Game #220 – Pushing the Envelope

[mellytu74]

58. He co-starred with Shirley Temple in her first three movies.
BILL ROBINSON? JAMES DUNN?

I think needs some clarification. According to IMDB, Shirley's first three films (apart from an uncredited role) were War Babies, Red-Haired Alibi, and The Pie-Covered Wagon. None of them have anyone in common apart from her. Does Frank mean her first three films where she received top billing?

Shirley and James Dunn appeared in four films together in 1934 so I'd be more inclined to lean that way.

I think that War Babies, et al, were shorts. That leads me to Dunn, too.

[franktangredi]

I didn't think this was going to be so difficult. Once somebody gets it, the matches will come fast and furious. (And no, that's not a hint!)

[mrkelley23]

I've started making a list of Oscar winners on the list, along with their costars from their Oscar winning movie. Here's what I've got so far:

Goldie Hawn won for Cactus Flower, costar was Walter Matthau
Rod Steiger won for In the Heat of the Night, costar was Sidney Poitier.
Ingrid Bergman won for Murder on the Orient Express, costar was Albert Finney
Anna Magnani won for The Rose Tattoo, costar was Jo Van Fleet
Michael Caine won for Hannah and her Sisters, costar was Mia Farrow

I can't believe that's all there is to it, so I'm looking for another connection, but I have to get some rest.

[franktangredi]

I've started making a list of Oscar winners on the list, along with their costars from their Oscar winning movie. Here's what I've got so far:

Goldie Hawn won for Cactus Flower, costar was Walter Matthau
Rod Steiger won for In the Heat of the Night, costar was Sidney Poitier.
Ingrid Bergman won for Murder on the Orient Express, costar was Albert Finney
Anna Magnani won for The Rose Tattoo, costar was Jo Van Fleet
Michael Caine won for Hannah and her Sisters, costar was Mia Farrow

I can't believe that's all there is to it, so I'm looking for another connection, but I have to get some rest.

You're right, that's not it, but you've made a very valuable contribution here.

[silverscreenselect]

Nine actors will be used twice and three actors will be used three times.

Coming to this very late, but here's a list of multiple Oscar winners who show up in this puzzle

Katharine Hepburn - 4
Meryl Streep - 3
Ingrid Bergman - 3

Michael Caine - 2
Maggie Smith - 2
Christoph Waltz - 2
Vivian Leigh - 2
Glenda Jackson - 2
Dustin Hoffman - 2
Tom Hanks - 2
Anthony Hopkins - 2
Gary Cooper - 2

I think these are the three actors who are used three times and the nine actors who are used twice, and each match has to do with one of their specific Oscars. (I'm not sure why Frank included Katharine Hepburn here, but when we figure out her matches, we'll see why one of her movies didn't work.)

[mrkelley23]

Here's something else that might inspire someone more movie-aware than I: many of these stars were also NOMINATED for acting Oscars, but did not win. Specifically, several of them were nominated for movies by the same director, i.e.

Katharine Hepburn (On Golden Pond), Bette Midler (The Rose) – Mark Rydell
Katharine Hepburn (Long Day’s Journey into Night), Rod Steiger (The Pawnbroker) – Sidney Lumet
Katharine Hepburn (Suddenly, Last Summer), Michael Caine (Sleuth) – Joseph L. Mankiewicz

This still can't be it, because Margot Kidder, if nothing else. But it's another data point.

[silverscreenselect]

If I'm right, each match refers to a specific film or role for which an actor won an Oscar. It can't be that the other actor co-starred in that movie, because Bill Skarsgard has never appeared in a movie in which somebody won an Oscar. From what Frank's saying the match can't be that complex either.

[mellytu74]

If I'm right, each match refers to a specific film or role for which an actor won an Oscar. It can't be that the other actor co-starred in that movie, because Bill Skarsgard has never appeared in a movie in which somebody won an Oscar. From what Frank's saying the match can't be that complex either.

Yeah - I went through Herbert Marshall's filmography last night. Twice. Appearances with Oscar nominees who aren't on the list. Like Bette Davis in The Little Foxes and The Letter.

Ray Milland is a puzzlement, too. Although he and John Marley were the fathers of Oscar-nominated Ryan O'Neal and Ali McGraw, respectively, in Love Story. And Marley was nominated for that role.

[mellytu74]

Yeah - I went through Herbert Marshall's filmography last night. Twice. Appearances with Oscar nominees who aren't on the list. Like Bette Davis in The Little Foxes and The Letter.

Spitballing....

Could we be looking for switching out names?

Are we looking for Bette Davis and NOT Bette Midler?

