And the Oscar Goes to... (1942) Quiz

Answer: False

Although there was some talk of cancelling the awards ceremony in its entirety for the reason stated in the question, it was ultimately decided to carry on, albeit in a more subdued fashion. The attending celebrities were asked to dress more informally, and the event was a 'dinner', rather than a 'banquet'.

Bob Hope became well-known for his USO tours in honor of the deployed soldier, which he began the previous year (1941) and continued for decades. Hosting the Oscars in this time was like an extension of that dedication (my opinion).

Answer: Gary Cooper

Gary Cooper (1901-1961) began his career as a stunt rider, but soon transitioned into acting roles. Known for his understated acting style, Cooper saw much success in the industry, including a second Best Actor win (sometime after this one) and recognition with an Honorary Academy Award for his career achievements in 1961.

Cooper's early roles were largely Westerns, still in the silent film era (mid-late 1920s), but he did branch out into other genres. His breakout role was in 1926's "The Winning of Barbara Worth", after which he was noted to be a dynamic new personality and future star. Stardom was reached with his first 'talkie', "The Virginian" (1929), with co-stars Walter Huston and Mary Brian.

"Sergeant York" was a biographical film about the highly-decorated American World War I hero Alvin C. York, based on his diary. York did not want a film made of his story, but eventually agreed, using the proceeds to finance the creation of an interdenominational Bible school.

Answer: How Green Was My Valley

Donald Crisp (1882-1974) came to the United States from England in 1906 and started his career with New York's Grand Opera. From there his interests expanded to the theatre, and his subsequent association with George M. Cohan and D.W. Griffith led him west to Hollywood. Amongst his many bit parts in early silent films, Crisp was also cast in the significant role of General Ulysses S. Grant in D.W. Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation" (1915).

Crisp moved to directing through much of his early career, but with 'talkies,' he returned to acting, leading to his eventual Best Supporting Oscar win for "How Green Was My Valley". He continued acting into his 80s, and passed away after a series of strokes at the age of 92.

"How Green Was My Valley" follows the story of Huw Morgan (played by Roddy McDowell) from childhood through the hard times of his youth, working the coal mines with his brothers, the strife that followed strike action, and his decisions on what to do with his life, regardless of what his father (played by Crisp) wished for his future.

Answer: Joan Fontaine

Joan Fontaine (1917-2013) was born with the name Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland, but used her mother's first husband's last name as her stage name. She had a long career, with her last role in 1994 before finally retiring. Her Academy Award for "Suspicison" was her only Oscar win of three nominations in her career.

The notable occurrence of both Joan and her sister Olivia being nominated for Best Actress in the same year was the talk of Tinseltown. The sisters had a public rivalry that was not always amicable. In one 1978 interview, when asked about their relationship, Fontaine said, "I married first, won the Oscar before Olivia did, and if I die first, she'll undoubtedly be livid because I beat her to it!" (source: Wikipedia)

The Alfred Hitchcock film "Suspicion," Fontaine's character Lina McLaidlaw is charmed by Cary Grant's character Johnnie Aylsgarth while travelling together on a train, and she is swept off her feet. After eloping and going on a lavish honeymoon, Lina discovers that Johnnie is actually broke and jobless and expecting to live off of her and her rich father. As his poor choices continue to rack up financial problems, Lina begins to suspect that Johnnie plans to collect on her life insurance, especially after the death of her father leaves her with no inheritance.

Answer: Mary Astor in "The Great Lie"

Mary Astor (1906-1987) was born with the name Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke. When she was originally signed to Paramount Pictures as a teen, the name was chosen for her. Astor began her career in silent films, achieving moderate success, but with the advent of talkies she had difficulty landing roles, due to her voice being considered 'too masculine'. But once she began getting offers, her acting ability shone through, culminating in her Oscar win for "The Great Lie".

Although she only ever had the one nomination (and win) at the Academy Awards, Mary Astor had a long career, overcoming scandal and personal loss and struggle to leave a legacy of quality in her acting.

In "The Great Lie", Astor plays Sandra Novak, a pianist and divorcee who impulsively gets married to aviator Peter Van Allen (George Brent), only to discover that her divorce had not yet been finalized. He leaves her for an old flame and is later presumed dead after his plane goes missing. From there, things get complicated, a baby is involved, and Peter returns. But why give it away? Go watch the film.

Answer: Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles

"Citizen Kane" has received many accolades over the years, but when it was first released in 1941, it did not fare well at the box office, despite good reviews and critiques. Welles was coming off of the successes of the "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast in 1938 and signed with RKO Pictures in 1939. The screenplay for "Citizen Kane", co-written with Herman Mankiewicz, became his first feature-length film.

The story revolves around Charles Foster Kane (played by Welles), a wealthy newspaper publisher (based on a number of magnates and tycoons, namely William Randolph Hearst, Joseph Pulitzer, Samuel Insull and Harold McCormick). On his deathbed, Kane utters the famous line, "Rosebud" as his last words, prompting news reporter Jerry Thompson (played by William Alland) to delve into his life to find out the meaning behind the mysterious utterance.

Answer: Here Comes Mr. Jordan

"Here Comes Mr. Jordan" starred Claude Rains as Mr. Jordan, an angel who handles the case of the untimely death of Joe Pendleton (Robert Montgomery). When Joe crashes his plane, the angel who collects his soul believes there is no way anyone could survive such a crash, and before it is realized that Joe is supposed to live another 50 years, his body has been cremated.

Mr. Jordan takes over from the other angel and helps Joe go back by having him inhabit the body of someone recently deceased. Of course, there are complications - the body he occupies was just murdered.

Answer: Best Documentary

The category of Best Documentary had eleven entries in this, its inaugural appearance at the Academy Awards. Two years later, the category was divided into Short and Feature length options.

"Churchill's Island" describes the Battle of Britain, highlighting the Royal Air Force's efforts in rebuffing the Luftwaffe attack, along with other aspects of the Great Britain's war effort.

Answer: John Ford

John Ford (1894-1973) directed more than 140 films over his 50-year career, although many of the silent films he directed are 'lost'. Before trying his hand at directing, Ford worked for his elder brother Francis as an assistant, handyman, stuntman and (sometimes) actor. Once he made a name for himself as a director, John became known for constantly going to the same actors for his films.

The core of these came to be known as 'John Ford Stock Company' and included such names as Jack Pennick (41 films), Harry Carey, Sr. (27 films), Harry Tenbrook (26 films), John Wayne (24 films), Ward Bond (24 films), J. Farrell MacDonald (25 films), and Vester Pegg (23 films), to name just the ones who did over 20 films.

Answer: How Green Was My Valley

"How Green Was My Valley" received ten Oscar nominations, winning five of them. The two other wins not already mentioned in this quiz were for Best Black-and-White Cinematography and Best Black-and-White Art Direction-Interior Decoration.

You already know about the director John Ford and Best Supporting Actor Donald Crisp, but the film also featured the talents of Roddy McDowell (narrator Huw Morgan), Sara Allgood (Huw's mother Beth, nominated for Best Supporting Actress), Walter Pidgeon (Mr. Gruffydd, pastor of the village chapel), and Maureen O'Hara (Angharad Morgan, Huw's sister), among others.

"How Green Was My Valley" is based on author Richard Llewellyn's 1939 book of the same name, which itself was based on Llewellyn's exposure to the South Wales community of Gilfach Goch visiting his grandfather as a youth. The story chronicles life in the coalfields of the region, the loss of that way of life and its effects on the family.