Search Movie Plot Summaries & Endings Explained

History · Tense tone · Happy ending

Prince of Foxes (1949)

Set in 1500, Duke Cesare Borgia plots to marry his sister to Ferrara’s heir, a move that jeopardizes his conquest of central Italy. He sends his sister’s lover, the unscrupulous Andrea Orsini, on the delicate mission. En route, Orsini meets Camilla Verano, the Count of Città del Monte’s wife, and his newfound feelings threaten his loyalty to the ruthless duke.

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Horror · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

The Tommyknockers (1993)

Something wonderful is happening in Haven. Pray it doesn’t happen to you. A buried UFO slowly turns local inhabitants into gizmo-building alien mutants.

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Thriller · Tense tone · Bleak ending

The Depraved (1957)

After a chance encounter, Laura Wilton, a young English housewife married to the abusive wealthy Tom (Basil Dignam), teams with her lover, Army captain Dave Dillon (Robert Arden), to stage his “accidental” death. A nosy policeman (Denis Shaw) suspects foul play, and the plot collapses into fear, mistrust and betrayal. Directed by Paul Dickson.

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Romance · Dark tone · Bittersweet ending

The Indian Tomb (1959)

Rescued from the desert by a caravan, Seetha and Harold Berger are taken to a village where innkeeper betrays them to Ramigani. Captured, meet Irene and Walter Rhode, who doubt Maharaja Chandra’s story about Harold. Ramigani forces Seetha to marry Chandra to incite anger and secure Padhu’s army. Harold escapes the dungeon and rushes to save her.

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Crime · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

The Green Archer (1961)

The country estate of American émigré Abel Bellamy is plagued by the ghost of the Green Archer, a 14th‑century Robin Hood‑like figure who once terrorised the manor’s lords. When a gangster returns home on vague business and his niece Valerie arrives with her adoptive father to occupy the neighbouring mansion, Bellamy’s irritation grows, and the spectral archer reappears. The visitors must discover who the Archer is and what he wants.

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Drama · Dark tone · Bittersweet ending

The Executioner (1963)

A morbidly witty tale follows an undertaker who reluctantly marries the daughter of a long‑serving executioner; when his father‑in‑law retires, he is thrust into the grim trade he despises, confronting duty, family honor, and his own aversion to state‑sanctioned death.

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Comedy · Light tone · Happy ending

Booby Dupes (1945)

Three hapless fish dealers ditch the middleman, trading their car and $300 for a “new” boat that quickly collapses and sinks at sea. With only a rowboat left, they try to signal passing aircraft, but their paint‑splattered rag is mistaken for a Japanese flag, leading to an aerial bombing.

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Drama · Dark tone · Sad ending

Brighton Rock (1948)

Based on Graham Greene’s novel, the film follows a ruthless gang of assorted criminals in inter‑war Brighton, centring on their leader Pinkie, a vicious young hoodlum. It vividly portrays the razor‑gang culture and the city’s criminal underbelly, exploring the moral ambiguities of the era.

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Western · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

War Drums (1957)

The Deadlist Thunder That Ever Rolled Across The West! The friendship between a white man & an Apache chief is tested when they fall in love with the same woman

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Drama · Tense tone · Happy ending

So Young, So Bad (1950)

Idealistic Dr. Jason takes a post at a reform school for girls, hoping to improve their lives. He remains unaware of the matrons' brutal treatment until rebellious Loretta opens his eyes. With help from a sympathetic staffer, he gathers proof of the abuse and threatens the headmaster with exposure unless he gains full authority to reform the school.

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Western · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

The Oregon Trail (1959)

In 1846, a New York Herald reporter rides with a wagon train headed for the Oregon Territory, spurred by the rallying cry “54‑40 or fight.” He aims to verify a rumor that President Polk is covertly sending soldiers disguised as settlers to bolster American claims on the land.

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History · Dark tone · Bittersweet ending

The Wet Parade (1932)

The narrative follows the clash of two families as the scourge of alcohol, both before and during Prohibition, reshapes their lives. The affluent Chilcote family and the diligent Tarleton family each feel the corrosive effects of drinking, highlighting the social and moral turmoil of the era.

