Image: Columbia Pictures / Bona Film Group / Heyday Films / Visiona Romantica
About This Quiz
[Warning: This quiz contains spoilers.] Former TV cowboy Rick Dalton finds himself in the last moments of Hollywood's Golden Age when he and his best friend Cliff Booth cross paths with the Manson Family. After leaving his TV show and making a few movies, Rick's been relegated to guest-starring as the bad guy on other people's shows. As he tells Cliff, "It's official, old buddy, I'm a has-been." Quentin Tarantino's ninth film is a nostalgic trip back to the days when Old Hollywood and 1960s counterculture collided. The Hollywood Rick knows is disappearing. It's now crawling with hippies who hitchhike and dumpster-dive.Â
As Rick's star power fades, his next-door neighbor Sharon Tate is just starting to get famous. Fresh off "The Valley of the Dolls" and "Rosemary's Baby," she and her husband Roman Polanski are the hottest couple in town. They spend their Saturday nights at the Playboy Mansion, palling around with movie stars and music icons. In one interlude, Sharon watches herself in a movie, nervously looking around to see if everyone laughs at all the right times. It’s sweet to watch her bask in her rising fame. It’s also heartbreaking because we know what happened to the real Sharon Tate.
Then one fateful night, history is altered when all of their lives intersect. The film imagines an alternate reality where the good old days never have to end. This bittersweet story is brought to life by an impressive ensemble cast, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margo Robbie, Al Pacino and Bruce Dern. In the words of Pacino's Marvin Sharwz, "What a picture."Â
So whether you've seen "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" once or 10 times, we want to see how well you know Tarantino's tribute to Tinseltown.Â
As an actor
As an agent
As a stuntman
In a flashback, we see an interview where Rick explains that stunt doubles do all of the dangerous parts for actors — "So Cliff here is meant to help carry the load." When asked if that's how he'd describe his job, Cliff quips, "What? Carrying his load? Yeah, that's about right."
As a director
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Spaghetti Western
During a meeting, the casting agent talks to Rick about the state of his career. Marvin tells Rick that if he doesn't change his image soon, he'll be stuck "playing punching bag" to every new network star. The agent poses this alternative: "Or do you go to Rome and star in Westerns?"
Disaster
Romantic comedy
Science fiction
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Charles Manson
Cliff finds the Manson Family residing at Spahn Ranch, a place he knows well from his days as a stuntman on "Bounty Law." The TV Western filmed on the movie ranch. When she finds out that Charles Manson is out of town, Pussycat says that Cliff will have to come back — "Charlie's gonna dig you," she tells him.
Squeaky Fromme
Tex Watson
George Spahn
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TV dinner
Grilled cheese
Mac and cheese
After driving from Rick's Hollywood Hills home to his trailer in the valley, Cliff makes boxed mac and cheese and cracks open a can of Old Chattanooga beer. The fictional brand of lager also appears in Tarantino's "Death Proof."
Roast beef sandwich
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"You were amazing. I'm practically crying."
"That was the best acting I've ever seen in my whole life."
Just like we see Sharon experience the crowd loving her scenes in "The Wrecking Crew," we also get to see Rick experience his own taste of success. After flubbing his lines in an earlier scene, he recovers and blows everyone away with his performance.
"There, there, Caleb. It'll be OK."
"You didn't bother me after all."
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Fix his TV antenna
Before effortlessly jumping onto the roof to fix the antenna, Cliff grabs his tools and sticks a can of Old Chattanooga beer in his tool belt. Up on the roof, he catches a glimpse of Charles Manson, who is scoping out Sharon's house next door.
Hang around set
Change his car's oil
Clean his pool
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Thrasher Avenue
Oriole Drive
Cielo Drive
Rick lives next door to Sharon Tate's infamous 10050 Cielo Drive home. The first time he and Cliff drive up the hill to get home, the camera lingers on the street sign. After spotting Sharon and her husband Roman Polanski from his driveway, Rick marvels that he "could be one pool party away from starring in a new Polanski movie."
Nightingale Drive
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Spahn Ranch
With the lyrics "Hot August night" and the tale of a slick leader who moves people to follow him, the Neil Diamond track foreshadows what's to come. Music plays a prominent role throughout the movie, especially during its many "driving through LA" sequences.
Tower Records
Cinerama Dome
Griffith Observatory
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Cass Elliot
Bruce Lee
Set to the infectious tune "Son of a Lovin' Man," Sharon dances and catches up with Steve McQueen, celebrity hairstylist Jay Sebring, and Cass Elliot and Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas. Later in the movie, we see a flashback where Bruce Lee helps Sharon prepare for a martial arts scene in one of her movies.
