Chapter 7: Acting
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which of the following is most likely to draw an audience to a movie?
a. an established director d. special effects
b. a blockbuster screenwriter e. a cinematographer
c. a famous actor
2. American screen actor Joan Crawford’s statement, “A movie star paints with the tiniest brush,”
suggests that
a. painters and screen actors approach their art similarly.
b. a close-up will never provide the intimacy of an actor’s performance on stage.
c. the primary artist of a film is an actor.
d. the camera captures an actor’s most subtle facial expressions.
e. screen actors have complete control of details.
3. Director/screenwriter Paul Thomas Anderson enjoys an unusually close collaboration with his actors
and is able to elicit exceptional performances because
a. he improvises with actors during a long rehearsal period.
b. he writes parts specifically for the actors he hopes to cast.
c. he does not storyboard since he believes it interferes with the blocking of actors.
d. he relies on the Stanislavsky system to elicit sense memories from his actors.
e. his extensive experience directing theater helps him.
4. Experienced screen actors know their most essential relationship is with the
a. audience. d. director.
b. camera. e. production designer.
c. editor.
5. Which of the following is one of the challenges movie actors generally confront?
a. projecting their voices to the crew
b. getting interrupted by camera, lighting, and sound adjustments
c. avoiding subtle facial expressions
d. shooting in sequence
e. only getting one chance to perform a scene
6. Tom Cruise, Amy Schumer, and Will Smith are defined by their
a. identifiable personae, which they carry from role to role.
b. ability to completely reinvent themselves on screen.
c. interest in playing characters who defy our expectations of them.
d. reputations as strong nonnaturalistic actors.
e. ability to bring verisimilitude to the parts they play.
7. Johnny Depp’s acting career is unusual because he has attained star status
a. despite his reluctance to play varied roles.
b. yet primarily has worked with only one director.
c. without winning any Academy Awards.
d. despite his selection of roles in noncommercial films.
e. without any fixed persona.
8. When William Wyler cast nonprofessional actor Harold Russell, who had lost both arms in World War
II, to play a World War II veteran in The Best Years of Our Lives (1946),
a. the other actors were surprised by Russell’s use of the Meisner technique.
b. Russell had to work very hard to get into character.
c. audiences had difficulty seeing the autobiographical similarities.
d. Russell believed his extensive acting training helped him.
e. Russell almost stole the movie away from professional actors.
9. What technique does Meryl Streep use to get into character?
a. She views meticulous storyboards to help her work with the camera.
b. She tries to find the similarities between herself and the character.
c. She analyzes her previous roles thoroughly.
d. She shares life stories with the director to feel more comfortable being vulnerable.
e. She improvises every scene to keep a feeling of spontaneity.
10. In the very first movies, people on the screen were
a. vaudevillian performers. d. ordinary people playing themselves.
b. stage actor dropouts. e. magicians.
c. fresh-faced amateurs.
11. Why did the first screen actors use exaggerated gestures, emphatic expressions, and the mouthing of
words to bring their characters to life?
a. This was the standard visual language of cinematic expression.
b. Film directors told them to act this way.
c. This was the accepted comic style of the time.
d. They were adapting the acting style of nineteenth-century theater.
e. They were following the Italian national film style.
12. Which director is correctly paired with his preferred style?
a. Stanley Kubrick emphasized intellectual analysis and counseled actors to think, not act.
b. Terrence Malick encourages actors to identify with characters in a Method acting style.
c. Brian De Palma favors spontaneity and encourages improvisation.
d. Robert Altman meticulously storyboarded and pushed actors to see their performance
cinematographically.
e. Elia Kazan moved characters around the set like pawns on a chessboard.
13. How did the first on-screen appearance of the great theatrical actor Sarah Bernhardt affect the film
industry’s development?
a. She was a natural on camera and invented the art of screen acting.
b. Her sterling reputation as a theater actor carried over to make cinema respectable.
c. Her impatience with film production and general disdain for film slowed the industry’s
development.
d. Her melodramatic style worked beautifully with the intimacy of the camera.
e. Her technique invoked a range of emotions never before seen.
