# Most Common Movie Misquotes **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 10, 2001, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-movie-misquotes/92575 "2001-11-10T04:05:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ce73a5/32.png) [@Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazoo)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-movie-misquotes/92575/1 "2001-11-10T04:05:12Z")
There’s always “Play it again, Sam.” But what other misquotes do you hear, especially the ones that tick you off… I’ll start. In the movie _Cool Hand Luke_, the phrase “What we have here is a failure to communicate” is never uttered once. The correct phrase, as spoken by both the Warden and Luke is “(Now)\* What we _ **got** _ here is a failure to communicate.” [\*In the Warden’s recitation only] A small error, granted, but, the difference between the grammatically correct “have” and the raw “got,” to me, makes a big difference. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-movie-misquotes/92575/2 "2001-11-10T04:45:56Z")
In _Star Wars_, Obi Wan does NOT say, “May the Force be with you.” HAN says it to Luke when the former is leaving. What Obi Wan says to Luke is, “The Force will be with you,” before he leaves to deactivate the tractor beam. ---
**Author:** ![whatmove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecc23a/32.png) [@whatmove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whatmove)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-movie-misquotes/92575/3 "2001-11-10T04:49:27Z")
“No more rhyming now, I mean it!” “Anyone got a peanut?” ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-movie-misquotes/92575/4 "2001-11-10T04:50:53Z")
I don’t know about y’all, but I’ve seen “Life **is** pain, highness. Anyone who says otherwise is selling something” and “anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something” and one of my friends say it’s “Anyone who says otherwise is a liar or selling something”. Grr. ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-movie-misquotes/92575/5 "2001-11-10T04:58:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gazoo \* > _The correct phrase, as spoken by both the Warden and Luke is "(Now) What we **got** here is a failure to communicate." [In the Warden’s recitation only]_ nitpick: The article “a” is not in front of the word failure. “What we got here is failure to communicate.” ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-movie-misquotes/92575/6 "2001-11-10T05:30:57Z")
Well, MOST of the famous misquotes are pretty close to the real quotes. But the one that annoys me is… “We don’t need no steenking badges!” In “Treasure of the Sierra Madre,” a band of Mexican bandits try to take over a gold mine run by Humphrey Bogart and Walter Huston. The head bandit claims jokingly that he and his boys are federales (Mexican police). Bogart sarcastically asks to see their badges, and the bandit replies, amiably, “We don’t need no badges.” Then he adds angrily, “I don’t have to show you a stinking badge!” ---
**Author:** ![Studi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Studi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Studi)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-movie-misquotes/92575/7 "2001-11-10T05:41:48Z")
Darth Vader _never_ says “Luke, I am your father.” The correct version is: > [@](#): > > VADER: If you only knew the power of the dark side. Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father. > > LUKE: He told me enough! He told me you killed him. > > VADER: No. I am your father. Studi ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-movie-misquotes/92575/8 "2001-11-10T12:53:18Z")
In **Casablanca** , Bogart never actually says “Play it again, Sam.” He says something like, “If she can stand it, I can stand it. Play it!” James Cagney, in all his films, _never_ said “You dirty rat.” Sometimes misquoted/changed: Judge Reinhold’s fast food advice in **Fast Times At Ridgemont High**. The correct quote: “Learn it. Know it. Live it.” ---
**Author:** ![Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ce73a5/32.png) [@Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazoo)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-movie-misquotes/92575/9 "2001-11-10T16:09:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Crunchy Frog \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Gazoo \* > > _The correct phrase, as spoken by both the Warden and Luke is "(Now) What we **got** here is a failure to communicate." [In the Warden’s recitation only]_ > > nitpick: > > The article “a” is not in front of the word failure. > “What we got here is failure to communicate.” \*\* You’re half right. The warden doesn’t say “a” but Luke does. After watching both scenes, I also notice that neither Luke nor the Warden says “Now” at the start of the quote. ---
**Author:** ![Sylkyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@Sylkyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylkyn)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-movie-misquotes/92575/10 "2001-11-10T16:19:52Z")
I’ve mentioned this before, but what the hey. Garbo never said, “I want to be alone.” What she actually said was, “I want to be **left** alone.” ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-movie-misquotes/92575/11 "2001-11-10T23:55:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astorian \* > \*\*Well, MOST of the famous misquotes are pretty close to the real quotes. But the one that annoys me is… > > “We don’t need no steenking badges!” > > \*\* It was actually said in a movie, in _Blazing Saddles_. So it is a legitimate quote. ---
**Author:** ![ThunderBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@ThunderBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThunderBunny)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2001, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-movie-misquotes/92575/12 "2001-11-11T01:33:05Z")
Anyone seen the trailers for the new (cringe) E.T. movie? They “fixed” the line that everyone was misquoting. Originally, ET’s big quote was: > [@](#): > > E.T. Home Phone. But EVERYONE misquoted it as > [@](#): > > E.T. Phone Home. So now they’ve changed the words in the movie to match what everyone has been saying all these years. Sellouts. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2001, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-movie-misquotes/92575/13 "2001-11-11T03:35:41Z")
