Quizzes

Quiz: How much do you know about John Williams?

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 00:16:00 -0600

Film composer John Williams recently turned 93, and YourClassical celebrated by creating the Ultimate John Williams Playlist. Listen to his music in an alternate tab while you take this quiz to find out how much you know about this living legend.

Quiz: How much do you know about Christmas carols?

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 09:27:29 -0600

How much do you know about Christmas carols? Test your knowledge of the songs in our quiz. Then rank them and others in the YourClassical Christmas Favorites poll by Nov. 22!

Which holiday song originally had the subtitle "Merry Christmas to You"?

White Christmas
The Christmas Song
O Christmas Tree
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentleman

In which language was "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" originally written?

Latin
Italian
French
German

In which year was "O Magnum Mysterium" composed?

1944
1982
1956
1994

Which carol's music originally comes from a 16th-century dance?

"Deck the Halls"
"Ding Dong Merrily on High"
"Good King Wenceslas"
"Hark! The Harold Angels Sing"

Which of the following carols does not get its music from a folk song?

"Still Still Still"
"What Child Is This?"
"In the Bleak Midwinter"
"Carol of the Bells"

Which composer's adapted music is featured in "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"?

Franz Josef Haydn
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
J. S. Bach
Felix Mendelssohn

Which carol was traditionally performed as part of a mystery play?

"Coventry Carol"
"The Holly and the Ivy"
"O Holy Night"
"I'll Be Home for Christmas"

Which carol's melody comes from a folk song from Salzburg?

"Still, Still, Still"
"O Christmas Tree"
"Silent Night"
"Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming"

Which carol uses a melody from the 13th century?

"Good King Wenceslas"
"The Holly and the Ivy"
"O Come, All Ye Faithful"
"Joy to the World"

Which carol's melody comes from a Ukrainian folk chant?

"What Child is This?"
"Silent Night"
"Carol of the Bells"
"O Holy Night"

Saturday Cinema Quiz: Famous Film Lines

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 00:16:00 -0500

Saturday Cinema host Lynne Warfel has compiled this quiz to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the show. How well do you know famous film lines? See if you can match wits with Lynne! Take the quiz below.

"Round up the usual suspects."

'Godfather'
'The Untouchables'
'Some Like It Hot'
'Casablanca'

"Hello, gorgeous!"

'The Devil Wears Prada'
'American Beauty'
'Funny Girl'
'Bride of Frankenstein'

"Well, nobody's perfect."

'Dirty Dancing'
'When Harry Met Sally'
'Amadeus'
'Some Like It Hot'

"Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death."

'La La Land'
'Auntie Mame'
'The Wolf of Wall Street'
'Jaws'

"My precious."

'Father of the Bride'
'Rosemary's Baby'
'Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'
'Turner and Hooch'

"I'm king of the world!"

'Monty Python and the Holy Grail'
'Rocky'
'The Queen'
'Titanic'

"What family doesn't have its ups and downs?"

'Lion in Winter'
'Meet Me in St. Louis'
'The Godfather'
'Little Women'

"Surely you can't be serious."

'Field of Dreams'
'Dog Day Afternoon'
'Airplane!'
'The Dark Knight'

"I have always depended on the kindness of strangers."

'Streetcar Named Desire'
'Gone with the Wind'
'Rebecca'
'Jane Eyre'

"Plastics."

'2001: A Space Odyssey'
'The Graduate'
'Star Trek III: The Search for Spock'
'Bells Are Ringing'

Saturday Cinema Quiz: Film Noir

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 00:16:00 -0500

Saturday Cinema host Lynne Warfel has compiled this quiz to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the show. How well do you know film noir? See if you can match wits with Lynne! Take the quiz below.

In what noir classic does Fred MacMurray wear his real-life wedding ring even though his character is single?

'The Caine Mutiny'
'Charley and the Angel'
'Double Indemnity'
'True Confession'

Who wrote the score for the 1944 film Double Indemnity?

