# 1940s movie ID: Reflection of headlights in mirror causes car to fall off cliff **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [December 4, 2024, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1940s-movie-id-reflection-of-headlights-in-mirror-causes-car-to-fall-off-cliff/1011137 "2024-12-04T00:34:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1940s-movie-id-reflection-of-headlights-in-mirror-causes-car-to-fall-off-cliff/1011137/1 "2024-12-04T00:34:09Z")
Someone on the Turner Classic Movies Fan Site (FB) asked: > Many years ago, I saw a movie that featured multiple accidents on a deserted road, that occurred as a result of headlights from oncoming trucks. The authorities could not figure out why this kept happening until the plot revealed that a large mirror was placed in the road, which caused an unsuspecting truck driver to assume that a head on collision was imminent but he was observing the reflection of his own headlights. > > Does anyone know what this movie is from? I have absolutely no idea! I thought I’d help him out, so I googled and found this clip: [Reflection of headlights in mirror causes car to fall off cliff](https://dissolve.com/video/Reflection-headlights-mirror-causes-car-fall-off-royalty-free-stock-video-footage/001-D245-6-749) But nobody seems to know the name of the film. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1940s-movie-id-reflection-of-headlights-in-mirror-causes-car-to-fall-off-cliff/1011137/2 "2024-12-04T00:52:18Z")
I remember a movie that had that plot point; don’t know if it’s the one that the clip is from, or what the name is. I think it’s from a Roy Rogers or Gene Autry movie. Roy (or Gene) is tagged by the local sheriff, or DA, or maybe a governor, to go undercover and try to break up a criminal gang of some sort. The fact that he’s really an undercover agent is a closely held secret; only the DA/sheriff/governor knows it. Roy (or Gene) is working with the gang and gets arrested at one point and charged, because the local cops don’t know he’s an undercover agent. He’s in jail, but knows he’ll get out when the DA/sheriff/governor arrives. The bad guys are targeting the DA/Sheriff/governor. They don’t know that Roy (or Gene) is an undercover agent, but they know that the DA/sheriff/governor is trying to break up their gang. So they set up the mirror on a road that they know the DA/sheriff/governor will be driving on, and the accident happens. Roy (or Gene) is in the cells in the morning when the jailer brings his breakfast, and the local paper, with the death of the DA/Governor/sheriff on the front page, and Roy (or Gene) realises he’s in big trouble. That’s all I remember. Saturday afternoon B&W movies on our local tv station when I was a kid. The reason I think it was Roy Rogers or Gene Autry is because the local station played them all one summer. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1940s-movie-id-reflection-of-headlights-in-mirror-causes-car-to-fall-off-cliff/1011137/3 "2024-12-04T01:29:28Z")
I vaguely remember a short story, perhaps by Roald Dahl, in which someone uses a mirror to blind a driver intending to kill his cheating wife. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1940s-movie-id-reflection-of-headlights-in-mirror-causes-car-to-fall-off-cliff/1011137/4 "2024-12-04T01:31:11Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I think it’s from a Roy Rogers or Gene Autry movie. Just looking at the clip, it looks more like a _noir_ than an oater. I _almost_ think I’ve seen the film. Almost. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1940s-movie-id-reflection-of-headlights-in-mirror-causes-car-to-fall-off-cliff/1011137/5 "2024-12-04T02:01:08Z")
From the '60s so not what you’re looking for but the same gag was used in Fireball 500: a Frankie Avalon/Annette Funicello teensploitation flick. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1940s-movie-id-reflection-of-headlights-in-mirror-causes-car-to-fall-off-cliff/1011137/6 "2024-12-04T02:01:53Z")
Not a cliff but this is how the bad guys cause James Bond to crash his car in Goldfinger during a chase, he plays chicken with incoming headlights until he’s forced to swerve and crash at the last second and then it’s revealed the bad guys had put a giant mirror in the middle of an alleyway. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1940s-movie-id-reflection-of-headlights-in-mirror-causes-car-to-fall-off-cliff/1011137/7 "2024-12-04T03:13:14Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Just looking at the clip, it looks more like a _noir_ than an oater You could be right. It was a long time ago. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1940s-movie-id-reflection-of-headlights-in-mirror-causes-car-to-fall-off-cliff/1011137/8 "2024-12-04T03:24:33Z")
