# Unanswered Questions about Movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 19, 2005, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanswered-questions-about-movies/308899 "2005-06-19T08:01:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanswered-questions-about-movies/308899/21 "2005-06-22T08:11:46Z")
OK, I understand the bit about Burr spotting Stewart. I still don’t know what the “fourth wall” means. 😕 From the Marx Brothers’ movies: _The Cocoanuts:_ In one scene the dialog between Groucho and Margaret Dumont is supposed to go like this: GROUCHO: Your eyes–they shine like the pants of my blue serge suit. DUMONT: What? That’s an insult! GROUCHO: That’s not a reflection on you–it’s on the pants. In the movie as released, Groucho and Dumont slip and slide over each other’s lines, as if the studio had only one usable take of the scene. _Animal Crackers:_ Why does Harpo knock himself out with the flit gun at the end? _Monkey Business:_ Near the beginning of the movie, the brothers are stowaways hiding in “kippered herring”: barrels in the ship’s hold. But when the barrels are hoisted away at the captain’s order, the brothers are left behind. Why woud they have disconnected the bottoms from the barrels? _Horse Feathers:_ Where did Harpo get that ridiculously long jersey? And did Zeppo marry Thelma Todd at the end, along with Groucho, Chico and Harpo? \*Duck Soup: \* That was some motorcyle on Freedonia–Groucho fired it up and off rode Harpo in the sidecar! _A Night at the Opera:_ No matter how “magnificent” Lassparri’s voice was, I find it incredible that Gottlieb would hire someone with such a hateful, mendacious attitude as a lead tenor. _A Day at the Races:_ During the racetrack scene Morgan’s jockey tries to trip Harpo up. Morgan says, “I hope the judges didn’t see that.” Did Morgan think they were keeping their eyes closed? _Room Service:_ When Frank Albertson pretends to be sick, Dr. Glass asks him a question. He doesn’t answer. Chico asks, “How can he speak for himself when he’s-a got laryngitis?” Dr. Glass still says, “I insist the patient speak for himself!” Hel-_lo… At the Circus:_ What did Carter, Goliath and Professor Atom expect to accomplish by robbing Jeff of the $10,000 when he was going to pay it to Carter anyway? _Go West:_ In the deed scene, Groucho threatens to call “the law” in on Red Baxter (Robert Barratt), who tries to discourage him by showing his marksmanship (by shooting corks out of bottles without damaging the bottles). Does this mean Barratt would shoot Groucho if he called for the sheriff? _The Big Store:_ Since Grover (Dumbrille) calmly fires his pistol–several times–in the direction of the brothers, he should be shown getting roughed up when the cops come after him. _A Night in Casablanca:_ When Sig Rumann talks the local police into arresting Groucho and the others, he gives such a lame reason for bringing charges against them… it sure makes thas police force there look gullible! _Love Happy:_ I never did figure out how Harpo got hold of that pistol that he pointed at his own temple while eating the apple (in front of Raymond Burrr, no less). ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanswered-questions-about-movies/308899/22 "2005-06-22T08:20:09Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > A boat train is a train that takes passengers to and from ports. Where presumably many of them catch boats. Some boat trains were actually carried by the boats - rather like a car ferry today, but with rail tracks. [Example](http://www.dover-kent.co.uk/transport/night_ferry.htm). Whether or not this is what is meant in the film, I can’t tell you. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanswered-questions-about-movies/308899/23 "2005-06-22T08:46:49Z")
**dougie\_monty** - you’ve mentioned in the past that you have a hard time understanding certain kinds of humor, and I think that’s the case here. Every Marx Brothers example you brought is funny _because_ it’s illogical and unexpected, and in a Marx Brothers movie, being funny is a lot more important than making sense. Just accept it as not being your cup of tea, and move on. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanswered-questions-about-movies/308899/24 "2005-06-22T12:02:10Z")
I had this thought when I saw the movie, and was delighted that Mad magazine had the same thought and put it in their parody: In **One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest** , at the end, Chief Bromden throws the water unit out the window and escapes from the institution, out into the night. It’s exhilarating, until you consider (as the Mad satire has the Christopher Lloyd character ask) “Hey, why are we getting excited? The Chief was in here _voluntarily_!” ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanswered-questions-about-movies/308899/25 "2005-06-22T12:50:46Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > I still don’t know what the “fourth wall” means. 😕 When watching a play (or movie) set inside a room, you are physically able to see three wal, of a room which you can assume has four. The reality is, there is no four wall, but simply a gap where you, the audience can see ppeople pretending to be other people. When those people point out that is is not real, that is called breaking the fourth wall. They might stop and address the audience, or "they might make remarks like “But that kind of thing only happens in stories! This is real life!” ---
**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:** [June 22, 2005, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanswered-questions-about-movies/308899/26 "2005-06-22T13:38:35Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > From the Marx Brothers’ movies: > _The Cocoanuts:_ In one scene the dialog between Groucho and Margaret Dumont is supposed to go like this: > GROUCHO: Your eyes–they shine like the pants of my blue serge suit. > DUMONT: What? That’s an insult! > GROUCHO: That’s not a reflection on you–it’s on the pants. > In the movie as released, Groucho and Dumont slip and slide over each other’s lines, as if the studio had only one usable take of the scene. **The Cocoanuts** was a very early sound film, and retakes were difficult (more so with the Marxes, who tended to wander off the set. > [@](#): > > _Animal Crackers:_ Why does Harpo knock himself out with the flit gun at the end? Because it was funny. > [@](#): > > _Monkey Business:_ Near the beginning of the movie, the brothers are stowaways hiding in “kippered herring”: barrels in the ship’s hold. But when the barrels are hoisted away at the captain’s order, the brothers are left behind. Why woud they have disconnected the bottoms from the barrels? Because it was funny. > [@](#): > > _Horse Feathers:_ Where did Harpo get that ridiculously long jersey? Because it was funny. Notice the pattern? > [@](#): > > And did Zeppo marry Thelma Todd at the end, along with Groucho, Chico and Harpo? Been a while, but I don’t believe he did. > [@](#): > > _A Night at the Opera:_ No matter how “magnificent” Lassparri’s voice was, I find it incredible that Gottlieb would hire someone with such a hateful, mendacious attitude as a lead tenor. Happens all the time. If you have enough talent, people will let your bad qualities slide. [See this article](http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/11/13/1037080784289.html?oneclick=true) for a modern example. > [@](#): > > _A Day at the Races:_ During the racetrack scene Morgan’s jockey tries to trip Harpo up. Morgan says, “I hope the judges didn’t see that.” Did Morgan think they were keeping their eyes closed? Because it was . . . oh, never mind. > [@](#): > > _Room Service:_ When Frank Albertson pretends to be sick, Dr. Glass asks him a question. He doesn’t answer. Chico asks, “How can he speak for himself when he’s-a got laryngitis?” Dr. Glass still says, “I insist the patient speak for himself!” Hel-\*lo… As Cecil said, "remind me to explain the concept of ‘joke’ to you. > [@](#): > > At the Circus:\* What did Carter, Goliath and Professor Atom expect to accomplish by robbing Jeff of the $10,000 when he was going to pay it to Carter anyway? They’d have the money, and could still say Jeff didn’t pay them. They get the the payment and the circus, too. > [@](#): > > _Go West:_ In the deed scene, Groucho threatens to call “the law” in on Red Baxter (Robert Barratt), who tries to discourage him by showing his marksmanship (by shooting corks out of bottles without damaging the bottles). Does this mean Barratt would shoot Groucho if he called for the sheriff? Yes. > [@](#): > > _The Big Store:_ Since Grover (Dumbrille) calmly fires his pistol–several times–in the direction of the brothers, he should be shown getting roughed up when the cops come after him. Why? > [@](#): > > _A Night in Casablanca:_ When Sig Rumann talks the local police into arresting Groucho and the others, he gives such a lame reason for bringing charges against them… it sure makes thas police force there look gullible! So? That’s to make it be . . > [@](#): > > _Love Happy:_ I never did figure out how Harpo got hold of that pistol that he pointed at his own temple while eating the apple (in front of Raymond Burrr, no less). From his coat, of course. It contains multitudes. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanswered-questions-about-movies/308899/27 "2005-06-22T13:59:29Z")
Not to shatter anyone’s view that the Marxes were brilliant, but if one is going to hide in a barrel, the most logical approach is to cut out the bottom and lower the barrel over you. You can easily stand up and toss the barrel off if you have to make a hasty exit, and since the top of the barrel is still intact, casual inspection will reveal nothing amiss. Consider cutting open the _top_ of a barrel and climbing inside. To pass undetected, you then have to balance the top of the barrel on your head or constantly hold it, or secure it in some fashion (which would make a hasty exit difficult). And, yes, the sudden reveal is funny. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanswered-questions-about-movies/308899/28 "2005-06-22T14:28:43Z")
**dougie\_monty**. OMG, you’re right! American Film Institute, throw all those movies out of your top 100 lists! Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, rescind Groucho’s honorary Oscar! Marx Brotherhood, disband! Phew. That was a close one. Thanks, **dougie\_monty**. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanswered-questions-about-movies/308899/29 "2005-06-22T19:12:38Z")
In the 1950’s War of the Worlds, there a shot in the war room near the middle-end of the movie. For a few seconds, you see a map of the world, with Martian units/represnted by black triangles being pushed around like shuffleboard…things. Anyway, at one point, you can see a map of austraila, and it is fricken covered with Black triangles, forming a large black polyhedron of some sort. and it’s not on the coasts either. It’s right there in the middle of the continent. So what’s so special about Austraila that the martians have all their stuff there in full force? Or is the Military just keeping their spare triangles there for lack of space?(because nobody lives in austraila, apparently) ---
**Author:** ![Fionn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fionn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fionn)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanswered-questions-about-movies/308899/30 "2005-06-23T00:07:56Z")
In _50 First Dates_, a brain-damaged woman’s father and brother go to great lengths to prevent her from realizing that time is passing. They have special newspapers printed, they endlessly repeat the same day, etc. However, Lucy’s hair has darker roots. How does she not wake up one morning and find it strange that her roots are suddenly darker than they were last night? ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanswered-questions-about-movies/308899/31 "2005-06-23T00:32:39Z")
