History Main / HeWentThatWay

** In ''WesternAnimation/PorkyInWackyland'' (and its remake ''Dough for the Do-Do''), Porky Pig meets a native of Wackyland wearing a sandwich board advertising "INFORMATION ABOUT THE DODO". When Porky asks him which way to go to find him, the guys says "Thattaway!" and points in several directions at once.

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[[caption-width-right:200:[-Of course I didn't just shapeshift; he went that way.-]]]

* In the ''Arabian Knights'' segment of ''WesternAnimation/TheBananaSplits'', Princess Nida often disguised herself (once even as the BigBad and imitating his voice!) and used this trick to send guards the wrong way.

* Oolong does this the first time he appears in his true form in ''Manga/DragonBall''.
* In two of the flashbacks in ''Anime/MillenniumActress'', does Chiyoko dupe the police who are chasing the young painter by pointing in the wrong direction.
* Part of Giorno's backstory in ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureGoldenWind'': when he was a child, he found a man bleeding out in a patch of grass. The men who shot him asked Giorno if he'd seen an injured man, and Giorno directed them away from the patch. The man he saved was a powerful mobster from Naples, who aided and protected Giorno from afar the rest of his childhood, inspiring Giorno to join the Mafia when he grew up.

* ''ComicBook/{{Iznogoud}}'': "The Sinister Liquidator" features a variant in which Iznogoud tries to use the cursed water of a swamp djinn to become Caliph instead of the Caliph; anyone who touches the water disappears into it. Of course, while trying to get the water to the Caliph, more and more people (and a camel) touch or even drink the water, and Iznogoud keeps repeating the name of this trope when people wonder where they went. Finally, the Caliph's goldfish keeper tries putting his charge in the water, and when he wonders where the goldfish went... Actually, both Iznogoud and his henchman say this. While ''pointing in the opposite directions.'' Of course, this being Iznogoud, no one notices.

* Snake Eyes pulls this off without saying a word in issue 21 "Silent Interlude" of the [[ComicBook/GIJoeARealAmericanHeroMarvel Marvel G.I. Joe]] comic.
* The French comic ''{{ComicBook/Rubine}}'' has goons chasing after a man, then running into an intersection where a pair of homeless men are camping. They ask the one facing them if he saw someone run by. He confirms it, and even adds that he was given twenty dollars to tell the goons he went one way (but didn't give him anything to tell them which way he ''did'' go). The goons promptly run the other way, and the second homeless man gets up, revealing he was the target all along, thanking the first one before fleeing.

* A variation in ''Film/StarWarsANewHope''. When stormtroopers break into the room where [=C3PO=] and [=R2D2=] are hiding, they pretend they're innocent droids who have been locked in there by the rebels. "They're madmen! They're heading for the prison level! If you hurry, you might catch them!" In this case the information is accurate, but something the stormtroopers already know about.

* Done in one of the ''Literature/{{Everworld}}'' novels. Lampshaded when the characters say that they can't believe the "they went thataway trick" actually worked.

* In the penultimate scene of ''Theatre/TheMusicMan'', Marcellus manages to distract the angry mob of townspeople searching for Harold Hill for a few minutes by telling them he isn't anywhere nearby and they should try looking "down by the creek."

* According to the intro of ''[[VideoGame/SoulSeries Soulcalibur II]]'' this is how Raphael first met Amy, which led to him adopting her as his daughter.

* In ''VideoGame/FantasyLife'', the player, or rather their more vocal ExpositionFairy, does this to throw paladins off the trail of another character.

* Slight variant: In the Creator/TexAvery cartoon "Half Pint Pygmy", there is a [[SarcasmMode very helpful]] octopus... who points in eight directions at the same time.

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/JosieAndThePussycats'', when the gang is ChasedByAngryNatives, Alexander dons a mask and points while crying "Um wanna, um wanna, banana!". This initially works as the natives run in his direction until the Chief realizes they were tricked.
* Used for a ShaggyDogStory in ''WesternAnimation/BountyHamster''. Cassie spends an entire episode tracking down a witness who knows where her DisappearedDad went, only to find the only information they can give is this trope.
* Happens in the WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse cartoon "Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip". As train conductor WesternAnimation/{{Pete}} hunts for Mickey and [[WesternAnimation/PlutoThePup Pluto]], he spots a strange figure wearing Pete's hat and coat -- actually, Mickey and Pluto in disguise -- and asks if it's seen "a mutt and a little runt around here". Mickey points in a different direction, saying, "They went that way." He is about to say it in his regular high-pitch voice, but then tries to fool Pete by speaking in a deeper voice.
-->'''Pete:''' Thanks, conductor. ''(starts to walk off, [[DoubleTake but makes a realization]])'' Conductor?! But that's me!

Related to LookOverThere.

* In ''Film/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe'', the fox throws the wolves off of the Pevensie children's trail by claiming that "they ran north." The children are actually above them in a tree the entire time.

* ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019'': Nick Fury approaches Carol Danvers and asks if she had seen a lady who crashed through a Blockbuster's roof. Carol points in a random direction and says she went that way, but Nick just laughs because a security guard had already told him it was her.

