MovieChat Forums > Sole Survivor (1970) Discussion > Not Quite The Film I Remember

Not Quite The Film I Remember

posted 15 years ago by pbar100
30 replies | jump to latest

I too, recall this film from when I was a child in the mid 70's, and it stuck with me ever since, strange how it struck a chord with so many people. I bought Sole Survivor a couple of years ago thinking it to be the one. And although it is very similar, it is not the film I remember. The main difference being that they do not know that they are ghosts, until the end. In Sole Survivor, they are aware that they are ghosts. In the film I am trying to track, at the end the rescue party arrives and the 'ghosts' cheer and jump for joy, and I thnk they line up ready to be honoured by the rescue party. But, they all get ignored and it is at that moment that they realise that they are ghosts. That's the massive twist, and the reason this film stuck with me. So, two things are possible here. Some of us for some reason remember this film this way in error. Or, there is another film very similar to Sole Survivor, and that's the one we saw, but seems amazingly hard to find or re-discover. I hope I get to find out, this film has been on my mind for more than 30 years.

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] detune 14 years ago

Your best bet is to post your question on the "I Need to Know" board. If there is another similar film, someone may be able to help.

[–] desertray40 14 years ago

Wow! For some reason I think there is a very similar film also. The one I remember was in black and white. Maybe it's just because I didn't have a color TV at the time. I also thought that the film was made much earlier,like around 1960.

[–] phantomsever 14 years ago

There was a Twilight Zone episode that dealt with this theme entitled "King Nine Will Not Return". It was B&W and starred Robert Cummings and a studio prop B-25. Great show.

Six Actual......OUT!

[–] pbar100 13 years ago

Elsewhere on the internet, I've found detailed talk about this film, and one person is adamant that there are two versions. An American one in which it is made obvious very early on that they are all ghosts, and a European version which was re-edited, which changes the aspect of the film as it is unknown that they are ghosts until the end, which gives the viewer the shock. It is the latter version which I remember seeing as a child, though I can't find it anywhere.

[–] FriedEggMan 13 years ago

I don't know why but this film stuck in my mind, but it can't be the same one.

I too remember the twist at the end when the rescue party came and the "survivors" were not noticed by the rescuers and then they realised they were already dead.

I have just downloaded Sole Survivor and watched the first few minutes and they talk about being there for 17 years and not having dreams. From that alone it gives a strong impression they are dead and they know it.

Someone else here mentions a Twilight Zone episode called King Nine Will Not Return but the synopsis for that doesn't sound anything like it.

Is there another very similar film out there ? Surely it can;t just be a differently edited version of the same film.

[–] ZIPPY-34 13 years ago

I am having the same problem because I have a distinct memory of the last guy being left behind and yelling to the search team that he was buried some place they hadn't searched, under the tail section or something like that, don't leave him behind or something similar. Of course this was over 40 years ago, so who knows.

[–] FriedEggMan 13 years ago

In the end the "tail man" is on his own but we see William Shatner's aide driving back to the wreck (from the site of the other bodies) to take another look so it's implied or at least we can infer from this that his body will be found.

[–] ock-368-518237 13 years ago

I agree, there must be another very similar film out there. I remember, as the investigation team arrives to survey the wreckage, the crew lined up in front of the plane ready for inspection. The commander of the investigation team walks right up to the Captain who is standing at attention saluting the officer. The commander raises his hand as to salute but instead of saluting pushes his hat back and says "I sure wish she could talk". At that moment the crew realizes they are all dead and the Captain dismisses the men and they walk away dejectedly. Please let me know if anyone else remembers it this way and if so, what is the name of this movie?

[–] cada123 13 years ago

The scene you describe does happen in Sole Survivor; however, it happens fairly near the beginning and not at the end. Prior to this, the crew members had said things indicating they already knew they were dead, but not as obvious to the audience. (I only realized they already knew, because I had seen it before. And yes, it was a total shock, the first time I had seen it - but it was not at the end.)

Once the Captain does his non-salute and says, "I sure wish she (the wrecked plane) could talk," someone in the crew says something like, "Man; we really Are dead!" So it seems at some level they knew they were, but perhaps were not totally accepting it... or, seeing an investigation team arriving, let themselves believe they were actually being rescued.

On the other hand - If, as someone suggested, there are different versions of this same movie, perhaps the above scene was edited to occur pretty much at the end. Only thing is - if the team were just arriving, how to account for the rest of the story?

[–] ock-368-518237 13 years ago

You are correct, after posting the message I was able to view the movie on YouTube and the scene was as I remembered. I believe Sole Survivor was the movie I saw when I was about 11 years old.

It is amazing how this movie stayed in my mind for so long. But it seems like Im not the only one.

[–] timothy-jan-atkins 13 years ago

Yep, I remember watching this with my dad (he had seen it before) and I def. remember that the ending was one single ghost left by himself playing baseball. Its stuck with me for years and years, I think it was the first ever movie that made me THINK afterwards about deeper things. Im sure the plot twist wasn't given away early, or maybe I was to young to "get it", time has a way of distorting memories, but I remember being deeply affected by the thought of him being there as a ghost forever and ever. Great movie! Im going to rewatch "King Nine" right now, the Twilight Zone box set is invaluable!

