5 famous misquotes from the movies
5) “Oooh, you dirty rat!” — James Cagney
Actual quote: “Mmm, that dirty, double-crossin’ rat.” (Blonde Crazy)
4) “I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille.” — Gloria Swanson
Actual quote: “All right, Mr. De Mille, I’m ready for my close-up.” (Sunset Boulevard)
3) “Luke, I am your father.” — James Earl Jones
Actual quote: “No, I am your father.” (The Empire Strikes Back)
2) “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore, Toto.” — Judy Garland
Actual quote: “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” (The Wizard of Oz)
1) “Do you feel lucky, punk?” — Clint Eastwood
Actual quote: “…you’ve got to ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya, punk?” (Dirty Harry)
Ah, what about “Play it again, Sam” in Casablanca, often attributed to Bogey?
CJ: Another great one… I think Ingrid Bergman had the closest line to it? I might have to do another list, there are just so many. Didn’t even get to Clark Gable in Gone with the Wind.
Well done, CJ. But the bastardized versions are so much fun. LOL.
WC
CJ: That’s what I love about these kinds of misquotes, WC - finding out where they came from and why they stay so popular. They’re a lot of fun and some of them actually sound more natural than the real lines.
Oh, you forgot “Play it again, Sam” from Casablanca. The actual quote is “Play it once, Sam.”
WC
CJ: I’m starting to think I missed quite a few, WC. I’m going to have to do a second list! I think Ingrid Bergman said “Play it, Sam.” and Bogart said “You played it for her, you can play it for me!”, but that’s about as close as it gets. And now it’s movie legend.
Do you read Pratchett? His City Watch has as its motto “Fabricati Diem Punk”, translated in the books as “To Protect and to Serve”, but actually (sort of) meaning “Make My Day, Punk”. Which is piling misquotation on misquotation, for the pure joy of it.
CJ: Hm, that started as the Night Watch, right, in Discworld? I like Pratchett, though I haven’t read any of his latest in awhile… have to fix that!
It’s interesting how famous lines seem to inspire others, though. Perhaps that’s how misquotes start in the first place.