# Greatest movie and literary lines never spoken **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 2, 2006, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-movie-and-literary-lines-never-spoken/346733 "2006-03-02T06:37:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-movie-and-literary-lines-never-spoken/346733/21 "2006-03-02T17:51:09Z")
In the entire run of **Cosmos** , Carl Sagan never once said “_Billll_ions and _billll_ions.” ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-movie-and-literary-lines-never-spoken/346733/22 "2006-03-02T18:09:19Z")
> [@Ghanima](#): > > Rhett did not say “Frankly, my dear Scarlet, I don’t give a damn.” He actually just said “My dear, I don’t give a damn.” He said both. The book doesn’t have “frankly,”, but the movie does. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-movie-and-literary-lines-never-spoken/346733/23 "2006-03-02T18:17:36Z")
> [@Weirddave](#): > > Capt. Kirk never said “Beam me up Scotty” in the entire run of the TV show, I can’t recall if they had him utter the line in any of the movies. If I remember _Star Trek IV_ he does say “Scotty, beam me up” when he’s about to leave San Francisco to go find the whales (and that whale doctor jumps on him). ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-movie-and-literary-lines-never-spoken/346733/24 "2006-03-02T18:26:03Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > He said both. The book doesn’t have “frankly,”, but the movie does. I’ve always been annoyed by this quote, as it was portrayed in the movie versus the book. It’s so famous! But also in the wrong spirit, in my opinion. In the movie, Rhett says it in a very “f\*ck you” tone of voice, like, “La-la, sorry for your troubles, chicky, buh-bye!” In the book, he’s very worn down by a life of hiding his love from Scarlett, because he knows that she’d just use it against him as she has used other people for so long. Also, he was afraid of rejection. But, by the novel’s end, he’s just worn out. Well past middle age, once firm stomach sagging, borderline (if not full-blown) alcoholic. But Scarlett is overjoyed! She realizes she loves him! He _must_ love her too–he just must! But, he doesn’t. He says, ruefully, that they’ve been at cross purposes. If only she’d come to the realization sooner–but no. “But-but-but,” Scarlett sputters. [I’m not quoting exactly, here] … But _I love you!_" As if this makes any difference. He no longer cares. _He no longer gives a damn._ He says it softly, almost to himself. “My dear, I just don’t give a damn.”\* \*Possibly not exact quote. I don’t have the book in front of me. ---
**Author:** ![Millit\_the\_Frail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Millit\_the\_Frail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Millit_the_Frail)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-movie-and-literary-lines-never-spoken/346733/25 "2006-03-02T20:43:02Z")
We still don’t have a cite for “That’s the beauty of it–it doesn’t _do_ anything!”, do we? I nominate that one. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-movie-and-literary-lines-never-spoken/346733/26 "2006-03-02T20:54:46Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > The Apollo 13 astronauts said “Houston, we’ve had a problem here” rather than “Houston… we have a problem”. If I remember right, the Astronauts say “Houston, we’ve had a problem here”, Or is it (Houston, \*I think \* we have had a problem here" ?) then Houston sez “Apollo13, say again?” Then the astronaut says "Houston… _we have a problem"._ 😕 But I am willing to be told I am wrong. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-movie-and-literary-lines-never-spoken/346733/27 "2006-03-02T21:20:57Z")
What’s her face never said “Why don’t you come up and see me, sometime?” IIRC, it was “Why don’t youcome upsometime and see me?” Thesecodn one might not be right either,buit I know the way it’s often quoted (the first version) is wrong. And I also can’t recall who said it or from what movie, but I predict two posts until I get the answer. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-movie-and-literary-lines-never-spoken/346733/28 "2006-03-02T21:23:48Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > What’s her face never said “Why don’t you come up and see me, sometime?” Mae West. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-movie-and-literary-lines-never-spoken/346733/29 "2006-03-02T21:32:06Z")
> [@Millit the Frail](#): > > We still don’t have a cite for “That’s the beauty of it–it doesn’t _do_ anything!”, do we? I nominate that one. 🙂 Yea, but if we don’t know what movie it’s not from, how do we know it wasn’t spoken? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-movie-and-literary-lines-never-spoken/346733/30 "2006-03-02T21:42:21Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Tony Curtis didn’t say “Yonduh is da castle of my faddah.” That’s funny. In his autobiography,\* ‘Tony Curtis The Autobiography’\*, Curtis himself claims he said it in _“The Son of Ali Baba”_ (“Yondah lies de castle of my Faddah de Caliph”). ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-movie-and-literary-lines-never-spoken/346733/31 "2006-03-02T22:07:58Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > That’s funny. In his autobiography,\* ‘Tony Curtis The Autobiography’\*, Curtis himself claims he said it in _“The Son of Ali Baba”_ (“Yondah lies de castle of my Faddah de Caliph”). Perhaps this merits further investigation. Leonard Maltin wrote that “His accent was all too apparent, though the legend that he said “Yonda lies da castle of my fodda” is simply untrue.” Maltin mentions that movie in the next sentence. IMDb has no trivia, comments or quotes for Son of Ali Baba, and Wikipedia has no entry. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-movie-and-literary-lines-never-spoken/346733/32 "2006-03-02T22:16:36Z")