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Drama · Dark tone · Bleak ending

The Face of Another (1966)

A businessman with a disfigured face obtains a lifelike mask from his doctor, but the mask starts altering his personality.

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Comedy · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

A Noisy Day (1961)

On a typical Moscow street a mother lives with her four children in an unremarkable house. One seemingly ordinary day a violent dispute erupts over the packed furniture, but the quarrel is merely a pretext for a deeper clash of worldviews, exposing contrasting values and ideas about life.

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Drama · Light tone · Happy ending

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938)

After Uncle Harry places Rebecca in the care of her strict Aunt Miranda—who bans any contact with show business—she finds an unlikely ally in neighbor Anthony Kent. Kent, a talent scout, covertly arranges a broadcast opportunity for her, giving Rebecca a chance to pursue her dreams despite her aunt’s objections.

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Drama · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

The Young Doctors (1961)

Desires and Fears Screaming to Explode! An aging doctor’s resentment of his young assistant could lead to tragedy.

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Romance · Tense tone · Happy ending

The Small Back Room (1949)

During the peak of World II, German forces start deploying a novel, booby‑trapped bomb over England, threatening civilian areas and sowing panic. Bomb‑disposal expert Sammy Rice, renowned for his skill yet tormented by past trauma, must confront both the deadly device and his own inner demons in a race against time to neutralize the menace.

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Drama · Hopeful tone · Happy ending

La Marseillaise (1938)

Set during the opening stages of the French Revolution, the film follows the citizens of Marseille as they experience the upheaval, while also portraying a German‑exiled French count and King Louis XVI, each grappling with their own personal crises.

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Comedy · Light tone · Ambiguous ending

Three Little Sew and Sews (1939)

The Stooges work as sailors in a ship’s tailor shop and, denied passes ashore, they steal officers’ uniforms to crash a party, with Curly posing as Admiral Taylor and Moe and Larry as his aides. Two spies—one a glamorous woman—con the trio into pilfering a brand‑new submarine. The trio outsmarts the agents and captures them, but when the real admiral arrives, Curly’s reenactment of the capture triggers a bomb that detonates, blowing everyone to kingdom come.

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Comedy · Dark tone · Ambiguous ending

Simon of the Desert (1965)

Simon, a devout 4th‑century hermit, seeks closeness to God by climbing a towering column in the desert. While he endures isolation and physical strain, the Devil appears, urging him to descend and offering worldly temptations, testing his faith and resolve.

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Horror · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

The Secret of the Telegian (1960)

A mysterious killer called the Telegian wreaks havoc across the globe, using a matter‑transmitting device that lets him locate and murder his victims at a distance. As the body count rises, authorities scramble to understand the technology and stop the relentless terror.

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Romance · Bittersweet tone · Bittersweet ending

The Legend of the White Serpent (1956)

Lavish Japanese-Chinese coproduction based on an ancient Chinese legend about a man who falls in love with a snake goddess in human form.

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Drama · Bittersweet tone · Ambiguous ending

Falling Leaves (1966)

A young worker takes a job at a local state run winery only to discover and become disillusioned by the corruption of the Soviet State.

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Romance · Tense tone

Paradise Island (1930)

A high‑octane mix of action, romance and adventure on the South Sea island of Tonga, where plantations hide ruthless scoundrels. Ellen Bradford arrives to wed a respectable, prosperous plantation owner, only to find he’s a drunken gambler. As the island’s sole white woman, she quickly becomes the prize of cut‑throats and thieves.

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Romance · Melancholic tone · Bittersweet ending

When Tomorrow Comes (1939)

A famous concert pianist unhappily married to a woman who suffers from mental illness falls in love with a waitress.

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Adventure · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

The Jungle (1952)

An Indian princess, played by Marie Windsor, joins forces with her cunning adviser (Cesar Romero) and a rugged white hunter (Rod Cameron) to confront towering woolly mammoths. Presented in striking sepia tones, the adventure is driven by the princess’s tempting allure and deadly hatred.

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Comedy · Whimsical tone · Happy ending

Let’s Stick Together (1952)

Spike, an elderly honey bee, reminisces about his partnership with Donald during their younger years. Donald, now a frail man with a long white beard and a sore back, scrapes together a living by clearing trash in the park. When the two meet again, their shared past floods back in vivid recollection.

