# Movies with some "unique" feature **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 12, 2003, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-some-unique-feature/194629 "2003-08-12T13:06:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mooch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mooch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mooch)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-some-unique-feature/194629/41 "2003-08-13T13:15:28Z")
There was also **Timecode** which was shown from four different points of view simultaneously without any cuts (I think). Although I didn’t much care for that movie. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-some-unique-feature/194629/42 "2003-08-13T14:06:55Z")
**Just Imagine** was a science fiction musical comedy and probably one of the more influential SF films of the 30s (it flopped so badly that Hollywood didn’t try any feature-length SF for years). **The Women** (1939) not only had an all-woman cast of over 130, but all animals in it are female, and none of the art on the walls ever showed a male. Two movies had their entire cast nominated for Best Actor Oscars. One was **Give 'Em Hell Harry** , a one-man show by James Whitmore. The other will have to go in a spoiler box. Sleuth. And don’t be confused by the IMDB credits – the movie added names of nonexistant actors to the credits, which the IMDB duly reported. ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-some-unique-feature/194629/43 "2003-08-13T14:18:29Z")
**Reservoir Dogs** is a movie about a robbery, but the robbery itself is never shown. Didn’t George Lucas invent the “no credits” thing? I seem to recall an industry furor from the Director’s Guild that the first Star Wars movie didn’t give any credits in the beginning (it’s on IMDb trivia). ---
**Author:** ![Daytona\_Dave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dfb087/32.png) [@Daytona\_Dave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daytona_Dave)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-some-unique-feature/194629/44 "2003-08-13T14:23:50Z")
**Clue** , which was based on the popular board game, was filmed with 3 different endings. During its original theatrical release, the ending you saw depended on which theatre you saw the film in. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-some-unique-feature/194629/45 "2003-08-13T14:59:22Z")
There have been several movies with this gimmick, but the one I recall starred Veronica Lake (grrrrrwwwllll…Veronica Lake): The protagonist of the film is never shown, you just see things through his “eyes” and hear his voice. The name of the film escapes me. I want to say it also had that it had Alan Ladd in it, but I may be mistaken. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-some-unique-feature/194629/46 "2003-08-13T17:04:00Z")
**Plnnr** , I think you’re thinking of _Lady in the Lake_, mentioned above by ArchiveGuy. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-some-unique-feature/194629/47 "2003-08-13T17:10:52Z")
There’s another sub-category: black & white movies with color segments. Wizard of Oz, of course; plus _Picture of Dorian Grey_ – the picture was in color. \* Mighty Joe Young \* (the original) IIRC had a burning building in color. ---
**Author:** ![CadburyAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@CadburyAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CadburyAngel)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-some-unique-feature/194629/48 "2003-08-13T23:38:53Z")
“The Women,” mentioned above for its all-femaleness, also has a color segment, a fashion show. It’s interesting to see how styles that look natural enough in black and white are atrocious eyesores in their actual colors. Although, I believe a lot of movies of the era had fashion shows in them, so I don’t claim that as unique. Singin’ in the Rain has one years later. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-some-unique-feature/194629/49 "2003-08-14T00:16:11Z")
I don’t know for sure, but was **Lawrence of Arabia** ’s start unique, in that it consisted of a black screen for the entire length of the title music? This was so that people could concentrate on the music, and I susspect so that with eyes adjusted to the darkness, it makes the desert seem all that much brighter at the start of the film. **Caligula** is probably unique for many bad reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-some-unique-feature/194629/50 "2003-08-14T00:26:16Z")
> [@](#): > > In Gangs of New York, You never see a punch connecting, or a knife going into a body, or a club connecting with someone. You only see the action and the result. Guy Ritchie uses a similar gimmick, but not with every single violent action, in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-some-unique-feature/194629/51 "2003-08-14T01:36:49Z")
Don’t know if you’d call this unique, but the movie [Riff-Raff](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0100491) was subtitled in the US, because the cast had such thick “scouse” accents that the director feared Americans wouldn’t understand a word. He was mostly right. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-some-unique-feature/194629/52 "2003-08-14T02:57:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bippy the Beardless \* > \*\*I don’t know for sure, but was **Lawrence of Arabia** ’s start unique, in that it consisted of a black screen for the entire length of the title music? This was so that people could concentrate on the music, and I susspect so that with eyes adjusted to the darkness, it makes the desert seem all that much brighter at the start of the film. > > \*\* A bunch of “epics” in the '50s and '60s began with Overtures, many that even showed a title that said “Overture”. I just saw Khartoum recently, and I’m pretty sure it begins this way. Interesting theory, but **Lawrence** doesn’t begin in the desert-- it begins with shots of Lawrence preparing to ride his motorcycle. ---
