Image: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
About This Quiz
Military exploits, when done right via cinema, produce a historical legacy worth watching. "The Wings of Eagles" is one such legacy. Think you can soar with the historical and fictional details of this 1957 flick? Then hop on in and take the quiz!
The legendary screen hero, John Wayne, who usually played cowboys in movies, played a military man in this film. In which branch of the military does he serve?
navy
John Wayne played the navy man Frank Wead in this film. His character’s nickname is Spig.
army
air force
scout rangers
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John Wayne’s leading lady, Maureen O’Hara, plays his character’s love interest in this film. What is their relationship?
husband and wife
Maureen O’Hara played Spig Wead’s wife, Minnie. Spig called her Min for short.
engaged couple
boyfriend-girlfriend
casual lovers
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The film features a kind of “friendly rivalry" between the navy and this other military division. Which was it?
army
The film portrays a rivalry between the army and the navy. Specifically, both branches of the armed forces are competing in flying.
marines
air force
navy seals
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It’s 1919, and the film’s story starts when this major war has already ended. Which war was this?
Korean War
World War II
World War I
World War I had just ended when the story of Spig Wead began. He hadn't been assigned to a war-like situation during the early part of his career, so he focused on other things.
Cold War
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While he was an army man, Spig Wead also knew how to operate one of these military vehicles. What is it?
turbo jet
seaplane
Spig knews how to fly a seaplane. In fact, he took an army man in one, to up the ante of their competition.
Concorde
helicopter
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In the early part of his career, Spig’s family was composed of his wife, Min, and this other relative. Who was it?
their baby son
Min and Spig had a baby boy they nicknamed Commodore. Unfortunately, he died.
their twin boys
his in-laws
his parents
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The army and the navy soon entered a kind of formal friendly competition where they will race each other. Where did this race take place?
in Germany
in Miami
around the world
The friendly competition between the army and the navy was supposed to take place around the world. It was an aircraft flying race.
in the South Pacific
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Since Spig Wead was a military man, his family often did this, depending on where he was stationed. What did they do?
droppied out of college
moved around
Depending on where a military man will be stationed, his family moves around with him. Oftentimes, this takes a toll on the family, especially the partner and the children left behind.
established a business
created fake names
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Did Spig and Min Wead have other children?
yes
After the death of their baby boy, Min and Spig did try to have children again. They had two daughters.
no
they adopted one
just pets
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During the early part of his career, Spig was stationed at the Pensacola naval base in this state.
California
Florida
Spig and Min were happily married with their little baby boy in tow during the early part of his military career. They stayed in Florida, where there was a naval base located in Pensacola.
Louisiana
Arizona
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Since Spig was always absent in their household, the only chance his two daughters had of seeing him was through this media.
newspapers
newsreels
Whenever there were military newsreels played before a movie in a theater, Spig's family occasionally caught glimpses of him.
radio
telegraphs
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Spig came home one day to find empty bottles of liquor on the floor, and his wife, Min, was nowhere to be found. What did this scene imply?
Min made their daughters drink
Min had a lover
Min took to drinking in Spig's absence
Spig deduced that his absence and their moves were taking a toll on his wife. Min took to drinking, and playing cards, while their children fended for themselves without adult supervision.
their daughters were partying all the time
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Spig’s rising career was put to a halt when he had an accident. What happened to him?
gunned down by a robber
spiked his face while getting the cat from the tree
fell down the stairs
Spig fell down the stairs one night, when he was awakened by one of their daughters who was having a bad dream. He broke his spine in several places.
developed insomnia
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What did Min call Spig, in reference to his dedication to serving his country by doing anything the military asked him to do?
Military Mighty
Star Spangled Spig
Star Spangled Spig was Min's nickname for her husband. It's unclear if she meant it to mock him, or admire him.
Ferocious Frank
Wallowing Wead
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As a result of his accident, Spig ended up with a serious medical condition. What was it?
he was paralyzed
Spig was paralyzed as a result of the accident. He couldn't move his body from the neck down.
he lost a leg
he lost an arm
he couldn't speak or hear
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What happened to Spig and Min after Spig's accident?
Min died
Spig died on Min
Spig separated from Min
Spig separated from Min to preserve his dignity and help preserve Min's sanity.
Spig took on a lover
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Spig was later assigned an assistant named Carson to help him. What was Carson’s nickname?
Jughead
A mechanic from the navy named Carson became Spig's dedicated assistant and friend. Spig called him Jughead.
