This trivia question is about three actors, Claudette Colbert (pictured here with Clark Gable in 1934's Best Picture It Happened One Night), Thomas Mitchell (pictured with Vivian Leigh in 1939's Best Picture Gone With The Wind), and John C. Reilly (pictured in 2002's Best Picture Chicago).
Quick tidbit about It Happened One Night: Fritz Freleng based a characteristic of his new cartoon character on something Clark Gable did in this film...eating carrots and talking fast. The new cartoon character? Bugs Bunny.
Quick tidbit about Gone With The Wind: Hattie McDaniel would have been prevented from attending the film's Atlanta premiere because of Georgia's racial segregation laws. So as not to put David O. Selznick in the awkward position of having to fight for her right to attend, she wrote to him, saying that she would be "unavailable". She went on to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
Quick tidbit about Chicago: The director wanted Catherine Zeta-Jones to wear her natural long hair in the movie, but she insisted on the short bob. She explained to People magazine that she didn't want her hair to fall over her face and give people a reason to doubt that she did all the dancing herself.
Oh, wait, the trivia question...yeah okay.
Question: What can Claudette Colbert, Thomas Mitchell, and John C. Reilly claim that nobody else can? (Hint: the answer is based partly on the fact that they are in the best pictures mentioned above, BUT there is more to it then just that.)
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Welcome, Foolish Mortals!
14 years ago
7 comments:
I figured that ya'll might need a little bit of time on this one so I posted it a bit early.
I know the answer but only because I had to research all three of them. So...I'll give others a chance to answer since I cheated.
Legitimate research is not cheating. Getting a seven hour head start?......Maybe.
Boots Tex
For the record, Kim emailed me the answer and she was right, so if you want to try an answer, better try it before she answers it tonight.
Also note: I agree with Boots Tex, I don't expect people to know this stuff off the top of their heads, honest research is okay, and actually preferred because you are learning things about a subject I love and it brings us closer together.
I did some honest research and found out my guess was wrong. The answer is pretty amazing!
Will, I love your reply to the research issue. I was feeling guilty about looking anything up and now I have the go ahead and can beat all of you (hahaha, evil laughter)....because I have a seven hour head start (hehehehe, more evil laughter)
OK, so here's what I emailed Will.
They were all in two other films that were nominated for Best Picture in the same years that the movies you have them pictured in were nominated for Best Picture.
Claudette Colbert starred in It Happened One Night, Cleopatra, and Imitation of Life which were all nominated in the Best Picture category in 1935.
Thomas Mitchell starred in Gone With the Wind, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington which were all nominated in the Best Picture category in 1940.
John C. Reilly starred in Chicago, Gangs of New York, and The Hours which were all nominated in the Best Picture category in 2002.
I looked up Reilly’s biography first on imdp.com and just read through all the trivia. I saw where it mentioned he was in three of the five movies nominated the year he starred in Chicago. So, I went with that when I looked up Mitchell and Colbert. I hope that’s it.
Except Will told me I got one movie wrong for Thomas Mitchell. It wasn't The Hunchback of Notre Dame, but Stagecoach that was nominated for Best Picture. Well, I try.
Good job Kim! Each actor was indeed in three of the Best Picture nominated films of thier respective years.
I think John C. Reilly's acomplishment was pretty amazing considering that only five movie were nominated.
In 1934, 12 movies were nominated, and in 1939, 10 were nominated.
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