* Perhaps the most JustForFun/{{egregious}} example from ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'' is Sonic saying, "I'm over there." to a robot, WITHOUT A COSTUME, after just walking up to him. It works.

* Done in ''Anime/FullMetalPanicFumoffu''. [[spoiler: Sousuke steals a Bonta-kun costume to fight off Yakuza thugs threatening Kaname because he was following her on a date and didn't want to her to find out. He is chased by security trying to get it back and Kaname helps him out by way of this trope.]]

* In two of the flashbacks in ''Anime/MillenniumActress'', does Chiyoko dupe the police who are chasing the young painter by pointing into the wrong direction.

* Subverted in ''Film/MissionImpossibleIII''. Ethan Hunt is chasing down the villains, and an elderly Chinese man wordlessly points in the direction they went. However it turns out he's walked into an unlicensed hospital, and the man just assumed from Ethan's battered appearance that he had come in for treatment. Fortunately the villains have also gone to the hospital.

* ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay''. John Connor's friend tips him off that a policeman is looking for him, then tries to do this trope as Connor ducks out the back way. Unfortunately the T-1000 has already seen Connor, and [[WouldHurtAChild brutally]] [[ExcuseMeComingThrough shoves his friend aside]].

* In ''Webcomic/{{DDG}}'' a reluctant reapee tells [[TheGrimReaper Zip]] "Some dead guy just went out the window". Needless to say it doesn't work. Asking Zip for a [[DontFearTheReaper kiss]] as a last request is more successful, though.

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/JosieAndThePussycats'', when the gang is ChasedByAngryNatives, Alexander dons a mask and points while crying "Um wanna, um wanna, banana!". This initially works as the natives run in his direction, until the Chief realizes they were tricked.

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/JosieAndThePussycats'', the gang is ChasedByAngryNatives, Alexander dons a mask and points while crying "Um wanna, um wanna, banana!". This initially works as the natives run in his direction, until the Chief realizes they were tricked.

* ''Film/StreetAngel'': When Angela is running from the police, she is saved by a group of circus artists, hiding her in a broken drum, and sending the police away in this matter.

* ''Film/TheThreeStooges'' would often pull this gag when being chased by someone.
* {{Invoked|Trope}} by the bad guy as part of a trap in ''Film/ElDorado'': he leads Cole and Mississippi on a chase through the town saloon, with two {{mooks}} waiting to point our heroes out the back door and into an ambush. It almost works, too, except Mississippi recognizes one of them from an earlier encounter.
* Gavroche and Javert in the 1978 adaptation of ''Literature/LesMiserables''.

* In ''WesternAnimation/CorpseBride'', the dead help Emily by saying the trope word for word, or pointing in the direction Victor ran.

* ''Film/{{DEBS}}'': Near the end of the film, Amy and Lucy decide to escape together. Amy's friend Max tells the pursuing authorities that they went one way when they in fact went another.
* In ''Film/AKidInKingArthursCourt'', Princess Sarah sends Calvin to warn her father about what Lord Belasco has done with Princess Katy. She then tells the royal guards that he went down the opposite hallway in order to buy him time to get there.
* Subverted in ''Film/MissionImpossibleIII''. Ethan Hunt is chasing down the villains, and an elderly Chinese man wordlessly points in the direction they went. However it turns out he's walked into an unlicensed hospital, and the man just assumed from Ethan's battered appearance that he had come in for treatment. Fortunately the villains have also gone to the hospital.
* ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019'': Nick Fury approaches Carol Danvers and asks if she had seen a lady who crashed through a Blockbuster's roof. Carol points in a random direction and says she went that way, but Nick just laughs because a security guard had already told him it was her.
* In ''Film/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe'', the fox throws the wolves off of the Pevensie children's trail by claiming that "they ran north." The children are actually above them in a tree the entire time.

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* In ''Film/CorpseBride'', the dead help Emily by saying the trope word for word, or pointing in the direction Victor ran.

* In the penultimate scene of ''Theatre/TheMusicMan'', Marcellus manages to distract the angry mob of townspeople searching for Harold Hill for a few minutes by telling them he isn't anywhere nearby and they should try looking "down by the crick."

* In ''VideoGame/BaldursGate II'' while transformed into a drow you come across a group of drow chasing a slave and are given the option to point them in the right or wrong direction.

* In ''VideoGame/FantasyLife'', the player, or rather its more vocal ExpositionFairy, does this to throw paladins off the trail of another character.

* In ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' ParodyFic "A Fistful of Mammary Gland", the Woman With No Name (just a number: 7 of 9) boards ''Voyager'' which is split into two Starfleet and Maquis factions in a constant state of war.

* Played with in ''Film/MissionImpossibleIII''. Ethan Hunt is chasing down the villains, and an elderly Chinese man wordlessly points in the direction they went. However it turns out he's walked into an unlicensed hospital, and the man just assumed from Ethan's battered appearance that he had come in for treatment. Fortunately the villains have also gone to the hospital.

