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AFI Ranks Top Movie Quotes
Yahoo ^ | 6/22/05 | Sarah Hall

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


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To: Dawgreg

If you like Kilmer, you have got to see "The Ghost and the Darkness". Michael Douglass drops a turd of a performance in the movie, but it is still a great movie regardless.


341 posted on 06/23/2005 1:31:07 AM PDT by bad company (Then they say 'I came to the wrong jihad.'")
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To: bad company
"Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?"

I can't believe not even a mention of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off".

342 posted on 06/23/2005 2:27:40 AM PDT by Victoria_R (Anyone? Anyone?)
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To: beyond the sea

I loved your number 1! You know your movies, thanks for the entire GWTW Quote. All I remember is swooning as an early teen watching Rhett.


343 posted on 06/23/2005 5:09:10 AM PDT by cajungirl (no)
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To: cajungirl
All I remember is swooning as an early teen watching Rhett.

God, I don't blame you. Clark Gable was so handsome..... and strong........ and gentle!

I, on the other hand, was swooning over the spoiled and lovely Scarlett.

By the way, I was able to meet Ms. Leigh at a country club here in Pittsburgh in the late 50's. She was visiting Ida Lupino who was a member of our club (The Pittsburgh Field Club).

By the way, check out the young Ida, she was a real cutie!

Check her out in "They Drive by Night". She was so sweet in Pittsburgh when she visited and never copped an attitude! And she could swing a golf club....... I caddied for her a couple of times .......... a very nice tipper! ;-)

344 posted on 06/23/2005 5:54:49 AM PDT by beyond the sea (No more legitimate hearing room ever again, Conyers......... to the broom closet ! ;-))
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To: bad company

I've thought about renting that movie and I think I will now.........thanks, bc.


345 posted on 06/23/2005 6:12:41 AM PDT by Dawgreg (Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.)
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To: Bratch

"Leave us go amongst them"


346 posted on 06/23/2005 7:00:13 AM PDT by wordsofearnest (St. Louis bring back Torre.)
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To: beyond the sea

"I've got morons on my team" Strother Martin


347 posted on 06/23/2005 7:02:06 AM PDT by wordsofearnest (St. Louis bring back Torre.)
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To: beyond the sea

"I've got morons on my team" Strother Martin


348 posted on 06/23/2005 7:03:57 AM PDT by wordsofearnest (St. Louis bring back Torre.)
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To: wordsofearnest
"We don't have the money going down the hill ...........

LOL!!!!You're so right!!!!!!!!!!!

349 posted on 06/23/2005 10:38:18 AM PDT by beyond the sea (No more legitimate hearing room ever again, Conyers......... to the broom closet ! ;-))
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To: beyond the sea
"They can't track us over rock."

I got a bunch more from that great movie,................. remember when they were in the house of ill-repute and were being chased.......... the girl was Cloris Leachman......... Butch and Sundance jumped out onto the tin roof, then jumped down on the ground. In an attempt to scare the possy's horses away slapping them on their rumps.............. they failed to move the animals.

The great words were something like...." damn, who trained them?

350 posted on 06/23/2005 10:49:43 AM PDT by beyond the sea (No more legitimate hearing room ever again, Conyers......... to the broom closet ! ;-))
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To: beyond the sea

Who are those guys?


351 posted on 06/23/2005 12:37:47 PM PDT by wordsofearnest (St. Louis bring back Torre.)
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To: wtc911

Did anyone notice they left Ronald Reagan off the list? Am I wrong, but was any other member of the Screen Actors Guild elected President of the United States?

Also, another slap at John Wayne ... give me a break!

Ronald Reagan's greatest line is "Where's the rest me!?" from King's Row.

As for the Duke, howzabout "Lace 'em, and lace 'em tight." from "The Sands of Iwo Jimi."

Another goof up ... no Jimmy Cagney quote, and no Jimmy Stewart quote.

It looks like they deliberately downplayed the conservatives of the past (although they did include a representative sample of contemporary conservatives stars such as Ahnold, Harrison Ford and Clint Eastwood).



352 posted on 06/23/2005 12:49:45 PM PDT by Redmen4ever
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To: Victoria_R

"Ferris Bueller, you're my hero."


353 posted on 06/23/2005 12:50:39 PM PDT by dfwgator (Flush Newsweek!)
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To: Redmen4ever

They did include Reagan's "Gipper" line. The Duke's long career didn't generate many memorable lines to be honest and those that do stick come from The Searchers, I think his best film, especially the visual coda.


354 posted on 06/23/2005 1:20:56 PM PDT by wtc911 ("I would like at least to know his name.")
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To: wtc911

They did include Reagan's "Gipper" line. The Duke's long career didn't generate many memorable lines to be honest and those that do stick come from The Searchers, I think his best film, especially the visual coda.

>>> They included Pat O'Brian's line about Ronald Reagan. Perhaps this is close enough. My point about Ronald Reagan is that he went on to become President of the United States. You would think this would impress Hollywood, but it doesn't.

If you don't like my point about the Duke, consider that the are no lines from pro-war movies, not the line I suggested from "The Sands of Iwo Jima," and not anything from the greatest war movie of all time, "Patton," nor a line from "Braveheart." Yet, there's a line from the cyncially anti-war movie "Apocalypse Now" (which is a great movie, and should be represented in the list).

There was a time when "Angels with Dirty Faces" and "It's a Wonderful Life" were considered great films, with memorable lines. Yet, when reaching back in time, the panel latched onto only certain classics (and I have no quarrel with any of the older movies they picked, but I do have a problem with their selection of multiple quotations from a very select few).


355 posted on 06/23/2005 3:41:41 PM PDT by Redmen4ever
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To: wtc911

On second thought, they did have a Cagney line, from "White Heat."


356 posted on 06/23/2005 3:51:54 PM PDT by Redmen4ever
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To: Redmen4ever
>>> They included Pat O'Brian's line about Ronald Reagan. Perhaps this is close enough.

---------------------------

The only segment I watched did show RR delivering the line as he lay in bed, then they showed the O'Brien reprise. And this was about writers, not actors.

btw...My original tag line was "Rocky Sullivan died a coward". I might go back to it.

357 posted on 06/23/2005 3:52:06 PM PDT by wtc911 ("I would like at least to know his name.")
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To: TrebleRebel

"Hello...My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."- Mandy Patinkin, "The Princess Bride"


358 posted on 06/23/2005 4:00:52 PM PDT by hoagy62 (Revolution is now the ONLY option.)
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To: TrebleRebel
You bring that many men, just remember one thing.

Teasle: Oh yeah? What?

Trautman: A good supply of body bags.

359 posted on 06/23/2005 4:04:23 PM PDT by chudogg (www.chudogg.blogspot.com)
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To: wtc911

Thanks, I didn't realize that this was Reagan's line. Bearing in mind that Reagan was included (along with Cagney), I am now thinking that I'm just quibbling with the undercard.


360 posted on 06/23/2005 4:05:12 PM PDT by Redmen4ever
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