Max Steiner
Victor Young
Nino Rota
Miklos Rósza

In which film does the female lead refer to actor Philip Marlowe by his first name?

'Murder, My Sweet'
'Lady in the Lake'
'The Big Sleep'
'Farewell, My Lovely'

What was the first film noir to be directed by a woman?

'Street Corner'
'The Passionate Stranger'
'The Bigamist'
'The Hitch-Hiker'

In which film noir does a detective fall in love with the murder victim?

'The Woman in the Window'
'Touch of Evil'
'Laura'
'In a Lonely Place'

In which noir film does a pulp novelist travel to Vienna?

'The Third Man'
'The Bird With the Crystal Plumage'
'Black Hand'
'The Medium'

What noir film stars Marilyn Monroe?

'River of No Return'
'The Asphalt Jungle'
'Niagara'
'Bus Stop'

What prominent figure had a cameo in the highly successful film noir Notorious?

Alfred Hitchcock
Preston Sturges
Orson Welles
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Who directed The Maltese Falcon?

Billy Wilder
Michael Curtiz
John Huston
Orson Welles

Who composed a searing noir score that includes an organ for the film Vertigo?

Alfred Newman
Bernard Herrmann
Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Hugo Friedhofer

Saturday Cinema Quiz: Dress Right

Thu, 08 Aug 2024 14:16:00 -0500

Saturday Cinema host Lynne Warfel has compiled this quiz to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the show. How well do you know the magic behind costumes, props and wardrobes? See if you can match wits with Lynne! Take the quiz below.

Which wardrobe designer has won the most Oscars?

Patricia Norris
Edith Head
Vittorio Nino Novarese
Rosine Delamare

What was the most expensive piece of wardrobe ever to be auctioned?

Judy Garland's gingham dress from 'The Wizard of Oz'
Marilyn Monroe's pleated dress from 'The Seven Year Itch'
Audrey Hepburn's black and white Ascot dress from 'My Fair Lady'
Audrey Hepburn’s black dress from 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'

Who designed Audrey Hepburn's classic "little black dress" from Breakfast at Tiffany's?

Louis-François Cartier
Anne Klein
Cristóbal Balenciaga
Hubert de Givenchy

What was the most expensive single costume ever designed?

Steve McQueen's racing suit from 'Le Mans'
Bert Lahr's Cowardly Lion costume from 'The Wizard of Oz'
Edith Head's dress from 'Lady in the Dark'
Darth Vader's helmet from 'Star Wars'

What was the most expensive film accessory sold at auction?

Dorothy’s ruby slippers from 'The Wizard of Oz'
Indiana Jones' fedora from 'The Temple of Doom'
Sean Connery's watch from 'Dr. No'
Paul Newman's watch from 'Winning'

What film has used the most costumes?

'Quo Vadis'
'Evita'
'Black Panther'
'The Costume Designer'

What was the heaviest film dress on record?

Adèle Haenel's dress in 'Portrait of a Lady on Fire'
Cate Blanchett's dress in 'Elizabeth: The Golden Age'
Norma Shearer's dress in 'Marie Antoinette'
Elizabeth Taylor's dress in 'Cleopatra'

What designer was the first African American woman to win Oscars?

Mia Neal for ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’
Irene Cara for 'Flashdance'
Ruth E. Carter for 'Black Panther'
Ariana DeBose for ‘West Side Story’

Which handheld prop was the most expensive ever sold at auction?

The Maltese falcon statue from 'The Maltese Falcon'
Luke Skywalker's lightsaber from 'Star Wars'
Aragorn's sword from 'The Lord of the Rings'
Wilson from 'Cast Away'

What famous film actress had the largest collection of Hollywood costumes?

Glenn Close
Debbie Reynolds
Ginger Rogers
Angelina Jolie

Saturday Cinema Quiz: Movie Critters

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 14:16:00 -0500

Saturday Cinema host Lynne Warfel has compiled this quiz to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the show. How well do you know the many critters of the movies? See if you can match wits with Lynne! Take the quiz below.