14. Who was responsible for inventing the art of screen acting?
a. Mary Pickford
b. Sarah Bernhardt and Clément Maurice
c. Lillian Gish, under D. W. Griffith’s guidance
d. the Art Film Society
e. F. W. Murnau
15. Why is Lillian Gish’s portrayal of Lucy Burrows in Broken Blossoms (1919) generally acknowledged
to be the first great film performance by an actor?
a. Her voice training allowed her to fully inhabit the role.
b. Her restraint of emotion was unprecedented.
c. She perfectly illustrated expressive incoherence.
d. She displayed a range of emotions not previously seen on screen.
e. Her intellectualization of the role created a distance between her and the audience.
16. Which of the following is not a characteristic of great screen acting?
a. expressive coherence
b. wholeness
c. inherent thoughtfulness and emotionality
d. disunity
e. appropriateness
17. How did Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly satirize the film industry in Singin’ in the Rain (1952)?
a. It critiqued the growing production design budgets.
b. It made fun of the dueling studios.
c. It mocked how self-centered movie stars can be.
d. It poked fun at the difficult transition from silent to sound production.
e. It made fun of our reverence for auteurs.
18. Which of the following posed no challenge for the transition from silent to sound production in films?
a. stationary microphones d. actors’ voices and accents
b. lighting equipment e. camera noise
c. poor-quality recording
19. What sound innovation did Rouben Mamoulian introduce in Applause (1929)?
a. He used one actor’s voice to replace another.
b. It was his brainchild to hide microphones in flowerpots.
c. He was the first to use the blimp when recording.
d. He had his sound technicians record overlapping dialogue with multiple microphones.
e. He concealed microphones in the bodices of actors’ gowns.
20. Which of the following describes a typical contract arrangement between a studio and its stable of
actors?
a. A studio could choose to fire or rehire an actor under contract every six months.
b. Studios locked actors into ten-year option contracts.
c. A studio could never change an actor’s name.
d. Studios had contracts that allowed actors to move to another studio if they did not like the roles
being offered to them.
e. Studios would allow actors to control their image and likeness in advertising and publicity.
21. Who are Marion Morrison, Issur Danielovitch Demsky, and Archibald Leach?
a. movie stars of the silent era
b. the original names of movie stars from the studio system era
c. the names of the three leads in the 1946 Best Picture winner, The Best Years of Our Lives
d. the heads of MGM, Paramount, and Columbia in the studio system era
e. the three individuals who devised the method style of acting
22. Which of the following describes what a movie star is?
a. zero flaws that endear them to ordinary people
b. a lack of comfort in front of the camera
c. the ability to make viewers “know” what they are thinking when a camera comes up close
d. an introverted actor who lacks screen charisma yet is very well trained
e. an actor who earns enormous sums of money but largely from nonfilm work
23. What distinguished Cary Grant from other Hollywood actors during the studio era?
a. He was the first actor to have his own production company.
b. He signed only two-year contracts with studios.
c. He was not under any studio contract.
d. He was one of the few top actors to not work with Alfred Hitchcock.
e. He won the most Academy Awards.
24. How does Elizabeth Taylor epitomize what it means to be a movie star?
a. She was a talented, glamorous Hollywood icon, yet had the power to keep her long marriage of
fifty years private.
b. She had a late start, but her career’s meteoric rise kept her starring in hit after hit.
c. She starred in Mankiewicz’s Cleopatra (1963), one of the most lavish and expensive films, and
made it a huge success.
d. She had a long career, won three Oscars, and remained a star even after she stopped acting.
e. She only starred in “classics,” and her sex appeal and beauty captivated the world.
25. The Stanislavsky system of acting trained students to
a. strive for surrealism.
b. understand their characters’ background and psychology.
c. avoid their unconscious.
d. embrace a nonnaturalistic style.
e. disconnect from emotion and intellectualize their roles.
