Deck 3: Movie Palaces, Corner Theaters, and Tent Shows: The Silent ERA and the First Hollywood, 1915-1928

Question 1

D. W. Griffith's The Clansmen/The Birth of a Nation provoked protests from civil rights and reform groups because:

A) The movie relied on ugly stereotypes about race.
B) The movie was critical of Abraham Lincoln.
C) The movie featured few strong roles for women.
D) The movie expressed admiration for the bravery of Confederate soldiers.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The fatal confrontation at the end of Greed was shot on location where?

A) Death Valley
B) Yosemite Park
C) Lake Tahoe
D) The Golden Gate Bridge

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following best describes the importance of Sunrise?

A) Its record box office sales helped establish the idea of the blockbuster movie.
B) Its extensive use of recorded dialogue demonstrated the artistic potential of sound movies.
C) Its controversial subject matter led to the creation of the movie Production Code.
D) Its artistic ambition and creativity inspired a generation of Hollywood filmmakers.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which actor became well known as the embodiment of the "vamp" character?

A) Mary Pickford
B) Theda Bara
C) Gloria Swanson
D) Clara Bow

Question 5

Which actor became known as the "It"" girl for her portrayals of the "flapper" character?

A) Mary Pickford
B) Theda Bara
C) Gloria Swanson
D) Clara Bow

Question 6

Which of the following statements does not apply to the career of Mary Pickford?

A) She starred in D. W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation.
B) She took advantage of her popularity to gain control over her career.
C) She took the lead in organizing United Artists.
D) She was known as "America's Sweetheart."

Question 7

Which Oscar Micheaux movie was seen as a response to the racism of The Birth of a Nation?

A) Hypocrisy
B) Within Our Gates
C) Greed
D) Stella Maris

Question 8

Which silent movie comedian was known for combining drama and pathos with humor in his movies?

A) Charlie Chaplin
B) Harold Lloyd
C) Buster Keaton
D) Roscoe Arbuckle

Question 9

The image of a bespectacled man hanging precariously from a clock face is a scene from which comedy classic?

A) The General
B) Modern Times
C) Safety Last!
D) The Gold Rush

Question 10

The troubled career of which director helped establish the model of the movie director as misunderstood artist?

A) D. W. Griffith
B) F. W. Murnau
C) Erich Von Stroheim
D) Cecil B. DeMille

Question 11

Stella Maris was a noteworthy achievement for its star Mary Pickford because:

A) Pickford directed as well as acted in the movie.
B) It was Pickford's first major movie role.
C) Pickford's performance earned her the first Academy Award for Best Actress.
D) Pickford plays a dual role in the movie.

Question 12

In what way might the term "silent movie" misrepresent the experience of moviegoers in the so-called "silent era"?

A) Movie screenings regularly featured musical accompaniment and in-house sound effects.
B) Movie audiences would clap, cheer, boo, and otherwise vocally express their reactions to the movies.
C) Many movie screenings still featured live performers along with the films.
D) All of the above.

Question 13

Which of the following defines a central conflict for the main character of Jacob Rabinowitz/Jack Robin (played by Al Jolson) in The Jazz Singer?

A) The intense competition to become a singing star in vaudeville.
B) Jacob's uncertainty about whether he enjoys singing.
C) Jacob's reluctance to appear on stage in black face.
D) Jacob's desire to sing jazz in spite of the wishes of his parents.

Question 14

What best describes the most sensitive cultural and political challenge felt by D. W. Griffith in relation to his movie about the French Revolution, Orphans of the Storm?

A) Few Americans had much historical knowledge about the French Revolution.
B) The French government expressed concerns about the historical accuracy of the movie.
C) Griffith had to balance sympathy for the French revolutionaries without appearing to endorse contemporary radical politics
D) Audiences objected to the movie's depiction of graphic violence and executions.

Question 15

Which of the following is the best example of what is meant by "vertical integration"?

A) The practice of studios imitating the most popular movies of their competitors.
B) The rise of movie stars and celebrity culture.
C) Individual studios seeking control of the production, distribution, and exhibition processes.
D) Marketing movies on the basis of their studio brand names.

Question 16

How did the formation of United Artists challenge the growing studio system?

A) United Artists avoided the use of bi- name stars and famous directors.
B) United Artists announced that they would never make the transition to sound movies.
C) The success of United Artists forced many of their competitors into bankruptcy.
D) United Artists was a model of how individual stars and directors could control their own movie projects.

Question 17

Which of the following silent film stars was the focus of a sensational scandal that led to further censorship pressures on the American movie industry?

A) Buster Keaton
B) Charlie Chaplin
C) Theda Bara
D) Roscoe Arbuckle

Question 18

Which of the following was a major reason that Will Hays was chosen to head the newly formed Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America?

A) Hays had a long and distinguished career as a movie studio executive.
B) Hays was a long-time conservative politician with no prior ties to the movie business.
C) Hays had long been one of the most vocal critics of the Hollywood movie business.
D) Hays was one of America's most well-respected newspaper columnists.

Question 19

What is one reason "melodrama" remained such a contested term in the analysis and classification of movies?

A) Movies described as melodramas have never enjoyed widespread popularity.
B) The association of melodrama with strong emotions makes some question the value of melodrama.
C) While melodramas were common in early American movie history, they have become scarcer in more recent years.
D) Melodrama does not mix well with other genres such as adventure or historical epics.

Question 20

Which silent movie comedian was know for his technical innovations and comic use of a deadpan expression?

A) Charlie Chaplin
B) Harold Lloyd
C) Buster Keaton
D) Roscoe Arbuckle