Question 1

True or false: Polanski's film 'Rosemary's Baby' is based on a novel by Stephen King.

Accepted Answer

False. The film is based on Ira Levin's 1967 novel. King's 'Carrie' was adapted by Brian De Palma. Levin also wrote 'The Stepford Wives'.

Question 2

True or false: Polanski's wife Sharon Tate was killed by the Manson Family while he was filming in Europe.

Accepted Answer

True. Tate was murdered in 1969 while Polanski was in London working on a film. He was devastated and later made 'Macbeth' partly as a tribute.

Question 3

True or false: Roman Polanski was born in France, not Poland.

Accepted Answer

False. He was born in Paris in 1933 to Polish-Jewish parents, but the family moved to Poland when he was a child. He later regained French citizenship.

Question 4

True or false: Roman Polanski won the Academy Award for Best Director for 'The Pianist'.

Accepted Answer

True. He won Best Director in 2003 for 'The Pianist', but was unable to attend the ceremony due to his fugitive status.

Question 5

True or false: Polanski directed the music video for Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'.

Accepted Answer

False. John Landis directed 'Thriller'. Polanski did direct a memorable segment of 'The Tenant' and some ads, but not this iconic video.

Question 6

True or false: Polanski holds a Guinness World Record for the longest single take in a narrative film.

Accepted Answer

True. His 2011 film 'Carnage' features a continuous 90-minute take (no visible cuts), earning a record for the longest single shot in a feature film.

Question 7

True or false: Polanski survived the Holocaust by hiding in a Polish Catholic family's home.

Accepted Answer

True. He was a child in Krakow during WWII and survived by posing as a Catholic with a foster family, avoiding the Krakow Ghetto.

Question 8

True or false: Polanski was a close friend of director Stanley Kubrick and co-wrote 'A Clockwork Orange'.

Accepted Answer

False. Polanski admired Kubrick but didn't co-write 'A Clockwork Orange'. That script was by Kubrick and Anthony Burgess, based on Burgess's novel.

Roman Polanski Trivia Questions