Steve McQueen
Michelle Phillips
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The Beatles
12-year-old boys
At the Playboy Mansion, McQueen explains the dynamic between Sharon, Roman and Jay — though Jay is her ex and Roman is her husband, the three are inseparable. When the partygoer he's talking to makes the above observation, McQueen responds, "Yeah, I never stood a chance."
Paperboys
Astronauts
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"Bewitched"
"The Green Hornet"
In a controversial scene, Bruce Lee challenges Cliff to a fight. Before filming an episode of "The Green Hornet," Lee's TV show, the two butt heads. Shannon Lee, the martial arts legend's daughter, called the movie's portrayal of her father a "caricature."
"Batman"
"The Man from U.N.C.L.E."
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That George Spahn is being held hostage
That George Spahn has gone blind
Cliff knows George Spahn, who owns the ranch, from his "Bounty Law" days. He's concerned that Pussycat and her hippie friends are taking advantage of the old man, so he insists on checking on him. He learns that Spahn has gone blind, but his old colleague claims that he's otherwise content.
That George Spahn is dead
That George Spahn is dying from lung cancer
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Al Pacino
Luke Perry
Kurt Russell
In addition to narrating the movie, Kurt Russell also appears in one of the film's flashbacks. Playing a stunt coordinator, he ends up firing Cliff after Rick's trusty stunt double gets into a fight on set.
Timothy Olyphant
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A flamethrower
After years of sitting unused in Rick's toolshed, the flamethrower from "The 14 Fists of McCluskey" comes in handy. Cliff slows Sadie down with a can of Wolf's Tooth to the face and Brandy takes a bite out of her. It's Rick, though, who finishes her off with the flamethrower he'd once used to torch Nazis in a movie.
A sword
An Emmy Award statuette
A cast-iron skillet
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Action figure
Lunch box
After backing down Cielo Drive, Katie realizes she recognizes Rick from "Bounty Law." Tex is blown away and weirdly starstruck — "I had a 'Bounty Law' lunch box. That was my favorite of all my lunch boxes."
Coloring book
Toy gun and holster
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Whiskey sour
Piña colada
Frozen margarita
Earlier in the movie, Rick makes whiskey sours, but around midnight on July 9, he's making frozen margaritas. He's interrupted by the sound of the Manson Family's noisy car muffler. After he confronts the cult members, they change course and target his house instead.
Bloody Mary
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Sophia
Claudia
Monica
Francesca
Rick doesn't just make four movies while in Rome. He also gets married to Italian starlet Francesca Capucci. With a wife in the picture and his career still uncertain, Rick breaks the news to Cliff that he no longer can afford to keep him on as his chauffeur/handyman.
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Cutie patootie
Honeydew
Pumpkin puss
"I don't like names like pumpkin puss, but since you're upset, we'll talk about that some other time," Mirabella tells Rick. On the set of "Lancer," he meets the precocious young actor who won't break character while on set or eat before she does a scene.
Sweet pea
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"Bounty Law"
"Whether you're dead or alive, you're just a dollar sign to Jake Cahill," declares the voiceover on a "Bounty Law" ad. Followed by the familiar NBC chimes, naturally. Like Steve McQueen, fictional Rick Dalton played a bounty hunter on a TV Western. Unlike McQueen, Rick didn't successfully make the transition to movie star.
"Bronco"
"Maverick"
"Wanted: Dead or Alive"
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Natalie Wood
Eleanor Roosevelt
Walt Disney
To pass the time between "Lancer" scenes, both Mirabella and Rick read books. While Rick reads a Western about a bronco buster named Easy Breezy, Mirabella reads a Walt Disney biography. "He's a genius, you know. I mean a once in every 50 or 100 years genius kind of genius," the 8-year-old tells Rick.
Frank Capra
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"The Valley of the Dolls"
"Don't Make Waves"
"The Fearless Vampire Killers"
"The Wrecking Crew"
While out running an errand, Sharon stumbles upon a theater that's showing "The Wrecking Crew." Instead of using CGI to insert Margo Robbie's Sharon into the Dean Martin comedy, "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" uses the original footage with the real Sharon Tate. It's a sweet touch that honors the late actress.
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Brandy
Brandy, Cliff's pit bull terrier, is a very good dog. She's always excited when Cliff gets home and is trained to patiently wait for her dinner — rat- and raccoon-flavored Wolf's Tooth dog food. When the Manson Family breaks in, she's instrumental in taking them down.
Wolf
Fox
Randy
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"Operazione Dyn-O-Mite!"
"Tanner"
As Marvin suggested, Rick goes to Rome to star in director Sergio Corbucci's "Nebraska Jim." He also stars in three other movies while in Italy — "Kill Me Quick, Ringo, Said The Gringo," "Red Blood, Red Skin," and "Operazione Dyn-O-Mite!" "Tanner" is one of Rick's old movies.