**astorian** The exact quote from _Treasure of Sierra Madre_ is “Badges? We aint got no badges. We don’t need no badges. I don’t have to show you no steenkin’ badges!” Just picking that nit a bit closer. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2001, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-movie-misquotes/92575/14 "2001-11-11T03:52:19Z")
[Movie Quotes](http://www.geocities.com/~spanoudi/quote-28.html) is a page I found just a minute ago. It gives popular quotes from movies. I can’t vouch for any/all of them. Just a handy way to think of quotes you might have missed. Interestingly, they attribute the “dirty rat” quote to _Taxi, 1932, Cagney_ but Cagney denies he ever said the line. Guess I’ll have to try the library tomorrow, see if they have a copy. ---
**Author:** ![Osakadave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f07891/32.png) [@Osakadave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osakadave)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2001, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-movie-misquotes/92575/15 "2001-11-11T05:43:11Z")
Lt. Col. Kilgore in _Apocalypse Now_ is often misquoted as saying “I love the smell of napalm in the morning. It’s the smell of victory.” The first line is correct, but he never said the second line. The actual quote is much longer: “I love the smell of napalm in the morning. You know, one time we had a hill bombed, for twelve hours. When it was all over I walked up. We didn’t find one of ‘em, not one stinkin’ dink body. The smell, you know, that gasoline smell, the whole hill. Smelled like - victory.” ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2001, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-movie-misquotes/92575/16 "2001-11-11T15:30:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ThunderBunny \* > \*\*Anyone seen the trailers for the new (cringe) E.T. movie? > > They “fixed” the line that everyone was misquoting. Originally, ET’s big quote was: > > > [@](#): > > > > E.T. Home Phone. > > But EVERYONE misquoted it as > > > [@](#): > > > > E.T. Phone Home. > > So now they’ve changed the words in the movie to match what everyone has been saying all these years. > > Sellouts. \*\* Do you have any evidence that the original was “Home Phone?” I hardly believe you. Sorry, but I don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2001, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-movie-misquotes/92575/17 "2001-11-11T20:10:43Z")
Misquoted Mae West line: “Why don’t you come up and see me sometime.” Line as actually spoken in 1933’s _She Done Him Wrong_: “Why don’t you come up sometime and see me.” Small error, but an error nonetheless. * * * I really appreciate your consideration in avoiding stepping on my penis - **Spiny Norman** [sup][sub][sym]©[/sym][/sub][/sup] Jeg elsker dig, Thomas [sup][sub][sym]©[/sym][/sub][/sup] ---
**Author:** ![New\_Improved\_Scott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f17d59/32.png) [@New\_Improved\_Scott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Improved_Scott)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2001, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-movie-misquotes/92575/18 "2001-11-11T20:43:50Z")
Soylent Green: Often misquoted as “Soylent green is made of people.” The real quote is “Soylent green is people. It’s made of people.” ---
**Author:** ![ThunderBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@ThunderBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThunderBunny)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2001, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-movie-misquotes/92575/19 "2001-11-11T22:18:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mobo85 \* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by ThunderBunny \* > > ET’s big quote was “E.T. Home Phone.” > > Do you have any evidence that the original was “Home Phone?” I hardly believe you. Sorry, but I don’t. #$%& @&#\*! They got to you too. This took some searching, but I actually found a site where some sorry soul typed the text of the whole movie in. [http://www.paradiselost.org/et.html](http://www.paradiselost.org/et.html) Just go there and search for the words “Home Phone”, and it’ll take you to that part. It’s about halfway through the document. Or you can trust my quoting: > [@](#): > > E.T. hands Elliott the newspaper, and points to the Buck Rodgers comic strip. He then says “PHONE”. Elliott is amazed at this. E.T. walks into the closet and says “HOME.” Elliott confirms that this is E.T.'s home. E.T. then turns, walks to the window, points to the sky, and says “ **E.T. HOME PHONE.** ” > > “E.T. PHONE HOME” says Gertie. > “E.T. PHONE HOME” says Elliott. > > “He wants to call somebody,” says Gertie. > > Mike walks into the room and laughs at E.T.'s attire. > > “E.T. Phone Home,” says E.T. OK, so admittedly, he eventually does say it right. But the first time he says it, it’s “ **E.T. HOME PHONE.** ” Please, please, you can thank me later for correcting you. ::smug:: ---
**Author:** ![Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ce73a5/32.png) [@Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazoo)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2001, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-movie-misquotes/92575/20 "2001-11-11T22:32:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ThunderBunny \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by mobo85 \* > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > \*Originally posted by ThunderBunny \* > > > ET’s big quote was “E.T. Home Phone.” > > > > Do you have any evidence that the original was “Home Phone?” I hardly believe you. Sorry, but I don’t. > > #$%& @&#\*! They got to you too. > > This took some searching, but I actually found a site where some sorry soul typed the text of the whole movie in. > > [http://www.paradiselost.org/et.html](http://www.paradiselost.org/et.html) > > Just go there and search for the words “Home Phone”, and it’ll take you to that part. It’s about halfway through the document. > > Or you can trust my quoting: > > > [@](#): > > > > E.T. hands Elliott the newspaper, and points to the Buck Rodgers comic strip. He then says “PHONE”. Elliott is amazed at this. E.T. walks into the closet and says “HOME.” Elliott confirms that this is E.T.'s home. E.T. then turns, walks to the window, points to the sky, and says “ **E.T. HOME PHONE.** ” > > > > “E.T. PHONE HOME” says Gertie. > > “E.T. PHONE HOME” says Elliott. > > > > “He wants to call somebody,” says Gertie. > > > > Mike walks into the room and laughs at E.T.'s attire. > > > > “E.T. Phone Home,” says E.T. > > OK, so admittedly, he eventually does say it right. But the first time he says it, it’s “ **E.T. HOME PHONE.** ” > > Please, please, you can thank me later for correcting you. > > ::smug:: \*\* And later he says, ‘ET Phone home’ repeatedly. This doesn’t count as a misquote. Sorry, gotta drop a flag on this one. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-movie-misquotes/92575.md?page=2)