Can You Name 30 Hollywood Celebrities Who Starred in Classic Film Noir?
Written by Pamela Mooman
Last updated · 7 min play time
Do you prefer seeing in black and white? Do you think existentially? Take this quiz to test your knowledge of Hollywood's stylish and enduring genre of film noir.
Quiz written by
Pamela MoomanClassic Film Noir Quiz Questions
30 Questions · 1M Plays · 6 Comments
Question 1
The classic, genre-defining gumshoe in the 1941 film noir The Maltese Falcon is played by which actor?
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AHumphrey Bogart
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BSpencer Tracy
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CKirk Douglas
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DRichard Widmark
Humphrey Bogart
Directed by legend John Huston, Humphrey Bogart's iconic character Sam Spade still influences detectives in television and film. In an enduring scene, Bogart's character slaps Peter Lorre's character and tells him "When you're slapped, you'll take it and like it."
Question 2
The 1949 noir crime drama Port of New York is a study in police procedural dramas and features law enforcement efforts to stop an opium shipment from being distributed. Who plays the leader of the ring of drug dealers?
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ACharles Bronson
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BFred Astaire
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CYul Brynner
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DJeff Bridges
Yul Brynner
The role of the suave, merciless drug dealer Paul Vicola was Yul Brynner's first role, played with a full head of hair. While the film had mixed reviews, Yul Brynner's rich performance was noticed and led to other roles that are still famous.
Question 3
Hailed as a truly classic film noir, the 1946 gem The Killers featured a 23-year-old actor in a role that would make him an instant star. Which famous leading man played the part of a dreamy, thoughtful Swede in danger from multiple plots?
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AJames Earl Jones
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BBurt Lancaster
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CCharlie Chaplin
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DKlaus Kinski
Burt Lancaster
Burt Lancaster was paid $20,000 for his starring role in <i>The Killers</i>, but this work got him noticed. His cool detachment combined with wholesomeness gave him an unworldly air that audiences still love.
Question 4
Spellbound, a 1945 film noir with deliciously complex characterizations, stars Ingrid Bergman as a psychoanalyst who is trying to help an amnesiac played by what well-known actor?
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ABruce Dern
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BGregory Peck
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CBrian Keith
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DAlan Alda
Gregory Peck
Gregory Peck starred in <i>Spellbound</i> during a productive period in his career. However, he continued to have roles in major films through the 1980s.
Question 5
In the 1953 black and white film noir Angel Face which actor has the starring male role as a hapless race car driver turned ambulance jockey?
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AJohn Wayne
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BWoody Allen
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CBing Crosby
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DRobert Mitchum
Robert Mitchum
Robert Mitchum is more than a handsome presence in <i>Angel Face</i>. He put great effort into developing the role of Frank, a man who has fallen on hard times after World War II. He is engaged to a dependable woman but lets himself fall for a wealthy femme fatale. Part of the beauty of this film is that director Otto Preminger never judges or imposes labels on its characters.
Question 6
The feisty Girl Friday in the 1946 film noir The Dark Corner gets involved in the dangerous troubles of her private detective boss when he asks for her help. Who plays this spirited secretary?
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AJane Fonda
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BSally Field
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CVivien Leigh
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DLucille Ball
Lucille Ball
Though famous for her comedic exploits, Lucille Ball delivers a rich performance in this shadowy film noir.
Question 7
The 1946 film Notorious is a romance and a thriller as well as a classic film noir. A US agent asks a woman of dubious reputation to spy on a group of Nazis in South America. Who plays this agent?
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AJames Stewart
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BSidney Poitier
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CCary Grant
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DWillem Dafoe
Cary Grant
Cary Grant, though English by birth, became famous as one of America's great actors in classic Hollywood films. Though praised for his excellent comic timing, he could also deliver serious performances, as he does in <i>Notorious</i>. He was born with the name Archibald Alec Leach.
