Top Comments: Apocryphal film quotes edition

A look at quotes from films … that were never actually uttered, after the jump ….

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I am not a big film buff, but like other people: I can cite memorable lines from certain movies. Except that … some of them were never actually said — we just think they were.

There are a number of lists of such quotes, yet some are quite arcane, intended for hardcore film buffs — the popular memory is not truly inaccurate, just that the wording is inexact. Still others note that films derived from popular books coined a phrase … but that people searching the book(s) will not find them there. And in some cases, the quotes were developed during subsequent re-makes … or even Warner Brothers cartoons spoofing the movies. Again, not being a film buff, this essay only scratches the surface …. but let’s have a look.

Two quick hits:

Many imitations of Count Dracula have him saying, “I want to suck your blood” with an eastern European accent. Yet Bela Lugosi never uttered those words in his 1931 portrayal (nor in any of the later Ed Wood movies he acted in). Yet it somehow crept into our conscience … and in the 1994 film Ed Wood, it was Tim Burton’s idea to use it in Martin Landau’s portrayal (that won him an Oscar).

For an example of a minor discrepancy: In the 1935 film The Lives of a Bengal Lancer, the actual line uttered was “We have ways to make men talk”, rather than the line we associate with Nazis, “We have ways of making you talk” — which at least one source believes that Adolf Hitler saw.

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For much of his life, Cary Grant had to deny that he ever uttered the words, “Judy, Judy, Judy” — yet when he was asked by a fan to say them, he always obliged.

The origins appear to refer to a 1939 film Only Angels Have Wings, where he addresses co-star Rita Hayworth’s character as Judy … yet not three times (which was impressionist Rich Little’s take, as well). A theory that Grant came to believe was that a (pre-F Troop) nightclub act in Hollywood by Larry Storch (who began his career as an impressionist) included a rendition of Cary Grant … then when he saw Judy Garland enter, he uttered the three-part line (which stuck around).

   Cary Grant (1904—1986)

The 1938 film Algiers is where Charles Boyer (in his character Pepe le Moko, the title of the original French film that Algiers was based upon) is to have told Hedy Lamarr, “Come with me to the Casbah” … except he did not in the film. Sources are all mixed-up on this: one account says that it was made-up for a trailer, in another account Charles Boyer claimed that it was invented by his press agent.

It gained steam as a result of a 1949 Warner Brothers cartoon — where animator Chuck Jones is supposed to have based Pepe Le Pew on Charles Boyer’s character. In one episode with Penelope Pussycat (always a female black cat who got white paint down her back) he says, “Do not come wiz me to ze Casbah …... we shall make beautiful musicks togezzer right here!”

For good measure, the meme was used in a Man from U.N.C.L.E. episode (from the show’s weak 1966 third season), “The Come With Me to the Casbah Affair”.

Charles Boyer/Hedy Lamarr

It is widely accepted that Sherlock Holmes’ most enduring line to his assistant is “Elementary, my dear Watson”. That is …. unless you try to find it in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s books … it is not there. It was first uttered in the first talking film on the literary detective (starring Clive Brook in 1929) ….. then was often included in the later, big budget films starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce (both of whom are the sons of English parents: yet born in South Africa and Mexico, respectively).

Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce

If you ask any impressionist to take on Jimmy Cagney: odds are they’ll include the line “You dirty rat!” (often followed by “You killed my brother”). While he said some similar words (in films from 1931-32) it was not those particular phrases. It appears the first false citation came from Cole Porter’s 1934 play Anything Goes … and it was repeated decades later in the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film.

  Jimmy Cagney (1899-1986)

Finally, the misquote that is most recognized as being a misquote …. partly due to its occurring in such an iconic film, shown on TV so often that one can look for words … that never arrive.

“Play it again, Sam” was neither spoken by Humphrey Bogart, nor Ingrid Bergman to Sam the pianist (portrayed by Dooley Wilson) in Casablanca — although Ingrid Bergman did say “Play it, Sam”. Rich Little often noted that the closest Bogart ever came to it was, “You played it for her, you can play it for me … play it!”

The misquote’s fame grew, as Woody Allen made it the title of his 1972 film.

   Bogie and Dooley Wilson

In the end: maybe we should just embrace these misquotes … if these films made us either feel good, or act as escapism from our trials and tribulations .… then the film’s producers and directors have done their job.

Have at it with any examples you may have (in the comments).

Let’s close with The Kinks song Celluloid Heroes — as apropos an ending to tonight’s offerings.

x xYouTube Video

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Now, on to Top Comments:

From gizmo59:

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In the diary by durrati about the Liberal Redneck— I nominate this comment by Wirehedd.

 

And from Ed Tracey, your faithful correspondent this evening ........

In the diary by Egberto Willies about Robert Reich taking on winger Stephen Moore on CNN — both Slideman and accumbens take on the “Club for Growth” (smirk) founder. 

TOP PHOTOS September 27th, 2017 Next - enjoy jotter's wonderful *PictureQuilt™* below. Just click on the picture and it will magically take you to the comment that features that photo. (NOTE: Any missing images in the Quilt were removed because (a) they were from an unapproved source that somehow snuck through in the comments, or (b) it was an image from the DailyKos Image Library which didn't have permissions set to allow others to use it.)

And lastly: yesterday's Top Mojo - mega-mojo to the intrepid mik ...... who rescued this feature from oblivion:

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