Which 1935 Marx Brothers comedy was their first film for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer?
Answer
A Night at the Opera
80 1930s Movies Trivia Questions with Answers
80 public questions with answers, drawn from the well. How many can you answer?
1930s Movies trivia covers the films, performers, studios, directors, genres, and Oscar milestones that shaped cinema during the decade. Questions range from Marx Brothers and Warner Bros. musicals to Fritz Lang’s M, British science fiction, John Wayne westerns, and ambitious disaster dramas. The category also highlights landmark acting achievements and films that broke new ground at the Academy Awards.
It suits classic-film fans, cinema courses, pub quizzes, and movie-themed game nights. Players may need to connect a film with its studio, identify an actor behind a famous character, recognize a first in Oscar history, or remember the unusual ending of a 1936 disaster film. With 80 questions, the set offers a focused test of 1930s Hollywood and international cinema without requiring knowledge of every film released in the decade.
Which 1933 Warner Bros. musical introduced the song 'We're in the Money'?
Answer
Gold Diggers of 1933
Which actress was the first performer to win back-to-back Academy Awards?
Answer
Luise Rainer
Which 1936 comedy was the first film nominated in all four Oscar acting categories?
Answer
My Man Godfrey
In Fritz Lang's 1931 film M, who played Hans Beckert?
Answer
Peter Lorre
Which 1930 Western gave John Wayne his first leading role?
Answer
The Big Trail
Which 1936 disaster drama ends with the 1906 earthquake and fire in its title city?
Answer
San Francisco
Which 1937 adventure film stars Ronald Colman in a dual role as Rudolf Rassendyll and King Rudolf V?
Answer
The Prisoner of Zenda
Who played Lennie Small in the 1939 film adaptation of Of Mice and Men?
Answer
Lon Chaney Jr.
Which 1939 Western comedy stars James Stewart as Tom Destry Jr.?
Answer
Destry Rides Again
Which 1937 MGM film based on Pearl S. Buck's novel stars Paul Muni and Luise Rainer?
Answer
The Good Earth
Which 1932 Japanese silent comedy-drama was directed by Yasujirō Ozu?
Answer
I Was Born, But...
Who directed the 1939 Japanese film The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum?
Answer
Kenji Mizoguchi
Which 1938 Soviet historical film was directed by Sergei Eisenstein and Dmitri Vasilyev?
Answer
Alexander Nevsky
Which 1937 Jean Renoir film was set among French prisoners of war during World War I?
Answer
La Grande Illusion
Who directed the 1939 French film The Rules of the Game?
Answer
Jean Renoir
Which 1938 Alfred Hitchcock thriller centers on the disappearance of Miss Froy from a train?
Answer
The Lady Vanishes
Which 1939 Frank Capra film stars James Stewart as newly appointed senator Jefferson Smith?
Answer
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Which 1936 Alfred Hitchcock film is based on Joseph Conrad's novel The Secret Agent?
Answer
Sabotage (1936 film)
Which 1935 adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel starred Ronald Colman?
Answer
A Tale of Two Cities (1935 film)
Which 1938 Frank Capra film won the Academy Award for Best Picture?
Answer
You Can't Take It with You
Which 1939 film was based on Emily Brontë's novel Wuthering Heights?
Answer
Wuthering Heights (1939 film)
Which 1933 film earned Charles Laughton the Academy Award for Best Actor?
Answer
The Private Life of Henry VIII
Which 1934 musical was the first film to pair Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers as stars?
Answer
The Gay Divorcee
Which 1936 documentary by Pare Lorentz was commissioned by the U.S. government about soil erosion?
Answer
The Plow That Broke the Plains
What 1933 musical film from Warner Bros. features the song '42nd Street'?
Answer
42nd Street
Which 1935 horror film was a direct sequel to James Whale's 1931 classic?
Answer
Bride of Frankenstein
What 1937 Frank Capra film is based on the James Hilton novel about Shangri-La?
Answer
Lost Horizon
Which 1939 film won Robert Donat the Best Actor Oscar?
Answer
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
In which 1931 gangster film did Edward G. Robinson play the title character?
Answer
Little Caesar
Which 1934 film introduced the detective duo Nick and Nora Charles?
Answer
The Thin Man
Which 1932 pre-Code horror film was directed by Erle C. Kenton and based on H. G. Wells?
Answer
Island of Lost Souls
Which 1931 René Clair film has a French title meaning 'Freedom for Us'?
Answer
À Nous la Liberté
Which 1930 German film was Marlene Dietrich's breakthrough as cabaret singer Lola Lola?
Answer
The Blue Angel
Which 1930 Greta Garbo film was promoted with the slogan 'Garbo talks!'?
Answer
Anna Christie
Which 1934 Disney short marked Donald Duck's first appearance?
Answer
The Wise Little Hen
1930s Movies trivia — quick answers
What are good 1930s Movies trivia questions?
Good questions ask players to identify films from stars, songs, studios, directors, characters, and historical milestones. Examples include naming the Marx Brothers’ first MGM film, identifying the performer in Fritz Lang’s M, recognizing the first film nominated in all four acting categories, and matching John Wayne to his first leading role.
How hard is 1930s Movies trivia?
The category is moderately difficult, especially for viewers more familiar with modern cinema. Questions about major stars, popular musicals, and iconic directors may be approachable, while titles from British science fiction, early Oscar history, silent-era connections, and international cinema are better suited to dedicated classic-film fans.
Which Marx Brothers film was their first for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer?
A Night at the Opera, released in 1935, was the Marx Brothers’ first film for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It starred Groucho, Chico, and Harpo Marx and was directed by Sam Wood. The film is often regarded as one of the trio’s strongest and most influential comedies.
Who played Hans Beckert in Fritz Lang’s M?
Peter Lorre played Hans Beckert in Fritz Lang’s 1931 film M. Lorre’s performance as the disturbed child murderer became one of the defining roles of his career. The film is a landmark of German cinema, known for its sound design, moral tension, and expressionist visual style.
Which 1936 film was nominated in all four Oscar acting categories?
My Man Godfrey, a 1936 screwball comedy directed by Gregory La Cava, became the first film nominated in all four acting categories at the Academy Awards. Its nominees included William Powell and Carole Lombard in the lead categories, along with supporting performers Alice Brady and Mischa Auer.