The Thirty Greatest Titular Lines in Movie History

 

The Thirty Greatest Titular Lines in Movie History

By Patrick Coyne and Patrick Crooks

The New Yorker

December 4, 2021

 

1. “As I am no longer president of this Rotary Club, I’m afraid it’s just Citizen Kane now.” —“Citizen Kane,” 1941

2. “The first rule of Casablanca is we don’t talk about Casablanca. The second rule is no fat chicks.” —“Casablanca,” 1942

3. “I hear that Lawrence of Arabia is a terrible tipper. Ten per cent, no kidding.” —“Lawrence of Arabia,” 1962

4. “F.Y.I., Norman, the ‘P’ in ‘psycho’ is silent.” —“Psycho,” 1960

5. “Don’t you dare tell her to get the French onion soup when she wants Italian wedding. It’s Sophie’s choice!” —“Sophie’s Choice,” 1982

6. “ ‘E,’ ‘T,’ Elliot? It’s ‘E’ and then ‘F.’ And after that is ‘G.’ Learn the alphabet, dumbass.” —“E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” 1982

7. “Ornithologists believe that the best way to kill a mockingbird is with a tiny little noose.” —“To Kill a Mockingbird,” 1962

8. “As they always say at the Godfather’s favorite restaurant, ‘When you’re here, you’re family.’ ” —“The Godfather,” 1972

9. “It’s all about Eve, not all about Steve!” —“All About Eve,” 1950

10. “It’s your call, Colonel: apocalypse now, or apocalypse later?” —“Apocalypse Now,” 1979

11. “I came here to chew bubble gum, kick ass, and find the Maltese falcon. And I’m all out of bubble gum and kickable asses.” —“The Maltese Falcon,” 1941

12. “Please, the Godfather was my dad’s name. You can call me the Godfather Part II.” —“The Godfather Part II,” 1974

13. “I used to think that you guys were good fellas! But you’re not good at all. In fact, you’re bad. You’re very bad fellas.” —“Goodfellas,” 1990

14. “You’ll want to get on the Kravick Expressway and stay on that for, oh, I’d say two and a half miles, then take Exit 276. The sign will say ‘O’Briar Road,’ but rest assured it’s Exit 276. If you find yourself on the bridge on the river Kwai, you’ve gone too far.” —“The Bridge on the River Kwai,” 1957

15. “Don’t you see, my dear boy, the treasure of the Sierra Madre has been inside of you all along! And I’ve got just the right machete to slice it out of ya.” —“The Treasure of the Sierra Madre,” 1948

16. “O.K., fine, just tell the newspaper to print our names in alphabetical order, Bonnie and Clyde. Happy?” —“Bonnie and Clyde,” 1967

17. “Nice try, midnight cowboy, but it’s only eleven-thirty. Get back to work!” —“Midnight Cowboy,” 1969

18. “Have I ever told you the Philadelphia story where I asked someone for directions and, apropos of nothing, the person punched me in the esophagus?” —“The Philadelphia Story,” 1940

19. “Shane? Shane! Answer the goddam door, Shane!” —“Shane,” 1953

20. “Get back in the car, kids. That cow’s turning into a raging bull.” —“Raging Bull,” 1980

21. “Damn foreigners taking jobs from our artists! Where’s all the American graffiti?” —“American Graffiti,” 1973

22. “Mr. Tootsie, you’re trying to seduce me!” —“Tootsie,” 1982

23. “I bet he’ll be hungry when we find him. Is anyone saving Private Ryan some of that Black Forest cake?” —“Saving Private Ryan,” 1998

24. “No, we need all the President’s men. Where’s Smitty?” —“All the President’s Men,” 1976

25. “I’m the king of this Titanic!” —“Titanic,” 1997

26. “Have I ever told you the toy story where I was playing with my Barbie and someone punched me in the esophagus?” —“Toy Story,” 1995

27. “Pinky, play my favorite Queen album, ‘A Night at the Opera.’ ” —“A Night at the Opera,” 1935

28. “Wait, I’ve been a ghost this whole time and I was still going to work? I guess I’ve got a real sixth sense for being a dumbass.” —“The Sixth Sense,” 1999

29. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you that you shouldn’t run with scissors, Mr. Bladerunner?” —“Blade Runner,” 1982

30. “Ben-Hur? I hardly know her.” —“Ben-Hur,” 1959

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