Is this it? > Roy uncovers proof that Dave and Maurice are members of the gang, but decides to make no arrests until he learns the identity of the gang leader. Maurice kills Dave and frames Roy for the crime . The Governor has been injured in a car wreck and is unable to verify Roy’s story. > **[King of the Cowboys (1943) - Plot - IMDb](https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0036075/plotsummary/?ref_=tt_stry_pl)** > > King of the Cowboys (1943) - Plot summary, synopsis, and more... ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1940s-movie-id-reflection-of-headlights-in-mirror-causes-car-to-fall-off-cliff/1011137/9 "2024-12-04T03:38:13Z")
You won’t believe this but the entire film is on YouTube. Here’s the scene. Edited. see below. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1940s-movie-id-reflection-of-headlights-in-mirror-causes-car-to-fall-off-cliff/1011137/10 "2024-12-04T03:41:16Z")
Won’t play for me. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1940s-movie-id-reflection-of-headlights-in-mirror-causes-car-to-fall-off-cliff/1011137/11 "2024-12-04T03:43:23Z")
Okay, the link won’t embed, so I’m going to paste it as plain text with a space in it. https:// youtu.be/QTwhzUWHzb4?t=2772 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1940s-movie-id-reflection-of-headlights-in-mirror-causes-car-to-fall-off-cliff/1011137/12 "2024-12-04T04:16:56Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > https:// youtu.be/QTwhzUWHzb4?t=2772 Thanks! Now if only I can find the FB post! ETA: Found the post, mentioned my ‘brain trust’ (you guys), and told them the title. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1940s-movie-id-reflection-of-headlights-in-mirror-causes-car-to-fall-off-cliff/1011137/13 "2024-12-04T15:10:42Z")
This device was also used in a Lon Chaney movie (possibly “The Unknown”), but the car didn’t go off a cliff. It just crashed. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1940s-movie-id-reflection-of-headlights-in-mirror-causes-car-to-fall-off-cliff/1011137/14 "2024-12-04T15:17:16Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > Okay, the link won’t embed, so I’m going to paste it as plain text with a space in it. Thanks! reassuring to know that my little grey cells are still in reasonably good shape. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1940s-movie-id-reflection-of-headlights-in-mirror-causes-car-to-fall-off-cliff/1011137/15 "2024-12-04T15:26:00Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Thanks! reassuring to know that my little grey cells are still in reasonably good shape. > [@How to avoid the YouTube posting bug](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-avoid-the-youtube-posting-bug/1007499): > > You’re trying to post a YouTube video, but you get a popup saying “You can’t embed media items in a post.” Here’s how to avoid that. There are a couple of minor variations. I haven’t written my post yet Write your post normally but do not include the YouTube link(s). When you are satisfied with the post, hide the preview window (see the \<\< button in the lower-right). Then, insert the links in the desired locations. Note that the links should each appear on a line by themselves. Then post. … ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1940s-movie-id-reflection-of-headlights-in-mirror-causes-car-to-fall-off-cliff/1011137/16 "2024-12-04T15:30:48Z")
I think this was also used in the old Superman radio series, in a storyline called “The Ghost Car.” Cars were mysteriously crashing because they were run off the road by another car, but no one could find tire tracks or any other trace of a second vehicle. Turns out the “ghost car” was really a big mirror reflecting the car’s headlights. ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1940s-movie-id-reflection-of-headlights-in-mirror-causes-car-to-fall-off-cliff/1011137/17 "2024-12-04T21:28:46Z")
The born in Canada “Yank” Bert Levy, in his 1942 manual “Guerrilla Warfare,” suggested “An ingenious wrecking ambush to be used at night” could be made by wiring one or two car headlights to a battery and setting them so they would shine “directly into the windshield of a car or lorry coming along the road” when turned on by the guerrilla while “under cover.” He advised that “This trap must be rigged just in front of a sharp turning, a steep embankment or a bridge.” The manual was written to aid the British in the event of a successful German invasion and hundreds of thousands of copies were produced. Levy himself was a socialist who fought in the Spanish Civil War and several other conflicts. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1940s-movie-id-reflection-of-headlights-in-mirror-causes-car-to-fall-off-cliff/1011137/18 "2024-12-04T23:33:44Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > This device was also used in a Lon Chaney movie (possibly “The Unknown”), but the car didn’t go off a cliff. It just crashed. Not _The Unknown_, but _The Monster_ (1925).