Posted on 06/22/2005 4:59:10 AM PDT by TrebleRebel
Frankly, my dear, even those who have never seen Gone with the Wind can still identify Rhett Butler's final words to Scarlett O'Hara.
The level of instantaneous recognition inspired by Clark Gable's final line to Vivien Leigh--"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn"--led the American Film Institute to deem it number one on its list of the top 100 movie quotes.
The listmakers extraordinaire over at the AFI revealed the latest compilation in their 100 Years series--100 Movie Quotes: America's Greatest Quips, Comebacks and Catchphrases--in a three-hour CBS television special Tuesday hosted by Pierce Brosnan.
The winning lines were selected by 1,500 jurors from a list of 400 nominees. Voting criteria included a nominated quote's cultural impact on the national lexicon and whether it was used to invoke the legacy of the film in which it appeared.
In close contention for the top spot on the list were two of Marlon Brando's most famous lines--"I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse," from 1972's The Godfather and "You don't understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am," from 1954's On the Waterfront--which finished second and third, respectively.
In fourth place was Judy Garland's naive proclamation to her loyal canine in 1939's The Wizard of Oz: "Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."
Humphrey Bogart's remark to Ingrid Bergman in 1942's Casablanca, "Here's looking at you, kid," was looking at fifth place on the list, but was one of six quotes overall chosen from the film. Others included Bogart's "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship" (20th), "We'll always have Paris" (43rd), "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine" (67), and Bergman's "Play it, Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By' " (28th).
Gone with the Wind also had multiple entries in the top 100. Leigh's "After all, tomorrow is another day" made the list at number 31, and her "As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again" was number 59.
The earliest quote was Al Jolson's "Wait a minute, wait a minute. You ain't heard nothin' yet," (71st) from 1927's The Jazz Singer. The most recent was Andy Serkis' "My precious," (85th) from 2002's The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
Numerous sci-fi films inspired list-making quotes, including Harrison Ford's "May the Force be with you" (8th) from 1977's Star Wars, Arnold Schwarzenegger's "I'll be back" (37) from The Terminator and a certain friendly alien's insistence that "E.T. phone home," (15th) from 1982's E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.
On the lighter side, John Belushi's exclamations of "Toga! Toga!" from 1978's Animal House made the list at number 82, while Cuba Gooding Jr.'s rallying cry of "Show me the money!" from 1996's Jerry Maguire placed 25th on the list.
Then there were the lines that inspired fear in the hearts of all but the most intrepid moviegoers, such as Jack Nicholson's "Here's Johnny!" (68th) from 1980's The Shining, and Haley Joel Osment's "I see dead people," from 1999's The Sixth Sense (44th).
Patrick Swayze's solemn declaration that "Nobody puts Baby in a corner," from 1987's Dirty Dancing squeaked onto the list at number 98 and Margaret Hamilton's witchy vow, "I''ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!" from The Wizard of Oz came in at number 99.
Rounding out the top 100 was Leonardo DiCaprio's passionate shout-out from 1997's Titanic: "I'm king of the world!" (And, please, let that be the last we hear of it.)
The complete list of 100 Movie Quotes: America's Greatest Quips, Comebacks and Catchphrases can be viewed at www.afi.com.
