Golden Age of Hollywood-Holiday Movie Edition

We love to challenge our readers’ knowledge about movies and the Golden Age of Hollywood that occurred when the five major studios dominated the production of major motion pictures. Holiday movies and festive scenes were popular and many of them are iconic today.  Check out these 12 true and false questions that might just interest you in seeing some of these seasonal films!

1) The 1947 film, Miracle on 34^th Street was Natalie Wood’s debut as a child performer.

2)  The setting for It’s a Wonderful Life, in Bedford Falls, is believed to be based on a town in New York called Seneca Falls.  

3)  Ingrid Bergman’s only role as a nun was in The Bells of St. Mary’s. 

4)  The 1938 version of A Christmas Carol was produced by Joseph L Mankiewicz for Metro-Goldwyn Mayer.

5) Christmas in Connecticut was a 1945 romantic comedy starring Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Taylor.

6)  Holiday Inn, the popular 1942 Christmas movie received the Academy Award for Best Score.

7)  Fred Astaire turned down the role of Phil Davis in White Christmas.

8)   In The Shop Around the Corner Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullivan star in this romantic Christmas comedy.

9)  The Bishop’s Wife was nominated in 1947 for five Academy Awards winning one for Cary Grant as Best Actor. 

10)  While Meet Me in St. Louis is not considered a typical Christmas movie, the iconic song, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” was sung by Judy Garland in the film.   

11)  The 1937 Shirley Temple movie Heidi featured Jean Hersholt as Adolph Kramer.  Hersholt was also well known as a producer in the Golden Age of Hollywood.

12) It Happened on Fifth Avenue released in 1947 won the Academy Award for Best Story beating out another Christmas movie, Miracle on 34^th Street.   

Answers:

1) False.  Natalie Wood’s first credited role was as an Austrian war refugee in the film Tomorrow Is Forever released in 1946 with Claudette Colbert and Orson Welles.

2) True. Although It’s a Wonderful Life was filmed entirely in California, Seneca Falls is likely the inspiration as the city even has a museum dedicated to the film. 

3) True.  In The Bells of St. Mary’s, she played Sister Mary Benedict and did not play a nun again in her acting career.

4)  True.  This popular version of A Christmas Carol is one of the most enduring holiday films.

5)  False.  The lead roles were played by Barbara Stanwyck as Elizabeth Lane and Dennis Morgan as Jefferson Jones.

6)  False.  Although Holiday Inn was nominated for Best Score and Best Original Story, it received the Academy Award for Best Original Song for Irving Berlin’s White Christmas.

7)  True.  Fred Astaire had turned down the role and retired prior to the movie’s shooting. The role eventually went to Danny Kaye.

8)  True. This movie with the two renowned stars is a holiday staple for Golden Age movie lovers. 

9)  False.  In his lifetime, Cary Grant did not receive an Academy Award for his acting, but did receive an Academy Honorary Award in 1970. The Bishop’s Wife was nominated for 5 awards in 1947 but only received one for Best Sound Recording.

10)  True. Judy Garland’s rendition of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas in Meet Me in St. Louis is one of the most memorable elements in the film.

11) False.  Jean Hersholt was an accomplished actor and director but not a producer.

12)  False.  Although It Happened on 5^th Avenue was nominated for Best Story in 1947, Miracle on 34^th Street won the Academy Award.

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