26. The method (or method acting) did not make a major impact on Hollywood until the 1950s because
a. the studios were reliant on the star system and were not interested in the process of acting.
b. the Moscow Art Theater would not share its secret approach to acting.
c. the experimental Group Theater denounced its tenets.
d. Stella Adler was developing a rival approach to acting.
e. Hollywood was fearful of anything associated with the Soviet Union.
27. Which of the following performances is an example of method acting?
a. James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
b. Cary Grant in The Philadelphia Story (1940)
c. Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet (1944)
d. Greta Garbo as Queen Christina in Queen Christina (1933)
e. Bette Davis in All About Eve (1950)
28. Which of the following best characterizes a naturalistic style performance?
a. It appears excessive, exaggerated, or extreme.
b. It is outside of the normal range of human experience.
c. The acting is distancing and estranging.
d. The behavior is believable and recognizable.
e. Outlandish costumes, makeup, or hairstyles are common.
29. When actors are repeatedly given particular kinds of roles based on their looks rather than their talent
or experience, they are
a. screen tested. d. stereotyped.
b. pigeonholed. e. gambled on.
c. typecast.
30. How has the transition from studio production to independent production affected actors’ careers?
a. With the increase of major movies produced each year, actors have many more opportunities.
b. With the decrease of major movies produced each year, actors have had to supplement their film
work.
c. With the increase of major movies produced each year, actors have less security but more freedom.
d. With more comedies produced each year, even more quality roles are available.
e. With the increase in musicals made, more actors are seeking voice and singing training.
31. What is the biggest difference between the careers of Bette Davis, a major star during the studio era,
and Nicole Kidman, a top star of today?
a. Bette Davis performed in many different genres, while Nicole Kidman acts mostly in period films.
b. Bette Davis worked with a broad range of directors, while Nicole Kidman works almost
exclusively with Robert Benton.
c. Bette Davis made much more money from advertising work than Nicole Kidman does.
d. Bette Davis’s earning power was much greater than Nicole Kidman since studios were under
contract to share a large percentage of profits.
e. Bette Davis fought for the roles she wanted to play, while Nicole Kidman takes advantage of her
freedom to choose parts and has handpicked a broad range of characters.
32. Unlike actors performing in the golden age of Hollywood, today’s superstars
a. may choose their roles and negotiate earnings.
b. have the security of a seven-year option contract.
c. enjoy a very close relationship to the editor.
d. have little control over their image in advertising and publicity.
e. must commit to work with only one studio.
33. Today’s actors’ earnings are most influenced by their
a. talent. d. experience.
b. training. e. connections.
c. popularity with audiences.
34. An actor’s popularity is judged primarily by box office receipts and
a. award nominations. d. social media followers.
b. award wins. e. film reviews.
c. popularity polls.
35. In the 2016 Harris Poll of America’s favorite movie stars, who is the only actor in the top ten who
made films starting in the 1920s?
a. Clark Gable d. John Wayne
b. Bette Davis e. Charlie Chaplin
c. Cary Grant
36. While both John Wayne and Jeff Bridges can be described as icons of Hollywood, what is one of the
biggest differences between their careers?
a. John Wayne worked within the security of the studio system, while Jeff Bridges jumps around
within today’s independent system of movie production.
b. John Wayne averaged a movie per year in his forty-six-year career, while Jeff Bridges has made
sixty-five films to date.
c. John Wayne starred exclusively in Westerns, and Jeff Bridges has starred in a variety of genres.
d. John Wayne never refused a part, and Jeff Bridges carefully selects roles that will enhance his off-
screen image.
e. John Wayne was one of the youngest to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor, and
Jeff Bridges is one of the oldest to win at age sixty.
37. Moviegoers are most accepting of digital characters
a. that resemble stars they are familiar with.
b. that epitomize the uncanny valley.
c. in films where reality is more important than fantasy.
d. that do not represent recognizable human beings.
e. when they provide comic relief alongside real actors.
