Search Movie Plot Summaries & Endings Explained

Crime · Tense tone · Happy ending

The Lineup (1958)

A massive city‑wide manhunt is splashed across San Francisco’s giant cinema screens as police pursue a psychopathic gangster and his seasoned mentor, who are stealing heroin hidden inside the luggage of unsuspecting travelers. The chase turns the streets into a high‑stakes hunt.

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Adventure · Hopeful tone · Happy ending

Steel Against the Sky (1941)

DANGER is their Business! MEN OF STEEL - WOMEN OF FIRE! Steel-worker brothers compete for the same woman.

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Comedy · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

Blonde Crazy (1931)

Jim’s back!… with a brand new line! Adventures of a cocky con man and his beautiful accomplice.

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Adventure · Tense tone · Happy ending

Beau Ideal (1931)

LIPS PRESSED IN ONE FIERCE KISS! An American joins the French Foreign Legion in order to rescue a boyhood friend.

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Family · Light tone · Happy ending

Good Bad Boys (1940)

Alfalfa and the gang decide to turn to a life of crime, but Spanky tries to trick them with a fake burglary.

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Drama · Dark tone · Bleak ending

Le Doulos (1962)

A raw, shocking, savage tale of betrayal and deception. Enigmatic gangster Silien may have informed on Faugel, who, freshly out of prison, is already drawn into a seemingly straightforward heist. As the brutal, twisting, multilayered police drama unfolds, loyalties are tested and trust becomes a scarce commodity.

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Comedy · Light tone · Happy ending

Mr. Muggs Steps Out (1943)

From Police Blotter To Social Register In 10 Easy Lessons! Ordered by a judge to get a job, Muggs McGinnis is hired by wealthy Mrs. Murray, who has a penchant for picking up trouble‑prone servants. At an engagement party for Mrs. Murray’s spoiled daughter Brenda, Muggs enlists his pals as extra help while navigating the upper‑class world.

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Adventure · Tense tone · Happy ending

Superman and the Mole Men (1951)

Clark Kent and Lois Lane travel to Silsby to cover the drilling of the world’s deepest oil well. The drill pierces the underground home of small, furry, glow‑in‑the‑dark Mole Men who surface at night. frightened townfolk form a hostile mob led by ruthless Luke Benson, intent on killing the newcomers. Only Superman can intervene to stop the violence.

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Romance · Whimsical tone · Happy ending

The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967)

Street scenes filled with song and dance follow two Rochefort sisters—Delphine, a dance teacher, and Solange, a piano teacher and composer. Poet‑painter Maxence, serving in the military, and Simon, a music‑shop owner who has just returned from Paris, each search for love. Unaware that their ideal partner is already nearby, their lives intertwine.

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Western · Tense tone · Happy ending

The Gunman From Bodie (1941)

The Rough Riders are on the trail of a rustling gang. Marshal Roberts goes undercover, pretending to be a wanted outlaw, while fellow Marshal McCall is officially assigned to capture him. Their companion Sandy serves as the cook. Roberts believes that by joining the gang he can lead the Riders to their quarry and finally bring the rustlers to justice.

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Drama · Melancholic tone · Bittersweet ending

So Well Remembered (1947)

One of the screen’s greatest dramas of love and human conflict A mill-owner’s ambitious daughter almost ruins her husband’s political career.

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Crime · Dark tone · Bleak ending

Criss Cross (1949)

When you Double-Cross a Double-Crosser… It’s a Criss Cross! An armored-car guard must join a robbery after being caught with his ex-wife by her gangster husband.

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Comedy · Light tone · Happy ending

A Successful Calamity (1932)

Elderly millionaire Henry Wilton, burdened by his selfish young second wife Emmy “Sweetie” and his spoiled adult children Peggy and Eddie, pretends to have gone broke to test their character. Peggy abandons fortune‑hunter George for true love with polo coach Larry, while Eddie lands a demanding job and excels. Sweetie, however, deserts him, leaving Henry to see who truly cares.

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Drama · Hopeful tone · Bittersweet ending

The Gene Krupa Story (1959)

Gene Krupa, a jazz drummer, refuses his parents' wish he become a priest and follows his passion for drums. After his father's death he leaves seminary, joins Eddie's band and with Ethel moves to New York. There he rises to fame, falls for Ethel, spirals into drugs, alcohol and parties. When she leaves, he hits rock bottom and must choose his way.

