Spectrum #55: Order these films by runtime — the solution

The Spectrum puzzle from October 8, 2026: six things on one hidden scale, shortest to longest, with every figure and where the checks were best spent.

The puzzle

Order these films by runtime, shortest at the top and longest at the bottom. The board opened in this order:

1. The Godfather
2. The Wizard of Oz
3. Gone with the Wind
4. The Lion King
5. Titanic
6. Toy Story

Titanic was already in place; Toy Story opened 5 places from home.

The walkthrough

The ends first. Toy Story is the shortest of the six at 81 minutes and Gone with the Wind the longest at 221 minutes. Anchor those and the middle four are what is left to place.

Where the scale splits. The widest gap is between The Wizard of Oz (102 minutes) and The Godfather (175 minutes) — 73 minutes apart. Everything above that line belongs on the shortest side and everything below it on the longest side, so sorting the six into those two groups is most of the puzzle.

The closest call. Toy Story (81 minutes) and The Lion King (88 minutes) are only 7 minutes apart — the pair that is a coin flip without the figures, and the place to spend a check: a check locks whatever is already right and leaves only the wrong tiles to swap.

The answer

Previous: Spectrum #54 (Wed, Oct 7)

About Spectrum

Spectrum is Noggin’s daily ordering puzzle: six things, one hidden scale, three checks. Tiles in the right place lock green; the figures turn over when the board is done. How to play Spectrum, or play today’s.