Reggie
Moose
Dilton
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One of Jughead Carson’s tricks to encourage Spig’s recovery was to chant this sentence over and over again — “I’m gonna move that __.”
ear
toe
Placed face down in a hospital bed, Spig couldn't see anything much but his foot. To help with his recovery, Jughead encouraged Spg to chant "I'm gonna move that toe."
eye
thumb
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Spig’s doctors sometimes secretly advised Jughead to give Spig a shot or two of this. What was it?
soup
tea
alcohol
Jughead set up a clothes hanger behind a mirror to hide the liquor he sometimes gave Spig. On several occasions, medical professionals also advised Jughead to give Spig a few shots of various types of alcohol.
coffee
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While confined to the hospital, Spig always received these from his Navy flight partner, John Price. But they were actually from Spig’s wife, Min. What were they?
oranges
candies
roses
A bouquet of flowers were seen in Spig's room daily, brought supposedly by his navy buddy, Price. But Spig later figured out that it was Min who was sending them.
bottles of whiskey
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Jughead Carson tried to encourage Spig to move his toe more. What musical instrument did he use to help do this?
xylophone
bongo drums
ukulele
Jughead played the ukulele and sang "I'm gonna move that toe."
harmonica
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Jughead Carson also suggested that Spig take up this hobby. What was it?
drawing
writing
Spig took to writing and even tried to write stories about his navy life. He sometimes sent them to publications, but kept getting rejected.
reading
postcard collecting
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When Spig was finally able to move more than his toe, what did he next use during his rehabilitation?
wheelchair
crutches
Spig's physical therapy included getting used to walking using crutches.
bionic legs
rollerblades
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After rehabilitation using a wheelchair and walking with crutches, Spig was finally able to walk with the assistance of this. What was it?
rollerblades
canes
Spig fully recovered from his paralysis. He later used simple walking canes to guide him in his steps.
stools
motorbike
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Spig’s stories eventually got published in magazines. Hollywood soon came knocking and asked him to write one of these.
credits
title cards
script
Spig later tried writing scripts for movies.
log lines
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Spig began writing screenplays that featured this aspect of life with which he was most familiar with. What was it?
macho adventures
paralysis
real military life
Spig didn't have to imagine much when he tried writing scripts based on his military life. In fact, the real Spig Wead became friends with film director, John Ford, after writing scripts for films that Ford directed.
family life
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Spig Wead was initially reluctant to write screenplays, but the navy officers convinced him to do so since the profits would be used for this. What was it?
to build a space shuttle
to go to war with the Germans
to buy aircraft carriers
Spig's dream was to really bring aviation to the navy. Having aircraft carriers would help his dream come true.
to compete with the army
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Spig eventually became a successful screenplay writer. He then tried this type of writing.
newspaper
theater
Spig also tried his hand at being a playwright. From Hollywood to Broadway, he also found some success in theater.
poetry
music
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By the time Spig made it big on Broadway, he tried to reconcile with his estranged wife, Min, who lived in California. In what city did Min and their daughters live?
Santa Barbara
San Diego
San Francisco
Spig found out that Min was single and living in San Francisco. He decided to drop in for a visit.
San Luis Obispo
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Just when Min and Spig were about to get together again as a family, this happened. What was it?
Hitler died
the attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a huge turning point in Spig Wead's life. He readily enlisted again, despite his previous injuries.
the bombing at Nagasaki
Korean war broke out
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After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Spig rejoined the Navy to help fight what war?
Korean War
World War II
World War II began with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Once again sacrificing his family for service to his country, Spig rejoined the Navy to help fight the war.
Vietnam War
Gulf War
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For his World War II post, Spig became the commander of a naval air carrier, seeing his lifelong dream come true. What nearly happened to Spig during his command?
he was captured by the enemy
he was shot by the enemy
Jughead jumped in to protect Spig aboard the carrier. A Japanese plane flew overhead and shot at them, hitting Jughead but sparing Spig.
he was killed by the enemy
he was paralyzed again
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What military vehicle did Spig think of using to replenish planes aboard the carrier?
choppers
seaplanes
jeeps
Spig thought of using military jeeps to deliver planes to the carrier.
motorbikes
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What happened to Spig while he was in service with the navy during World War II?
he was captured by the enemy
he drowned
he was shot
he suffered a heart attack
Spig suffered a heart attack while on board the carrier. This made him re-think his life and his priorities.
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The film ended when Spig was given military honors right after he suffered a heart attack. Why was he given such honors?
he died
he finally retired from the service
After his heart attack, Spig decided to finally retire from the military, supposedly to spend more time with his family.
he was captured by the enemy
he was paralyzed again
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You Got:
/35
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer