# What are some earlier films with twist endings? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 16, 2006, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-earlier-films-with-twist-endings/380734 "2006-11-16T20:51:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-earlier-films-with-twist-endings/380734/1 "2006-11-16T20:51:27Z")
Twist ending as in Signs, The Village type endings. I am struggling to think of some and can’t. ---
**Author:** ![feppytweed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/feppytweed/32/4280_2.png) [@feppytweed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/feppytweed)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-earlier-films-with-twist-endings/380734/2 "2006-11-16T20:53:13Z")
Well, if you wanna count the “it was only a dream” ending of Wizard of Oz, I suppose that could count… ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-earlier-films-with-twist-endings/380734/3 "2006-11-16T21:39:22Z")
How about _Psycho_? That was 1959 or 1960, right? And: We don’t find out until the end that Norman Bates’ mother was long dead, and it was Norman himself speaking for her and performing the murders. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-earlier-films-with-twist-endings/380734/4 "2006-11-16T21:42:23Z")
I suppose there’s **What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?** , from 1962. The twist: All through the movie, you’re led to believe that Jane got drunk and tried to run over her sister Blanche, which caused Blanche to become paralyzed. As a result, Jane spends the rest of her life, youth, and sanity caring for the sister she believes she paralyzed. This leads to much resentment and cruelty. At the end of the movie, Blanche reveals that it was in fact Blanche herself driving the car, that Blanche had tried to run down Jane and caused the accident herself, and Jane was just too drunk to remember. So, Jane wasn’t responsible for her sister’s condition after all. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-earlier-films-with-twist-endings/380734/5 "2006-11-16T21:43:00Z")
Ooh, and what about the Charlton Heston back-to-back extravaganza of **Planet of the Apes** and **Soylent Green**? The PotA was really Earth in the future, and Soylent Green was…was…I can’t bring myself to say it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-earlier-films-with-twist-endings/380734/6 "2006-11-16T21:43:10Z")
Um, The Twilight Zone, although that is a TV show and not film, ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-earlier-films-with-twist-endings/380734/7 "2006-11-16T21:43:59Z")
This thread should come with a spoilers tag, because even if you don’t specify the what a particular twist ending _is_, the mere fact of knowing a movie has one can be a spoiler in itself. Anyways, the first golden oldie with a twist ending that I can think of is The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-earlier-films-with-twist-endings/380734/8 "2006-11-16T21:48:52Z")
**Sunset Boulevard** (1950) has a twist ending, as it begins with a dead body floating in the pool and the film’s hero Joe Gillis narrating the story of how that poor schmuck got that way. It isn’t until the end of the film that we find out that… Joe Gillis IS the dead man in the pool, and he’s narrating the film from beyond the grave!. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-earlier-films-with-twist-endings/380734/9 "2006-11-16T22:02:00Z")
[QUOTE=The New and Improved Superman] **Sunset Boulevard** (1950) has a twist ending, as it begins with a dead body floating in the pool and the film’s hero Joe Gillis narrating the story of how that poor schmuck got that way. It isn’t until the end of the film that we find out that… Joe Gillis IS the dead man in the pool, and he’s narrating the film from beyond the grave!. [/QUOTE] This is only a twist ending if you are blind because the face of the body in the pool is visible, so you can easily tell, minutes later, when you see that some face on the actor. My vote is the excellent British triller **Green for Danger** ---
**Author:** ![Mairosu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@Mairosu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mairosu)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-earlier-films-with-twist-endings/380734/10 "2006-11-16T22:03:28Z")
If 20 years ago qualifies as “early”, No Way Out with Gene Hackman and Kevin Costner has a terrific twist ending to it. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-earlier-films-with-twist-endings/380734/11 "2006-11-16T22:50:04Z")
I just remembered the oscure Edward G. Robinson classic The Woman in the Window- not original, but still pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-earlier-films-with-twist-endings/380734/12 "2006-11-16T22:52:45Z")
[QUOTE=ArchiveGuy] This is only a twist ending if you are blind because the face of the body in the pool is visible, so you can easily tell, minutes later, when you see that some face on the actor. My vote is the excellent British triller **Green for Danger** [/QUOTE] Hmmmnnn. The way I remember it, the film starts with an overhead shot looking down at the body (which is face down). You don’t see the face until the end of the film, after he’s been shot. I could be wrong though. Been a long time. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-earlier-films-with-twist-endings/380734/13 "2006-11-17T00:15:50Z")
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp] Soylent Green was…was…I can’t bring myself to say it. [/QUOTE] Soy? ---
**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:** [November 17, 2006, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-earlier-films-with-twist-endings/380734/14 "2006-11-17T00:19:06Z")
Let’s see . . . **Les Diaboliques** (the original; there never was a remake) A man is killed by his wife and mistress, but the body disappears. It turns out to be a plot by the husband and mistress to kill the wife, and there are plenty of twists before that point. **Occurrance at Owl Creek Bridge** – was made into a short movie, and, of course, [the original short story](http://eserver.org/fiction/occurrence-at-owl-creek.html) was from the 19th Century. **Charade** “State Department Official” Walter Matthau is really the killer. **Dead of Night** Several twisty stories here, but the best and subtlest is the frame tale. **O. Henry’s Full House** takes five tales by O. Henry, the master of the twist ending. ---
**Author:** ![TPWombat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TPWombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TPWombat)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-earlier-films-with-twist-endings/380734/15 "2006-11-17T00:29:13Z")
Darn it, I can’t for the life of me remember enough about this film to trace it on the IMDB. Someone else provide the answer please… Black and white film, bunch of people staying as guests in a house out in the country entertain themselves telling ghost stories, each one done as a vignette within the film. The twist is that the whole thing turns out to be a dream sequence and the end of the film is the beginning again - endless loop! Actually, it’s possible I’ve confused two films. Argh! Help, please!! ---
**Author:** ![TPWombat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TPWombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TPWombat)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-earlier-films-with-twist-endings/380734/16 "2006-11-17T00:31:09Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] Let’s see . . . **Dead of Night** Several twisty stories here, but the best and subtlest is the frame tale. [/QUOTE] Wow! that was fast!! Thanks! (also reminds self to check for new posts before submitting, grrr) ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-earlier-films-with-twist-endings/380734/17 "2006-11-17T00:33:41Z")
**TPWombat** , I think the movie in your spoiler box is **Dead of Night** , mentioned by **RealityChuck** shortly before you posted. Or is it? I haven’t watched it for a few years. ---
**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:** [November 17, 2006, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-earlier-films-with-twist-endings/380734/18 "2006-11-17T01:06:33Z")
\*\*Sleuth The Last of Sheila Body Heat Charade \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Farmwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8dc957/32.png) [@Farmwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmwoman)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-earlier-films-with-twist-endings/380734/19 "2006-11-17T01:13:39Z")
**Witness for the Prosecution** ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-earlier-films-with-twist-endings/380734/20 "2006-11-17T01:31:24Z")
Does _Vertigo_ qualify? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-earlier-films-with-twist-endings/380734.md?page=2)