William A. Wellman Quiz Questions and Answers
1. In which year was William A. Wellman born?
A. 1894
B. 1896
C. 1898
D. 1900
Answer: B. 1896
2. What was William A. Wellman’s nickname earned during World War I?
A. Wild Bill
B. Brave Bill
C. Sky King
D. Ace Pilot
Answer: A. Wild Bill
3. Which film directed by Wellman won the first Academy Award for Best Picture?
A. The Public Enemy
B. Wings
C. A Star Is Born
D. The Ox-Bow Incident
Answer: B. Wings
4. In which city was William A. Wellman born?
A. Los Angeles, California
B. New York City, New York
C. Brookline, Massachusetts
D. Chicago, Illinois
Answer: C. Brookline, Massachusetts
5. What was Wellman’s profession before he became a film director?
A. Journalist
B. Military pilot
C. Stage actor
D. Lawyer
Answer: B. Military pilot
6. Which award did Wellman win for his service in World War I?
A. Croix de Guerre
B. Purple Heart
C. Medal of Honor
D. Distinguished Flying Cross
Answer: A. Croix de Guerre
7. How many films did Wellman direct in his career?
A. Over 50
B. Over 60
C. Over 70
D. Over 80
Answer: D. Over 80
8. Which film earned Wellman an Academy Award for Best Original Story?
A. The High and the Mighty
B. A Star Is Born
C. Battleground
D. Nothing Sacred
Answer: B. A Star Is Born
9. What genre was Wellman particularly passionate about in his films?
A. Aviation
B. Romance
C. Science fiction
D. Horror
Answer: A. Aviation
10. Why was Wellman expelled from Newton High School?
A. Cheating on exams
B. Dropping a stink bomb on the principal
C. Fighting with classmates
D. Skipping classes
Answer: B. Dropping a stink bomb on the principal
11. In which unit did Wellman serve as a fighter pilot during World War I?
A. Lafayette Escadrille
B. Red Baron Squadron
C. Eagle Squadron
D. Black Hawk Group
Answer: A. Lafayette Escadrille
12. What was Wellman’s first credited film as a director?
A. The Man Who Won
B. Second Hand Love
C. The Twins of Suffering Creek
D. Wings
Answer: B. Second Hand Love
13. Which actor starred in Wellman’s films Island in the Sky and The High and the Mighty?
A. Clark Gable
B. James Cagney
C. John Wayne
D. Humphrey Bogart
Answer: C. John Wayne
14. What was the title of Wellman’s final film as a director?
A. Battleground
B. Lafayette Escadrille
C. The Ox-Bow Incident
D. Yellow Sky
Answer: B. Lafayette Escadrille
15. How many times was Wellman nominated for a Best Director Oscar?
A. One
B. Two
C. Three
D. Four
Answer: C. Three
16. What was the name of Wellman’s mother, who was a probation officer?
A. Dorothy Coonan
B. Cecilia McCarthy
C. Marjorie Crawford
D. Helene Chadwick
Answer: B. Cecilia McCarthy
17. Which of Wellman’s films is considered a classic screwball comedy?
A. The Public Enemy
B. Nothing Sacred
C. The Story of G.I. Joe
D. Men with Wings
Answer: B. Nothing Sacred
18. What injury did Wellman sustain after being shot down in World War I?
A. Broken back
B. Broken arm
C. Loss of vision
D. Amputated leg
Answer: A. Broken back
19. How many children did Wellman have with his fourth wife, Dorothy Coonan?
A. Four
B. Five
C. Six
D. Seven
Answer: D. Seven
20. Which film directed by Wellman featured James Cagney as a gangster?
A. The Public Enemy
B. A Star Is Born
C. Wild Boys of the Road
D. The Ox-Bow Incident
Answer: A. The Public Enemy
21. What was the profession of Wellman’s father, Arthur Gouverneur Wellman?
A. Stockbroker
B. Lawyer
C. Doctor
D. Teacher
Answer: A. Stockbroker
22. Which of Wellman’s films was a major box-office hit about the Battle of the Bulge?
A. The Story of G.I. Joe
B. Battleground
C. Men with Wings
D. Wings
Answer: B. Battleground
23. What was the title of Wellman’s unpublished memoir completed before his death?
A. A Short Time for Insanity
B. Growing Old Disgracefully
C. Go, Get ‘Em!
D. Wild Bill’s Adventures
Answer: B. Growing Old Disgracefully
24. Who introduced Wellman to the film industry by suggesting he become an actor?
A. Charlie Chaplin
B. Douglas Fairbanks
C. D.W. Griffith
D. Cecil B. DeMille
Answer: B. Douglas Fairbanks
25. Which Wellman film is a dark Western about mob justice?
A. The Ox-Bow Incident
B. Yellow Sky
C. Westward the Women
D. Buffalo Bill
Answer: A. The Ox-Bow Incident