Screenplay Games: Movie Trivia: Newsletter Vol. 9

This is volume 9 of what we hope will be interesting bits of motion picture trivia, legend and other useless stuff brought to you by Movie Time! the board game of memorable movie quotes. This information is compiled from numerous sources and is offered to customers and supporters of Movie Time! to make their game playing more enjoyable.

Remember the great publicity photo for The Graduate (1967)? Mrs. Robinson's leg propped up in the foreground formed a frame for the confused and curious Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman). We all just assumed that this leg belonged to the movie's female lead, Anne Bancroft. Well, it was not Ms. Bancroft's limb. It was the leg of unknown model, Linda Gray. She surfaced a few years later as Sue Ellen Ewing in Dallas .

While Anne Bancroft played Mrs. Robinson who was supposed to twice Ben's age, she is actually only 6 years older than Hoffman. In the scene where they first get undressed in a hotel room, Ben grabs the breast of the totally unaware and unflappable Mrs. Robinson. This moment was unscripted as was the following moment. Hoffman said he wanted to create the "boy sneaks a feel" kind of situation with the characters. What followed was Hoffman trying to stifle a laugh so he turned away from the camera and banged his head against the set wall. Director Mike Nichols liked the entire scene and left it in.

Can you imagine other actors filling the lead roles of The Graduate instead of Dustin Hoffman, Katharine Ross and Anne Bancroft. Do the names Robert Redford, Candice Bergen and Doris Day come to your brain for these parts. They were all seriously considered. In fact, Charles Grodin actually won the part of Benjamin Braddock but could not come to terms on a contract. That is when Dustin Hoffman was cast as Ben and was paid the huge salary of $17,000.

The film crew on the set liked to play jokes on Hoffman. Prior to scenes where Ben was supposed to be out of breath after love-making, he would jump rope to achieve the effect. The crew began to shorten the rope apparently thinking he would believe he was getting taller. He never noticed the change.

One more item from The Graduate , there is a scene when Elaine screams while in Ben's boarding house room. The owner, Norman Fell, and several residents show up to see what is happening. Right behind Fell is a young actor who would become one of our most successful actors. Who is he?

Gone With the Wind (1939) is widely accepted as one of America 's greatest movies. In today's dollars, it is the highest grossing movie of all time. And considering that the population of the country was considerably less than it is today, this is THE blockbuster. Here is some interesting information.

Vivien Leigh won the part of Scarlett O'Hara over 1400 interviewed. She was not available for the early shooting schedule so the scene where she and Clark Gable are silhouetted by a burning Atlanta was done with a stand in. The burning Atlanta was achieved by setting fire to lots of old sets on an MGM back lot. One of those sets was the huge gate used to keep the big gorilla out of the village in King Kong (1933).

The horse ridden by Thomas Mitchell in GWTW later became one of the most famous animals in the world. He was the Lone Ranger's steed, Silver.

This week's movie question

What is you favorite film that you do not have on tape or DVD? Let us know what you just have to watch every time it comes on. For me, it is My Cousin Vinny . There is just something about it that compels me to watch it one more time. Please don't ask why I don't just tape it one of those times.

Movie Lines

In what movie will you hear the voice of Tim Blaney ask, "Hey K, how's it hanging?"?

In what movie will you hear the mystery actor ask, "Want me to get the cops, I'll get the cops."?

In what movie will you hear Bette Midler ask, I'm being marked down?...I've been kidnapped by K-Mart!"?

In what movie will you hear Benita say, "I was thinking, later you could kiss me on the veranda." and Chevy Chase responded, "Lips would be fine."?

For the answers to these lines click on www.screenplaygames.com and play the on-line game .