38. To play the identical Winklevoss twins in The Social Network (2010), David Fincher cast Armie
Hammer and Josh Pence and then used ________ to ensure their facial similarity.
a. makeup d. breathable masks
b. synesthesia e. 3-D imaging
c. digital grafting
39. What is often the most important factor in determining a film’s financial success?
a. casting d. the director
b. the story e. the sound track
c. special effects
40. Actor Franklin Pangborn, while never a household name, became instantly recognizable because
a. he made many appearances with Jack Russell terriers.
b. he made hilarious cameos.
c. he performed many dangerous stunts.
d. he repeatedly played distinctive types as a character actor.
e. his unusual eyes were always featured prominently.
41. Why are stand-ins used when shooting a film?
a. to double for stars in scenes that require special skills
b. to substitute for stars during the more tedious aspects of the shoot
c. to help move the plot forward
d. to bring a recognizable personality to the set
e. to feature a well-known actor briefly
42. Acting roles with little or no dialogue, reserved for highly recognizable actors or personalities, are
known as
a. bit players. d. walk-ons.
b. extras. e. stand-ins.
c. cameos.
43. Charlie Chaplin created his Tramp character
a. by building it “brick by brick.”
b. out of instinct.
c. through meticulous preparation.
d. starting with the costume.
e. using Stanislavsky’s emotional recall technique.
44. Director Sidney Lumet believed that great performances depended on
a. the ability of actors to reveal themselves on-screen.
b. actors’ understanding of the characters they are playing.
c. an intuitive sense of the character’s needs within the screenplay.
d. sharpened skills of observation and strong instincts.
e. a passion for synthesizing research with personal experience.
45. Peter Lorre’s nonnaturalistic performance in the lead role of Hans Beckert in Fritz Lang’s M (1931)
reflects the influence of
a. Konstantin Stanislavsky. d. Laurence Olivier.
b. Bertolt Brecht. e. Max Ophüls.
c. F. W. Murnau.
46. In Lars von Trier’s Dogville (2003), actor Paul Bettany frequently
a. employs outlandish costumes.
b. behaves in a very self-conscious and comic manner.
c. stares off camera with no expression.
d. breaks the fourth wall.
e. exaggerates his emotions.
47. Which of the following is considered to be a component of improvisational acting?
a. actors’ ability to stop performing if they stumble on their lines
b. an isolation between actors and directors
c. preprogrammed performance
d. strict adherence to the screenplay
e. sense of discovery, which comes from the unexpected
48. Without ________, Travis Bickle would not say, “You talking to me?” in Martin Scorsese’s Taxi
Driver (1976).
a. screenwriter Paul Schrader
b. improvisation by Robert De Niro
c. Martin Scorsese’s suggestion
d. the production designer’s idea to use a mirror in the scene
e. the cinematographer’s lens choice
49. How did director Werner Herzog create what he called “an atmosphere of hallucination, prophecy,
visionary and collective madness” on the set of Heart of Glass (1976)?
a. His contempt for actors was so great that the cast threatened to quit almost every day.
b. He hypnotized the entire cast each day.
c. He articulated each actor’s unconscious needs to the entire crew.
d. His insistence on thousands of takes drove his actors insane.
e. He directed on location of a circus.
50. What is the impact of Orson Welles’s decision to use a long take in the inciting moment of Citizen
Kane (1941)?
a. It expedites the shooting of the scene since mistakes are easily remedied.
b. It shortens the length of the scene.
c. It encourages ensemble acting that calls attention to acting, not editing between shots.
d. It makes it easier for the actors to rehearse the blocking of the scene.
e. It defuses the tension of the scene since the actors quickly leave the frame.
51. Why is ensemble acting, which emphasizes the collaborative interaction of a group of actors, and not
the work of an individual actor used less in the movies?
a. It requires the provision of rehearsal time that is usually denied to screen actors.
b. Film directors generally prefer individual acting moments over ensemble ones.
c. Actors generally do not want to share the screen with other actors.
d. Ensemble acting can reduce the emotional impact of a specific plot situation.
e. Ensemble acting does not lead to verisimilitude on the screen.
