A Movie Scene Quiz

Sadly, I'm also at work today. Our next company holiday isn't until Memorial Day. We had several inches of snow overnight, and I got so angry this morning when I turned on the TV and listened to the weathermen saying, "Fortunately, today is a holiday so nobody has to commute to work in the snow."

Raggedy, do you have a question in the new format ready so we can see how it works?

Did what, Bree?

Oh, I see. Yes you did Bree. (lol)

Sorry you were born in August. I had some good numbers for April and October people.

Now we have to learn how to "quote" after we've already started to reply and realized that there was something we'd like to quote from an earlier reply.

(Mac said: Sadly, PotO will probably not be on my list anytime soon. But then you knew that!)

Yes, I knew that, but if not soon, maybe later. You might be surprised.

Be back with a question.

Oh, Bree keep that snow. Just rain here today and I'd like it to stay that way.

OK. This is just an experiment. In this paragraph, there are four clues for four different movies an actor was in. (It won't tell a story after you've guessed the movies.)

He was not only an accomplished pilot, he was, believe it or not, a skilled actor. He was terribly disappointed that he didn't walk home with "Oscar "after all the gruelling hours he spent shooting scenes in the freezing climate at Everest.

I can see three Jude Law movies in that paragraph, but I can't find the fourth one. The ones I have are:

The Aviator ("an accomplished pilot")
The Talented Mr. Ripley ("believe it or not")
Cold Mountain ("the freezing climate at Everest")

Yes to all. Now you just need "Oscar".

Wilde

That was like trying to find the last "Nina" in a Hirschfeld drawing -- sometimes it's the most obvious ones that are hardest to find!

I'll try to come up with a new question shortly. In the meantime, I thought I'd report on the results of the Laurence Olivier Awards, since we discussed them when the nominations were announced. I was very pleased that The History Boys won for best new play, and disappointed that Journey's End didn't win for best revival (the winner in that category was an Old Vic production of Hamlet). As was the case with the Tonys a couple of years ago, The Producers pretty much swept the awards for musicals, which was bad news for The Woman in White. For a full list of the nominees and winners, see:

2005 Laurence Olivier Awards

Aaah. That was too easy for you, Bree.

Thanks for posting the Olivier Awards. I'm glad your choice, The History Boys, won and, of course, that for your sake, The Woman in White, didn't.

When I was copying some TV specials to DVD, I saw an interview (recorded several years ago) with ALW in which he stated he was seriously considering writing a musical about Quiz Shows. That got a raised eyebrow and then a chuckle out of both the interviewer and me. Now, I'm thinking, after what you and other critics have said about Woman in White, that it might not have been such a bad idea. :wink:

New question:

When he was given a chance to direct a Shakespearean comedy, he came up with a very avant-garde production, complete with musical numbers interpolated into the scenes. First, Peaseblossom sang a patriotic air, then Mustardseed played some Scott Joplin tunes on the piano, and finally Cobweb led the orchestra in a Strauss waltz, as the audience counted along in time (dum-dum-dum, dum-dum-dum).

Your story is - what can I say - mesmerizing?

How many hidden movies, please?

Oh, sorry, I forgot to say it's four movies.

James Cagney

Midsummer Nights Dream - Shakespeare and characters
Yankee Doodle Dandy - Patriotic Song
Ragtime - Scott Joplin tunes
One, Two, Three - dum-dum-dum

I would have added "Strawberry Blonde" (Casey would waltz with the Strawberry Blonde and the band played on), but since you said Strauss waltz, I changed my mind.

You're exactly right. I completely forgot about "Strawberry Blonde" when I was trying to come up with a clue for "One, Two, Three". I wish I had thought of it -- it would have been perfect!

Oh no. I liked dum-dum-dum.

Five movie clues:

There was once a call girl who provided her clients with a print-out of when she could, and could not, be available. It very clearly stated that she was never to be contacted at her daytime job, and was never to be disturbed when she was visiting the big city on the day of rest. But, during the middle of the week she was almost always accessible -- provided it was not a steamy day and the heat had subsided.

Jane Fonda

Klute ("a call girl") (I assure you, I was using the nickname "Bree" -- the name of Fonda's call girl character in Klute -- long before the movie came out in 1971. The name was a childhood nickname given to me by my sister, so it probably pre-dates the movie by about 20 years.)

Nine to Five ("her daytime job")

Sunday in New York ("the big city on the day of rest")

Any Wednesday ("during the middle of the week")

The Cool of the Day ("the heat had subsided")

Oh Bree, you don't have to explain. Honestly. I believe you.

Yes to Jane and all her movies.

I have to pass my turn, because I'll be out this evening (hearing Renee Fleming in recital at Carnegie Hall), and the next two days will be very busy at work. Things should ease up a bit by Thursday, and I'm sure I won't be able to avoid dropping in here from time to time before then, but I won't be able to stay for long.

Oh you lucky lady. You'll have to stop in to tell us about the concert. Have a wonderful time. Wish I were there.

I always wondered about your screen name, bree. Thanks for the explanation!

In haste (I have a training class in a few minutes), I just wanted to report on Renee Fleming's recital last night. I'm sure it will come as a surprise to no one when I say she sang beautifully. (And looked beautiful -- you know you're in the presence of a diva when the program includes a credit that says, "Ms. Fleming's gown is by Oscar de la Renta"!)

The programming was interesting: in the first half, she sang Purcell and Handel songs, accompanied by a small ensemble of baroque instruments (four string players, harpsichord, and lute). The second half consisted of Berg and Schumann songs, in which she was accompanied by a modern piano (beautifully played by Hartmut Holl).

If you're interested in seeing a list of everything she sang (including the encores, which Carnegie Hall, bless them, adds to their website the day after a concert), it's at:

Renee Fleming's Carnegie Hall recital program

I'd have loved to hear that concert, bree. It just sounds great! And it is truly wonderful that you can find the encores on the website! I'm always trying to figure those out, and since they are never in the program...

Did you all get to see the HBO version of Lackawanna Blues? I knew I'd loved it when I saw it here 4 years ago, but I couldn't remember much (the story yes, the cast no) and then I realized why--the entire production was storytelling by the author Ruben Santiago-Hudson onstage with a blues guitarist. I loved that version, but I have to say the star studded cast of the film by George C. Wolf is fabulous. And my can those singers act!? Macy Gray and Mos Def (tiny role as a band singer) are great, S. Epatha Merkerson is extraordinary! And Jeffrey Wright, Jimmy Smits and the small roles with Delroy Lindo, Louis Gossett and Rosie Perez it was just awesome. OK, not actually a musical, but filled with music!