Search Movie Plot Summaries & Endings Explained

Drama · Dark tone · Bleak ending

Crazed Fruit (1956)

Two brothers compete for the amorous favors of a young woman during a seaside summer of gambling, boating, and drinking.

Read the plot summary

Crime · Dark tone · Ambiguous ending

Afraid to Talk (1932)

A Dramatic expose of Graft-ridden Politics! Corrupt politicians resort to murder and blackmail when a young boy accidentally witnesses them taking payoffs.

Read the plot summary

Romance · Dark tone · Bleak ending

Young Aphrodites (1963)

Set in 200 BC amid a relentless drought, the film explores how the harsh, primal instincts of men and the fragile, sensual nature of women become dangerously entangled, as the overwhelming force of desire compels total surrender of the body and its inevitable consequences.

Read the plot summary

Western · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

Ride Clear of Diablo (1954)

No one with a badge ever rides back from Diablo! A young railroad surveyor returns to his hometown to find the man who murdered his father and brother.

Read the plot summary

Drama · Bittersweet tone · Bittersweet ending

D-Day the Sixth of June (1956)

The Great Love Story of the Great War En route to Normandy, an American and a British officer reminisce in flashback about their romances with the same woman.

Read the plot summary

Comedy · Hopeful tone · Happy ending

The Great Man Votes (1939)

In 1923 widower Gregory Vance, a former scholar turned night‑watchman and struggling alcoholic, raises his two children alone. When officials discover he is the sole registered voter in a pivotal precinct, both parties swarm him with bribes. Vance must decide how to respond while his estranged relatives plot to take his children. That's the story.

Read the plot summary

Thriller · Tense tone · Bleak ending

The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (1965)

In the tense atmosphere of the 1960s Cold War, seasoned British intelligence officer Alec Leamas rejects the chance to retire and instead undertakes a dangerous final assignment, knowing it may be his last, as he navigates betrayal and high‑stakes espionage.

Read the plot summary

Mystery · Tense tone · Happy ending

Gambling Lady (1934)

A powerful syndicate controls the city’s gambling halls, leaving honest operator Mike Lee with the least profitable joint. When he refuses to let the mob cheat, he quits, forcing his determined daughter Lady Lee to support herself. She quickly masters high‑stakes games, earning wealth among the elite, but clashes with the syndicate and faces a marriage proposal from aristocratic Garry Madison, testing whether love can bridge class and past grudges.

Read the plot summary

Thriller · Tense tone · Sad ending

Scandal Sheet (1952)

The man from “The Mob” is making another killing! A tabloid editor assigns a young reporter to solve a murder the editor committed himself.

Read the plot summary

Romance · Light tone · Happy ending

A Matter of Resistance (1966)

In 1945 near the Normandy coast, Marie lives in an old château with her husband Jérôme, who refuses to take her to Paris. A German unit camps there as its commander pursues her. A French resistance spy, posing as her brother to aid the Allies’ D‑Day plan, courts her and forgets his mission. Heroism emerges and Marie must choose her future.

Read the plot summary

Comedy · Light tone · Happy ending

Spook Louder (1943)

The trio of bumbling salesmen travel door‑to‑door selling a weight‑loss contraption, but when they arrive at the mansion of an eccentric inventor they are mistakenly hired as caretakers. Left in charge of the eccentric’s home, they must fend off rival spies and a bizarre pie‑throwing adversary while scrambling to keep the house intact.

Read the plot summary

Western · Dark tone · Bittersweet ending

Pursued (1947)

Robert Mitchum battles to protect three loved ones, including his own family, who oddly wish him dead. In the 1880s, a boy haunted by nightmares of his family's murder is raised by a neighboring family. He falls for his beautiful adoptive sister, while his cruel adoptive brother and enigmatic uncle conspire to kill him.

Read the plot summary

Crime · Tense tone · Ambiguous ending

The Champagne Murders (1967)

Psycho Puppet or Cold-Blooded Killer? A champagne tycoon’s partner suspects his partner’s gigolo husband of murders he’s been framed for.

Read the plot summary

Drama · Melancholic tone · Bleak ending

Red Desert (1964)

Set in an industrializing Italian town, the film follows a married woman whose life unravels after a traffic accident leaves her mentally fragile. Beset by hidden cravings and unspoken longings, she begins a clandestine affair with her husband’s friend, exploring the limits of desire and devotion.

