MARKino1 in the dark: film studies

I'll start a little film thread, and see how it goes.


The first one is pretty easy. With the summary of the plot, I'm practically giving it away, but some might have fun with it.

A 1947 noir (the notoriously rigorous Leslie Halliwell gives it four stars, and I completely agree). It's a murder mystery with anti-Semitism as the motive (just gave it away completely, but . . . ), and I want to know:

1. The title

2. The THREE bankable stars, all with the same first name

3. The director

4. The director's wife, who plays a small role written especially for her

5. Tha ACTUAL convicted murderer (in real life, second-degree, did time) who plays a small role

This is too easy, but have fun with it anyway.

Orson Welles was (perhaps apocryphally) quoted as saying, "It's the best electric-train set a boy could ever want.".

What was it?

MARKino1 wrote:

I believe he was talking about a "film studio".

Oh that crazy Orson!!

Not sure if they are right, but I'll give it a shot...

1 - Crossfire

2 - Robert Young, Ryan & Mitchum

3 - Edward Dmytryk

4 - Madeline Robinson?

5 - Paul Kelly


Pretty good opening movie brain teaser in your thread MARKino1...keep up the good work!

urbs wrote:

URBS!! YOU ARE THE SHIT!!! The only one that my dear friend urbs missed was the name of Edward Dmytryk's wife: Gloria Grahame.
Well done, urbs!! I like the cut of your cinephilic jib! Oh, and, . . . I'm STILL Rick James, bitch.

urbs wrote:

Of course this is correct. Well done, urbs!

MARKino1 wrote:

Ahhh...thought it was his first wife...I guess a A- isn't bad!

OK, I have to work today, so a quick one from the hip:

"Out of The Past", one of my favorite films, directed by the great Jacques Tourneur. Question: which actor(s) in this film:

a. Later worked with Stanley Kubrick (easy).

b. Earlier worked with Gary Cooper (harder).

MARKino1 wrote:

Kirk Douglas worked later with Kubrick of course, for a portion of "Spartacus"... But I can't think of another film he made with Copper, let alone an earlier one.

Great quiz format!

bobrysl wrote:

First, thanks for the compliment, bob. Douglas is correct for the first one, even though I had "Paths of Glory" in mind. I am thinking of ANOTHER actor in "Out of The Past" that worked with Cooper (two actor(s) in total.

MARKino1 wrote:
Paths of Glory. Snob!
I must fold - and grudgingly admit that I haven't seen Out of the Past.

Not to keep you from answering and giving the next stumper, but here's one for you: In what movie did Deborah Kerr marry a young man in act one, marry a middle-aged man in act two, die twice, and spent act three driving both widowers around London?

bobrysl wrote:

Well, you're an honorable man. "Out of The Past" is well worth your time. The answer to MY question is Dickie Moore: in the above cited movie, he plays Mitchum's deaf-mute pardner, "The Kid". In 1941, he played Cooper's younger brother in "Sergeant York". Of course, previous to that, he was in the "Our Gang" shorts.
The answer to YOUR question is "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp".

MARKino1 wrote:
Dickie Moore. Of course! It was on the tip of my tounge.
You're sure you're talking about a real film, and not some late-70's gay porn?
At the least, that Hayes code is still in effect, censoring his work even today.
Dickie Moore?

Thanks for the reminder to bump it up - Out of the Past has been on my need-to-see list for a long time.

Damn you for your wild, stab-in-the-dark, lucky guess. Keeping to a theme, can you name the John Wayne flick that featured Alfalfa? Just to show my good faith, you can rule out the mess of the pre-Stagecoach era.

bobrysl wrote:

Actually, that gay porn with "Dickie Moore" turned out to be a hoax.

I never guess.

As to Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, you may have stumped me. Unless you mean his small role in "The High and the Mighty"?
Good faith duly noted, my friend!

MARKino1 wrote:
Good to know. How long did you spend trying to track it down?

knowitallasswipe wrote:
Hmm. I was thinking Island in the Sky, but IMDB says you're right too.