Question 8
Released in 1953, the noir film The Big Heat chronicles the fictional tale of an everyman police officer targeted by the mob because he wants to shut down illegal activities. Who plays this sympathetic policeman?
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AGlenn Ford
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BWilliam Hurt
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CClark Gable
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DDanny Glover
Glenn Ford
Glenn Ford had Hollywood star power, and the casting of him in the lead male role of Dave Bannion gave this film instant public interest that would make it a success.
Question 9
The 1936 film noir The Petrified Forest features an unlikely teaming of a wealthy Englishman, an American gangster, and a dreamy waitress who loves beauty. Which iconic Hollywood actress portrays the waitress?
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AAngela Lansbury
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BBette Davis
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CHedy Lamarr
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DJoan Blondell
Bette Davis
Bette Davis reprised her stage role as Gabrielle for the film version of <i>The Petrified Forest</i>, which was also Humphrey Bogart's first major screen role.
Question 10
The atmospheric, shadowy 1958 noir Touch of Evil features a well-known Hollywood personality in his final direction of a studio film. In the film, he portrays a drunken sheriff in a dusty town bordering Mexico. Who is this actor and director?
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ABilly Crystal
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BOrson Welles
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CCharlie Chaplin
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DTom Cruise
Orson Welles
Orson Welles both starred in and directed <i>Touch of Evil</i>, a popular film known for its lush cinematography as well as its twisting, complex plot.
Question 11
Who shouts the immortal line "Made it, Ma! Top of the world!" in the 1949 film noir White Heat?
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AJames Cagney
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BDavid Niven
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CBurt Lancaster
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DPeter Lorre
James Cagney
James Cagney made two actual film noirs, one being <i>White Heat</i> in 1949. In this film he continued his legacy of portraying gangsters, but this role has a twist. He plays a violent psychopath who is obsessed with his mother and with carrying off a big heist at a chemical plant.
Question 12
The 1944 film noir Gaslight is about a man protecting a secret at all costs, even if he has to drive his wife mad. This film was nominated for seven Oscars and won two, including a Best Actress win for what Hollywood legend?
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AClaudette Colbert
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BIngrid Bergman
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CJulie Andrews
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DElizabeth Taylor
Ingrid Bergman
Over her career, Ingrid Bergman won three Academy Awards, Four Golden Globes, a BAFTA, two Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award. Born in Stockholm, Sweden, she would later be ranked high on the list of great actresses in classic American films.
Question 13
The 1945 film noir Mildred Pierce features a famous actress who plays a hard-working mother in the clutches of her spoiled, manipulative daughter. Who plays the eponymous role of this woman who cannot see through her daughter's deceit?
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AEva Gabor
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BJoan Crawford
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CDyan Cannon
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DAngie Dickinson
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford is known for her powerful, mesmerizing performances in many roles throughout her lengthy career. She was named one of the top actresses in classic Hollywood cinema.
Question 14
Skilled character actors are vital in the genre of film noir. John Huston's 1948 action-packed movie Key Largo features one of Hollywood's greatest character actors, this time in a wheelchair. Who is he?
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ALionel Barrymore
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BGene Kelly
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CJames Coburn
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DLee Marvin
Lionel Barrymore
Lionel Barrymore began his career on the stage, moving into film roles around 1911. The wheelchair was no prop. He broke his hip, then arthritis made it increasingly difficult for him to walk. However, he continued to work. He is also the great-uncle of actress Drew Barrymore.
Question 15
The 1950 gothic noir Sunset Boulevard tells the story of a fading silent film star clinging to the past and to a youngish male writer who is content to be kept by her. Who portrays this intelligent and sometimes cruel writer in his breakthrough role?
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AMichael Caine
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BJohn Carradine
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CJames Brolin
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DWilliam Holden
William Holden
William Holden earned his first Best Actor Oscar nomination for his role as Joe Gillis in <i>Sunset Boulevard</i>. His casting in this film was a good break, as the actor originally cast broke his contract, and William Holden's career took off. He went on to become one of Hollywood's most popular leading men for the next 20 years.
