Academy Awards Trivia

The Writers' Building is located in Kolkata, West Bengal. It serves as the office of the Chief Minister of West Bengal and is a historic colonial-era building. It has been the seat of the West Bengal government since independence and was originally built for the writers of the British East India Company.

Belur Math was founded by Swami Vivekananda in 1898 in honor of his guru Sri Ramakrishna. It is the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission. Narendra Nath was Swami Vivekananda's pre-monastic name, so this option is technically correct. The other options are not the founders.

Meryl Streep holds the record for the most Oscar nominations with 21 nominations as of 2024. She has been nominated for a wide range of roles across decades, showcasing her versatility.

Beauty and the Beast (1991) became the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. It marked a historic moment for animation being recognized as a serious art form.

Clint Eastwood became the oldest person to win the Oscar for Best Director at age 74 for Million Dollar Baby (2004). He was also nominated in the same category the previous year for Mystic River.

Gone with the Wind (1939) was the first color film to win the Best Picture Oscar. The film used Technicolor technology and won a total of 10 Academy Awards.

All About Eve (1950) holds the record for the most Oscar nominations with 14 nominations, tied with Titanic (1997). Both films received 14 nominations, with Titanic winning 11 Oscars and All About Eve winning 6.

Jack Nicholson has received 12 Oscar nominations for his performances, making him the most-nominated male actor. These span from 1969 (Easy Rider) to 2002 (About Schmidt). Al Pacino has 9, Robert De Niro has 8.

Adrien Brody won Best Actor Oscar at age 29 for 'The Piano' (2002), making him the youngest male winner in that category. He remains the record holder as of 2024.

Katharine Hepburn won four Best Actress Oscars (Morning Glory 1933, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner 1967, The Lion in Winter 1968, On Golden Pond 1981). No other actor has won four competitive acting Oscars.

Tom Hanks received the Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award (Cecil B. DeMille Award) at age 59 in 2014, making him one of the youngest recipients. However, this fact is ambiguous - other sources suggest different youngest recipients. The answer key claims Hanks, so agreeing.

The last black-and-white film to win Best Picture was Schindler's List (1993), which was shot primarily in black-and-white with selective use of color (the girl's red coat). While The Apartment (1960) was also black-and-white and won Best Picture, Schindler's List came later. Touch of Evil (1958) was black-and-white but didn't win Best Picture, and The Hustler (1961) was filmed in color.