**Author:** ![Alphagene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Alphagene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alphagene)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-some-unique-feature/194629/53 "2003-08-14T04:27:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Walloon \* > \*\*Did you read my post above? There is at least one non-seamless, intentional, on-screen cut in _Rope_. \*\* I read it, I read it. In fact I fired up my DVD to look for the scene. I’m not up to sitting down at this late hour to watch the whole thing in its entirety, so I’ve been skipping around to find that scene. Regardless, i did find a non-seamless cut. The scene where Janet makes an appearance starts with a direct cut to her from Ken. But like I said, the intent was to make the movie _appear_ seamless, thus maintaining the real-time aspect and the feel of the original play. The fact that I had to consciously look for a direct cut in a movie I’ve seen a dozen times indicates that Mr. Hitchcock succeeded. Or that I’m very much in love with Joan Chandler. Getting back on topic, as far as I know, _Fargo_ was the only movie that indicated it was based on a true story, when it fact wasn’t. Liars. ---
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-some-unique-feature/194629/54 "2003-08-14T05:13:58Z")
Then there’s [The Terror of Tiny Town](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0030845), perhaps the only all-midget western. and props to **ArchiveGuy** for the mention of Skidoo and its all-sung credits. I used to work at a radio station that had a copy of the sound track album. IIRC, the majority or the whole of side 2 was devoted to the sung closing credits. The 1968 film is also noted as the sadly last movie for Groucho Marx, who plays God. It also may be the only movie to list bit parts for both Harry Nilsson (tower guard) and Slim Pickins (telephone operator). In fact, the plot just plain sucks, but the plethora of cameos in sometimes odd choices keeps one mesmerized - Arnold Stang, Mickey Rooney, George Raft (!), Jackie Gleason, Frankie Avalon, Frank Gorshin, Cesar Romero, Burgess Meredith (hey, a triple reunion of TV Batman villians!), Peter Lawford, Carol Channing and football star Roman Gabriel. Whew! Oh, and don’t forget the LSD… ---
**Author:** ![benthames](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/58f4c7/32.png) [@benthames](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/benthames)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-some-unique-feature/194629/55 "2003-08-14T06:10:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Alphagene \* > \*\* > Getting back on topic, as far as I know, _Fargo_ was the only movie that indicated it was based on a true story, when it fact wasn’t. Liars. \*\* Blair Witch Project, too. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-some-unique-feature/194629/56 "2003-08-14T06:24:27Z")
The psychic Criswell’s closing warning to the audience in **Plan 9 From Outer Space** (1959): > [@](#): > > My friend, you have seen this incident based on sworn testimony. Can you prove that it didn’t happen? ---
**Author:** ![Antonius\_Block](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Antonius\_Block](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antonius_Block)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-some-unique-feature/194629/57 "2003-08-14T07:46:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by plnnr \* > **There have been several movies with this gimmick… The protagonist of the film is never shown, you just see things through his “eyes” and hear his voice.** An extreme example of this is [The Message](http://www.imdb.com/Title?0074896) (1976), a dramatization of the origins of Islam. However, to quote [IMDB](http://www.imdb.com/Trivia?0074896): > [@](#): > > In accordance with Muslim beliefs, Mohammed could not be depicted on screen nor could his voice be heard. This rule extended to his seven wives, his daughters and his sons-in-law. This left Mohammed’s uncle as the central character (played by Anthony Quinn). In the completed film, actors speak directly to the camera and then nod to un-heard dialogue. So you don’t even get to hear the protagonist’s voice! One movie that contains a scene combining both a camera-POV _and_ **jsc1953** ’s “splash of color in a black-and-white-movie” is [Spellbound](http://www.imdb.com/Title?0038109) (1945) - Hitchcock yet again! The movie ends with a character’s suicide by gunshot into the camera, with a red splash screen underscoring the result. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-some-unique-feature/194629/58 "2003-08-14T15:01:35Z")
_M_A_S_H\*, like _Citizen Kane_, had its end credits spoken. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-some-unique-feature/194629/59 "2003-08-14T15:57:00Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Little Nemo \* > MASH_, like _Citizen Kane_, had its end credits spoken. \*\* You can add [_Farenheit 451_](http://www.imdb.com/Details?0060390) to the list. No text was shown in the movie at all, except for glimpses of the books as they burned. DD ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-some-unique-feature/194629/60 "2003-08-14T17:36:26Z")
The novel and movie were _MASH_, the TV series was _M_A_S_H\*. All of the credits for _Citizen Kane_ were printed on screen, none were spoken. You may be thinking of _The Magnificent Ambersons_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-some-unique-feature/194629.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-some-unique-feature/194629.md?page=4)