Here's a rundown of the top 25 most memorable movie quotes as determined by the AFI:
1. "Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn." Gone with the Wind, 1939
2. "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse." The Godfather, 1972
3. "You don't understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am." On the Waterfront, 1954
4. "Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." The Wizard of Oz, 1939
5. "Here's looking at you, kid." Casablanca, 1942
6. "Go ahead, make my day." Sudden Impact, 1983
7. "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." Sunset Boulevard., 1950
8. "May the Force be with you." Star Wars, 1977
9. "Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night." All About Eve, 1950
10. "You talking to me?" Taxi Driver, 1976
11. "What we've got here is failure to communicate." Cool Hand Luke, 1967
12. "I love the smell of napalm in the morning." Apocalypse Now, 1979
13. "Love means never having to say you're sorry." Love Story, 1970
14. "The stuff that dreams are made of." The Maltese Falcon, 1941
15. "E.T. phone home." E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, 1982
16. "They call me Mister Tibbs!" In the Heat of the Night, 1967
17. "Rosebud." Citizen Kane, 1941
18. "Made it, Ma! Top of the world!" White Heat, 1949
19. "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!" Network, 1976
20. "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Casablanca, 1942
21. "A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti." The Silence of the Lambs, 1991
22. "Bond. James Bond." Dr. No, 1962
23. "There's no place like home." The Wizard of Oz, 1939
24. "I am big! It's the pictures that got small." Sunset Boulevard, 1950
25. "Show me the money!" Jerry Maguire, 1996
TS
Well, like I said, some may disagree with the choices -- for example, the ones you classify as "losers" are for the most part classics. They are for the most part quotes used a lot and are a part of American culture. And in my opinion, with the possible exception of Love Story (a movie that is way too sappy for my tastes), these are classics, and I love classics. You aren't going to find too many movies today which will be remembered so fondly as some of these films, many of which are 50 or more years old.
You mention the movies which had more than one or two lines that made the list. I think having too many from one movie is not particularly fair to the others. Perhaps we could have had more from the Marx Brothers movies, or maybe even a WC Fields movie line or two. There are some glaring omissions, but overall, it's not that bad a list.
(the Jaguar team after spending half the movie trying to get the car started)
It's an intelligent design.
I wish it ran.
(the Cobra team at 100+mph)
Can you imagine making this trip at 55mph?
55 is unsafe!
It's boring!
That's why it's unsafe; you are going fast enough to kill ya but slow enough to make you think you're safe.
"Just do it for once, Norman, just do it!" -- On Golden Pond
"Yo, Adrian..." -- every Rocky movie
"What kind of an attitude is that -- these things happen? They only happen because the whole country is just full of people, who, when these things happen, they just say these things happen, and THAT'S WHY THEY HAPPEN!!!" -- Ethel Merman in "Its a Mad Mad Mad Mad World"
"Does your dog bite?...I thought you said your dog did not bite.....zat is not my dog." -- some Pink Panther movie
"Indy, why does the floor move?" and "Asps...very dangerous...you go first," -- Raiders of the Lost Ark
"You tell the general, that I'm willing to discuss the terms of surrender. You tell him that if he'll tell the men to lay their weapons down, and assemble peacefully, I promise to take them to General Houston, and I'll try my best to save most of your lives. That said, Sam's a might prickly, so no promises." -- Davy Crocket, from a revisionist's version of The Alamo
And several lines from Full Metal Jacket which I don't care to post....
Pedro offers you his protection.
Bogart says simply: "The stuff that dreams are made of..."
Some of these might've been moving moments in their respective films, but not much for a memorable quote (and some of these films have other lines that I'd remember more -- in the case of "Yankee Doodle Dandy", there's an entire song!)
TS
It's on the list.
Thanks, every time I try to go to the link, it says the server's busy.
Just thought of a few that shoulda been on there...
"I'm not sure I agree with ya a hunnerd percent on your police work there, Lou." (Fargo)
"Son, you got a panty on your head." (Raising Arizona)
"Mrs. Hogwallop done r-u-n-n-o-f-t." (O Brother, Where Art Thou)
TS
"So, that would be your partner there in the wood chipper then?"
that'w what I thought was missing too
Yeah, not even ONE quote from the most quotable movie of all time...Monty Python and the Holy Grail. What's up with that? :-)
" I'm gonna rip your head off and
puke inside your skull."
Nicholson
Curly: I resemble that remark.
"Does your dog bite?...I thought you said your dog did not bite.....zat is not my dog." -- some Pink Panther movie
***
I don't know the movie either, but the Peter Sellers Pink Panther movies were great. I don't remember where these came from, but....
"That vas a priceless Steinway."
"Not anymuur."
Or the exchange between Inspector Clouseau (Sellers) and a front desk employee at a hotel...
"I want a ruum."
"You want a what?"
"I want a ruum."
"What?"
"A ruum...a ruum."
"Oh, you want a ROOM."
"Wut you teenk I been saying you eediot."
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