Even in its 90th year, the Academy Awards keeps rolling out firsts. But you don’t need to be first in our Oscar quiz — you just have to last. Have at it.
1. At last year’s ceremony, Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway were handed the wrong envelope and mistakenly announced “La La Land” as best picture before it was corrected to “Moonlight.” Who previously was handed a wrong envelope and announced a wrong winner at the Oscars?
A. Sammy Davis Jr.
B. Katharine Hepburn
C. Richard Burton
D. Charo
2. Speaking of unscripted moments, a streaker famously ran behind co-host David Niven as he was introducing the best picture presenter Elizabeth Taylor at the awards honoring 1973 films. What did Niven say after the interruption?
A. “Ladies and gentlemen, ‘The Sting.'”
B. “Oh, yes, they call him the streak. Look at that. Look at that.”
C. “Isn’t it fascinating to think that probably the only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings?”
D. “The academy would like to apologize for that display of poor taste.”
3. What did Taylor say immediately after taking the stage?
A. “The five nominees for the Academy Award for best picture are ... ”
B. “Thank you very much. How do you like my wardrobe?”
C. “Oh, David, you’re a very funny man.”
D. “That’s a pretty hard act to follow.”
4. The married couple Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani are nominated for their original screenplay for “The Big Sick.” Which of this year’s acting nominees used to be married to each other?
A. Allison Janney and Willem Dafoe
B. Lesley Manville and Gary Oldman
C. Laurie Metcalf and Richard Jenkins
D. Meryl Streep and Daniel Day-Lewis
5. Mary J. Blige is a double nominee for “Mudbound”: for supporting actress and original song (“Mighty River,” which she wrote with Raphael Saadiq and Taura Stinson). Who is the only person to win an acting and music-writing Oscar? ...(Continued on next page)
A. Charlie Chaplin
B. Liza Minnelli
C. Prince
D. Barbra Streisand
6. Four of this year’s best picture nominees feature a best actress nominee. What was the last best picture winner that included a best actress nominee?
A. “Birdman”
B. “The Artist”
C. “The King’s Speech”
D. “Million Dollar Baby”
7. “Get Out” is the rare horror film that’s a best picture nominee. What was the first horror film to be nominated for best picture?
A. “The Exorcist”
B. “Psycho”
C. “Rosemary’s Baby”
D. “Wait Until Dark”
8. Daniel Kaluuya is a best actor nominee for “Get Out.” Who won an acting Oscar for a horror film?
A. Linda Blair
B. Ruth Gordon
C. Audrey Hepburn
D. Piper Laurie
9. Who acts in three of this year’s best picture nominees?
A. Timothée Chalamet
B. Tracy Letts
C. Michael Stuhlbarg
D. Bradley Whitford
10. With his best supporting actor nomination for “All the Money in the World,” Christopher Plummer, 88, became the oldest-ever acting nominee. Who was the oldest winner of an acting Oscar?
A. Jessica Tandy
B. Henry Fonda
C. Emmanuelle Riva
D. Christopher Plummer
11. Greta Gerwig (“Lady Bird”) is the fifth woman ever to be nominated for best director. Which female director has received more than one nomination in this category?
A. Kathryn Bigelow
B. Jane Campion
C. Sofia Coppola
D. None of them
Answers
1. A. At the ceremony honoring films released in 1963, Sammy Davis Jr. was presenting the award for music score adaptation or treatment but was handed the envelope for the original music score winner, John Addison for “Tom Jones.” After calling out that name, he learned that he was given the wrong envelope and joked, “Wait till the NAACP hears about this.” He was given the correct envelope and announced the actual winner, André Previn for “Irma la Douce.”
2. C. After the streaker went by, Niven laughed but remained fairly composed as he let the audience reaction play out, then responded with his zinger.
3. D. Taylor received a standing ovation when she entered and got a good laugh with her reference to the streaker and Niven.
4. C. Manville and Oldman were married from 1987 to 1990. They have a son, Alfie Oldman.
5. D. Streisand won best actress for the 1968 musical “Funny Girl” and best original song (with Paul Williams) for the 1976 drama “Evergreen (Love Theme From ‘A Star Is Born’).”
6. D. Yes, it’s been 13 years since Hilary Swank was a best actress nominee — and winner — for the boxing drama “Million Dollar Baby,” which also won best picture in 2005. The four this year with both best picture and best actress nominations are “Lady Bird” (Saoirse Ronan), “The Post” (Meryl Streep), “The Shape of Water” (Sally Hawkins) and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (Frances McDormand).
7. A. “The Exorcist” from 1973.
8. B. Gordon won best supporting actress for “Rosemary’s Baby” from 1968.
9. C. Stuhlbarg appears in “Call Me by Your Name,” “The Shape of Water” and “The Post.” The other three appear in two each: Chalamet in “Call Me by Your Name” and “Lady Bird,” Letts in “Lady Bird” and “The Post,” and Whitford in “Get Out” and “The Post.”
10. D. Plummer set the record with his supporting actor win at age 82 for “Beginners,” the 2011 film in which he plays a widower who comes out of the closet.
11. D. No woman has been nominated for best director twice. Bigelow followed “The Hurt Locker” (2009), for which she became the first (and only) female best director winner, with “Zero Dark Thirty” (2012), which received five Oscar nominations, but not for director. Go figure.