Question 16
Who plays the title role of a sexy femme fatale who uses her beauty to manipulate in the 1946 noir Gilda?
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AJudy Garland
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BGinger Rogers
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CMia Farrow
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DRita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth's smoldering sexuality in <i>Gilda</i> shot her to superstardom. In person, she was retiring and rather shy, but her acting talents shone when the camera was on her. The movie is iconic today for Rita Hayworth's quick and famous hair flip.
Question 17
In the shattering 1945 noir The Lost Weekend, a writer struggles with alcoholism. What actress portrays his girlfriend, who tries to save him from his plunge into addiction?
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AJane Wyman
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BHelen Hayes
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CMitzi Gaynor
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DShirley Temple
Jane Wyman
Jane Wyman's role as the patient girlfriend in <i>The Lost Weekend</i> helped her acting career and she became the first wife of future President Ronald Reagan. This movie won the 1945 Oscar for Best Picture.
Question 18
Which actress portrays the strong yet inexperienced femme fatale in the 1946 film The Postman Always Rings Twice?
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AJudith Dench
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BDiane Keaton
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CLana Turner
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DAudrey Hepburn
Lana Turner
Lana Turner was not discovered at a drugstore counter as the persistent story would have it. She worked hard for her roles, and her abilities, which shone in her complex portrayal of Cora Smith in <i>The Postman Always Rings Twice</i>, proved she was more than just a pin-up girl.
Question 19
In the 1954 neo-noir Dial M for Murder, a jealous husband wants to kill his wife by hiring someone else to do the dirty work. However, he fails to consider that his wife might fight back. Who plays this plucky woman?
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AAnne Bancroft
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BGreta Garbo
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CMae West
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DGrace Kelly
Grace Kelly
Grace Kelly had a strong career, starring in both <i>Dial M for Murder</i> and <i>Rear Window</i> in 1954. After that she married Prince Rainier III of Monaco and became a bona fide princess.
Question 20
Howard Hawks' 1946 film noir The Big Sleep tells the story of fictional detective Philip Marlowe's convoluted involvement with a wealthy client and his beautiful daughter. Who famously plays this female role?
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AKatharine Hepburn
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BLauren Bacall
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CFaye Dunaway
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DNatalie Wood
Lauren Bacall
Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart, one of Hollywood's most celebrated couples, starred together in this film that is famed for its difficult, twisting plot, and is based on the novel by Raymond Chandler.
Question 21
In the 1949 film noir 'The Third Man', a pulp fiction writer investigates his friend's death in the war-torn city of Vienna. In doing so, he also must struggle with complex questions of morality. Which actor plays this writer?
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AGregory Hines
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BAnthony Hopkins
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CDavid Jason
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DJoseph Cotten
Joseph Cotten
Joseph Cotten plays the American writer Holly Martins in 'The Third Man'. Interestingly, this is a British-made noir that smashed the idea this genre is solely for Americans. This film fast became a global hit.
Question 22
The bleak 1950 noir 'D.O.A.' is a classic nihilistic drama as well as a police thriller. Who plays the man who has been murdered with a slow-acting poison and is desperately seeking his killer?
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ADennis Hopper
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BMichael Douglas
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CEdmond O'Brien
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DBrian Dennehy
Edmond O'Brien
Edmond O'Brien was respected in Hollywood circles. He conversed intelligently and drank heavily, and he gave everything he had during every performance. He even was a magician, having been coached when he was young by his kindly neighbor, Harry Houdini.
Question 23
The scheming yet vulnerable character of Phyllis Dietrichson in the noir 'Double Indemnity' wants to get her husband out of the way. What actress plays her?
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AAnn Blyth
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BCloris Leachman
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CBarbara Stanwyck
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DIrene Dunne
Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck gave this character great depth and set the standard for noir's femme fatales. Stanwyck's portrayal of this multi-faceted, restless woman still entrances audiences today.