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War · Hopeful tone · Happy ending

Very Important Person (1961)

During World II a scientist, Sir Ernest Pease, is sent on a bombing raid to test his new radar. After his plane is hit he parachutes into enemy territory, is captured and placed in a German POW camp, assuming the name Lieutenant Farrow. The camp’s British inmates suspect the newcomer of espionage, sparking misunderstandings, with Leslie Phillips' humor.

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War · Hopeful tone · Bittersweet ending

Don’t Panic Chaps! (1959)

During World II, four British soldiers set up an observation post on a deserted Mediterranean island, where they encounter four German soldiers in a monastery. The two forces call a truce and share the building while awaiting reinforcements. When a shipwrecked Slavic girl reaches the shore, a fierce struggle erupts among the men, with the fate of the island at stake.

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Drama · Tense tone · Happy ending

The Seventh Cross (1944)

In 1936 Nazi Germany, seven prisoners break out of a concentration camp. The cruel commandant erects a cross for each recaptured inmate, having the Gestapo execute them publicly upon return. As six crosses are filled, a seventh remains empty, while George Heisler races against time to reach freedom in Holland.

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Comedy · Light tone · Happy ending

Something to Sing About (1937)

In this modestly budgeted musical, James Cagney steps away from his typical tough‑guy roles to portray a charismatic New York bandleader determined to break into Hollywood. He battles a demanding studio executive, allowing Cagney to display his song‑and‑dance abilities in a lively, under‑dog story.

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Horror · Dark tone · Ambiguous ending

The Tingler (1959)

The film follows a pathological researcher who believes a microscopic parasite called The Tingler lives along the spinal cord and kills people when terror overwhelms them. To prove his theory, he subjects a deaf‑mute woman—unable to scream—to a gruesome experiment, demonstrating that only a scream can suppress the creature and spare the victim.

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Drama · Hopeful tone · Happy ending

Cash McCall (1960)

Cash McCall thrives on turning failing businesses into profits. When he discovers Austen Plastics, a struggling manufacturer, he sees a risky opportunity. Learning that its owner is the father of his former sweetheart Lory, he purchases the company not only for the deal but to rekindle their romance, blending high finance with high romance.

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Drama · Tense tone · Mixed ending

A Shot in the Dark (1941)

A reporter and a police detective sort through the clues in a night-club owner’s murder.

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Drama · Hopeful tone · Bittersweet ending

Vigil in the Night (1940)

“IT TAKES A LOT TO MAKE ME LOVE A MAN In The Face Of All I Know About Them!” A good nurse ruins her career by covering up for her sister’s careless mistake.

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Comedy · Light tone · Happy ending

Don’t Take It to Heart (1944)

A lively tangle of legacies, missing heirs, surprising heiresses and hidden family secrets emerges when a stray World War II bomb frees the ghost of the 3rd Earl of Chaunduyt after four centuries. A visiting professor courting Lady Mary, the present earl’s daughter, teams up with the spectral earl to defend the villagers’ ancient rights against an intrusive newcomer.

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War · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

Battle Stations (1956)

The crew of a U.S. Navy ship in World War II goes into battle against the Japanese fleet.

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Comedy · Light tone · Happy ending

The Million Pound Note (1954)

A down‑and‑out American sailor stumbles upon the mansion of two eccentric gentlemen who devise a social experiment: they give him a single one‑million‑pound banknote. Every shopkeeper, hotelier and passerby assumes he’s wealthy, offering him anything for free. As his newfound status brings lavish perks, the sailor discovers the note’s power also draws greed, threatening his dignity and the love of a woman he cares for.

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Horror · Dark tone · Bittersweet ending

The City of the Dead (1960)

Visiting a quiet Massachusetts town to study witchcraft, a college student checks into a foreboding inn. She discovers the residents are a hidden community of 300‑year‑old beings who survive by feeding on human blood, granting them unnatural immortality. The truth forces her to confront the chilling secret lurking beneath the town’s calm facade.

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Comedy · Light tone · Happy ending

It Happens Every Thursday (1953)

New York reporter Bob MacAvoy, urged by his pregnant wife Jane, purchases a dilapidated weekly paper in the sleepy town of Eden, California. Their well‑meaning attempts to boost circulation clash with quirky locals and entrenched small‑town customs, quickly spiraling into comedic chaos as their plans backfire.