> [@Alias](#): > > May Wynn IS in the novel, though. The entire beginning of the novel is all about her relationship with Willy Keith. Wasn’t it a play as well? My father used to say that _The Caine Mutiny_ was often put on as a play at all+boys schools because there were no female parts. Anyone know? ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanswered-questions-about-movies/308899/32 "2005-06-23T00:36:14Z")
Here’s my question: Ignoring, for a moment, the existence of **T3** (which was better than I expected, but that’s neither her nor there), what happened after the end of T2. I mean, right after, in the hours following. Sarah Conner is still wanted by the cops. The steel factory has to be surrounded by now. Is the crushed Terminator arm in the big gear going to be sufficient evidence for people to suddenly believe her story? And if they do, what effect is that going to have? ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanswered-questions-about-movies/308899/33 "2005-06-23T00:40:34Z")
> [@Laughing Lagomorph](#): > > Wasn’t it a play as well? My father used to say that _The Caine Mutiny_ was often put on as a play at all+boys schools because there were no female parts. Anyone know? The play is different. In the play, only the trial is played out, so you only need the principal characters. Fine with me, May Wynn is kind of irritating in the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanswered-questions-about-movies/308899/34 "2005-06-23T02:05:29Z")
I was just watching a Hitchcock film. He made a film about the book "Secret Agent. He made a film called “Secret Agent” Yet, they are not the same film. The adaptation of secret agent is called “Sabotage”. Why Og, why? Why must you torture me so? ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanswered-questions-about-movies/308899/35 "2005-06-23T02:15:39Z")
Why did they make Dirty Dancing? Was just to give me headaches? Or is there a more sinister force behind it? ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanswered-questions-about-movies/308899/36 "2005-06-23T02:25:08Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > Why did they make Dirty Dancing? > Was just to give me headaches? Or is there a more sinister force behind it? To give lonely women something to watch on Saturday nights. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanswered-questions-about-movies/308899/37 "2005-06-23T03:15:17Z")
[QUOTE=HPL] … So what’s so special about Austraila that the martians have all their stuff there in full force? QUOTE] Have you _seen_ the interior of this place? Its all red, dry & dusty. Perfect for the Martian- on-holiday. At one point (and I can’t remember whether is before or after the scene you describe) there is another sweep of the War Room and you can see, in the background, that Australia has only a few of the black triangles in it. So either its a bit later & we opened a can of whoop-ass on the Martians (or just offered them Vegemite-on-toast for breakfast) or later when the Frequent Flyer special was announced. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanswered-questions-about-movies/308899/38 "2005-06-23T04:33:34Z")
Edgar Rice Burroughs explained why Tarzan had a clean-shaven face in _Tarzan of the Apes_. Tarzan finds a child’s illustrated primer found among his parents’ belongings. For the first time, he sees others who look like himself: > [@](#): > > By the time he was seventeen he had learned to read the simple, child’s primer and had fully realized the true and wonderful purpose of the little bugs [letters]. > > No longer did he feel shame for his hairless body or his human features, for now his reason told him that he was of a different race from his wild and hairy companions. He was a M-A-N, they were A-P-E-S, and the little apes which scurried through the forest top were M-O-N-K-E-Y-S. Later, Tarzan becomes self-conscious: > [@](#): > > He was worried because he had not clothing to indicate to all the jungle folks that he was a man and not an ape, and grave doubt often entered his mind as to whether he might not yet become an ape. > > Was not hair commencing to grow upon his face? All the apes had hair upon theirs but the black men were entirely hairless, with very few exceptions. > > True, he had seen pictures in his books of men with great masses of hair upon lip and cheek and chin, but, nevertheless, Tarzan was afraid. Almost daily he whetted his keen knife and scraped and whittled at his young beard to eradicate this degrading emblem of apehood. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanswered-questions-about-movies/308899/39 "2005-06-23T04:42:57Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > “Hey, why are we getting excited? The Chief was in here _voluntarily_!” Remember that the Chief had just smothered McMurphy to death with a pillow. The authorities might not have taken too kindly to that. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanswered-questions-about-movies/308899/40 "2005-06-23T05:09:53Z")
> [@HPL](#): > > In the 1950s War of the Worlds, there a shot in the war room near the middle-end of the movie. For a few seconds, you see a map of the world, with Martian units/represnted by black triangles being pushed around like shuffleboard…things. > > Anyway, at one point, you can see a map of austraila, and it is fricken covered with Black triangles, forming a large black polyhedron of some sort. and it’s not on the coasts either. It’s right there in the middle of the continent. > > So what’s so special about Austraila that the martians have all their stuff there in full force? > > Or is the Military just keeping their spare triangles there for lack of space?(because nobody lives in austraila, apparently) The 1950s in Australia were so boring that we, for one continent, welcomed our new Martian overlords. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanswered-questions-about-movies/308899.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanswered-questions-about-movies/308899.md?page=3)