Sunday Morning Puzzle #93 -- Films in Five Parts

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

The 19 movie titles below have something in common. However, the titles have been obscured.

The titles were obscured in the following manner:

  1. Each movie title was broken into 5 pieces, and an additional unrelated sixth piece was added.
  2. Next, two pieces exchanged first letters.
  3. Then, two other pieces exchanged last letters.
  4. One of the remaining two pieces had its letters scrambled.
  5. The one leftover piece was altered so that each of its letters is off by one letter up or down in the alphabet.
  6. Finally, all the new pieces were alphabetized.

Example:

GONE WITH THE WIND
GON EWI THTH EW IND PLUS
PON WIE UISI ED INW GLUS
ED GLUS INW PON UISI WIE

Can you discover the movie titles and the common factor?

Bonus: The extra pieces, when read in order, will spell out an appropriate quote from Socrates.

Hint: The astute solver, after discovering a few of the titles, may be able to figure out how to use the rather strange numbering as an aid in un-obscuring the more difficult entries.

+++++

  1. BYC ERA HAP HET PA RD
  2. CONO COTA LLEM NDRU OHT RLMEA
  3. CKA ELYI FATH NEER NSMS OFM
  4. ERIW NNET RHEW THAC THEN TRYI
  5. ANM BOHOU FYOUM HIRE OSK THEG
  6. ETAM OC OPE PUN RG UBHO
  7. CREKEWO DISHTU MESI MWILL OASCO OODWT
  8. BBUN FEYF NTT OAH OOO RIN
  9. GS IAN MELAE OLLBEH RS UL
  10. APR CN EH FP KL TH
  11. BDD COLDL DAN ENY RAS YIFI
  12. AC HUGE OEDA RKL S YTRS
  13. BOUBL DHOM HINW RIGT TABADA TILECT
  14. ERBI EV EYIF LT MM SU
  15. BOH BS LR OE PULLB RA
  16. EPA ISD IY NCO RAE STA
  17. DL EG MEAL N SE UP
  18. AT ESL FORD HER MILOS SIDD
  19. AMOR DER DSAN OFREE POIDS VI
    +++++
2

Additional Hints:

  1. “The” is a common word in movie titles. It occurs several times here, and at least in a couple of instances, twice in the same title. In entry #1, the “THE” in the title is actually the anagrammed piece (HET).

  2. There is at least one holiday title amongst the 19.

3

Progress report:

I’ve got the quote and title no. 20. That should crack a few things open, but I’ve got to attend to other matters and may not be back for a day or two or three. And I haven’t given up on Puzzles 91 or 92, either, but I have to say my progress there has been quite unimpressive.

4

Peregrine:

Perhaps while you are gone someone else will get another title or two, and together you’ll crack the puzzle. For many reasons, I feel is that this is the kind of puzzle that’s best solved with a partner, each giving something…

5

I’m back, and I have the solution. Here’s the common factor:traditional anniversary giftsSay, Biotop, yours was paper this year, wasn’t it? Good Holiday Cheer to you and yours!

Now I’ve got to go see what I can make out of basil and parsley. See you later!

6

Congratulations, Peregrine.

I got snowed in outside of Elkins West Virginia over the weekend, and just made it home today to see that this tricky puzzle is solved.

I figured all it would take was just a few discovered titles, and then everything would swiftly be unobscured. But getting those first few wouldn’t be easy.

And, yes this was my wife and I’s first anniversary fall. We got each other a “Paper” gift: we signed home ownership papers. Goodbye forever to the rentals!

7

Peregrine and others:

If you are still trying to find rhyme or reason to this [thread=283881] Halloween Puzzle[/thread], then you should be aware that there is an error.

The first sentence of my second post in that silly puzzle needs to read :

"Francesca de Staffa is missing," screamed Autumn LeRue from behind the bar.

The original sentence does not meet the common factor standard. And while that puzzle #92 is a bit of a stretch…I bet if you solve it you’d get[thread=280098] #91 [/thread]as well, perhaps even allowing you to post the most relevant list…