A Question of Caine

44 questions, actually, and a ton of trivia besides, on the storied life and remarkable career of Sir Michael Caine.

Mar 14, 2023

Not a lot of people will know all the answers to these questions, but have a go anyway. Then quiz your friends, pretending you knew the answers all along. Or simply skip to the answer section and enjoy the quiz below as an epic trivia primer instead. Whichever path you choose, though, take a moment to wish Sir Michael, born on March 14, 1933, the very happiest of 90th birthdays!

QUESTIONS

Let's start with a round of questions about Caine's heist comedy classic, The Italian Job (1969).

Q1. Although it's one of his defining roles, Michael Caine was not Paramount's first choice to play Charlie Croker. When the film's British producers first raised the idea of casting him, Paramount's US bosses instead pushed for which American star?

A. Paul Newman

B. Robert Redford

C. Burt Reynolds

D. Clint Eastwood

Q2. Who sings the movie's opening song, 'On Days Like These'?

Q3. Which British comedy legend has a small role as the prison governor?

Q4. How much is the gold worth that Charlie plans to steal in the movie?

Q5. True or false: Michael Caine's brother Stanley has a small role in the movie.

Q6. In which Italian city does the job take place?

Q7. What colour are the Minis used in the job itself?

Q8. True or False: Michael Caine did his own stunt driving.

Q9. What is the name of the jaunty end theme tune?

Q10. True or False: The British Motor Corporation gave the production an unlimited number of minis to use during the film's production.

"You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!"

When you’ve got a job to do, you’ve got to do it well.

Before zooming off from The Italian Job, try completing this trio of Charlie Croker quotes:

Q11. "It's a very difficult job and the only way to get through it is we all work together as a team. And that means...

Q12. "Just remember this - in this country, they...

Q13. "Hang on a minute lads...

Some questions, now, about the great man himself.

Q14. What is Michael Caine's real name?

Q15. When Caine was called up for military National Service, in which branch of the armed forces did he serve?

A. Navy

B. Army

C. Air Force

D. Merchant Navy

Q16. Who did Michael Caine call, "the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen"?

A. Britt Ekland

B. Shakira Baksh

C. Katherine Ross

D. Miss Piggy

Q17. The 1984 song Michael Caine, for which Michael Caine contributed the repeated vocal, "My Name is Michael Caine", was recorded by which legendary British ska band?

Q18. Caine wrote a trio of trivia books in the 1980s. Was the first one called:

A: Not Many People Know That

B: Not a lot of people know that

C: What's it all about?

Q19. For more than forty years, Caine's mother Ellen paid periodic visits to a cousin named David, who suffered from epilepsy and lived in a psychiatric institution. What did Caine discover after she died in 1989?

Q20. Why did Caine reportedly turn down both of the male leads in Ken Russell's Women in Love (1969)

Q21. Following the launch of Harry Brown (2009), what did Caine suggest would give young people "a sense of belonging rather than a sense of violence"?

Q22. What's the name of the famous restaurant in London's swanky Mayfair, once a hot celebrity hangout, formerly co-owned by Michael Caine?

Q23. True or false: Michael Caine is a huge fan of chill-out music and released a compilation CD called "Cained" in 2007?

Time for a trio of quotes, now, from Michael Caine classics. All you have to do is identify what movie each one is from.

Q24. "Some men just want to watch the world burn.”

Q25. "You know, I'd almost forgotten what your eyes looked like. They're still the same. Pissholes in the snow."

Q26. "Ruprecht, do you want the genital cuff?"

Up next is a round of questions about Sir Michael's best and worst films.

Q27. What film is Caine talking about here? "One of the reasons I wanted to make it was my background. In English movies, gangsters were either stupid or funny. I wanted to show that they're neither."

Q28. Of which of his infamous "paycheck movies" did Michael Caine say, "I have never seen it, but by all accounts it is terrible. However, I have seen the house that it built, and it is terrific."

