About This Quiz
The 1960s was an exciting time for the world - both the good and the bad - from the space race of the decade, culminating with the moon landing in 1969, to the early stages of the Vietnam War, all under the constant backdrop of the Cold War. This decade was less than two decades after World War II and a couple years removed from the Korean War. TV was stepping away from the "traditional" family of the '50s and to the grittier truth of a new generation of outspoken and peace-friendly hippies looking to change the world.Â
What did all of this mean for movies? Well, you can probably figure that out, as a '60s movie buff. This quiz will bring you through an iconic decade of change and the movies that helped inspire and provoke people. Moviegoers could reminisce about life, love, the past and the outlook for the future. Â
Do you remember the movie that inspired you to be an astronaut? Or the movie that resulted in a summer vacation to visit the OK Corral? How about the movies that got your adrenaline pumping or helped you define love?Â
You know the movies and love the actors. See how many of these movies you can identify from a single screenshot by taking this quiz!Â
"The Jungle Book" was the last film that Walt Disney worked on. There was also originally a rhinoceros called Rocky the Rhino set to appear after King Louie's scene. Rocky was intended to be a dim-witted, bumbling, near blind character to provide a bit of comic relief in the film. It got cut because Walt didn't want to put too many goofy sequences back to back from each other.
P.L. Travers, who wrote "Mary Poppins" actually refused to sell the movie rights initially, for the first 20 years. Disney started lobbying for the movie rights in the early 1940s and didn't actually make a deal with P.L. Travers until 1961 when she finally relented, mostly because she needed the money.
For the time period, "Psycho" was unprecedented in its depiction of sexuality and violence right from the opening scene. It was directed and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, who made a controversial move for the time by making a "no late admission" policy for the film. Hitchcock thought that if people entered the theater late and never saw the star actress Janet Leigh, that they would feel cheated
Advertisement
Joseph L. Mankiewicz actually hoped that this film would be released into two different motion pictures, "Caeser and Cleopatra" followed by "Anthony and Cleopatra." Each film was set to run for about three hours. This is one of the most expensive movies ever made. It's budget of $44 million is equivalent to approximately $336 million in 2013.
Stanley Kubrick actually lied to George C. Scott so that he could get funnier takes out of him. He told Scott to deliver broad and animated performances as his character Buck, promising him that none of these takes would actually be used in the final cut. He did the exact opposite and Scott felt so betrayed he vowed to never work with Kubrick ever again. Although they never collaborated again, Scott has since appreciated his role and acting in the film.
In the original "Planet of the Apes" actors that were made up as different ape species tended to hang out together during breaks in filming. Gorillas with gorillas, orangutans with orangutans, and chimps with chimps. It wasn't a requirement by any means it just naturally happened that way. Also, all the ape actors had to wear their masks during breaks throughout the day. Because of this, their meals were liquefied and drunk through straws.
Advertisement
The story line of "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" was improvised in a meeting, a story about three bums who go around through the Civil War and look for money. Based on this improvised pitch, a gentleman by the name of Picker agreed to fund the film. Actually, all three films were released in America over the course of one single year.
Writer Truman Capote originally wanted Marilyn Monroe to play the part of Holly Golightly but her acting coach, Paula Strasberg told her not to take the role as the role's "call-girl-like" nature was bad for her sex kitten image. Others that were in line for the role instead of Audrey Hepburn were Jane Fonda, Shirley MacLaine, and Kim Novak.
For "2001: A Space Odyssey" Stanley Kubrick, the director, and producer had several tons of sand imported, washed, and painted for the moon surface scenes. Before they agreed on "2001: A Space Odyssey," a working title was "Voyage Beyond the Stars" but Kubrick disliked it immensely and forced them to change it.
Advertisement
"The Great Escape" was an interesting film because many of the characters in the film dealt with real life things that they portrayed in the film. For example, several cast members were actual prisoners of war during World War II. Donald Pleasence was held in a German camp, Hannes Messemer was captive in a Russian camp, and Til Kiwe and Hans Reiser were both prisoners of the Americans.