Margot ROBBIE and not Margot Kidder? Although I can't see any co-stars for I, Tonya (her) or, say, DiCaprio (Wolf of Wall Street).

I got nothing.

[silverscreenselect]

There are 53 Oscar-winning actors on the list, who have won a total of 69 Oscars. So the Tangredi can't be linked to the specific film or else there will be a bunch of films left out, plus several actors like Bill Skarsgard have never been in a film in which someone won an Oscar.

The Ray Milland-John Marley match in Love Story seems right, because when I saw Marley's name, that's what immediately came to mind. But I don't know what would make it unique. The Rod Steiger-Sidney Poitier match also feels right, but Poitier also appeared in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner with Katharine Hepburn. And Hepburn won another Oscar for The Lion in Winter, which co-starred a young Anthony Hopkins. All of which gets more and more confusing.

Goldie Hawn co-starred in Cactus Flower with both Walter Matthau and Ingrid Bergman. (Odd bit of completely irrelevant trivia: Hawn's boyfriend in the film was played by Rick Lenz, who since retired from acting and is now a writer, penning novels as Richard Lenz. I've reviewed a couple of his books and e-mail corresponded with him about his acting career, specifically his time on the TV series Hec Ramsey with Richard Boone.)

[franktangredi]

There are 53 Oscar-winning actors on the list, who have won a total of 69 Oscars. So the Tangredi can't be linked to the specific film or else there will be a bunch of films left out, plus several actors like Bill Skarsgard have never been in a film in which someone won an Oscar.

The Ray Milland-John Marley match in Love Story seems right, because when I saw Marley's name, that's what immediately came to mind. But I don't know what would make it unique. The Rod Steiger-Sidney Poitier match also feels right, but Poitier also appeared in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner with Katharine Hepburn. And Hepburn won another Oscar for The Lion in Winter, which co-starred a young Anthony Hopkins. All of which gets more and more confusing.

Goldie Hawn co-starred in Cactus Flower with both Walter Matthau and Ingrid Bergman. (Odd bit of completely irrelevant trivia: Hawn's boyfriend in the film was played by Rick Lenz, who since retired from acting and is now a writer, penning novels as Richard Lenz. I've reviewed a couple of his books and e-mail corresponded with him about his acting career, specifically his time on the TV series Hec Ramsey with Richard Boone.)

It's only fair to state that some Oscar-winning actors are here for their Oscar-winning films and some are not. Some are here for both.

[silverscreenselect]

It's only fair to state that some Oscar-winning actors are here for their Oscar-winning films and some are not. Some are here for both.

Haing Ngor has to be on here for his role in The Killing Fields. He had no other significant filmography, and I can't believe Frank would set up a link for him to some other actor in a B-movie to make life even more difficult for us.

The co-stars in The Killing Fields are Sam Waterston, John Malkovich, Julian Sands, and Craig T. Nelson, none of whom appear in the puzzle. The director was Roland Joffe, who directed several other significant films, including The Mission, Fat Man and Little Boy, Super Mario Brothers, and The Scarlet Letter. I don't think the link involves the director, because some of these films were directed by people with extensive filmographies involving lots of different actors (Woody Allen, Stanley Kramer, Sidney Lumet, etc.)

Could the link involve the title of the film? Perhaps another movie with "Killing" or "Fields" in it. Maggie Smith won an Oscar for California Suite, and Walter Matthau was in Plaza Suite, for example.

Frank said that once we figured out the link, the pairings would come very quickly, which means that it should involve something with limited options for alternative matches.

[mrkelley23]

Or how about Rod Steiger as WC Fields?

Did someone win an Oscar for a movie with the word Lane in the title? That would ease my mind about Margot Kidder, for instance.

Matthew McConnaghy won for the Dallas Buyers club. Didn't someone on this list start in Stella Dallas? I'm on my phone and at a family dinner, so I can't do any checking.

[franktangredi]

Frank said that once we figured out the link, the pairings would come very quickly, which means that it should involve something with limited options for alternative matches.

Unless I slipped up somewhere, there should be NO alternative matches.

[mellytu74]

Or how about Rod Steiger as WC Fields?

Did someone win an Oscar for a movie with the word Lane in the title? That would ease my mind about Margot Kidder, for instance.

Matthew McConnaghy won for the Dallas Buyers club. Didn't someone on this list start in Stella Dallas? I'm on my phone and at a family dinner, so I can't do any checking.

Katharine Hepburn won her first Oscar for Morning GLORY, which starred Matthew Broderick

I'm still unconvinced because there are too many possibilities.

[mellytu74]

Or how about Rod Steiger as WC Fields?

Did someone win an Oscar for a movie with the word Lane in the title? That would ease my mind about Margot Kidder, for instance.

