# What Actor is Responsible for Delivering the Most Iconic Lines? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 20, 2011, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253 "2011-10-20T14:47:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![J-P\_L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/j-p_l/32/3156_2.png) [@J-P\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J-P_L)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/81 "2011-10-24T14:41:36Z")
Clark Gable as Rhett Butler in “Gone With The Wind”. Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/82 "2011-10-24T14:53:15Z")
Another Bogie: “(if you need anything) just whistle”. To Lauren Bacall, no less… ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/83 "2011-10-24T15:02:20Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > Ladies and gentlemen, I submit for your approval Mr. Mel Blanc: Also “You’re despicable” “Rabbit Season!” “Duck Season!” “Pronoun trouble” “Where’s the kaboom? There was supposed to be an earth-shattering kaboom!” “Monsters are such interesting people” “Consequences, Schmonsequences, as long as I’m rich.” “HO! HA HA! GUARD! TURN! PARRY! DODGE! SPIN! HA! THRUST!” _WHACK_ The list goes on for a long time. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/84 "2011-10-24T15:04:54Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Also > > “You’re despicable” > “Rabbit Season!” “Duck Season!” > “Pronoun trouble” > “Where’s the kaboom? There was supposed to be an earth-shattering kaboom!” > “Monsters are such interesting people” > “Consequences, Schmonsequences, as long as I’m rich.” > “HO! HA HA! GUARD! TURN! PARRY! DODGE! SPIN! HA! THRUST!” _WHACK_ > > The list goes on for a long time. “Of course, you realize this means war.” (Or does Groucho get that one?) ---
**Author:** ![Hogfather65](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7bcc69/32.png) [@Hogfather65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hogfather65)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/85 "2011-10-24T15:23:55Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Come say hello to my little friend. This is the only one I recognise from the list of Al Pacino. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/86 "2011-10-24T20:55:37Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Another Bogie: “(if you need anything) just whistle”. To Lauren Bacall, no less… No, that was Lauren Bacall to Bogart, from _To Have and Have Not._ “You don’t have to say anything, and you don’t have to do anything. Not a thing. Oh, maybe just whistle. You know how to whistle, don’t you, Steve? You just put your lips together… and blow.” ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/87 "2011-10-25T01:23:45Z")
> [@JustinC](#): > > I don’t remember that movie… It’s from _Five Easy Pieces_: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wtfNE4z6a8](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wtfNE4z6a8) ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/88 "2011-10-25T06:54:41Z")
> [@Hogfather65](#): > > This is the only one I recognise from the list of Al Pacino. Not even “Attica! Attica! Attica!”? ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/89 "2011-10-25T14:51:44Z")
> [@cactus\_waltz](#): > > Not even “Attica! Attica! Attica!”? I never saw the movie, either. _shrug_ The 70’s had a lot of anti-authority movies. Some light hearted, some not. * * * Ok. What’s the rules about starting threads? Bricker posted once (the OP), and that’s it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/90 "2011-10-25T17:51:53Z")
Guess which iconic line was referenced in [Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103060/quotes?qt=qt0501114)? The Casablanca one. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Carmady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@Carmady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carmady)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/91 "2011-10-25T17:55:41Z")
> [@Wolverine](#): > > Guess which iconic line was referenced in [Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103060/quotes?qt=qt0501114)? The Casablanca one. 😃 Spoiler: The Ooze’s secret is its childhood sled. ---
**Author:** ![SpartanDC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@SpartanDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpartanDC)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/92 "2011-10-25T19:11:44Z")
This has gone from quoting iconic lines to just quoting “lines I really like and, therefore, must be iconic.” I don’t mean to single you out, **Quartz** but none of those lines delivered by the great Alan Rickman are anywhere near approaching iconic. We’re also dealing with some generational issues here. Among my generation (whatever’s between Gen X and Millennials), “Get to ze choppa!” is most definitely iconic (and often ironic!). I can quote it without explaining its origin, in a context completely divorced from the one in which it was said in the film, no one would raise an eyebrow, and yet EVERYONE would know I was quoting something. I can do the same thing with those lines from _Casablanca_. Both are iconic, but the _Casablanca_ lines are MORE iconic, if that makes sense. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253.md?page=4)