Even though everyone remembers the film as the start of the term "cougar." In reality, the female lead Anne Bancroft was only 35 when the film was shot, and Dustin Hoffman, the young male lead, was 29. Mike Nichols used lighting and makeup to give Bancroft an older look. Also, Gene Hackman was initially set to play Mrs. Robinson's husband in the film but was fired three weeks in due to a bad fit.
Novelist Vladimir Nabokov was obsessed with phonetics and double consonants. Some phonetically interesting moves he made in the writing of "Lolita" were Gaston Godin, Mesmer Mesmer, and Harold D. Doublename. The word play also applies to the names of places that Lolita and H.H. visit too. Some examples are, Hazy Hills, Kumfy Kabins, Hobby House, Raspberry Room, and Pierre Point.
Advertisement
"Muscle Beach Party" was just one of American International Pictures dozen or so "Beach Party" themed films created between 1963-1967. This franchise is mainly about teenagers hanging out at a beach party and then pivoting into spy spoofs and racing films.
"Rosemary's Baby" was in fact a book before it was a movie. Interestingly, the film's producer, William Castle, bought the movie rights before the book was even published. Also, author Ira Levin named the apartment building "The Bramford," after Dracula author Bram Stoker.
If you don't know who Bonnie and Clyde were then you should. They were two young Texans that were involved in a crime spree in the 1930s. Interestingly, this wasn't what either of them wanted to become famous for. Bonnie loved music and also loved the stage, and Clyde loved to sing, play the guitar, and taught himself how to play the saxophone. Both wanted to make it big in Hollywood on the screen but they never would've guessed this was the way people would know about them.
Advertisement
The Trapp family (is the family "The Sound of Music" was based) were actually really successful singers in real life! For nearly a decade, the Von Trapps toured three seasons of the year. During WWII, they usually played more than 100 U.S. shows per year, averaging about $1,000 per show.
"Spartacus" was a film made in 1960. An interesting thing about this film is that in order to get so many big stars to play supporting roles, Kirk Douglas showed each actor a different script that was written to emphasize each individual character that each actor was supposed to play.
Like the character Atticus (Lee's father), Lee grew up in the courtroom in real life too. Her father was actually a lawyer who was soft-spoken and he defended two African Americans that were accused of murder and unfortunately lost the case. Because of cases like this, Lee spent much of her childhood in the Monroeville courthouse in Pennsylvania.
Advertisement
"True Grit" is a western film starring the one and only John Wayne. He was apparently a bit of a snob on set. John Wayne was supposedly disappointed by the casting of Kim Darby as Mattie Ross, and the two of them barely spoke at all when they were off camera.
"Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" was a comedy film starring Dick Van Dyke. In 1967 in an interview, Dick Van Dyke admitted that he only accepted the role of Caracatus Potts on the condition that he would not have to attempt an English accent. This was because he attempted a Cockney accent in "Mary Poppins" and was widely mocked by critics.
"Barbarella" is a French-Italian sci-fI film based on the French "Barbarella" comics. The fashion designer that was responsible for Jane Fonda's costumes, Paco Rabanne, took influence from the women's liberation movement that was so hot in the '60s and so he designed outfits in the style of metal armor, taking inspiration from Indian philosophy during the age of iron.
Advertisement
"Dr. No" wasn't actually the first of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels to make it on the screen. Previously, in 1954, CBS made a TV version of the first Bond book that was written, "Casino Royale," starring Barry Nelson as the American version of "Jimmy Bond."
Did you know that "My Fair Lady" was actually adapted from a play called "Pygmalion"? The story of "Pygmalion" was rooted in Greek mythology. It is about a mythical artist that supposedly sculpted an ideal woman, only to fall in love with a statue. Similarly, in "My Fair Lady Henry" Higgins tries to "sculpt" a lower-class working girl into a well-spoken English lady.
"A Fistful of Dollars" was an acclaimed 1960s film starring Clint Eastwood. He was actually quite involved in creating his characters distinctive style. He bought the black jeans from a shop on Hollywood Boulevard, and he got the hat from a Santa Monica wardrobe firm, and finally the trademark black cigars came from a store in Beverly Hills. He cut the cigars into three pieces to make them smaller, he knew to do this, even though he is a non-smoker himself.