"Kill Me Quick, Ringo, Said The Gringo"
"Nebraska Jim"
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Wild West
Red Apple
In the commercial, Rick tells us that since the brand has been around since 1862, you'll see Jake Cahill smoke Red Apple on "Bounty Law." The fictional brand appears in many Tarantino movies, including "Pulp Fiction" and "Inglourious Basterds." It even appears in Tarantino's then-girlfriend Mira Sorvino's "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion."
Lucky Star
Cahill Classics
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That Rick almost got Steve McQueen's part in "The Great Escape"
"Lancer" series lead Jim Stacy tells Rick that he was almost cast in "The 14 Fists of McCluskey," one of Rick's movies. He also asks Rick if it's true that he was in the running for McQueen's role in "The Great Escape." Rick says he never stood a chance. We see a scene from "The Great Escape" with Rick inserted into the part, though.
That Cliff killed his wife
That Cliff is banned from working as a stuntman
That Rick is about to be cast in Roman Polanski's next movie
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"Good Thing" by Paul Revere and the Raiders
"Bring a Little Lovin'" by Los Bravos
"Hey Little Girl" by Dee Clark
"Out of Time" by The Rolling Stones
As the lights turn on all around Hollywood on the evening of July 8, The Rolling Stones' catchy tune feels ominous, given that the audience knows the real Sharon Tate was just hours away from being murdered. As he did with "Inglourious Basterds," Tarantino rewrites history, though.
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1963
1969
"Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" takes place over three days in 1969 — two in February and one in July. With its Grammy-nominated soundtrack of '60s tunes and jingles, period-recreated Hollywood Boulevard, groovy costumes and throwback pop culture references, the film's a time capsule of the decade.
1967
1965
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Bagels
As paramedics load Cliff into the ambulance, Rick offers to meet him at the hospital. Cliff tells him to stay home with their gals, Francesca and Brandy. He does ask Rick to bring bagels when he visits in the morning, though.
Coffee
Muffins
Donuts
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"Stop! In the Name of Love"
"My World Is Empty Without You"
"You Keep Me Hangin' On"
Vanilla Fudge's slowed-down, trippy take on The Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On" turns the Motown hit into a psychedelic dirge. To pack even more punch, Tarantino edited the cover to crescendo with the action.
"Love Child"
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Buy a book for her husband
Attend a movie premiere
Before she spends the afternoon watching herself in a movie, we see Sharon give a hitchhiker a ride and pick up a book for her husband. She buys him a first edition of Thomas Hardy's "Tess of the d'Urbervilles." In 1979, Polanski dedicated his film adaption of the novel to her.
Eat lunch with a friend
Give a ride to a hitchhiker
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"The Donna Reed Show"
"Leave It to Be Beaver"
"Father Knows Best"
"I Love Lucy"
Sadie doesn't specifically remember Jake Cahill, but she pitches the idea of starting at Rick's house nonetheless. She reasons that TV shows like "Bounty Law" taught their generation to kill, so in her opinion, they're just in killing one of the stars who profited off such a show.
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Sharon
Jay
Rick introduces himself and is surprised they know who he is — "Oh, I know. I tease Sharon that she lives next door to Jake Cahill. If she ever wants to put a bounty on Roman’s head, she just has to go next door," Jay jokes. The film ends with Sharon opening her driveway gate and inviting Rick into her world. Just like Sharon, maybe the has-been has a future.
Abigail
Voytek
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"The devil"
"It gets"
"A donut"
Once Cliff realizes he isn't hallucinating, he recognizes Tex, Sadie and Katie from Spahn Ranch. When he struggles to remember their names, Tex delivers a line that the real Tex said, "I'm the devil and I'm here to do the devil's business." "Nah, it was dumber than that. Something like Rex," Cliff responds.
"The moon"
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"California Dreamin'"
"Straight Shooter"
Coffee heiress and social worker Abigail Folger is staying with Sharon while Roman is out of the country for a movie. After returning home from their dinner at El Coyote, Abigail sits down at the piano to play "Straight Shooter" for Sharon, Jay and her boyfriend Voytek. The song's sheet music was on the real Sharon Tate's piano the night she was murdered.
"Twelve Thirty"
"Monday, Monday"
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"That's what they tell me."
"What's the matter, partner?"
"Oooh no."
"I try."
When Rick and casting agent Marvin Schwarz tell Cliff he's a good friend, he responds both times with "I try." The movie's narrator explains how important Cliff is to Rick by describing him as "a buddy who is more than a brother and a little less than a wife."
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