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Drama · Tense tone · Ambiguous ending

Night and Fog in Japan (1960)

Uninvited guests crash a former student radical’s wedding and accuse him, his bride and other guests of ignoring their political commitments.

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Comedy · Light tone · Happy ending

Divorce American Style (1967)

If you thought divorce was ugly, try marriage! After 17 years of marriage in American suburbia, Richard and Barbara Harmon step into the new world of divorce.

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Drama · Happy ending

Mission to Moscow (1943)

Ambassador Joseph Davies, sent by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Soviet Union, spends months examining the country’s industrial programs, agricultural collectives and political institutions. Convinced by what he witnesses, he returns to the United States promoting socialism as a viable system for America.

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Animation · Whimsical tone · Happy ending

Boyhood Daze (1957)

After being sent to his room for breaking a window, Ralph whiles away the hours by slipping into vivid Walter Mitty‑style daydreams. In his imagination he becomes a daring jungle explorer who rescues his parents, a fearless jet ace battling alien invaders, and a hardened convict navigating a tough underworld. The film follows his whimsical escapism.

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Horror · Tense tone · Happy ending

The Monster That Challenged the World (1957)

A new kind of terror to numb the nerves! Giants Mollusks are released from the earth by an earthquake and start killing people.

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Comedy · Tense tone · Happy ending

King of the Zombies (1941)

During World War II a small aircraft over the Caribbean runs low on fuel, is tossed by a storm and, guided by a faint radio signal, crash‑lands on a remote island. The passenger, his nervous manservant and the pilot take refuge in a mansion owned by a doctor. As voodoo rites, strange noises and eerie rituals appear, the easily frightened manservant becomes convinced the house is haunted by zombies and ghosts, prompting a night of terror and human sacrifice.

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Drama · Light tone · Happy ending

Four Girls in Town (1957)

Four aspiring starlets from different corners of the globe converge on Hollywood to audition for a major lead role. While competing, they attract the romantic attention of a director, a composer, a playboy and an actor. The film follows which of these international beauties ultimately replaces Universal's glamour star in a forthcoming Biblical epic.

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Comedy · Light tone · Happy ending

Who’s Minding the Mint? (1967)

An inept government worker mistakenly ruins a sizable sum, prompting a daring break‑in at the United States Mint to recover it. As word spreads, a massive, chaotic scramble ensues, with countless characters—hundreds, tens, even single‑digit opportunists—all vying for a share of the loot.

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Crime · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

5 Against the House (1955)

Sizzling! Former war-time Army buddies now students in college decide to rip off a Reno casino.

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Comedy · Melancholic tone · Bittersweet ending

The Joke (1969)

Set against the oppressive climate of 1950s Czechoslovakia, Ludvik Jahn is expelled from both the Communist Party and his university after a politically charged love note to his girlfriend provokes outrage among his peers. Fifteen years later, he plots revenge by attempting to seduce Helena, the wife of one of his accusers, exposing lingering resentments and moral ambiguity.

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Drama · Dark tone · Bittersweet ending

The Great Man (1956)

While preparing a eulogy for beloved radio commentator Herb Fuller, reporter Joe Harris discovers that, although the public hails the ‘Great Man’, many secretly despise his ruthless ways. As he talks to colleagues and acquaintances, he finds no one can summon a positive comment about Fuller’s legacy.

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Comedy · Light tone · Happy ending

Dizzy Doctors (1937)

The Stooges are hired to sell Brighto, which they believe is a cleaning fluid. Their antics destroy a police officer’s uniform and a brand‑new car, only to discover Brighto is actually a medicinal tonic. They take the product to a hospital, but the chief, who also owns the wrecked car, discovers the deception, forcing them to flee.

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Crime · Tense tone · Ambiguous ending

La Commare Secca (1962)

In a rain‑soaked Rome, police detectives sift through a string of suspects to solve the brutal killing of a young prostitute whose body is found in a park. They interrogate each possible culprit—Nino, a girl‑obsessed teenager; Canticchia, a street pickpocket; a soldier on leave; a visiting tourist; and a local pimp—who all recount the day’s events and insist they are innocent, while the detectives race against the storm to uncover the truth.

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