What furry film star was a veteran of World War I?

Scraps
Buck
Lassie
Rin Tin Tin

What was Rin Tin Tin's first movie?

'Where the North Begins'
'Tracked by the Police'
'Man From Hell's River'
'The Adventures of Rex and Rinty'

In the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, what breed was Toto?

Yorkipoo
Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka
Cairn terrier
Scottish terrier

How much was Toto's salary for The Wizard of Oz?

$100 per week
$1,000 per week
$125 per week
$50 per week

How many films did Terry (aka Toto) appear in?

What dog started a franchise of films, radio shows and TV series associated with an MGM film?

Pal, the rough collie
Soccer, the Jack Russell terrier
Chris, the St. Bernard
Buddy, the golden retriever

What was the breed of the gray horses that Charlton Heston drove in the chariot race scene in Ben-Hur (1959)?

Thoroughbred
American quarter horse
Lipizzan
Arabian

What breed was the title character in The Black Stallion?

Arabian
Friesian
Kabardian
Menorquín

Which Hollywood animal star is buried in the Cimetière des Chiens in Paris?

Beethoven, the St. Bernard
Trigger, the palomino
Rin Tin Tin, the German shepherd
Binx, the black cat

Has an animal ever been nominated for an Oscar?

Not yet, but it's technically allowed.
No, it is not allowed.
Yes, multiple times!
Yes, select animals have been nominated in supporting roles.

Saturday Cinema Quiz: 1940s Movies and Music

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 14:16:00 -0500

Saturday Cinema host Lynne Warfel has compiled this quiz to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the show. How well do you know 1940s movies and their music? See if you can match wits with Lynne! Take the quiz below.

What was Max Steiner's favorite film score that he composed?

'Casablanca'
'King Kong'
'Little Women'
'Now, Voyager'

Which composer was nominated for three Oscars in 1946?

Alexandre Tansman
Louis Applebaum
Miklós Rózsa
Max Steiner

Name two of the three film scores that Miklós Rózsa was nominated for in the 1946 Academy Awards.

'The Lost Weekend'
'A Song to Remember'
'Spellbound'
'Paris Underground'

What unusual instrument did Miklós Rózsa use in the film Spellbound?

Hurdy-gurdy
Glass harmonica
Theremin
Hydraulophone

In 1940, Charlie Chaplin produced, directed, starred in and wrote music for The Great Dictator, but he had a collaborator on the music. Who was it?

Bernard Herrmann
Alfred Newman
Meredith Willson
Barbara Strozzi

In 1942, there were nearly 20 nominees for best score of a dramatic picture. Which won?

'How Green Was My Valley,' by Alfred Newman
'Sergeant York,' by Max Steiner
'Citizen Kane,' by Bernard Herrmann
'All That Money Can Buy,' by Bernard Herrmann

For what film did nonprofessional Harold Russell win a best supporting actor Oscar?

'The Best Years of Our Lives'
'The Jolson Story'
'Notorious'
'The Razor's Edge'

Which two animated films won Oscars for music in the 1940s?

'Fantasia'
'Pinocchio'
'The Three Caballeros'
'Dumbo'

Which film of the 1940s won both original score and best picture at the Academy Awards?

'The Best Years of Our Lives'
'Going My Way'
'Gentleman's Agreement'
'The Lost Weekend'

What 1944 film won Oscars for best picture, best director, best actor and best supporting actor?

'Double Indemnity'
'Going My Way'
'Since You Went Away'
'Gaslight'

Saturday Cinema Quiz: Viva Italia!

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 14:16:00 -0500

‘Saturday Cinema’ host Lynne Warfel has compiled this quiz to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the show. How well do you know Italian cinema? See if you can match wits with Lynne! Take the quiz below.

What film composer counted Jerry Goldsmith, Andre Previn, John Williams and Henry Mancini as his pupils?

Nino Rota
Ottorino Respighi
Federico Fellini
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco

What composer was disqualified after being nominated for an Oscar in 1972?