Read the plot summary

Fantasy · Whimsical tone · Happy ending

Finian’s Rainbow (1968)

An Irish immigrant and his daughter arrive in rural Kentucky carrying a pot of leprechaun gold that grants wishes. The magical treasure reshapes the lives of a down‑on‑his‑luck farmer and a close‑knit African‑American community, while a bigoted politician’s cruelty threatens to destroy them.

Read the plot summary

Drama · Dark tone · Happy ending

Child Bride (1938)

Jennie, a twelve‑year‑old living with her parents in a remote mountain community, faces a culture that forces child marriage. Educated native Miss Carol returns as schoolteacher, determined to end the tradition. Jennie's father, Ira, tries to shield his daughter and the teacher from hostile men, Jake Bolby, who plots to make Jennie his bride. Their struggle pits reform against long‑standing custom.

Read the plot summary

Comedy · Happy ending

Doctor and the Healer (1957)

Francesco, a newly appointed physician, is sent to serve the fictional village of Pianetta in the Avellino province. Upon his arrival he finds himself at odds with Don Antonio, the local self‑styled “healer,” whose traditional remedies and influence challenge the young doctor’s modern methods, setting up a clash of medicine and faith.

Read the plot summary

Comedy · Whimsical tone · Happy ending

The Ugly Duckling (1959)

Henry Jekyll, an awkward outsider, discovers a secret formula from his late uncle that promises to turn a timid man into a bold, fearless dragon. After drinking it, he becomes the suave, charismatic Teddy Hyde, gaining confidence to enter society, yet he must confront the consequences of his sudden transformation.

Read the plot summary

Whimsical tone · Happy ending

Captain Applejack (1930)

An ordinary man is confronted by gangsters who have reason to believe a treasure is buried somewhere on his property.

Read the plot summary

Romance · Light tone · Happy ending

Ten Thousand Bedrooms (1957)

Dean Martin stars as an American hotel magnate who goes to Rome to buy a property and falls for a charming Italian woman played by Anna Maria Alberghetti. To win her hand he must arrange marriages for her three older sisters, leading to a breezy musical‑comedy filled with song and romance.

Read the plot summary

Comedy · Light tone · Happy ending

Love Business (1931)

Miss Crabtree, the teacher Jackie has a crush on, rents a room at Jackie’s house.

Read the plot summary

Drama · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

The Age of Consent (1932)

A nice car is like a hotel, but better– “You don’t have to register!” College co-eds struggle with the moral, societal and human aspects of romance.

Read the plot summary

Adventure · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

The Lion (1962)

Tina, a young girl raised on a Kenyan wildlife reserve, lives with her mother and stepfather. While her stepfather embraces the natural surroundings, her mother grows uneasy about Tina’s wild behavior, especially after discovering that her closest companion is a full‑grown lion. Fearing Tina is becoming untamed, she summons Tina’s biological father from rural Connecticut, hoping he can bring her back to a more civilized life, though her mother may have other plans.

Read the plot summary

Adventure · Tense tone · Happy ending

Murder in the Clouds (1934)

Suspense soars in this altitude thriller. Pilot Bob Halsey, in love with stewardess Judy Wagner, must deliver a secret formula to Washington, D.C. A spy learns the mission, murders the other flyers and steals the liquid. As the government searches, conspirators trap Judy, forcing Bob to launch a rescue to save her and retrieve the missing mixture.

Read the plot summary

Action · Dark tone · Bleak ending

Red Zone Cuba (1966)

After breaking out of prison, Griffin teams with two local thugs to invade Cuba. Their mission collapses when a Castro look‑alike captures them and subjects them to brutal, sub‑human treatment. Griffin then hatches a daring plan that may be the only chance to bring peace to the island.

Read the plot summary

Family · Whimsical tone · Happy ending

The Nifty Nineties (1941)

Mickey tries to woo Minnie set against a nostalgic Gay Nineties backdrop. They enjoy a lively vaudeville act, then take a romantic ride together in Mickey’s horseless carriage while classic tunes like “While Strolling Through the Park” and “In the Good Old Summertime” play. Goofy passes on a penny‑farthing, and the Duck family arrives on a massive five‑seat bicycle.

Read the plot summary

Action · Light tone · Happy ending

Lost in the Stratosphere (1934)

Two military pilots who are close friends undertake numerous hazardous missions together, often competing in good‑natured romantic rivalries. When one loses a woman he deeply cares for, resentment toward his friend erupts. Despite their feud, they must join forces for their most dangerous assignment yet.

