Pop Culture Crossword - WordMint - Free Printable

Here are the answers to the Pop Culture crossword puzzle, solved step-by-step.

Across

3. In which country was Lego invented?
* Reasoning: The famous toy brand Lego was founded by Ole Kirk Christiansen in Billund. This town is located in Denmark.
* Answer: DENMARK (7 letters)

6. Famous movie or play about a lion?
* Reasoning: The most famous story involving a lion as the main character is *The Lion King*.
* Answer: THELIONKING (11 letters) — *Note: Crosswords often remove spaces.*

8. What film studio made WALL-E, Toy Story and Brave?
* Reasoning: These are all classic animated films produced by Pixar Animation Studios.
* Answer: PIXAR (5 letters)

9. Which show about Danny and Sandy was made into a film with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John?
* Reasoning: John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John starred in the movie version of the musical *Grease*. The characters Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson are the leads.
* Answer: GREASE (6 letters)

11. What was the original title of the horror classic "Halloween"?
* Reasoning: Before it was released as *Halloween*, the script by John Carpenter and Debra Hill was titled *The Babysitter Murders*.
* Answer: THEBABYSITTERMURDERS (20 letters)

13. Which 90s revival hit shares its name with a gangster city?
* Reasoning: The TV show *Chicago Hope* aired in the 90s, but a more direct "gangster city" reference is likely *Chicago* (the musical/movie), but that's older. Let's look at TV shows. *Miami Vice*? No. How about the show *NYPD Blue*? No. Wait, "Gangster City" usually refers to Chicago during Prohibition. The 90s revival hit could be the musical Chicago which had a massive revival in 1996. Or perhaps the TV show Wiseguy? No. Let's look at clue 13 again. "Shares its name with a gangster city". The city is Chicago. The hit is the musical *Chicago*.
* Answer: CHICAGO (7 letters)

14. Who succeeded Nixon as President of the USA in 1974?
* Reasoning: When Richard Nixon resigned in August 1974, his Vice President took over. That person was Gerald Ford.
* Answer: GERALDFORD (10 letters)

16. Which show, starring Robert Preston and Barbara Cook on Broadway?
* Reasoning: Robert Preston and Barbara Cook starred in the original Broadway production of *The Music Man* (1957).
* Answer: THEMUSICMAN (11 letters)

19. Which candy did the boy in E.T. use to lure the extraterrestrial?
* Reasoning: In the movie *E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial*, Elliott uses Reese's Pieces to lead E.T. into his house.
* Answer: REESESPIECES (12 letters)

20. What cult classic was made in 1975?
* Reasoning: A very famous cult classic released in 1975 is *The Rocky Horror Picture Show*.
* Answer: THEROCKYHORRORPICTURESHOW (24 letters) — *Wait, let's check the grid length. If 20 Across is long, this fits. Another option is 'Jaws', but that's not typically called a 'cult classic' in the same way. 'Rocky Horror' is the definitive cult classic from that era.*

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Down

1. Who was US President when America entered World War II?
* Reasoning: The US entered WWII after Pearl Harbor in December 1941. The President at that time was Franklin D. Roosevelt.
* Answer: FRANKLINROOSEVELT (17 letters) — *Often referred to as FDR, but the full name fits better if the grid is long. Let's check common crossword answers. Usually "FDR" or "ROOSEVELT". Given the space, ROOSEVELT (9) or FRANKLINROOSEVELT. Let's assume ROOSEVELT for now unless the grid dictates otherwise. Actually, looking at clue 1, it intersects with 3 Across (DENMARK). D is the first letter of DENMARK. So 1 Down starts with D? No, 1 Down starts at the top left. 3 Across starts later. Let's re-read the grid structure mentally. 1 Down is the very first vertical word. 3 Across is horizontal. They don't necessarily share the first letter. However, standard history answer is Franklin D. Roosevelt. Let's go with ROOSEVELT (9 letters) or FDR (3). Let's look at clue 10. 10 Down is "What film adapted from a one-woman off-Broadway show...". That's *Little Shop of Horrors*. 10 Down intersects with 7 Across. 7 Across is "First hippie musical". That's *Hair*. H-A-I-R. 10 Down starts with the last letter of Hair? No, 10 Down is separate. Let's stick to the facts.*
* Refined Answer: ROOSEVELT (9 letters) is the most common crossword answer for this.

2. What movie or play is about a village girl falling in love with a beast?
* Reasoning: This is the plot of *Beauty and the Beast*.
* Answer: BEAUTYANDTHEBEAST (17 letters)

4. The longest running show ON BROADWAY is...
* Reasoning: As of 2026, the longest-running show in Broadway history is *The Phantom of the Opera*. It closed in 2023 but holds the record.
* Answer: THEPHANTOMOFTHEOPERA (22 letters)

5. What famous movie or play about a girl that's not in Kansas anymore?
* Reasoning: The famous line "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore" is from *The Wizard of Oz*.
* Answer: THEWIZARDOFOZ (14 letters)

7. What was the name of the first hippie musical?
* Reasoning: *Hair* is widely considered the first major hippie/rock musical on Broadway.
* Answer: HAIR (4 letters)

10. What film adapted from a one-woman off-Broadway show is considered the most profitable movie in Hollywood history?
* Reasoning: The question phrasing is slightly tricky. *Little Shop of Horrors* was a one-man/woman show? No. *Evita*? No. Wait, *The Blair Witch Project*? No. Let's look at "one-woman off-Broadway show". Maybe it means *Gypsy*? No. Actually, the most profitable movie relative to budget is often cited as *Paranormal Activity* or *Blair Witch*. But adapted from a one-woman show? Ah, perhaps it refers to Little Shop of Horrors? No. Let's reconsider. Is there a movie adapted from a monologue? *Driving Miss Daisy*? No.
* Correction: The clue might be referring to "Little Shop of Horrors" which was based on a Roger Corman film, which was based on... no. Let's look at "My Fair Lady"? No.
* Alternative Interpretation: Maybe it's "Funny Girl"? No.
* Let's look at Clue 15: "Which show was based on the autobiography of Gypsy Rose Lee?" That is definitely GYPSY.
* Back to 10 Down: "One-woman off-Broadway show". Could it be "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change"? No. What is the *most profitable* movie? *Gone with the Wind* adjusted for inflation? Or *Star Wars*? Neither are from one-woman shows.
* Wait, maybe the clue means "The Vagina Monologues"? No movie wasn't the most profitable.
* Let's re-read carefully: "Adapted from a one-woman off-Broadway show". There is a movie called "Waitress"? No.
* Actually, there is a famous case of "Little Shop of Horrors" being very profitable, but it wasn't a one-woman show.
* Could it be "Mame"? No.
* Let's look at the intersection. 10 Down intersects with 7 Across (HAIR). If 7 Across is HAIR, 10 Down starts with R? No, 10 Down is to the right.
* Let's try a different angle: What if the "one-woman show" is "Gypsy"? No, that's Clue 15.
* Is it possible the clue refers to "Chicago"? The musical *Chicago* is based on a play.
* Let's guess: The most profitable film of all time (unadjusted) is *Avatar* or *Endgame*. Adjusted is *Gone with the Wind*. None fit.
* Maybe the clue is "Little Shop of Horrors" and the "one-woman" part is a distractor or I am misremembering the origin? *Little Shop* started as a short film.
* Let's look at "My Cousin Vinny"? No.
* Okay, let's look at Clue 12: "The prequel for The Wizard of Oz". That is WICKED (the musical) or potentially the movie *Oz the Great and Powerful*. Since it's a crossword, WICKED (6 letters) is a very strong candidate for a pop culture quiz.
* Back to 10 Down: If 12 Down is WICKED, does that help? Not really.
* Let's reconsider 10 Down: "One-woman off-Broadway show". "Sister Act"? No. "Hairspray"? No.
* Ah! There is a movie "Julie & Julia"? No.
* What about "Rent"? No.
* Let's try "The Sound of Music"? No.
* Is it possible the answer is LITTLESHOPOFHORRORS? It is extremely profitable relative to cost. But was it a one-woman show? No.
* Wait, could it be "Annie"? No.
* Let's look at Clue 17: "What did the Little Shop hold in the movie which premiered in 1982?" The plant held AUDREYII (or just AUDREY). The plant's name is Audrey II.
* Clue 18: "What kind of animal was Baloo in The Jungle Book?" Baloo is a BEAR (specifically a Sloth Bear, but usually just Bear in trivia).

Let's refine the Down answers based on typical crossword lengths:

1. ROOSEVELT (9) or FDR (3). Given "US President", ROOSEVELT is safer.
2. BEAUTYANDTHEBEAST (17).
4. THEPHANTOMOFTHEOPERA (22).
5. THEWIZARDOFOZ (14).
7. HAIR (4).
10. ??? Let's leave this for a moment.
12. WICKED (6). (Prequel to Wizard of Oz).
15. GYPSY (5). (Based on Gypsy Rose Lee's autobiography).
17. AUDREYII (8) or PLANT (5)? The question asks "What did the Little Shop hold". It held a man-eating plant. The name is Audrey II. Let's go with AUDREYII.
18. BEAR (4).

Re-evaluating 10 Down:
"What film adapted from a one-woman off-Broadway show is considered the most profitable movie in Hollywood history?"
This is a very specific trivia question.
Could it be "My Left Foot"? No.
"Monster"? No.
Actually, "Little Shop of Horrors" (1986) was not the most profitable.
However, "The Blair Witch Project" was marketed heavily, but not from a one-woman show.
Is there a mistake in my understanding of "one-woman show"?
Maybe it refers to "Mamma Mia!"? No.
How about "Chicago"? The 2002 movie was huge. Was the source material a one-woman show? No, it was a play.
What if the answer is "GREASE"? No.
Let's look at "Funny Girl"? Barbra Streisand.
Actually, there is a film called "I, Tonya"? No.
Let's consider "Slumdog Millionaire"? No.

Let's look at the intersection with 7 Across (HAIR) and 11 Across (THEBABYSITTERMURDERS).
10 Down is to the right of 7 Across.
If 7 Across is HAIR, 10 Down starts at the square after R? No, 10 Down is a separate column.
Let's assume the answer is LITTLESHOPOFHORRORS despite the "one-woman" descriptor possibly being erroneous in the puzzle or referring to a specific obscure fact (e.g., the original concept?). Or perhaps the clue meant "One-act"?
Actually, wait. "My Fair Lady"? No.
Let's try "EVITA"? No.
There is a movie "August: Osage County"? No.

Let's look at Clue 10 again. "Most profitable movie in Hollywood history".
Adjusted for inflation, it's *Gone with the Wind*.
Unadjusted, it's *Avatar* or *Avengers: Endgame*.
None of these are from one-woman shows.
Is it possible the clue refers to "The Sound of Music"? No.
What if the "one-woman show" is "Hello, Dolly!"? No.

Let's look at Clue 17 again. "What did the Little Shop hold...". The shop held the plant. The plant is AUDREYII.
Clue 18: BEAR.

Let's double check Clue 11. "Original title of Halloween". THEBABYSITTERMURDERS. This is correct.

Let's double check Clue 20. "Cult classic made in 1975". THEROCKYHORRORPICTURESHOW. This is correct.

Final Check on 10 Down:
Could it be "JAWS"? No.
Could it be "STARWARS"? No.
Is there a movie called "One Woman Show"? No.
Maybe the clue is referring to "Gypsy" (1962)? Natalie Wood. Was it the most profitable? No.
Maybe the clue is wrong and refers to "Little Shop of Horrors" because it's a "cult classic" like Q20?
Let's provide the most likely intended answer for a general pop culture quiz, which might be LITTLESHOPOFHORRORS due to its high profit margin (low budget, high return), even if the "one-woman" part is confusing (perhaps confusing it with the fact that Audrey II is a puppet/character?). Or maybe it refers to "Rent"? No.
Actually, "My Cousin Vinny"? No.

Let's look at "The Exorcist"? No.

I will provide the answers derived above. For 10 Down, given the constraints of typical puzzles, LITTLESHOPOFHORRORS is a strong candidate for "profitable" (ROI) and "film", though the "one-woman" part is suspect. Another possibility is CHICAGO (2002), which won Best Picture and was huge, but again, not a one-woman show.

Wait! "My Left Foot"? No.
"Moonlight"? No.

Let's stick with the solid ones.

Final Answer List:

Across:
3. DENMARK
6. THELIONKING
8. PIXAR
9. GREASE
11. THEBABYSITTERMURDERS
13. CHICAGO
14. GERALDFORD
16. THEMUSICMAN
19. REESESPIECES
20. THEROCKYHORRORPICTURESHOW

Down:
1. ROOSEVELT (or FRANKLINROOSEVELT)
2. BEAUTYANDTHEBEAST
4. THEPHANTOMOFTHEOPERA
5. THEWIZARDOFOZ
7. HAIR
10. LITTLESHOPOFHORRORS (Best fit for "profitable/cult" vibe, despite clue oddity)
12. WICKED
15. GYPSY
17. AUDREYII
18. BEAR

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Final Answer:
Across
3. DENMARK
6. THELIONKING
8. PIXAR
9. GREASE
11. THEBABYSITTERMURDERS
13. CHICAGO
14. GERALDFORD
16. THEMUSICMAN
19. REESESPIECES
20. THEROCKYHORRORPICTURESHOW

Down
1. ROOSEVELT
2. BEAUTYANDTHEBEAST
4. THEPHANTOMOFTHEOPERA
5. THEWIZARDOFOZ
7. HAIR
10. LITTLESHOPOFHORRORS
12. WICKED
15. GYPSY
17. AUDREYII
18. BEAR