* ''Series/{{Farscape}}''. In "Liars, Guns and Money Part 1", Crichton and Aeryn knock out a couple of guards in the middle of their bank heist, but are ambushed by more guards before they've even finished pulling the clothes off. Crichton flees with a half-hearted "Uh... they went that way!" to the new arrivals.

* Cao Cao, of all people, pulls off a straight version while on the run from Lu Bu in ''Literatures/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms''.

[[folder: Anime & Manga]]

* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' serial "Revelation of the Daleks", the Doctor rounds a corner and comes face-to-face with two Daleks. Not missing a beat, he says "Ah. There you are. They went that way." and points. It doesn't work.

[[folder:Theater]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' has used this a lot. Tom doesn't seem to recognize Jerry when the latter wears a fake beard, and Tom seems [[WouldntHitAGirl less likely to attack a female mouse]].

* Perhaps the most JustForFun/{{egregious}} example from ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'' is Sonic saying, "I'm over there." to a robot, WITHOUT A COSTUME, after just walking up to him. It works.
* In the ''Arabian Knights'' segment of ''WesternAnimation/TheBananaSplits'', Princess Nida often disguised herself (once even as the BigBad and imitating his voice!) and used this trick to send guards the wrong way.
* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': When Aang and company break into the [[BigBad Fire Lord's]] bunker [[TimedMission during]] the [[TotalEclipseOfThePlot Day of Black Sun]], they interrogate a passerby for Ozai's location. [[spoiler:That chamber contains [[TheDragon Azula]] rather than Ozai, and she's [[DaddysGirl happy]] to waste the heroes' time.]]
-->'''War Minister Qin:''' The Firelord's chamber is that way, down the hall to the left and up the stairs. You can't miss it.
* Slight variant: In the Creator/TexAvery cartoon "Half Pint Pygmy", there is a [[SarcasmMode very helpful]] octopus... who points in eight directions at the same time.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo'' episode "What Goes Up...", Mitchell tries to chase after Jet's flying saucer. Mindy tells him that the flying saucer went to the right. Mitchell assumes if Mindy says he's going to the right, [[InsaneTrollLogic then he must be going to the left]]. Of course, Jet didn't actually go left.

[[hardline]]

[[folder: Anime and Manga]]

[[folder: Comic Books]]

[[folder: Film]]

-->'''Soldier #1:''' Where is Navarre?
-->'''Phillipe:''' Navarre? Navarre? Ah, yes. Big man, black horse. I thought I saw him ride south, toward Aquila
-->'''Soldier #2:''' Ha, then we ride north.
-->'''Phillipe:''' It isn't polite to assume that someone is a liar when you've only just met them.
-->'''Soldier #1:''' And yet you knew we would. We ride south.
-->'''Phillipe:''' [talking to God] I told the truth, Lord. How can I learn any moral lessons when you keep confusing me this way?

* ''[[Film/{{DEBS}} D.E.B.S.]]'' Near the end of the film Amy and Lucy decide to escape together. Amy's friend Max tells the pursuing authorities that they went one way when they in fact went another.

[[folder: Literature]]

[[folder: Live Action TV]]
* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' serial ''Revelation of the Daleks'', the Doctor rounds a corner and comes face to face with two Daleks. Not missing a beat, he says "Ah. There you are. They went that way." and points. It doesn't work.
* ''Series/{{Farscape}}''. In "Liars, Guns and Money Part 1," Crichton and Aeryn knock out a couple of guards in the middle of their bank heist, but are ambushed by more guards before they've even finished pulling the clothes off. Crichton flees with a half-hearted "Uh... they went that way!" to the new arrivals.

[[folder: Theater]]

[[folder: Video Games]]

[[folder: Web Comics]]
* In ''Webcomic/{{DDG}}'' a reluctant reapee tells [[TheGrimReaper Zip]] "Some dead guy just went out the window". Needless to say it doesn't work. Asking Zip for a [[DontFearTheReaper kiss]] as a last request is more successful though.
* [[spoiler: Tinder's sister]] from Webcomic/MurphySlaw attempted this. It did not work.

[[folder: Web Original ]]

[[folder: Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'', particularly as a response to the question "Which way did he go, George, which way did he go?" One particularly noteworthy instance is when The Gremlin did this to a dazed Bugs Bunny--by pointing both hands in opposite directions.

* When [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender Aang]] and company break into the [[BigBad Fire Lord's]] bunker [[TimedMission during]] the [[TotalEclipseOfThePlot Day of Black Sun]], they interrogate a passerby for Ozai's location and are told:
-->'''War Minister Qin:''' The Firelord’s chamber is that way, down the hall to the left and up the stairs. You can’t miss it.[[note]] That chamber contains [[TheDragon Azula]] rather than Ozai, and she's [[DaddysGirl happy]] to waste the heroes' time.[[/note]]
* Slight variant: In the Creator/TexAvery cartoon "Half Pint Pygmy," there is a [[SarcasmMode very helpful]] octopus...who points in eight directions at the same time.

[[caption-width-right:200: Of course I didn't just shapeshift; he went that way.]]