MovieChat Forums > Sole Survivor (1970) Discussion > Wow! I've Found It!!

Wow! I've Found It!!

posted 17 years ago by tsimoneau-1
18 replies | jump to latest

This movie has stayed in my mind since the night I first saw it back in 70'! I absolutely LOVED it! However, after reading the other messages that were left, it seems that I remember the ending a little different .... PLEASE tell me if I'm mistaken. It seems that I remember that when the officer in the ball cap was the only one remaining, he was next to the recovery team, and heard one officer say that all but one of the crewmen were recovered, and were waiting for orders, and he realized that he was indeed under the tail section, but heard the commanding officer tell the other officer to BURN the tail section before they left! AM I MISTAKEN?? Love this movie, NOW that I know the name I'm on the hunt for dvd, any help? I'd LOVE to discuss this AND more like movies with anyone! Thanks!

[–] rgleichauf 17 years ago

Funny, but I have had the same experience with Sole Survivor. I saw it on TV in 1970 and it comes back to me often. Great film!
I don't remember the ending that way. What I remember is that when they had recovered all but one body, the second in command said to the commanding officer that, since they had tried to search for the last one with no luck, it was probably time to head back home. The commanding officer said that he wanted to find the last man (the real Sole Survivor?) and he speculated that he had to be back at the tail part of the wreckage. The last scene in the movie was the commanding officer driving back to the tail section. That's how I remember it anyway.

[–] mojaveguy 17 years ago

Since I watch this film regularly I'll offer my thoughts on how the film ended.
The commanding officer of the investigation team, William Shatner, wanted to end the search after they found the remains of four of the crew. The second in command, Vince Edwards, after reading the diary, wanted to search from the location of the bodies back to the aircraft, which is what they proceeded to do. The remaining airman, an enlisted man not an officer, was played by the gifted TV director, Lou Antonio. We can imagine that they probably found the body eventually. Finally, the plane was not going to be burned but simply marked as a "derelict." In the opening scenes the two British oil exploration men in the small aircraft who discover the bomber wonder if the Americans can even spell "derelict." Very amusing, British humor.

[–] moogie (205) 7 years ago

Yes this is what I remember also and never knew until now about a similar version. After locating the remains and four dog tags near the rubber raft, the fifth day listed in the diary clued Vincent Edwards into going back to the plane in search for the fifth one. Since the film ends here I've always wondered how long it took to locate Lou under the tail though, where would they start digging. I love William Shatner's comment here "Don't ask me I'm only the man in charge". I found a burned DVD copy of this on eBay a few years ago. Very moving and wonderful, I hold such compassion for the ghosts.

[–] mostyn38 17 years ago

I saw this movie when I was about 7 or 8 and it stayed with me for years. I managed to get a copy a couple of years ago. What a great movie.

[–] capercaillie 17 years ago

I love this movie - I have been trying to remember the name of it for ages. It is fun to read that it had the same affect on others!

[–] acer231 16 years ago

OK you all are posting about finding a copy of the movie, but no one says where they got the copy or posts the file to down load....

[–] ManxBloke 16 years ago

I got my dvd copy on Ebay from cyberman-sid
check his items for sale or search sole survivor

[–] brumkino2 16 years ago

It's the upbeat ending that I saw when it was originally screened in UK in '70 or '71. As I vaguely remember, you see the Commanding officer realise that the tail section is elsewhere and he heads off in the (correct) direction of the tail section, so you know he'll find it. As he walks away he is accompanied by the remaining crewman, the tail gunner, who know is going to be finally "freed" as well.
It's a great film.

[–] orioleadams 15 years ago

SPOILER ALERT!!!

I just watched this movie for the first time tonight (LOVED it, BTW!!). The ending showed a discussion of what to do with the remains of the plane. Burn it? a soldier asked. William Shatner said to leave it, that Arab scrap dealers would take it away eventually. Then they headed out into the desert to look for bodies/dog tags. They found four of the five. Then Vince Edwards found the captain's diary and read "Tony headed back to the plane to try to get supplies." The last entry read something like "We're slowly dying, still no sign of Tony..." Vince Edwards directed everyone to start heading back toward the plane to search. As the camera panned out, the last guy was playing with the baseball, still waiting.

[–] imdb-com-75 14 years ago

This is the movie that I remember. I only saw it once, but I remember Richard Basehart and the last guy whose body the didn't find being left behind, alone.

[–] ElectricEye 13 years ago

This one, playing baseball is the same ending I saw.

Protective, Detective, Electric Eye

[–] MerovingianGoddess 13 years ago

I just watched it for the first time on You Tube and I love how haunting this movie is. So many newbies would not like it because of the slow brooding plot but it has a Hitchcock ring to it for me. I like disturbing.

Nancy*
Living my life vicariously through cinema
http://www.facebook.com/nancychandlerhsm

[–] presupposed 13 years ago

Does anyone remember a TV film from the same period with a similar storyline--a group of people in a jungle environment I think, who don't realize they are dead (so a bit like IDENTITY). There is a doctor in it.

I can't remember any of the actors. But I would love to find this movie again.

[–] ironjade 13 years ago

"Haunts of the Very Rich"?

"Make me a baby!
Make me a star!
Leave my coffin slightly ajar!"
- Lesley Gore

[–] muralir 13 years ago

Thanks so much!! What a misleading title--I am sure it was called something quite different on UK TV (but I can't find it in the aliases).

Anyway, thanks. It has stuck in my mind.

[–] ironjade 13 years ago

You're welcome. It's available on YouTube with a shedload of other tv movies.

"Make me a baby!
Make me a star!
Leave my coffin slightly ajar!"
- Lesley Gore

[–] kitschnette 13 years ago

Haha! I had that "I remember the ending a little different" feeling with another movie, Blackout (1985). I had watched it on TV when I was a child and I got so impressed... then, a few weeks ago, I found it on the internet (after a lot - I mean, A LOT - of searching) and, much to my surprise, it didn't end the way I remembered at all! "How's that possible?!", I thought. Then I started searching again, and found two other titles that may hold the answer - Murder by Night (1989) and Body of Evidence (1988, not the movie with Madonna), with very similar plots. Problem is, I couldn't find them to watch and see what really happened!

[–] thetheeyecreature 9 years ago

I saw this movie over 40 years ago, and it's stayed with me too. Back then, the three main US tv networks used to make a lot of quality movies; I wish more of them were available on video. I can think of half a dozen I'd love to see again.

"The truth 24 times a second."