Q29. Though nominated four times for best actor, for Alfie (1966), Sleuth (1972), Educating Rita (1983) and The Quiet American (2002), Caine didn't win any of those. He did, however, win Best Supporting Actor both times he was nominated, once in 1987, and once in 2000. Can you name those movies?

Q30. Although 1964's Zulu brought Caine to international attention, it was the lead in The Ipcress File (1965) and the title role in Alfie (1966) that made him a star. So, what was the name of the spy Caine played in The Ipcress File, and because that's pretty easy, name any one of that movie's sequels:

Q31. Four of Caine's most memorable films - Alfie (1966), The Italian Job (1969), Get Carter (1971) and Sleuth (1972) - have all been horribly remade, but which two of those terrible remakes did Caine unwisely appear in?

Q32. True or False: Of the six performers who have won Oscars for their performances in films directed by Woody Allen, Caine is the only man.

Q33. On which film did director John Huston, after Caine approached him seeking feedback and guidance, tell his leading man, "You're getting paid a lot of money to do this, Michael. I think you should do it by yourself."

Q34. To date, Michael Caine and director Christopher Nolan have made eight films together. But what was their first?

Q35. According to a Time Magazine investigation, what mildly controversial moment in Sidney Lumet's twisty turny thriller Deathtrap (1982) cost the movie $10 million in box office receipts?

Q36. Before production began on what film, did Caine told director Brian Henson, "I'm going to play this movie like I'm working with the Royal Shakespeare Company."

Let's end with a special round I've prepared called Caine or Moore? Simply a series of quotes, and you have to identify whether it came from Michael or his good friend Roger.

Q37. "I am in so many movies that are on TV at 2am that people think I am dead."

Q38. "My acting range? Left eyebrow raised, right eyebrow raised."

Q39. "You get paid the same for a bad film as you do for a good one."

Q40. "Of course, I do my own stunts. And I also do my own lying."

Q41. "Be like a duck, my mother used to tell me. Remain calm on the surface and paddle like hell underneath."

Q42. "Do I believe in God? Yes I do. When you've had a life like mine, you have to."

Q43. "If I kept all my bad notices, I'd need two houses."

It's time to put on make-up. It's time to dress up right.

ANSWERS

A. Paul Newman

B. Robert Redford

C. Burt Reynolds

D. Clint Eastwood

A1. B - Robert Redford

Q2. Who sings the movie's opening song, 'On Days Like These'?

A2. Matt Monro, who also recorded the title track for the Bond movie, From Russia With Love (1963).

Q3. Which British comedy legend has a small role as the prison governor?

A3. John Le Mesurier, who was probably best known for his role as Sgt. Wilson in classic sitcom Dad's Army (1968-1977).

Q4. How much is the gold worth that Charlie plans to steal in the movie?

A4. $4 million. Noël Coward mentions that it's half a ton of gold. That's a little over 1000lbs. However, the price of gold in 1969 was about $39 an ounce, so 1000lbs would only amount to $612,486. To get $4M worth, the gang would have to steal around 7000 lbs, which would have required something like 21 minis to escape with, and no way could the bus even move with that much on board.

Q5. True or false: Michael Caine's brother Stanley has a small role in the movie.

A5. True! Stanley plays the gang member Coco. He also appeared with his brother in Billion Dollar Brain (1967) and Play Dirty (1968).

Q6. In which Italian city does the job take place?

A6. Turin, which was chosen as it had one of the world's most sophisticated traffic systems at the time.

Q7. What colour are the Minis used in the job itself?

A7. Red, white and blue, of course!

Q8. True or False: Michael Caine did his own stunt driving.

A8. False! All the stunt driving was done by members of Rémy Julienne's team. Charlie doesn't actually drive in the film - he's just a passenger in one of the minis. Also, it would have been difficult for Caine to do his own stunt driving, as he didn't pass his driving test until the 1980s.

