So, how do you think you did on our Barbra Streisand Oscar Quiz? Check out the answers below -- including all the extra information about Barbra and the Academy Awards.
1 What award did Barbra present when she first appear on the Academy Awards broadcast?
a Best Supporting Actor
b Best Foreign Film
c Best Picture
d Best Song
The answers is d. It seemed logical since "Funny Girl" had yet to be released and Barbra was still mainly known to the world as America's top female vocalist. The winner that year was "Talk to the Animals" by Leslie Bricusse. He wasn't there, so singer Sammy Davis Jr., who done a recording of the song, accepted for him. By the way, Sammy was a big Streisand fan, too, and they socialized a lot when they lived in New York City.
2 To whom did Barbra not present the Oscar as Best Director?
a Sidney Lumet
b Sidney Pollack
c Clint Eastwood
d Katherine Bigelow
The answer is a. Sidney Lumet, director of films like "Serpico" and "Murder on the Orient Express," was often nominated, but never won the Best Director Oscar. Before William Wyler agreed to direct "Funny Girl," Lumet was considered.
3 Who was Barbra's escort the night she won Best Actress for "Funny Girl"?
a Marty Erlichman
b Omar Sharif
c Mark Rydell
d Elliott Gould
The answer is d. Elliott and Barbra were still married on April 14, 1969, even though they were legally separated as of February 13 of that year. Nevertheless, he was by her side when her name was announced -- in a tie -- with Katherine Hepburn.
4 Which Streisand-recorded song was not an Oscar nomination for Marilyn and Alan Bergman?
a "Summer Me, Winter Me"
b "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?"
c "The Way He Makes Me Feel"
d "Pieces of Dreams"
The answer is a. "Summer Me, Winter Me" was written for a movie called "Picasso Summer." Despite have Albert Finney in the starring role, the film was never released in American theaters in 1969 and was later shown only on television. Barbra had been working on a Bergman/Legrand album even way back then -- either part of "Life Cycle of a Woman" or a separate movie type album -- and "Summer Me, Winter Me" would have been one that the Bergmans had on their piano. That was how Barbra found "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?"
5 Who presented the Best Song Oscar when Barbra and Paul Williams won for "Evergreen"?
a Kris Kristofferson
b Ryan O'Neal
c Neil Diamond
d Marvin Hamlisch
The answer is c. In 1977, when he presented the award, Neil and Barbra had yet to do "You Don't Bring Me Flowers," but they were good friends. They'd both been in the Chorale Club at Erasmus Hall High School when they were teenagers (although Neil graduated from Lincoln High, not Erasmus).
6 For what film was Katherine Hepburn co-honored with the Best Actress honor in 1969?
a "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner"
b "On Golden Pond"
c "The Rainmaker"
d "The Lion In Winter"
The answer is d. The year before, 1968, Kate won for "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner." In 1982, she won again for "On Golden Pond." She was only nominated for "The Rainmaker" in 1957.
7 To whom did Barbra present the Oscar for his work in "Million Dollar Baby"?
a Morgan Freeman
b Hilary Swank
c Clint Eastwood
d Paul Haggis
The answer is c. This is a bit of a trick question because it was really Barbra with Dustin Hoffman -- the Fockers! -- who appeared together to present Best Picture. Clint collected the award as the film's director/producer.
8 What prompted host Billy Crystal to sing about Barbra in his opening number one year?
a Barbra not receiving an Oscar nomination for "Nuts"
b Barbra not receiving an Oscar nomination for "Prince of Tides"
c Barbra not receiving an Oscar nomination for "Yentl"
d Barbra not receiving an Oscar nomination for "The Mirror Has Two Faces"
The answer is b. "The Prince of Tides" received seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. Usually, a Best Picture means the director -- the auteur of the work -- is also nominated. In 1991, Barbra's direction of the film did not warrant a nomination by the Academy. Thus when Billy Crystal as host sang a medley of songs dedicated to the Best Picture nominees, he asked this musical question about "Prince of Tides" -- "Did this film direct itself?" In reaction, Barbra -- who was sitting in the audience -- laughed.
9 Who sang "I Finally Found Someone" at the Oscar ceremony?
a Natalie Cole
b Barbra Streisand
c Donna Summer
d Celine Dion
The answer is d. Natalie Cole was supposed to sing "I Finally Found Someone" after Barbra passed on the offer to do the song. When Natalie got ill, Celine was a last minute fill-in. When she performed the song, however, Barbra was not in her seat in the audience. She'd gone to the ladies room.
10 Who designed the infamous outfit that Barbra wore the night she won the Oscar for "Funny Girl"?
a Irene Sharaff
b Donna Karan
c Oscar De La Renta
d Arnold Scassi
The answer is d. The outfit, by the way, was meant to be worn by Barbra's character in "On A Clear Day," Daisy Gamble. As for the myth that it was a see-through pajama pant suit, it was not. There was a sheer quality to the fabric that was emphasized when Barbra was in the bright lights on stage. However, she had under garments and was not flashing anything to anyone!
11 True or false: In the 1976 version of "A Star Is Born," Esther won an Oscar.
The answer is false. Since "A Star Is Born" was set in the music industry, Esther won a Grammy.
12 Who won for Best Song when Barbra presented that award at the 2003 Oscars?
a Randy Newman
b Eminem
c Melissa Etheridge
d Diane Warren
The answer is b. The rapper from Detroit, who won for his song "Lose Yourself" from the film "8 Mile."
13 What was the first year Barbra appeared on the Academy Awards broadcast?
a 1966
b 1967
c 1968
d 1969
The answer is c. It was April 10, 1968. Barbra appeared soon after she'd finished filming "Funny Girl" and before she shooting "Hello, Dolly!" Although she was not yet on the big screen, she was deemed a movie star with a bright destiny ahead of her.
14 Which of the following Barbra Streisand films was not nominated as Best Picture?
a "Yentl"
b "Funny Girl"
c "The Prince of Tides"
d "Hello Dolly!"
The answer is a. "Yentl" received five nominations: Best Supporting Actress - Amy Irving; Best Art Direction-Set Decoration; Best Song - "Papa, Can You Hear Me?"; Best Song - "The Way He Makes Me Feel"; and Best Music, Original Song Score - Michel Legrand, Alan & Marilyn Bergman. It won for the Original Song Score.
15 What distinction does Barbra hold for winning the Oscar for "Evergreen"?
a She was the first Grammy winner to also win an Oscar
b She was the first female composer to ever win the Best Song Oscar
c She was the only songwriter to have ever been nominated as Best Director
d She won the Oscar for a song that went number one
The answer is b. Female lyricists had won the Oscar before Barbra, including Dorothy Fields and Marilyn Bergman (with Alan). Streisand was the first female composer to take home the Oscar. After her, however, Carly Simon, Annie Lennox, Melissa Etheridge, Fran Walsh, and Marketa Irglova, are women who've won Oscars for either writing the music or collaborating on the composition.
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