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Western · Tense tone · Happy ending

The Yellow Mountain (1954)

Pete Menlo runs gold claims in Nevada alongside his old friend Andy Martin. Crooked mine‑owner Bannon proposes a merger to create a monopoly, but the partners refuse. Pete falls for “Nevada” Wray, the daughter of rival mine‑owner “Jackpot” Wray, though she prefers Andy. Spurned, Pete teams with Bannon, discovering that Jackpot may control all the region’s gold veins. Bannon’s gang moves against Andy, prompting Pete to confront his betrayal and ultimately return to his friend’s side.

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Western · Light tone · Happy ending

The Ranger and the Lady (1940)

A fearless Texas Ranger and an independent wagon‑train owner become unlikely allies in the turbulent early West. While Sam Houston works in Washington to secure Texas’s admission to the Union, his aide attempts to levy a selfish tax on travelers using the Santa Fe Trail. The ranger steps in to defend the lady’s freight and thwart the corrupt scheme.

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Thriller · Dark tone · Bleak ending

Beyond the Forest (1949)

Rosa, the self‑serving wife of a small‑town doctor, is enticed by a wealthy city businessman who insists she divorce her husband and marry him. As she pursues the lucrative offer, she shows a willingness to commit heinous acts, ultimately resorting to murder.

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Drama · Dark tone · Sad ending

Lilith (1964)

Before Eve there was Evil, and her name was Lilith. War veteran Vincent Bruce takes a job as an occupational therapist at Poplar Lodge, an exclusive psychiatric facility for the affluent. There he encounters Lilith Arthur, a captivating young woman with schizophrenia, whose delicate beauty enthralls everyone she meets.

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Adventure · Hopeful tone · Bittersweet ending

Passage to Marseille (1944)

Warner Bros. Triumph A freedom-loving French journalist sacrifices his happiness and security to battle Nazi tyranny.

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Crime · Hopeful tone · Happy ending

Lord Jeff (1938)

Geoffrey Bramer, a spoiled youth, joins two small‑time crooks and poses as an aristocrat to steal jewelry from exclusive boutiques. After a botched heist he’s arrested and sent to a reformatory where trainees learn to be sailors. There he befriends fellow inmate and model Terry O’Mulvaney, but their partnership soon lands them in further trouble.

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Comedy · Light tone · Bittersweet ending

The Admirable Crichton (1957)

A hilarious tale shows Lord Loam embracing progressive ideas, treating his servants as equals whenever possible, while his butler Crichton insists the serving class should know its place and be content. After a shipwreck strands the Loam family, Crichton and lady’s‑maid Tweeny on a deserted island, the rigid class hierarchy is humorously challenged.

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Romance · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

The Big Lift (1950)

From the Ruins came Hope and Despair The Berlin Air Lift from the point of view of two Air Force NCOs who navigate romance in a bombed out post WW2 Germany.

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Romance · Tense tone · Happy ending

Wings in the Dark (1935)

A tense yet tender drama about two aviators who soar on the wings of love. When visionary engineer Ken Gordon, obsessed with technology that lets pilots fly blind in bad weather, is blinded in an accident, his determination deepens. He refuses to abandon his quest, battling personal loss and the challenges of his groundbreaking project.

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Crime · Tense tone · Sad ending

Breathless (1960)

A petty thief impulsively steals a car and murders a motorcycle police officer. Hunted by the authorities, he tries to convince a young woman to escape with him to Italy, launching a wild, violent and outspoken chase that starkly portrays youthful rebellion.

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Comedy · Light tone · Happy ending

What’s Cookin’? (1942)

A jazzy, high‑energy romp introduces a cast of swing stars. J.P. Courtney hopes to modernize the music on the radio show he sponsors, but his wife Agatha, a devotee of classical tunes, refuses to replace Professor Bistell’s symphonic orchestra. With his daughter Sue, her friends Marvo the Great, the Andrews Sisters, singer Anne Payne and bandleader Woody Herman, they plot to sabotage Bistell, clearing the way for a fresh, swing‑filled sound on the program.

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Crime · Tense tone · Happy ending

Jaal (1952)

In a quiet Indian‑coast fishing village, Carlos lives with his sister Maria. Newcomers Tony and Lisa arrive, and Maria quickly becomes enamoured of Tony. Their budding romance sparks jealousy in Simon, who also loves Maria, setting the stage for a tense love triangle.

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Music · Light tone · Happy ending

The Big Broadcast (1932)

An insider look at the behind‑the‑scenes world of radio, exposing the secrets stations keep hidden. The top brass at the station become increasingly suspicious that their newly‑signed pop star is devoting more time to his love life than to his performances, threatening his career trajectory and the station’s success.

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