Sunday, March 3, 2013

158 Quiz Answer


This week’s answer is the movie Gigi, which won a record-breaking 9 Academy Awards, including the Oscar for Best Picture.  In tribute to Gigi's domination of the Oscars, the MGM switchboard answered calls the following day with "M-Gigi-M."

(Also for Three-Word Wednesday and ABC Wednesday: "H" is for Will Hays)
Here's this week's Berownial quiz. I wrote the following little scenelet, basing it on a very popular motion picture. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is: name the movie.


“Morning, George.  I hope you got a chance to read my film treatment.  If we go ahead and make this movie, it could be a real blockbuster.”

“You’re out of your mind.”

“What!?  You said you loved the story when you read it.”

“Sure.  Great story – to read.  But as a motion picture…  You know about Will Hays, Hollywood’s chief censor?”

“Of course.  But…

“No buts.  The brutal fact is, he’d never approve such a film.  Don’t forget, this is the 1950s and we have to accept that if the Hays Office doesn’t approve a script the film doesn’t get made.”

“But we’ll make adjustments for that in the way the script is written.”

“Take a moment to think about it, Owen.  This is a story about a little girl who is being trained to become a prostitute!  That’s why I say you’re out of your mind to think it could ever be made.”

“But it’s about Paris, around 1900.  They looked on things differently then.”

“The Hays Office doesn’t look on things differently.”

“Anyway, she’s not training to be a prostitute; she’s training to be a courtesan.”

“And that’s a different kettle of poissons, I suppose?”

“That’s right.  For centuries in Europe many girls, of low social standing and without family or fortune, were trained in etiquette, charm and the social graces so they could have a chance in life.”

“As some rich guy’s mistress.”

“But this will all be de-emphasized in our script.  American film audiences won’t have to grope for a darker meaning.  We’ll sort of clean it up.  We'll transfer it all to just a movie about a beautiful young girl in Paris around 1900 who’s being educated and it will be full of beauty and charm and stunning scenery and great music!”

“Yeah, but you don’t know Will Hays like I do.  ‘She’s being educated to do what?’ he’ll ask.”

“All we have to do is convince the Hays Office that this ‘courtesan’ deal will be totally underplayed in the script.”

“Well…  I have to admit it could be a fine movie.  Probably make a pile of money if you could ever get it produced.  If you handle the screenplay right, maybe there’s a chance.  Go ahead; get to work on the script.”

(Also submitted to Sunday Scribblings)


43 comments:

DCW said...

The only one that comes to mind is Gigi, perhaps because I saw it at a very impressionable age.

Berowne said...

DCW starts us off with the correct answer - congrats!

Kathe W. said...

My Fair Lady aka Pygmalion ??
I love these quizzes of yours!

Little Nell said...

Ah - Thank heaven for little girls! Whatever were they thinking?

It must be Gigi.

kaykuala said...

My Fair Lady?

Hank

Old Egg said...

This could be "An American in Paris" with Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron.

Berowne said...

Little Nell is our second blogger to cough up the correct answer...

George S Batty said...

Okay, I know this has nothing to do with Paris but I'm going to say. "Splender in the Grass"...the most disappointing movie I ever saw just because I wanted everyone to know that.
But my real guess is "Gigi"

Laurie Kolp said...

I love your quizzes.

Kathe W. said...

ahah ahah Gigi????

Theresa Milstein said...

I guess My Fair Lady too.

Berowne said...

Add a few winners - Kathe W and gsb both gave the right answer.

Tess Kincaid said...

Gigi?

Berowne said...

Tess Kincaid has just joined the victory brigade! She has provided us with the correct aswer.

Roger Owen Green said...

I don't know. It's sounds a little like Camille, with Greta Garbo, but the time frame is wrong.

Heidi said...

Gigi

Altonian said...

Not only 'thank heaven for little girls' - thank heaven for a good memory still, therefore - GIGI !

Berowne said...

Heidi and Altonian are the latest to come up with the right answer.

Jae Rose said...

My first thought was the film with Jodie Foster..but that's not set in Paris in the 50's is it? searched a bit and Belle de Jour? But not sure if that was a film..you always teach me something!

21 Wits said...

It just has to be Gigi!

Jennifer Wagner said...

I don't know...but it does sound intriguing.

Berowne said...

Another news flash from the fighting front: Karen S also gave us the correct answer.

Berowne said...

old egg: This could be "An American in Paris" with Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron.
Right girl, wrong guy. :-)

Bodhirose said...

Leslie Caron played "Gigi" with the much older womanizer Maurice Chavelier.

Berowne said...

Congrats to Bodhirose for another right answer.

Lyn said...

I'm humming "Gigi"...hmmm...??

Berowne said...

Another correct answer, from Lyn this time. We knew she'd come through; she usually does.

Silent Otto said...

I want to hear about the shipwreck , cheers.

Silent Otto said...

Deep throat ?

Reader Wil said...

This sounds like an interesting movie, although the subject doesn't appeal to me. I am awfully sorry, but I don't know the title of the movie.
Wil, ABCW Team.

Leslie: said...

My first thought was "Gigi" and didn't it star Leslie Caron?

Leslie
abcw team

Berowne said...

Leslie has visited our blog again and again with the right answer...

Anonymous said...

Haven't got a clue as to the title of the movie, but a nice bit of writing that has me intrigued.

Melanie Kennelly said...

Gigi?

Berowne said...

And now it's Melanie Boudwin who has just come up with the right answer.

Sheilagh Lee said...

Gigi

Berowne said...

Ring up another correct answer, this one from Sheilagh Lee.

Helena said...

For a useless, fleeting moment I thought it was going to be Barton Fink. I haven't a Scooby, I'm afraid!

Lydia said...

'zactly as I am seeing others guessing, my idea was My Fair Lady. But that was in the '60s so it didn't seem right. And the play Pygmalion was way earlier. I am truly stumped.

Susan Anderson said...

Gigi, one of my favorites!

:)

Berowne said...

My thanks to all who participated...

Tumblewords: said...

I guess right - it, of course, helped to come when the answer was outfront and upfront. Grin. Thanks for the tale.

Sharp Little Pencil said...

CRAP! Another one I missed and would have gotten!! I have to get my internal clock together, Berowne, because these quizzes are great! Peace, Amy
http://sharplittlepencil.com/2013/03/06/night-bus-nyc-3ww-real-toads/

 
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