John Barry
Isaac Hayes
Nino Rota
Jerry Fielding

Composer Nino Rota worked with three great Italian film directors. Pick two.

Federico Fellini
Franco Zeffirelli
Luchino Visconti
Paolo Sorrentino

Which composer was the oldest Oscar winner at the time when he won in 2016? (Hint: It was his only competitive Oscar win.)

Carter Burwell
John Williams
Ennio Morricone
Thomas Newman

According to a Variety poll taken of the 40 top contemporary film composers, which film score did they vote as the greatest?

'Psycho'
'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'
'The Mission'
'Chinatown'

Which score by Ennio Morricone is in the Grammy Hall of Fame?

'John Carpenter's The Thing'
'The Untouchables'
'The Hateful Eight'
'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'

What son of a famous Italian film director had success as a film composer?

Manuel De Sica, son of Vittorio De Sica
Renzo Rossellini, son of Roberto Rossellini
Andrea Leone, son of Sergio Leone
Lamberto Bava, son of Mario Bava

Who was Ennio Morricone's co-composer on Giuseppe Tornatore's Cinema Paradiso?

Nino Rota
Franco Donatoni
Andrea Morricone
Goffredo Petrassi

What theme by Ennio Morricone has been recorded by many classical artists, had two sets of lyrics set to it and was renamed "Nella Fantasia" and "Whispers in a Dream"?

'Gabriel's Oboe'
'Farewell Love Scene'
'Cinema Paradiso'
'Marcia Without Hope'

What is perhaps Ennio Morricone's most beloved score?

'Django Unchained'
'The Hateful Eight'
'Cinema Paradiso'
'Come What May'

Saturday Cinema Quiz: Sci-Fi Movies

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 14:16:00 -0500

‘Saturday Cinema’ host Lynne Warfel has compiled this quiz to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the show. How well do you know sci-fi movies? See if you can match wits with Lynne! Take the quiz below.

In The Twilight Zone film and TV series, which composer did not contribute music?

Bernard Herrmann
John Williams
Jerry Goldsmith
Franz Waxman

Who played Gort in the 1951 film The Day the Earth Stood Still?

James Arness
Michael Rennie
Lock Martin
John Wayne

In the 1953 War of the Worlds in which state does the meteorite land?

New York
Oklahoma
Texas
California

In the 1953 film War of the Worlds, at which university does Dr. Forrester work?

Barnett College
Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI)
Pacific Technical Institute
South Harmon Institute of Technology

In Star Wars, how many forms of communication can C-3PO speak?

Over 50
Over 20,000
Over 6 million
Over 1 billion

What line is spoken in every Star Wars film in some variation by a character? (Hint: It was originally said by Han Solo.)

"Yes, your highness?"
"This mission is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it."
"The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long."
"I have a bad feeling about this."

According to George Lucas, what breed of dog was the inspiration for Chewbacca?

Alaskan Malamute
Tibetan Mastiff
Chow Chow
Great Pyrenees

Who played Khan in both the Star Trek TV episode Space Seed and the earlier films?

Hugh Beaumont
Desi Arnaz
Ricardo Montalban
DeForest Kelley

In the film Alien, from whom did director Ridley Scott borrow the blue lasers for the alien ship's egg chamber?

Blondie
Boney M.
The Who
Pink Floyd

In 2001: A Space Odyssey, who played the voice of HAL?

James Earl Jones
Morgan Freeman
Douglas Rain
John Cassavetes

Saturday Cinema Quiz: 1930s Movies and Music

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 14:16:52 -0500

Saturday Cinema host Lynne Warfel has compiled this quiz to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the show. How well do you know 1930s movies and their music? See if you can match wits with Lynne! Take the quiz below.

What is considered by many to be the groundbreaking film score that used a full symphonic orchestra to play music not heard by the characters onscreen (non-diegetic)?

'King Kong'
'All Quiet on the Western Front'
'Frankenstein'
'Gone With the Wind'

What 1939 movie had a 1969 remake as a musical that starred Peter O'Toole?