Question 24
Who directed and starred in the 1947 film noir 'Lady in the Lake'?
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ACharlton Heston
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BJames Dean
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CRobert Montgomery
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DAlan Ladd
Robert Montgomery
Robert Montgomery's 'Lady in the Lake' is special for two reasons. First, the camera angles are meant to be the audience's eyes. Viewers are meant to feel as if they are watching the action unfold themselves, without a fixed camera point. Second, Montgomery plays Raymond Chandler's classic detective Philip Marlowe differently than it is written and portrayed in other noirs.
Question 25
In the 1949 noir 'Criss Cross', a scheming woman gets her honest ex-husband involved with her criminal husband and a disastrous robbery. Who portrays this devious femme fatale?
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ADonna Reed
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BEthel Merman
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CYvonne De Carlo
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DLena Horne
Yvonne De Carlo
Yvonne De Carlo finally had a chance to let her acting talent shine in 'Criss Cross', and her conniving character plays beautifully against the leading man's otherworldly qualities.
Question 26
In the hands of director John Huston, the 1950 noir crime thriller 'The Asphalt Jungle' puts a sympathetic face on criminals. Which male actor stars as a man trying to pull off a heist?
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AJohn Hurt
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BTommy Lee Jones
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CSterling Hayden
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DJeremy Irons
Sterling Hayden
Sterling Hayden's career got a boost when he was cast in 'The Asphalt Jungle' as a member of a crime gang. Many later heist movies paid homage to this icon of the genre.
Question 27
The 1944 noir 'The Suspect' is unusual in that it is set in Edwardian England where a man decides to kill his vindictive wife. Which trans-Atlantic actor plays him?
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ACary Grant
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BAnthony Andrews
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CJohn Houseman
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DCharles Laughton
Charles Laughton
Charles Laughton expertly played the kindly shopkeeper threatened by his wife in 'The Suspect'. He was also a classically-trained Shakespearean actor and Daniel Day-Lewis has cited him as one of his greatest inspirations.
Question 28
Who plays the mentally unstable but somehow sympathetic character of Bruno Anthony in Alfred Hitchcock's 1951 film 'Strangers on a Train'?
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AFrank Sinatra
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BGlen Campbell
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CJack Lemmon
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DRobert Walker
Robert Walker
Robert Walker, normally cast as a wholesome, likeable character, was Hitchcock's surprise choice for this film. His two sides, likeable yet dark, shone in his portrayal of the psychopathic Bruno Anthony.
Question 29
In the 1944 film 'Laura', a policeman falls in love with a woman while investigating her murder. Who portrays the character Laura in this film of the same name?
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AGoldie Hawn
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BShirley MacLaine
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CHedy Lamarr
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DGene Tierney
Gene Tierney
The film 'Laura' gave troubled but lovely Gene Tierney a chance to shine in a gripping and shadowy psychological thriller. The head of 20th Century Fox studios, Darryl F. Zanuck, would go on to say that Gene Tierney was "unquestionably the most beautiful woman in movie history."
Question 30
In a spectacular setting, the 1953 dramatic noir 'Niagara' is about honeymooners who get involved with a disturbed war veteran and his unfaithful wife. What famous beauty plays this cheating woman?
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AElizabeth Taylor
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BMarilyn Monroe
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CJayne Mansfield
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DOlivia de Havilland
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe teases and entices her husband as well as the audience with low-cut tops, translucent shower curtains, and almost-scandalous glimpses and hints of her curves. Her careful, controlled performance in 'Niagara' has been praised.
Comments (6)
We want to hear your feedback! Share your scores and discuss the quiz, but keep it civil.
I would have done even worse if there weren't pics. That's all I was going on
Aced It!!
I admit it is harder to recognize others in black and white format. Ninety percent test score is good
After awhile all the actresses looked the same . Good actresses and good movies as well.
The quiz offered a little bit of a challenge based on early photos of the actresses and actors in question
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