[–] mailhandler1959 13 years ago

I enjoyed seeing this movie when it first came out. If it's 1970, that would put me in about 6th grade. Before looking online, I only remembered Vince Edwards; after reading the synopsis, I can recall Richard Basehart, but not William Shatner.
I remember being "zinged" when the crew realized they were dead, but I thought it was maybe 3/4 of the way through. I had been wondering, up to that time, how they survived all that time.
In later adulthood, I was able to see the Twilight Zone episode, and recalled this movie.
The true story of the "Lady-Be-Good" makes for some poignant reading.
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[–] sewashburn 12 years ago

This is Sole Survivor (1970), as viewable on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aCQJYeoCdU.

[–] Bruce7 8 years ago

Link is now dead

"The YouTube account associated with this video has been terminated due to multiple third-party notifications of copyright infringement"

Can you fly this plane?
Surely u cant be serious
I am serious,and dont call me Shirley

[–] tom-1674 8 years ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqxZoVLn6Tg

[–] theperrotts 12 years ago

Wow! Like all of you, this film has stayed with me for years and years and i could never find anyone who'd seen it nor find any information about it... (Google hadn't been invented then) ... It's been on my mind to do an internet search for ages but have just gotten around to it.
It is blowing my mind that so many people have had the same experience.
I also remember the version we can't name or verify and I'm quite sure it's not the same if, in Sole Survivor they knew they were dead.... I remember the complete shock when you realise they are dead as described above by the non-salute... and the crew only realise at that point - I remember them waving frantically at the plane that flies over that eventually leads to the search team coming.

That 'twist in the tale' was obviously a beauty as it has stuck with so many for so long.... what a shame we can't get a copy, I'd love to watch it again.

[–] thumperdude 9 years ago

I managed to pick up a dvd ported from vhs and the scene you're describing (the crew assembled and the recovery team not seeing them, "I sure wish she could talk" is definitely in this movie, about halfway into the story.

[–] polsixe 13 years ago

This is bizarre. I too remember the b&w film ( mind you our TV was bw, we only had CBC and CBS )where the guys don't realize they are dead and slowly disappear one by one. It's funny so many people say it is Sole Survivior, others say no, or the Twilght Zone episode King 9 or the other one American Circle Theatre Ghost Bomber. Maybe it was a dubbed Italian, French film, or a Canadian CBC telefilm?

[–] dukemd 12 years ago

I don't know why I suddenly thought of this movie and came over to this board. I just watched The Hunger Games and some how this movie popped into my head. I haven't seen it in probably 30 years, but like many commenting here, I remember it.

My recollection of the movie is a little different than what I have been reading in this thread. The crew did not realize they were dead until near the end. After they realize they're dead (when the search party ignores them) they discussed that the one who would be the sole survivor would be found when the air force salvaged the plane. He had come back to the plane after leaving the rest of the crew in the desert and was resting under the shade provided by the plane tail section, when it collapsed on him. As they are discussing this, the search party finds the crew's bodies in the desert and their ghosts all suddenly disappear, leaving the sole survivor by himself. The sole survivor is excited when he sees the search party come back to the plane only to hear them say that they would not salvage the plane, and they drive off. Then there is a camera pan-out that shows the sole survivor hitting a baseball on the baseball diamond next to the plane.

Does this ring a bell with anyone?

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[–] SawFish77 12 years ago

Holy Smokes, I remeber this as well, I think there was a creepy scene as the ghosts saw visions of the American flags bieng wrapped over them and they screamed and dissapeared, leaving ony one guy left whose body was not discovered, what is the name of this?

[–] robin_n-80631 9 years ago

You describe the film the closest to the way I remember it. It's definitely nothing to do with the Twilight Zone episode people have mentioned (King Nine Will Not Return). My most vivid memories are of the ghosts disappearing as their bodies are discovered, and the rather dark ending of that crew member beneath the tail being left behind, because no salvagers would predict his bizarre accident and therefore the odd location of his body.

[–] strangenstein 12 years ago

There was a TV movie from 1972 called HAUNTS OF THE VERY RICH that may be what you're remembering?

[–] DracenMantis 12 years ago

I remember this from my childhood too.

I do remember at the beginning when the crew are talking about stuff and being there for 17 years (which struck me odd at the time as one of the guys (harmonica?) looked to be 17, then one of the guys casually mention that his body was under the fallen tail but nobody reacts to that.

When the army team gets there the aircrew line up infront of the plane and the officer looks like he is going to salute...only to push his hat back and says something like 'I wish you could talk' which is when the crew realise that they are dead and the living couldn't see them.

Then the end where the ghosts panic as they could see the living digging them up and disappearing except for one who is left pitching baseball on his own, then a cut to an army officer speeding off to the plane to find the last body.

Excellent film, wish it was out on dvd.

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