Q9. What is the name of the jaunty end theme tune?

A9. Written by lyricist Don Black, with Michael Caine on backing vocals, the track is entitled 'Get A Bloomin' Move On', and not, as most people believe, 'The Self Preservation Society'.

Q10. True or False: The British Motor Corporation gave the production an unlimited number of minis to use during the film's production.

A10. False! They actually refused to donate any cars for this movie, only offering them at cost. Fiat, however, immediately saw the potential for product promotion, and offered an unlimited supply of Fiat 500s, plus top-of-the-line Lamborghinis and Ferraris, plus $50,000 if the producers would use the Italian cars instead of the Minis. The Minis stayed, though, as they were seen as quintessentially British. Even so, Fiat's boss donated scores of cars for filming, as well as their factory grounds for the production to film on.

Q11. "It's a very difficult job and the only way to get through it is we all work together as a team. And that means...

A11. ...you do everything I say."

Q12. "Just remember this - in this country, they...

A12. ...drive on the wrong side of the road."

Q13. "Hang on a minute lads...

A13. I've got a great idea."

Q14. What is Michael Caine's real name?

A14. Maurice Joseph Micklewhite. Caine took his stage name from The Caine Mutiny (1954), starring his all-time favourite actor, and inspiration, Humphrey Bogart. Maurice finally, legally changed his name to Michael Caine in 2016, explaining in an interview that he'd had too many problems travelling with a passport that didn't match his stage name.

Q15. When Caine was called up for military National Service, in which branch of the armed forces did he serve?

A. Navy

B. Army

C. Air Force

D. Merchant Navy

A15. Michael Caine was a veteran of B, the Army, and saw combat in the Korean War.

Q16. Who did Michael Caine call, "the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen"?

A. Britt Ekland

B. Shakira Baksh

C. Katherine Ross

D. Miss Piggy

A16. It was B, Shakira Baksh, who Caine saw in a Maxwell House coffee commercial, directed by a then-unknown Ridley Scott. Desperate to meet her, Caine was planning a trip to Brazil when a friend shared the happy news that actually, she lived in London, and gave him her phone number. Caine and Baksh married in 1973, and have been together ever since.

Q17. The 1984 song Michael Caine, for which Michael Caine contributed the repeated vocal, "My Name is Michael Caine", was recorded by which legendary British ska band?

A17. Madness

Q18. Caine wrote a trio of trivia books in the 1980s. Was the first one called:

A: Not Many People Know That

B: Not a lot of people know that

C: What's it all about?

A18. Caine's first trivia book, published in 1984, was entitled, A: Not Many People Know That: Michael Caine's Almanac of Amazing Information. The phrase, "Not a lot of people know that", actually came from an impression that Peter Sellers did of Caine on TV chat show Parkinson in the early '70s, and is not something he ever says himself.

A19. That cousin David was really his elder half-brother on his mum's side.

Q20. Why did Caine reportedly turn down both of the male leads in Ken Russell's Women in Love (1969)

A20. Because he refused to do any nudity. "I wouldn't appear nude standing still by myself, let alone wrestling with another naked man." Said Caine of the roles that eventually went to Alan Bates and Oliver Reed. "Nothing to do with art or pornography," he added. "It's a purely emotional thing. Either you can appear nude in front of a camera or you can't. And I can't. Nude women are very beautiful. Nude men are ridiculous - and ridicule is the arch enemy of the actor. However good your performance is, the audience would be looking at one thing only: to see how long it is."

Q21. Following the launch of Harry Brown (2009), what did Caine suggest would give young people "a sense of belonging rather than a sense of violence"?

A21. The reintroduction of national service in the UK.

Q22. What's the name of the famous restaurant in London's swanky Mayfair, once a hot celebrity hangout, formerly co-owned by Michael Caine?

A22. Langan's Brasserie. Co-owned with entrepreneur Peter Langan, it opened in 1976 and sadly went out of business during lockdown. It's back now, but Caine’s no longer involved.