Matthew McConnaghy won for the Dallas Buyers club. Didn't someone on this list start in Stella Dallas? I'm on my phone and at a family dinner, so I can't do any checking.

Katharine Hepburn won her first Oscar for Morning GLORY, which starred Matthew Broderick

I'm still unconvinced because there are too many possibilities.

On the other hand, James Dunn won for A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Saorise Ronan was in Brooklyn
Jimmy Stewart won for The Philadelphia Stoy and Tom Hanks was in Philadelphia

One-word titles?

[mellytu74]

Or how about Rod Steiger as WC Fields?

Did someone win an Oscar for a movie with the word Lane in the title? That would ease my mind about Margot Kidder, for instance.

Matthew McConnaghy won for the Dallas Buyers club. Didn't someone on this list start in Stella Dallas? I'm on my phone and at a family dinner, so I can't do any checking.

Katharine Hepburn won her first Oscar for Morning GLORY, which starred Matthew Broderick

I'm still unconvinced because there are too many possibilities.

On the other hand, James Dunn won for A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Saorise Ronan was in Brooklyn
Jimmy Stewart won for The Philadelphia Story and Tom Hanks was in Philadelphia

One-word titles?

For heaven's sake, THAT won't work. Tom Hanks won for Philadelphia.

[mrkelley23]

Using Melly's idea:

18. Haing S. Ngor won for The Killing Fields, and 71. Sterling Hayden was in The Killing.

58. James Dunn won for A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and 25. Saoirse Rona was in Brooklyn

1. Maggie Smith won for California Suite, and 40. Ray Milland was in California

85. Katharine Hepburn won for Morning Glory, and 17. Matthew Broderick won for Glory.

5. Audrey Hepburn won for Roman Holiay, and 85. Katharine Hepburn was in Holiday.

83. James Stewart won for The Philadelphia Story, and 43. Tom Hanks was in Philadelphia.

I think Melly's got it.

[mrkelley23]

26. Anna Magnani won for The Rose Tattoo, and 53. Bette Midler was in The Rose.

[mrkelley23]

3 of the people on the "winners" list won for movies that had one-word titles: Tom Hanks for Philadelphia, Jamie Foxx for Ray, and Cillian Murphy for Oppenheimer. So they must be here for other reasons, as with Hanks completing the James Stewart match. It doesn't mean he won't be on here again, but he won't be here as a winner.

[mrkelley23]

7. Goldie Hawn won for Cactus Flower, and 64. Isabelle Huppert was in Cactus.

9. Edmund Gwenn won for Miracle on 34th Street, and 46. Kurt Russell was in Miracle

3. Lionel Barrymore won for A Free Soul, and 63. Jamie Foxx was in Soul

Gotta go to bed now. Congrats, Melly!

[jarnon]

15. Diane Keaton won an Oscar for ANNIE Hall (35. Albert Finney)

16. Simone Signoret won an Oscar for ROOM at the Top (56. Brie Larson)

38. Joanne Woodward won an Oscar for The Three FACES of Eve (75. John Marley)

54. Rod Steiger won an Oscar for In the HEAT of the Night (19. Al Pacino)

60. Alec Guinness won an Oscar for Bridge over THE RIVER Kwai (49. Mel Gibson)

65. Alan Arkin won an Oscar for Little Miss SUNSHINE (2. Cillian Murphy)

78. John Houseman won an Oscar for THE PAPER Chase (4. Michael Keaton)

85. Katharine Hepburn also won an Oscar for The LION in Winter (44. Dev Patel)

I admit I looked most of these up.

[franktangredi]

And they're coming fast and furious....

[silverscreenselect]

Before I get shut out of this:

61. Ed Begley won for Sweet Bird of Youth and 13. Forest Whitaker was in Bird
22. Burl Ives won for The Big Country and 43. Tom Hanks was in Big
27. Michael Caine won for Hannah and Her Sisters and 70. Margo Kidder was in Sisters
59. Clark Gable won for It Happened One Night and good old 37. Bill Skarsgard was in It
48. Tilda Swinton won for Michael Clayton and 29, John Travolta was in Michael
28. Matthew McConaughey won for The Dallas Buyers Club and 41. Gary Cooper was in Dallas
23. Dustin Hoffman won for Rain Man and 69. Joan Crawford was in Rain
14. Warner Baxter won for In Old Arizona and 34. Jean Arthur was in Arizona

[mellytu74]

Jeeez, I come downstairs for a drink of water and realize that Audrey Hepburn and Roman Holiday and other Hepburn and Holiday works.

So I figure I'll add it to the list and BOOM!!!! An explosion of titles!!!