Question 1

True or false: John Schlesinger was born in London and studied at Oxford University.

Accepted Answer

False. He was born in London but attended Balliol College, Oxford, where he studied English. The statement is true in content but false in phrasing—actually it's true. Correction: He did study at Oxford.

Question 2

True or false: Schlesinger won an Oscar for Best Director for his first feature film, 'A Kind of Loving'.

Accepted Answer

False. His Oscar was for 'Midnight Cowboy' (1969), not his debut; 'A Kind of Loving' was his first feature but didn't win.

Question 3

True or false: John Schlesinger directed the iconic thriller 'Marathon Man' starring Dustin Hoffman.

Accepted Answer

True. He indeed directed the 1976 film, known for its intense dental torture scene and Hoffman's performance.

Question 4

True or false: He won an Academy Award for his documentary 'Terminus' about a London train station.

Accepted Answer

True. 'Terminus' (1961) won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject, launching his international reputation.

Question 5

True or false: He began his career as an actor before moving into directing.

Accepted Answer

True. Schlesinger acted in British films and TV in the 1950s, including a small role in 'The Battle of the River Plate'.

Question 6

True or false: Schlesinger's film 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' was the first mainstream British film to feature a gay kiss.

Accepted Answer

False. While groundbreaking for its depiction of a bisexual love triangle, it didn't have the first gay kiss; that honor goes to earlier films.

Question 7

True or false: He was one of the few openly gay directors in Hollywood during the 1970s.

Accepted Answer

True. Schlesinger was openly gay, a rarity in that era, though he kept his personal life relatively private.

Question 8

True or false: Schlesinger turned down the chance to direct 'The Godfather' because he found the script too violent.

Accepted Answer

False. He was never offered 'The Godfather'; Francis Ford Coppola directed it. Schlesinger did decline 'The Exorcist'.

John Schlesinger Trivia Questions