Does anybody know if Mae West really said “Is that a pistol in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?” And if she did, how in the world did they fly that one under the radar of the censors? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-movie-and-literary-lines-never-spoken/346733/33 "2006-03-02T22:42:40Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Perhaps this merits further investigation. Leonard Maltin wrote that “His accent was all too apparent, though the legend that he said “Yonda lies da castle of my fodda” is simply untrue.” Maltin mentions that movie in the next sentence. IMDb has no trivia, comments or quotes for Son of Ali Baba, and Wikipedia has no entry. Black Shield of Falworth. > **[The Black Shield of Falworth (1954) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046789/#comment)** > > The Black Shield of Falworth: Directed by Rudolph Maté. With Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh, David Farrar, Barbara Rush. Peasant Myles Falworth is trained for knighthood and is groomed by various nobles to defeat the evil Earl of Alban who's plotting to... ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-movie-and-literary-lines-never-spoken/346733/34 "2006-03-02T22:46:49Z")
Also from IMDB Jim Lovell: "Houston, we have a problem. " and "The famous understatement was actually uttered twice by two astronauts. Jack Swigert said “Houston, we’ve had a problem here.” Mission Control said “Say again, please.” Then Jim Lovell said “Ahh, Houston, we’ve had a problem.” On the recording, Swigart is garbled at the beginning, while Lovell is clear, so the recording of Lovell is often heard, leading to the impression he said it, even though Swigart said it first. It’s commonly misquoted as “Houston, we’ve got a problem,” or “Houston, we have a problem.” Because “we’ve had” implies the problem has passed, Ron Howard chose to use “we have”. ---
**Author:** ![Crandolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7cd45c/32.png) [@Crandolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crandolph)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-movie-and-literary-lines-never-spoken/346733/35 "2006-03-02T22:58:51Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Holmes never said “Elementary, my dear Watson.” “Elementary”, yes. “My dear Watson”, many times. But not both together. There’s also never a “Quick, Watson! The needle!” At least not in Doyle’s stories. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-movie-and-literary-lines-never-spoken/346733/36 "2006-03-02T23:25:45Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Black Shield of Falworth. > > [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046789/#comment](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046789/#comment) Sorry- are you saying you’ve seen it and it’s in there? ---
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-movie-and-literary-lines-never-spoken/346733/37 "2006-03-02T23:30:29Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Does anybody know if Mae West really said “Is that a pistol in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?” And if she did, how in the world did they fly that one under the radar of the censors? Speaking of Mae West, I don’t think she ever said “Come up and see me sometime.” ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-movie-and-literary-lines-never-spoken/346733/38 "2006-03-02T23:34:54Z")
Mae West says, “Why don’t you come up some time and see me?” to Cary Grant in _She Done Him Wrong_ (1933). ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-movie-and-literary-lines-never-spoken/346733/39 "2006-03-02T23:48:54Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Does anybody know if Mae West really said “Is that a pistol in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?” And if she did, how in the world did they fly that one under the radar of the censors? She said it in her last movie, _Sextette_ (1978), where we’re to believe the sight of an 85-year-old woman would give a man a boner. Jill Watts, in _Mae West: An Icon in Black and White_, says that West coined the line in 1936, when she was greeting an LAPD officer assigned to escort her home upon her return to Hollywood from a visit to Chicago. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-movie-and-literary-lines-never-spoken/346733/40 "2006-03-02T23:54:25Z")
> [@Walloon](#): > > Mae West says, “Why don’t you come up some time and see me?” to Cary Grant in _She Done Him Wrong_ (1933). Tangent: W.C. Fields says “Why don’t you come up and see me sometime?” _to_ Mae West at the end of **My Little Chickadee**. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-movie-and-literary-lines-never-spoken/346733.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-movie-and-literary-lines-never-spoken/346733.md?page=3)