The Silver Screen Oasis

Didn’t plan on starting another one so soon, but . . .

Today’s paper included an article entitled “Here’s the Secret” that starts as follows:

“Moviegoers love a good secret. There are more than 200 movies with ‘secret’ in the title—including, we kid you not, The Secret Lives of Dentists and The Secret of the Ooze. Those secrets can set you back $12 and waste your time, but Secret Salt hidden in food at the concession stand and on store shelves, well, that can knock you off your feet.”

So, before the Secret Salt gets you, what’s your favorite film with “Secret”in the title?

Personally, I’ve always been fond of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Did you know that a young Robert Altman, smiling and smoking a cigarette, appears as an extra in a nightclub scene with Kaye?

As suggested by their first sentence above, there are lots of great movies, such as Psycho and The Crying Game, that don’t have Secret in the title, but are built around a fabulous one.

Diabolique gets my vote for that, and everyone who’s seen it knows why.

Please do indicate your favorite in the “well-hidden secret” category as well.

A british film from several years back Secrets and Lies I enjoyed very much. [I won't say more than that. ]

Another british film Vera Drake has a big secret. The audience knows, but her friends and family don't find out until the law learns of it.

One of the best secret-riddled films, where both the main character and the audience (on first viewing) don't know, is Rosemary's Baby. Gad, what a secret!

P.S. I've seen The Secret Lives of Dentists, and I liked it!

I'm with you, kingrat. Obviously. two "secrets" well worth keeping.

PT, don't know either of your choices, but the British seldom disappoint, so I'll make a point of checking them out. Yes, Rosemary's Baby was certainly riddled. I remember thinking early on that Ruth Gordon was up to no good, but I sure didn't suspect how really bad she was. We'll be looking forward to your comments on The Secret of the Ooze! :–)—

Love Margaret O'Brien's The Secret Garden

For a more recent flick, The Secret Life of Bees is pretty good. And Johnny Depp's Secret Window is kinda weird, but watchable.

Witness for the Prosecution (1957) comes immediately to mind as having a pretty good secret, (complete with ending asking audiences to keep the secret to themselves), as did Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express (1974). Dead Again (1991), a seemingly forgotten film, features a fun twist at the end. I would also mention the final shot of Planet of the Apes (1968) as a movie with a secret that continues to be imitated by filmmakers.

moirafinnie wrote:Witness for the Prosecution (1957) comes immediately to mind as having a pretty good secret, (complete with ending asking audiences to keep the secret to themselves), as did Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express (1974). Dead Again (1991), a seemingly forgotten film, features a fun twist at the end. I would also mention the final shot of Planet of the Apes (1968) as a movie with a secret that continues to be imitated by filmmakers.

Three great secrets indeed!

The mention of dear Agatha reminded me of the big surprise when Barry Fitzgerald turned up at the end of And Then There Were None. Really rocked my boat!

Another Agatha Christie with a secret revealed at the end - AND THEN THERE WERE NONE.