Advertisement
"From Russia with Love" is yet another favorite James Bond films. Sean Connery said that this movie was his personal favorite out of the Bond films that he was involved in. Surprising since, during the helicopter sequence toward the end of the film, an inexperienced pilot flew the helicopter too close to Connery, almost killing him.
"Easy Rider" was absolutely a film that was made for the youth of the time. With a budget of under $1 million, this 1969 guerrilla film went on to gross over $60 million worldwide. After the filming was finished in 1968 it took director, writer and lead actor Dennis Hopper a year to edit over 80 hours of footage, footage that included real scenes of drug use and a profound ending. This movie ignited a revolution in cinema that hasn't been recaptured since.
In the film, "Lawrence of Arabia," the actor depicting him was 6'3", a towering figure. In reality, the real Lawrence was only 5'5" tall, so he was actually quite short in stature. The real Lawrence's story is quite amazing in fact, his first trip to the Middle East was in the summer of 1909 where he was traveling alone. During that trip he walked nearly 1,000 miles and was shot at, robbed, and badly beaten.
Advertisement
"The Birds," a film that is still terrifying today, mainly because Alfred Hitchcock has always avoided providing any explanation for the avian attacks on Bodega Bay in the film. The director of the film had a long interest in birds prior to the film being made. He had been a bird watcher as a boy and took inspiration from an article he read in 1961 about hordes of dead birds washing up onto the streets of the seaside California town of Capitola.
"West Side Story" is one of the most groundbreaking musicals of all time. The original producer of "West Side Story" quit raising money for the original Broadway show (before the film was made) early in the process because he thought tackling such serious topics was too risky for a Broadway musical. Luckily, another producer stepped in to take a chance, and "West Side Story" turned into one of the most successful musicals in history.
Eli Wallach in the film, "Return of the Magnificent Seven," wore a silk shirt, gold rings, and sported gold teeth because he was adamant about showing what a bandit did with his loot. He also used the silver trimmed saddle that Marlon Brando had used in "One-Eyed Jacks." One man was such a fan that he sent John Sturges, the director, a ceremonial sword as a gift.
Advertisement
It's a "Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" is an American film that was made in 1963. It is meant to be an epic comedy with an all-star cast including Spencer Tracy. The story line follows a madcap pursuit of $350,000, which today would be $2,710,000 in stolen cash by a hilarious and diverse group of strangers. Some of the footage was cut and has deteriorated beyond the point of restoration due to some moves made against the director's wishes.
Gene Kelly directed the film "Hello, Dolly!" It was one of the top grossing films of 1969 but was so expensive to make that it still lost a reported $10 million. This effectively ended the golden age of Hollywood musicals. Also, Louis Armstrong's recording of the title song hit No. 1 on the Billboard singles chart, ending the Beatles' domination of the top slot for 14 consecutive weeks.
"Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" had an absolutely all-star cast. Paul Newman actually got mad at Robert Redford for doing his own stunts. To be fair, Redford's stunts were a lot more dangerous. It wasn't a jealousy thing, apparently, Newman was just concerned for Redford's safety. Another funny fact about this film was that Katharine Rosswas banned from the set for being "too helpful." It was actually mostly due to some favoritism toward her because she was dating the cinematographer.
Advertisement
In the film, "For a Few Dollars More," Sergio Leone, the director, broke a ton of 1960s Hollywood rules although at the time he did not know this. Some of these rules include: showing the shooter and the victim in the same shot, a horse being gunned down, marijuana use and a rape scene.
An interesting thing about "Thunderball" is Bond's jet pack was actually not flown by the actor playing Bond. It was flown by an engineer by the name of Bill Suiter. He was one of only two people in the world at the time that were qualified to fly it.
"The Dirty Dozen" was a war-film created in 1967 and was MGM's biggest moneymaker of that year. This film was quite controversial because when it was released people thought that it depicted Allied soldiers as no different than Nazis. This films cast includes three Oscar winners: Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, and George Kennedy.
