Kazan did?

[lavenderblue19]

 

That was a sneaky way to try to get another clue. Yes, I expect you to be a stooly and name names! lol

 

 

[DownGoesFrazier]

Wild guess----Scorsese's GOODFELLAS? It's got to be Scorsese.

[lavenderblue19]

finance, I think you've read something into my clues that wasn't there. It's not Goodfellas or Scorcese.

 

clue- One of the leads appeared in 4 movies with the father of one of the actors in the cast.

[lavenderblue19]

1980's film

[FanofCary]

 

I think that it is Cocoon directed by Ron Howard. It has all the Howard family members in it. It seems like his brother Clint is in all of Ron's movies. The husband and wife team are the great Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn. Tyronne Power, Jr. is in the movie and his father was in lots of movies with Don Ameche (who won the Oscar in that role). Rachel Welch's daughter, Taynee, is in the movie also.

 

 

This was tough! But this was a great movie.

 

 

[lavenderblue19]

Excellent and Thank You Fan ofCary for answering. Good work. Tyrone Power and Don Ameche appeared in 4 films together.I think it's a teriffic film. I think you'd have to be quite a stuck up fuss budget not to kick out of this charming film.Fun to see Tyrone Power Jr and Taynee Welch, both gorgeous. Besides wonderful Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn and Don Ameche the other Great cast members included Gwen Verdon, Brian Dennehy, Maureen Stapleton, Jack Gifford and Steve Guttenberg. Your thread FanofCary.

[FanofCary]

 

I'm going leave the thread open for someone else. With my schedule, I'm going to be away from the computer for a few days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Edythevanhopper]

 

This Hollywood figure put his spin on many of our favorite movies. His contribution to an hour TV series from the '60s captured the "profile" it needed. Can you establish a connection between Citizen Kane, Psycho and Taxi Driver?