10 Movie Misquotes That Are Actually Better Than The Real Lines
Story by Kayleena Pierce-Bohen
Some movie misquotes become popular because they sound more catchy or streamlined than the actual dialogue, like "Play it again, Sam" from Casablanca.
Misquoted lines can change the meaning and tone of a scene, like "I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille" from Sunset Boulevard.
Movie misquotes often become ingrained in pop culture despite the original dialogue, such as "Luke, I am your father" from Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back.
Sometimes movie misquotes are better than the real dialogue. It's difficult to say what movie lines are going to find their way into the pop culture zeitgeist, but one thing's for sure - they're going to go through a game of telephone in the process. As memorable as a movie's script might be, fans will walk away from watching a movie misremembering exactly what the actors said, resulting in misquoted lines that are sometimes off by just one or two words or almost entirely different quotes.Some movie misquotes end up being slight improvements on the actual spoken lines because, by their nature, they're what fans think the line should've been. Fans' brains fill in the gaps of a forgotten line of dialogue with something that sounds either a little more simplistic, catchy, or lyrical, and that's what gets ingrained into their subconscious. At a certain point, the Mandela Effect has taken hold, and fans are surprised to learn that the quote is different from what they imagined and their interpretation has changed its entire meaning.
"Play It Again, Sam." - Casablanca
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Rick's Cafe from Casablanca
Rick's Cafe from Casablanca
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Casablanca is a '40s classic that frequently tops the lists of cinephiles around the world because it contains a sweeping romance, poignant themes of patriotism, and compelling noir tension, and it has dozens of quotable lines, though perhaps none so often misquoted as, "Play it again, Sam." That's because in its misquoted form it's snappy, mysterious, and wistful, whereas the actual line of dialogue involving Rick (Humphrey Bogart) requesting his lovers' old song be played by his nightclub's piano player, "Play it, Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By'." is more cumbersome and not one of Casablanca's most romantic quotes.
"I'm Ready For My Close-Up, Mr. DeMille." - Sunset Boulevard
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Sunset Boulevard's ending scene
Sunset Boulevard's ending scene
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Sunset Boulevard is about fading dreams, and this misquoted line is spoken by Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), a once-famous Hollywood starlet now living in obscurity. At the conclusion of the film, the actress, who has become increasingly delusional slinks towards what she thinks is a movie camera and says, "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." It's really a news camera filming her murder arrest, and while the line doesn't change the meaning very much, the misquote does hint at the spark of star power Ms. Desmond once held.
"Toto, I Don't Think We're In Kansas Anymore." - The Wizard Of Oz
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Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz Yellow Brick Road
Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz Yellow Brick Road
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The Wizard of Oz shocked the world in 1939 when it was released in brilliant Technicolor at a time when most films were still released in black and white, and must have made audiences feel like they were following Dorothy (Judy Garland) to Oz themselves. As soon as she travels from her quaint farm to this bizarre fantasy world, she says, "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore," which sounds a little old-fashioned. "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore" not only sounds more streamlined, but it's used in everyday parlance to indicate leaving the mundane behind in favor of something strange and new.RELATED: 10 Most Misquoted Movie Lines, According To Reddit
"Mrs. Robinson, Are You Trying To Seduce Me?" - The Graduate
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Dustin Hoffman Getting Seduced in The Graduate
Dustin Hoffman Getting Seduced in The Graduate
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Dustin Hoffman became a household name after appearing in the coming-of-age movie The Graduate. At one point, his college grad asks his parent's friend, "Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me. Aren't you?" which doesn't quite roll off the tongue the way, "Mrs. Robinson, are you trying to seduce me?" The misquote makes him seem a little more callow and inexperienced with the ways of the world, which is accurate considering the character doesn't know what to do with his life and has never been in this sort of clandestine situation (further complicated by his feelings for her daughter).
"Hello, Clarice." - The Silence Of The Lambs
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Jodie Foster as Clarice and Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal in The Silence of the Lambs
Jodie Foster as Clarice and Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal in The Silence of the Lambs
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Contrary to popular belief, fictional serial killer Hannibal Lecter never said, "Hello, Clarice," in The Silence of the Lambs while staring intently at Jodie Foster's fledgling FBI agent from behind plexiglass. What he said was the rather less perfunctory, "Good evening, Clarice," which seems just a little bit more jaunty. There's no doubt Hannibal remains one of the most urbane villains in cinema, and he's not economical with words, therefore the misquote is easier to remember.
"Do You Feel Lucky, Punk?" - Dirty Harry
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Dirty Harry 2
Dirty Harry 2
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After spending decades playing monosyllabic gunslingers in Spaghetti Westerns, Clint Eastwood moved on to gritty crime movies in the '70s. Dirty Harry was a huge hit for Eastwood, and its most memorable line was a mouthful for a violent cop who pushed his words through gritted teeth; “You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya punk?” This was reduced to the movie misquote, "Do you feel lucky, punk?" which sounds a lot more ominous coming from the other side of a loaded revolver.
"Luke, I Am Your Father." - Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back
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Vader reaching his hand out to Luke on Bespin in The Empire Strikes Back
Vader reaching his hand out to Luke on Bespin in The Empire Strikes Back
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One of the most misquoted movie lines of the last five decades, Darth Vader's most iconic quote in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is so deeply embedded in the pop culture zeitgeist that it could never be corrected at this point. It occurs after the duel between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker in Cloud City, when young Skywalker makes the startling discovery that his father is not dead, he's simply become an evil Sith Lord. The original version, "No, I am your father” places the emphasis on Vader's culpability, while the movie misquote places the emphasis on Luke and makes it more specific to the franchise.
"Badges? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Badges!" - The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre
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Characters outside a tent in The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (1948)
Characters outside a tent in The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (1948)
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It's a testament to Humphrey Bogart's star power that two of his movies get so misquoted. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre finds Bogey playing a gold digger approached by a couple of bandits who, when pressed to show identification, say, "Badges? We ain't got no badges! We don't need no badges! I don't have to show you any stinkin' badges!" Though delivered with vigor by Alfonso Bedoya, the line was shortened to just, "Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges!" which has helped its traction over seven decades.
"Greed Is Good." - Wall Street
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Gordon Gekko in his office in Wall Street
Gordon Gekko in his office in Wall Street
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Michael Douglas's notoriously ruthless Gordon Gecko doesn't come across as malevolent at first, which is exactly how he snows Charlie Sheen's young trader in Wall Street. While the line, "The point is, ladies and gentlemen, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good," makes Gecko sound erudite, it lacks polish. It was shortened to just "Greed is good" which was not only a misquote but became Gecko's motto, but he could hardly have led with it if he expected to embezzle so much money.
"Beam Me Up, Scotty." - Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
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Kirk and Spock in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Kirk and Spock in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
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Despite being a catchphrase attributed to Captain Kirk, this movie misquote has never been spoken in any of the Star Trek television series or films. Many fans think they can hear Kirk say it in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, but he actually says, "Scotty, beam me up." While it's only the rearranging of a few words, it's surprising how big a difference it makes to one of Captain Kirk's quotes when entering and embedding itself in the public's subconscious.