Advertisement
In, "Jason and the Argonauts", it took Ray Harryhausen four months to produce the skeleton scene. This is an obscene amount of time for a scene that only lasts about three minutes. In this early stage of this story's development the twin monsters Scylla and Charybdis, a centaur, and the three-headed dog Cereus were supposed to appear.
Dustin Hoffman put so much effort portraying one of Ratso's (his character) coughing fits that one time he actually vomited. He also put pebbles in his shoe to make sure that his limp would be consistent from shot to shot. Dustin Hoffman's performance as "Ratso" Rizzo is ranked #7 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time.
"Cool Hand Luke" is an excellent character study of a non-conformist, anti-hero loner who vehemently resists authority and the idea of the Establishment. This crowd-pleasing film was based on a screenplay co-authored by ex-convict Donn Pearce from Pearce's published novel under the same name.
Advertisement
"Susan Slade" is an American film made in 1961 that was considered a technicolor drama backed by Warner Bros. The story tells us about a teenage girl who secretly has a baby out of wedlock. Considering the traditional mores that were prevalent at that time, it was considered a racy film.
"Goldfinger" was the fastest grossing picture in film history when it was released and was actually entered in the Guinness Book of World Records. Sean Connery also never traveled to the USA to film this movie. Every scene where he is supposed to be in the U.S. was filmed in Pinewood Studios outside London. You notice this when he flicks the light on and off in the film, English light switches flip down instead of up.
After its release, With "Six You Get Eggroll" grossed $10,095,200 at the box office, making it one of the top ten moneymaking films of Doris Day's 39-film career. It also earned $4.5 million in theatrical rentals in the US and Canada. This film was Doris Day's final film role before she starred in the sitcom "The Doris Day Show."
Advertisement
The film "Inside Daisy Clover" was set in the mid-1930s about a teenage tomboy who lives in a ramshackle trailer with her eccentric mother on a California beach and dreams of Hollywood stardom. The story line should have been quite successful but upon its release, but the film was a huge failure. It later gained a cult following after it was released on television.
In "Night of the Living Dead," the zombies that are eating bodies in the burnt-out truck are actually eating roasted ham that is covered in chocolate sauce. It was a running joke that the meal was so nausea inducing that the makeup artists didn't even have to bother putting makeup on the zombies because they ended up looking pale and sick anyway.
"Fail-Safe" includes two Oscar winners: Henry Fonda and Walter Matthau. The "computer generated" image on the control-room screen which included the world map, the planes, and the explosions, was an image entirely drawn and animated by hand.
Advertisement
Henry Fonda originally turned down his role in "Once Upon a Time in the West." It took director Sergio Leone flying to the U.S. to meet with Fonda to tell him that he wanted him for the role because it would change his typecasting of "good guy" roles. He wanted the audience to be shocked to see Fonda as a villain.
"On Her Majesty's Secret Service" is another James Bond film. As of 2009, George Lazenby is the youngest actor to portray 007 at age 29 during filming. The rest of the actors and their ages are: Sean Connery - 31, Roger Moore - 45, Timothy Dalton - 40, Pierce Brosnan - 41, and Daniel Craig - 38.
"Island of Terror," is a British horror film that was made in 1966. The idea for the film came when Richard Gordon read the Gerry Fernback screenplay "The Night the Silicates Came." This film is one of the last significant examples of a common 1950s plot style in which a horrific threat is introduced by a scientist but then is resolved by other people using responsible scientific measures.
Advertisement
The 1960s film, "The Magnificent Seven" was actually a huge disappointment in the United States but proved to be a huge hit in Europe. Also, the plot of Stephen King's 2003 novel "Wolves of the Calla" is based on the film.
In "Bullitt," Steve McQueen was so worried that people would think he used a stunt man during the famous chase scene, that he made a point to keep his head near the open car window just to reassure everyone in the audience that it was in fact him. Steve was also tested by the cops in the film. They took him to a morgue to see how "tough" he was, and then were thoroughly surprised when he showed up casually eating an apple.