Q23. True or false: Michael Caine is a huge fan of chill-out music and released a compilation CD called "Cained" in 2007?

A23. True!

Steve Martin and Michael Caine at their Dirty, Rotten best.

Q24. "Some men just want to watch the world burn.”

A24. The Dark Knight

Q25. "You know, I'd almost forgotten what your eyes looked like. They're still the same. Pissholes in the snow."

A25. Get Carter

Q26. "Ruprecht, do you want the genital cuff?"

A26. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

A27. 1971's Get Carter. Writer and director Mike Hodges was surprised that a star of Caine's stature would want to play such an unpleasant character, but Caine said he identified with Carter as a memory of his working class upbringing. Having friends and family members who were involved in crime, he felt Carter represented a path his life might have taken under different circumstances: "Carter is the dead-end product of my own environment, my childhood," he said. "I know him well. He is the ghost of Michael Caine."

A28. Jaws: The Revenge (1987)

A29. Woody Allen's Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), and Lasse Hallström's The Cider House Rules (1999).

A30. Harry Palmer, of course and:

Funeral in Berlin (1966) or Billion-Dollar Brain (1967). I'll also accept straight-to-video efforts Bullet to Beijing (1995) and Midnight in Saint Petersburg (1996).

A31. Get Carter (2000) and Sleuth (2007).

Q32. True or False: Of the six performers who have won Oscars for their performances in films directed by Woody Allen, Caine is the only man.

A32. True! The others winners being Diane Keaton (Annie Hall, 1977), Dianne Wiest (twice, for Hannah and her Sisters, 1986, and Bullets Over Broadway, 1994), Mira Sorvino (for Mighty Aphrodite, 1995), Penélope Cruz (for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, 2008) and Cate Blanchett (for Blue Jasmine, 2013).

A33. 1975's The Man Who Would Be King, co-starring Michael's old mate Sean Connery.

Q34. To date, Michael Caine and director Christopher Nolan have made eight films together. But what was their first?

A34. 2005's Batman Begins.

- The other seven being The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012), The Prestige (2006), Inception (2010), Interstellar (2014), Dunkirk (2017) - though that's more a cameo, with his voice heard giving orders over the radio to fighter pilots at the beginning of the movie - and most recently, Tenet (2020). Caine said, "All the films I have made with Christopher Nolan have raked in over a billion dollars. So he has to have me in a film even if he has no part for me."

Q35. According to a Time Magazine investigation, what mildly controversial moment in Sidney Lumet's twisty turny thriller Deathtrap (1982) cost the movie $10 million in box office receipts?

A35. It was the on-screen gay kiss between straight actors Sir Michael Caine and Christopher Reeve, a scene that didn't appear in the original play by Ira Levin.

Q36. Before production began on what film, did Caine told director Brian Henson, "I'm going to play this movie like I'm working with the Royal Shakespeare Company."

A36. 1992's The Muppet Christmas Carol. "I will never wink," continued Caine. "I will never do anything Muppety. I am going to play Scrooge as if it is an utterly dramatic role, and there are no puppets around me." To which Henson replied, "Yes, bang on!" And the rest is history.

Q37. "I am in so many movies that are on TV at 2am that people think I am dead."

A37. Caine

Q38. "My acting range? Left eyebrow raised, right eyebrow raised."

A38. Moore

Q39. "You get paid the same for a bad film as you do for a good one."

A39. Caine

Q40. "Of course, I do my own stunts. And I also do my own lying."

A40. Moore

Q41. "Be like a duck, my mother used to tell me. Remain calm on the surface and paddle like hell underneath."

A41. Caine

Q42. "Do I believe in God? Yes I do. When you've had a life like mine, you have to."

A42. Caine

Q43. "If I kept all my bad notices, I'd need two houses."

A43. Moore

What’s your favourite Michael Caine movie?

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