52. Carl Theodor Dreyer’s The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) illustrates the power of
a. improvisation. d. the close-up.
b. composition. e. ensemble acting.
c. a long take.
53. What is a film actor’s most basic skill?
a. understanding how to reveal him- or herself to the camera during a close-up
b. developing a rapport with the audience
c. collaborating with the actors on the set
d. communicating with the director
e. translating the screenwriter’s vision of the character
54. How do actors best reveal themselves to the camera during a close–up?
a. They step back from the camera.
b. They pay attention to how their entire bodies contribute to the shot.
c. They focus on the power of even the slightest facial gesture.
d. They gesticulate wildly.
e. They project their voices.
55. Because a screen actor delivers slightly different performances on each take, the ________ has
considerable power of shaping it in postproduction.
a. actor. d. editor.
b. cinematographer. e. casting director.
c. marketing team.
56. What does transparency mean when used to describe an actor’s performance?
a. The character is so clearly recognizable that the actor becomes, in a sense, invisible.
b. The character appears to be a blank slate upon which the audience may project.
c. The actor’s vulnerability is so apparent that our identification with the character increases.
d. The actor is illuminated so that the character appears to be radiant.
e. The actor’s characterization holds together, creating an expressive coherence.
57. How did Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling prepare for the scenes of their marriage falling apart in
Blue Valentine (2010)?
a. They spent a month “living” their roles together in the house used for the actual shooting.
b. They went to a marriage counselor in character.
c. They shot the scenes unrehearsed with seldom more than one take for each.
d. They allowed the director to verbally abuse them until they were in the correct emotional state for
each scene.
e. Through careful script analysis they learned the motivation and proper delivery of each line.
58. What was unique about the production process for the low-budget, independent Blue Valentine
(2010)?
a. It was shot in three stages according to the state of the characters’ relationships.
b. It was shot over the course of the three years.
c. The majority of the film is done in long takes.
d. The film is a combination of naturalistic and non-naturalistic acting styles.
e. The film contains a number of two-minute long close-ups.
59. How does Michelle Williams primarily convey the thought process and feelings of the character she
plays in Blue Valentine (2010)?
a. with her choice of wardrobe
b. by varying her vocal quality
c. with makeup
d. through gesture and physical movement
e. by her handling of props
60. In which of the following films did the directors insist the actors not stray from the script?
a. Bernardo Bertolucci’s Last Tango in Paris (1972)
b. Robert Altman’s Gosford Park (2001)
c. Ethan and Joel Coen’s Fargo (1996)
d. Mike Leigh’s Another Year (2010)
e. John Cassavetes’s Gloria (1980)
MSC: Applying
ESSAY
1. Explain how the particular demands of film production make it especially challenging for actors to
create convincing screen performances.
2. Explain the fundamental differences between acting for the stage and the screen.
3. How do actors breathe life into the characters they play? Provide an example from the text of how an
actor prepares for a role.
4. Explain why English film actor Michael Caine has compared the movie camera to an impossibly
attentive lover. Provide an example of an actor’s performance from the text to support your answer.
5. Explain why great acting is said to look effortless.
6. Explain how the advent of sound in the film industry affected actors.
7. How has the casting process changed since the golden years of Hollywood?
8. Explain why Laurence Olivier, one of the greatest stage and screen actors of the twentieth century,
defined acting as “convincing lying.”
9. Why might a director choose to employ nonnaturalistic performances?
10. Why might a director choose to have actors improvise a scene?
11. Despite acting’s central importance to filmmaking, explain why directors have the least precise control
over it.
12. Explain how editors may have more control over molding a performance than a director or even an
actor.
13. Describe some good ways to assess an actor’s performance.
14. Why is our perception of the quality of the acting so important in our evaluation of a film?
15. Using the film Blue Valentine (2010), explain how its unique production schedule helped to shape
performances.