The Bridge on the River Kwai: 1957 Best Picture

The winner of the Best Picture Oscar at the 30th Academy Awards was “The Bridge on the River Kwai”. Out of 8 nominations, it won a remarkable 7, including Best Director (David Lean), Best Actor (Alec Guinness) and Best Original Score (Malcolm Arnold).

The other 4 pictures were:

“Sayonara”, starring Marlon Brando. The most nominated (10), it won 4 Oscars, including both Best Supporting acting Oscars for Red Buttons and Miyoshi Umeki.
“Peyton Place”, starring Lana Turner and Hope Lange, got 9 nominations but didn’t win any Oscars.
“Witness for the Prosecution” starred Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, and Charles Laughton. It got 6 nominations but no wins.
“12 Angry Men’ starred Henry Fonda as Juror #8, in a crime trial drama where the characters were only known by their juror numbers. It failed to win any of its 3 nominations.

Almost all of the performers at the ceremony are still with us as of August 2014, including Shirley Jones, Tab Hunter, Vic Damone, Johnny Mathis and Debbie Reynolds.

Only Mae West, Rock Hudson and Burt Lancaster are not. Lancaster performed a duet with Kirk Douglas making fun of the fact that they were not nominated this year, called “It’s Great Not to Be Nominated” mentioning each of the actors who were (Alec Guinness, Marlon Brando, Anthony Franciosa, Charles Laughton and Anthony Quinn). It’s great and it’s on youtube.

Here are some Jeopardy! clues for “The Bridge on the River Kwai”
WE WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK $800: “Colonel Bogey March” [heard here] was popularized by this 1957 war movie
SHORT LINE $600: In this 1957 war movie, Col. Saito tells his captives, “Be happy in your work!”
AQUATIC-SOUNDING CINEMA $400: Alec Guinness whistled while he worked his way to an Oscar in this 1957 David Lean epic
A PINT OF ALEC GUINNESS $1200: It’s the 1957 Best Picture winner for which Guinness won his best actor Oscar as Col. Nicholson
DIRECTORS $1,000 (Daily Double): This Englishman won a 1957 Oscar for directing the epic film seen here: (“The Bridge On The River Kwai”)
LITERARY & MOVIE TITLE OBJECTS: The inspiration for this title object in a novel & a 1957 movie actually spanned the Mae Khlung River
THE BFI’S TOP 100 BRITISH FILMS $400: 7 David Lean-directed films made the list, including this 1957 P.O.W. movie that won 7 Oscars

More clues on 1957 films:
I NEED “HOPE” $1600: She earned a Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for 1957’s “Peyton Place”
ABOUT “FACE” $500: Andy Griffith starred as a bumpkin turned TV star in this 1957 movie drama penned by Budd Schulberg
THE “WILD” & “CRAZY” $1200: Add some cream & this 1957 Ingmar Bergman film sounds like a perfect dish for Wimbledon
MOVIE TITLE MATH $1600: It’s what 2(x+y) equals if x is the number of “Angry Men” in a 1957 film & y is the “Kings” in a George Clooney movie
HOLLYWOOD REMAKES $2,600 (Daily Double): This 1957 Glenn Ford-Van Heflin western was remade in 2007
POP CULTURE’S PARTING WORDS $1200: In this 1957 film classic, Marlon Brando played a war pilot who fell in love with a Japanese dancer
THEY PLAYED WYATT EARP $400: Burt Lancaster took the role in the 1957 film that could only be called “Gunfight At” this place
FOREIGN CINEMA $1200: In this 1957 Ingmar Bergman film, a knight back from the Crusades challenges Death to a chess game for his life
ROBOTS & ANDROIDS $1600: The 1957 MGM film “The Invisible Boy” featured this “Forbidden Planet” robot turning in his 2nd mechanical role on film
FRUITS $400: They were “Wild” in the title of a 1957 Bergman film
THE FABULOUS ’50s $1000: This actor who’d wanted to be an aviator since he was a lad was lucky enough to play Lindbergh in a 1957 film
THE NEW TESTAMENT $1000: Object opened in Revelation 8, or a Bergman film that opened in 1957
EVEs $1200: In this 1957 film narrated by Alistair Cooke, Joanne Woodward played a woman who had multiple personalities
STAIR-ING AT THE SCREEN $2000: Robert Preston & Angela Lansbury starred in the film version of this 1957 William Inge play
3 IS A MAGIC NUMBER $800: A psychiatrist treats a woman with multiple personalities in this 1957 film
BABY BOOMER MEMORIES $1600: In a heartbreaking scene, Travis has to kill his beloved dog in this 1957 film based on a Fred Gipson book
I’M IN “SEVENTH” HEAVEN $1000: Released in 1957, this film was based on the play “Trämålning” that had also been written by the director
“HEAVEN” & “HELL” $400: In a 1957 film, Ronald Reagan, or was it Nancy Davis, was one of these “of the Navy”
THE BEAUTIFUL $1000: In a 1957 film photographer Fred Astaire loved her “Funny Face”
THE NATIONAL FILM REGISTRY $1000: The title of this 1957 film with Burt Lancaster & Tony Curtis lends the registry a pleasant aroma
THE MOVIES $800: In this 1957 film Elvis played Vince Everett, an ex-con who develops a recording career
STAG FILMS $1000: Lex Barker of Tarzan fame played a James Fenimore Cooper title character in this 1957 film
TRIPLE FEATURES $200: What a rip-off! Joanne Woodward won only one Oscar for this 1957 film
THE SILVER SCREEN $1000: Based on a James A. Michener novel, this 1957 film earned Red Buttons & Miyoshi Umeki Oscars
SINATRA $300: As Joey Evans in this 1957 film, Sinatra belted out “The Lady Is A Tramp”
FILMS OF THE 1930S $800: This Greta Garbo film in which she played a Russian was remade in 1957 as the musical “Silk Stockings”
MOVIE AUTHORS $400: Persian poet portrayed by Cornel Wilde in 1957 film; watch it with “a jug of wine” & “a loaf of bread”