# Really and truly dead movie characters
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-and-truly-dead-movie-characters/754961
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [May 17, 2016, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-and-truly-dead-movie-characters/754961 "2016-05-17T03:41:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2016, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-and-truly-dead-movie-characters/754961/21 "2016-05-17T08:01:43Z")
There’s a new Daniel Radcliffe movie [coming out soon](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrK1f4TsQfM) called _Swiss Army Man_.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2016, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-and-truly-dead-movie-characters/754961/22 "2016-05-17T11:05:50Z")
Dracula
Floyd Thursby in _The Maltese Falcon_ was probably dead at the start.
Martin Guerre
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### Author:  [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2016, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-and-truly-dead-movie-characters/754961/23 "2016-05-17T11:17:25Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#):
>
> Ideally, yes, I’m thinking of characters that are never seen as anything other than decomposing flesh, but might still be recognized from their respective films. Partly that’s because I think adding names like Joe Gillis makes the question too easy. (On the other hand, it often seems like my trivia questions are way too difficult.)
I do realize but choose to ignore that the title says “movies”: the narrator of Desperate Housewives is dead. Very dead. Extremely dead… there are occasional dream scenes or someone remembering her, but in the majority of the episodes she is just dead. There are also some other dead people who I don’t think get shown on screen but happen to be relevant (ISTR some deceased spouses in such a situation).
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### Author:  [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2016, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-and-truly-dead-movie-characters/754961/24 "2016-05-17T11:23:09Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#):
>
> Dracula
Isn’t Dracula more, un-dead then dead or alive? That’s how I’ve always thought of him. If we’re going there what about Frankenstein’s monster? Was it ever actually alive?
It also seems there was a Weekend at Bernie’s II, so Bernie is still a good answer.
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### Author:  [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2016, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-and-truly-dead-movie-characters/754961/25 "2016-05-17T12:07:18Z")
> [@Colibri](#):
>
> I’m sure they must have referred to Alex. His full name is given in Wiki. Do they have to have full names mentioned in the movie itself?
>
> Alex was famously played by Kevin Costner in flashbacks, but all the footage of him alive was cut.
Alex is a major source of conversation all thru The Big Chill. They discuss his affair with Sarah, his column in the college newspaper, his plans with Chloe for the cabin, his series of jobs after college, and the fact that he was the one that brought them all together in the first place.
Yeah, I’ve seen the movie a few times…
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### Author:  [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2016, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-and-truly-dead-movie-characters/754961/26 "2016-05-17T12:09:51Z")
Jacob Marley in _A Christmas Carol_. “Marley was dead to begin with, dead as a doornail.” Okay, his ghost comes back, but he’s famously dead.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2016, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-and-truly-dead-movie-characters/754961/27 "2016-05-17T12:23:49Z")
[del]Harry Lime in _The Third Man_[/del]
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### Author:  [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2016, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-and-truly-dead-movie-characters/754961/28 "2016-05-17T12:26:55Z")
The Wicked Witch of the East?
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### Author:  [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2016, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-and-truly-dead-movie-characters/754961/29 "2016-05-17T12:30:12Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#):
>
> Floyd Thursby in _The Maltese Falcon_ was probably dead at the start.
We never see Thursby, but he was certainly alive at the beginning of the film. He was alive enough for Archer to shadow him, and he’s shot in front of his hotel shortly after Spade leaves the scene of Archer’s murder. Which is why the police think Spade killed him.
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### Author:  [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2016, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-and-truly-dead-movie-characters/754961/30 "2016-05-17T12:34:14Z")
How do we feel about The **Wicked Witch of the East** in **Wizard of Oz**?
First seen as under Dorothy’s house - Dead. Massively important to the plot since her corpse provides the Ruby Slippers plus her death provokes the Wicked Witch of the West to pursue Dorothy.
TCMF-2L
DAMN. Ninjad by Ludovic. Bugger.
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### Author:  [@Satchmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satchmo)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2016, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-and-truly-dead-movie-characters/754961/31 "2016-05-17T12:36:24Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#):
>
> Dracula
>
> Floyd Thursby in _The Maltese Falcon_ was probably dead at the start.
>
> Martin Guerre
Reminds of another Bogart Movie, Sean Regan is dead at the start of _The Big Sleep_ but who killed him and why is a plot point.
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### Author:  [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2016, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-and-truly-dead-movie-characters/754961/32 "2016-05-17T12:46:20Z")
In \*\* Stand By Me \*\* the whole film is four young friends searching for, and finding, the dead body of Ray Brower.
TCMF-2L
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2016, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-and-truly-dead-movie-characters/754961/33 "2016-05-17T12:54:10Z")
_A Christmas Carol_ “Marley was dead: to begin with.”
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### Author:  [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2016, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-and-truly-dead-movie-characters/754961/34 "2016-05-17T13:05:06Z")
> [@Ludovic](#):
>
> The Wicked Witch of the East?
> [@TCMF-2L](#):
>
> How do we feel about The **Wicked Witch of the East** in **Wizard of Oz**?
>
> First seen as under Dorothy’s house - Dead. Massively important to the plot since her corpse provides the Ruby Slippers plus her death provokes the Wicked Witch of the West to pursue Dorothy.
>
> TCMF-2L
>
> DAMN. Ninjad by Ludovic. Bugger.
Excellent example. She’s not only merely dead, she’s really most sincerely dead.
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2016, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-and-truly-dead-movie-characters/754961/35 "2016-05-17T13:10:11Z")
I’m pretty sure all we ever see of Alfredo Garcia is his severed head.
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### Author:  [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2016, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-and-truly-dead-movie-characters/754961/36 "2016-05-17T13:33:01Z")
> [@TCMF-2L](#):
>
> How do we feel about The **Wicked Witch of the East** in **Wizard of Oz**?
>
> First seen as under Dorothy’s house - Dead. Massively important to the plot since her corpse provides the Ruby Slippers plus her death provokes the Wicked Witch of the West to pursue Dorothy.
> [@Robot\_Arm](#):
>
> Excellent example. She’s not only merely dead, she’s really most sincerely dead.
I’d have to say ‘no’ - she was not dead at the beginning of the movie, or else Dorothy couldn’t have landed a house on her.
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### Author:  [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2016, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-and-truly-dead-movie-characters/754961/37 "2016-05-17T13:47:29Z")
Cary Grant and his wife in **Topper.**
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### Author:  [@Zuzu\_s\_Petals](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zuzu_s_Petals)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2016, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-and-truly-dead-movie-characters/754961/38 "2016-05-17T14:00:47Z")
Is David Kentley in Hitchcock’s _Rope_ ever seen alive? He’s the hidden corpse around which the two murderers throw a dinner party, to celebrate their cleverness in getting away with the perfect crime.
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### Author:  [@Zuzu\_s\_Petals](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zuzu_s_Petals)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2016, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-and-truly-dead-movie-characters/754961/39 "2016-05-17T14:08:03Z")
Missed the edit button. There’s also the character of Captain Gregg in _The Ghost and Mrs Muir,_ if ghosts are included (which from the OP, I’m not certain they are).
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### Author:  [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2016, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-and-truly-dead-movie-characters/754961/40 "2016-05-17T14:15:15Z")
Incredible - (did I not read closely enough?) this thread has gone _this_ far without the mention of unquestionably _the_ greatest non-living character in any film, p-e-r-i-o-d, and that, of course, being Warren Oates’s road mate (a reeking, putrefying severed head) in “Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia”.
Easily the greatest buddy film ever made.
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