# What is this old black and white movie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [January 2, 2023, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-old-black-and-white-movie/977544 "2023-01-02T19:39:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![StraightTalk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/straighttalk/32/9982_2.png) [@StraightTalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StraightTalk)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2023, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-old-black-and-white-movie/977544/1 "2023-01-02T19:39:29Z")
I’m having a recollection of this old movie where one of the characters is working in a factory where she operates a sewing machine (I don’t remember what they make). She accidentally sewed her finger in the sewing machine. I think it was due to poor lighting in the factory. I don’t know what the overall story of the movie was. I don’t know any of the actors either. Does anyone know the movie I’m describing? Google hasn’t helped. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2023, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-old-black-and-white-movie/977544/2 "2023-01-02T19:58:55Z")
Carrie? ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2023, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-old-black-and-white-movie/977544/3 "2023-01-02T19:59:37Z")
Definitely not. There was no B&W version of Carrie, nor were there any factory scenes. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2023, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-old-black-and-white-movie/977544/4 "2023-01-02T20:00:40Z")
Did she sew her _finger_ to the machine or her sleeve? I only ask because sewing your sleeve to the machine is such a common “I’ve never used a sewing machine before” trope. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2023, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-old-black-and-white-movie/977544/5 "2023-01-02T20:00:52Z")
All apologies: I meant [Carrie](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_(1952_film)), with Laurence Olivier and Jennifer Jones. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2023, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-old-black-and-white-movie/977544/6 "2023-01-02T20:02:23Z")
I think I should be apologizing. I’d never heard of any movie by that title other than the ones based on the Stephen King book. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2023, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-old-black-and-white-movie/977544/7 "2023-01-02T20:07:45Z")
I found this while trying to find a/the relevant scene in Carrie. > When he gives her money ( because she almost slices her finger off at a sewing machine in a garment factory on her first day of employment) and begs her for dinner, she plans on showing up just to return the money. She knows, ladies and gents, that he is a douchebag. ---
**Author:** ![StraightTalk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/straighttalk/32/9982_2.png) [@StraightTalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StraightTalk)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2023, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-old-black-and-white-movie/977544/8 "2023-01-02T20:27:15Z")
I think you guys may have identified it! I’m going to try and find it to warch and see. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2023, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-old-black-and-white-movie/977544/9 "2023-01-02T21:56:17Z")
The original book (by Theodore Dreiser) was called “Sister Carrie.” ---
**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:** [January 2, 2023, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-old-black-and-white-movie/977544/10 "2023-01-02T22:19:46Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > All apologies: I meant [Carrie](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_(1952_film)), with Laurence Olivier and Jennifer Jones. I’m curious. What version of Wikipedia did you link to? I can see it’s not the standard version I use, which is [en.wikipedia.org](http://en.wikipedia.org). The one you linked to is [en.m.wikipedia.org](http://en.m.wikipedia.org). Is this a special version for use by mobile phones? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2023, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-old-black-and-white-movie/977544/11 "2023-01-02T23:01:25Z")
It’s mobile view, with a clickable bit at the bottom to toggle to ‘desktop’ (at which point the ‘m’ disappears); clicking ‘mobile view’ can then reverse the effect (at which point the ‘m’ shows back up). ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-old-black-and-white-movie/977544/12 "2023-01-03T17:32:16Z")
‘Sister Carrie’ is considered a classic book, isn’t it? I read it decades ago, it was just tragic. A movie, too, from 1952, Jennifer Jones and Lawrence Olivier. (just ‘Carrie’). ---
**Author:** ![StraightTalk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/straighttalk/32/9982_2.png) [@StraightTalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StraightTalk)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-old-black-and-white-movie/977544/13 "2023-01-04T01:50:20Z")
I’ve watched “Carrie” and that was the movie I was looking for. This has been bugging me for years. Thanks all!