'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'
'Gone With the Wind'
'Goodbye, Mr. Chips'
'The Wizard of Oz'

Which film was the first to win an Oscar for best original score?

'Cleopatra'
'One Night of Love'
'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'
'It Happened One Night'

Who wrote the music for Shall We Dance, one of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers' biggest film hits?

Cole Porter
Irving Berlin
George Gershwin
Charles Previn

What was legendary composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold's first film score upon arriving in Hollywood?

'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
'Captain Blood'
'The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex'
'The Adventures of Robin Hood'

Which film composer was the first to accept an Oscar given directly to him, and what was the film?

Herbert Stothart for 'The Wizard of Oz'
Max Steiner for 'Gone With the Wind'
Dimitri Tiomkin for 'Lost Horizon'
Erich Wolfgang Korngold for 'The Adventures of Robin Hood'

In the 1938 Oscar winner 100 Men and a Girl, what real-life conductor appears in the film?

Leopold Stokowski
Arturo Toscanini
Fritz Reiner
Charles Munch

What song was almost cut from a 1939 film due to studio execs feeling it slowed things down?

'Good Morning,' from 'Babes in Arms'
'It Had to Be You,' from 'The Roaring Twenties'
'It's a Hap-Hap-Happy Day,' from 'Gulliver’s Travels'
'Over the Rainbow,' from 'The Wizard of Oz'

What was the last mostly silent film released by Charlie Chaplin, in 1936?

'The Great Dictator'
'The Gold Rush'
'Modern Times'
'City Lights'

Gone With the Wind was 1939's top-grossing film. Which film came in second?

'The Wizard of Oz'
'Babes in Arms'
'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'
'Goodbye, Mr. Chips'

Quiz: Composers and their pets

Wed, 01 May 2024 16:11:00 -0500

Can you match famous composers and their pets? You might be surprised at the animals that could have inspired your favorite works! Take the quiz below.

What pet did Maurice Ravel have?

A tiny kitten
A St. Bernard
A Siamese cat
Two black cats

What pet did John Philip Sousa have?

Three fluffy dogs
A tabby cat
A calico cat
A schnauzer

What pet did Amy Beach have?

A poodle
Two terriers
A tuxedo cat
Two long-haired cats

What pet did Benjamin Britten have?

A daschund
A Dalmatian
A tabby cat
A white cat

What pet did Leonard Bernstein have?

A German Shepherd
An orange cat
A Doberman
A calico cat

What pet did Charles Wuorinen have?

A tabby cat
A basset hound
A mutt puppy
An orange cat

What pet did Claude Debussy have?

A Persian cat
A terrier and a collie
Three long-haired cats
A sheepdog

What pet did Edvard Grieg have?

A tortoiseshell cat
Two beagles
A black lab
A long-haired tabby cat

What pet did Ethel Smyth have?

A sheepdog
A corgi
A tuxedo cat
Two kittens

What pet did Igor Stravinsky have?

A Doberman
A corgi
Two tabby cats
A black cat

What pet does Jennifer Higdon have?

A calico cat
A chocolate lab
An orange cat
A husky

What pet did John Cage have?

A black cat
A poodle and a beagle
A Maine Coon
A Newfoundland

What pet does Philip Glass have?

A black cat
A sphynx cat
An Afghan hound
A French bulldog

What pet did Richard Wagner have?

Two fluffy dogs
A hound dog
A tortoiseshell cat
Two white cats

What pet did Samuel Barber have?

A black lab
A sheepdog
An orange cat
A tabby cat

What pet did Dmitri Shostakovich have?

A bulldog
A Great Dane
A tabby cat
A calico cat

What pet did Ralph Vaughan Williams have?

A tabby cat
A Siamese cat
A basset hound
A collie

What pet does Wendy Carlos have?

A chihuahua
An Australian Shepherd
An orange cat and a tortoiseshell cat
A Siamese cat