Read the plot summary

Mystery · Tense tone · Happy ending

Meet the Wildcat (1940)

Ann Larkin, a magazine photographer, is taking pictures at Mexico’s National Museum when she catches Brod Williams removing a painting from its frame. Convinced he’s the infamous art thief “The Wildcat,” she follows him onto the street and publicly accuses him. Though police identify Brod as a New York City detective, Ann remains skeptical.

Read the plot summary

Romance · Light tone · Happy ending

Seniman Bujang Lapok (1961)

Jobless and penniless, carefree trio Ramli, Aziz and Sudin chase stardom from their cramped boarding house. A studio manager promises a break if they ace a screen test, but their inexperience sparks comic mishaps. Eccentric neighbours and Ramli’s budding romance add chaos as the fourth ‘Bujang Lapok’ film wonders if fame will change them.

Read the plot summary

Crime · Light tone · Happy ending

Murder Ahoy (1964)

Mischief brews on the high seas as a trustee collapses during the annual board meeting. Miss Marple suspects poisoning when she discovers a chemical residue, and she follows the trail to the ship he boarded. This fourth and final Miss Marple film stars Margaret Rutherford as the eccentric amateur sleuth.

Read the plot summary

Drama · Dark tone · Bittersweet ending

Silent Dust (1949)

A wealthy blind father plans a cricket pavilion to honor his son, believed killed in WWII. Shortly before the dedication, the son reappears, revealing he deserted, became a blackmailer and murderer, and is demanding money to start a new life. Sensing something is wrong, the blind father sets out to uncover the truth behind his son's sudden return.

Read the plot summary

Crime · Tense tone · Happy ending

Suddenly (1954)

A cold‑blooded thriller set in a quiet small town where Sheriff Tod Shaw’s failed attempts to court widowed pacifist Ellen Benson—who despises guns—are shattered by sudden violence. When the U.S. President stops in town, hired assassin John Baron sees the Benson home as the perfect ambush site, dragging the community into chaos.

Read the plot summary

Animation

The Story of Menstruation (1946)

A basic explanation of the purpose and process of menstruation, told largely with diagrams.

Read the plot summary

History · Hopeful tone · Happy ending

Man of Conquest (1939)

America – First, Last – Always! The story of Sam Houston, hero of the Texas revolution, statesman, and first president of the Republic of Texas.

Read the plot summary

Romance · Dark tone · Bleak ending

Rapture (1965)

Curiosity, infatuation, awakening, love—each becomes a step toward rapture. In rural Brittany, a lonely teenage girl named Agnes and her father take in Joseph, an escaped convict who arrives at their farm. As Joseph’s attraction to Agnes deepens, her father fiercely opposes the union, threatening to end it.

Read the plot summary

Drama · Dark tone · Bittersweet ending

Men in War (1957)

“One more step and I’ll fill your guts with lead!” On 6 September 1950 in Korea, Lieutenant Benson’s platoon is cut off behind enemy lines after a retreat. Sgt. Montana arrives, consumed by protecting his catatonic colonel. Though they despise each other, they must guide the survivors to Hill 465, where the division awaits, while braving enemy threats.

Read the plot summary

Crime · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

Kansas City Confidential (1952)

The Crime That Shocked The Nation! An ex-convict sets out to uncover who framed him for an armored car robbery.

Read the plot summary

Drama · Dark tone · Ambiguous ending

Sing a Song of Sex (1967)

Four restless high‑school students, consumed by sexual curiosity and anxiously studying for their university entrance exams, encounter a drunk teacher who leads them in bawdy drinking songs. The night’s reckless revelry diverts them from their studies and steers them onto a decidedly unacademic, trouble‑filled trajectory.

Read the plot summary

Comedy · Light tone · Happy ending

Maid’s Night Out (1938)

A millionaire's son accepts a challenge from his father and takes a job as a milkman for a month. During his deliveries he becomes smitten with a young debutante, mistakenly believing she is a maid, leading to comedic misunderstandings.

Read the plot summary

Action · Light tone · Happy ending

Colorado Sundown (1952)

A fresh take on classic western action, the Hurley family runs a lumber mill and plans to clear the valley’s forest. They murder the forest ranger and install their brother Dusty as his replacement, claiming the trees are diseased and must be felled. Rex Allen, doubting the story, alerts the Forestry Department and becomes entangled in the homicide investigation.

Read the plot summary