Welcome to Ozzy's Corner. The sweet Lady Julia has offered me a little corner here and, at times, you will see reviews, "It Ain't Science Fiction but..." general Babble, commenting on the world around us all and how it has changed, from a "then to now" perspective.
So, drop by and see what's on the table, I've got icy-cold Lone Star longnecks in the cooler. My perspective on beer is if you're gonna drink it, you gotta drink it from a longneck.
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Ozzy's Corner Hut
February 18, 2008
Hello. Come right in. sit right down. Let's see what we have on the table today. Ah, yes...The latest mission of Mr. Fly. We'll call it Mr Fly and Movie Trivia.
We were talking the other day, a bunch of us out on the beach in front of the Hut, about Movie Trivia.
Before we start, let's look at the word itself, "Trivia" According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, it has two meanings. First up, Medieval Latin, meaning 3 ways, as at a crosswords. "Tri Via", the Romans used to post news where three roads met. You know, like things..."Today at the Forum in Rome, a bunch of guys with knives killed Julius Ceaser! In other news, Lions 17, Gladiators 0...the lions ate 17 gladiators, while the gladiators posted no kills." It entered the language in 1647 The second meaning, which relates to A"trivia" as we know it: New Latin: back formation from "Trivialis", meaning unimportant matters, obscure facts. This tome tells us it entered the language in 1920.
So, once again, i dispatched Mr Fly to Hollywood to do research. Upon his return, this is some of which he reported regarding trivia in Motion Pictures, such as the greatest film quotes, memorable lines, great opening and closing lines. Since it is I that is imparting this important unimportant information to you, my readers, I will begin with one from one of my favorite films, "Red River" (1948) "You know there are only two things more beautiful than a good gun, a Swiss watch and a woman from anywhere" Cherry Valance (John Ireland) to Matthew Garth (Montgomery Cliff) A little known fact about this film (here we go, "trivia" fans), Gary Cooper was offered the role of Thomas Dunson, but turned it down because the character was, at times, to cold and brutal. So, it went to John Wayne and became one of the greatest films. Western or otherwise, ever made. Wait, I'm not done yet...the role of Cherry Valance was offered to Cary Grant, who felt it was not just his cup of tea, and it fell to John Ireland and made him a star, along with Montgomery Cliff.
"Look Ma, top of the world!", James Cagney in "White Heat" (1949).
Now three from one of the more famous, classic films ever made, "Casablanca" (1942). "Here's lookin' at you kid" Humphrey Bogart to Ingrid Bergman. " Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine" Rick Blain (Bogart) to Sam, his piano player (Dooley Wilson) in "Sam's Cafe". "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship", Rick Blain to Captain Louis Renault (Claude Rains) This last, was the final line in the film. and became famous as such. No, the words "Play It Again Sam" (referring to "As Time Goes by") was not spoken in the movie, even though it is attributed as such in film lore trivia.
"What we have here, is a failure to communicate..."This is from "Cool Hand Luke" (1967) and spoken by "Captain, Road Prison 36" (Strother Martin) to Paul Newman
"Rosebud" This final word of "Citizen Kane" (1941) Portrayed by Orson Welles who created this remarkable film, a thinly disguised character based on William Randolph Hearst, the newspaper mogul. We learn this mysterious, enigmatic utterance, spoken as the final word of Kane, who lay dying, "Rosebud" was the name of his sled as a child. Hearst was so incensed by the film, he spent vast sums of money attempting to prevent it from going in wide release, like buying up prints, trying to boy the Master, all to no avail. It became on of the truly great films of that era.
"Wait a minute, wait a minute, you ain't seen nothin' yet" from "The Jazz Singer" (1927) spoken by Al Jolson, the words not in the shooting script, but ad libbed by Mr Jolson.
We all, Science Fiction Fans, remember "Klaatu, barado nickto" from "The Day The Earth Stood Still" (1951), and discussed in our look at "Why We Love Science Fiction (films), from one of the Hut's earlier dissertations.
"Oh no, it wasn't the airplines, it was Beauty killed the Beast" "King Kong" (1933)
An opening and closing line from one of my most favorite films, Westerns or otherwise. "If they move, kill 'em" Pike (William Holden) to Crazy Lou (Bo Hopkins) referring to the hostages being held in the bank. "Well, me and the boys here. we got some work to do, it ain't like it used to be, but, uh, it'll do" Freddie Sykes (Edmond Obrian) to Deke Thornton (Robert Ryan), after the blood bath in the courtyard where all of Pike and the rest were killed.
"Gone With The Wind" (1939) likely has the most well known and most quoted one line in motion picture history. After Scarlett O"Hara (Vivien Leigh) asked Rhettt Butler (Clark Gable) what she would do after Rhett mad it clear he was leaving her, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn!" The line in the book did not have the word "Frankly" My Mother and my Aunt Hilda attended the opening in Washington D.C. and got to meet Margaret Mitchell, the author, and had an autographed copy of the book. I remember one summer, I was 6 or 7 t the time, I say on my Aunt Hilda's front porch and read the book through. In later years my Mother told me, when Mr/ Gable spoke the line, the audience broke into applause, they too, were tired of all of Scarlett's bull hocky. Ms Leigh, on the other hand, was likely glad the film was over, since Mr. Gable was known in Hollywood as have really, really bad breath. It won Ms Leigh an Oscar, and while fourth billed on the first release print, all prints there after had her second billed below Mr Gable. The white horse used in the film, became the Lone Ranger's Silver, in the 1938 & 1939 films. It caused a critical uproar by using the word "damn", but it fit so well, the producers allowed the firm to be released with it in.
"Blade Runner" (1982) "I've seen things you people would not believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-Links glitter in the dark near the Tanhauser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die" Rutger Hauer's Replicant dying after the fight with Harrison Ford at the end." DirectorRidley Scott's adaptation of Philip K Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" was a box office failure when first released. A second version with a voice over that Harrison Ford didn't really want to do and a different ending, was released and became profitable. Four other versions followed and this fall, a fifth version, as a "Ridley Scott Director's Cut" restores scenes never before see, including the famous "Unicorn Dream Sequence" that was in Version #3, a piece of film from the Tom Cruise film "The Last Unicorn." It is now recognized as one of the greatest SciFi films ever made.
"Jaws" (1975) Steven Spielberg's tense, and shocking film, hit the box office with a powerful punch, hailed by critics and high box office takes, had a great line, if you've seen the film, is very memorable. Marlon Brady (Roy Schneider) to his crew mate Quint (Robert Shaw: "You're gonna need a bigger boat" Unfortunately the sequels suck and by the third film you were clearly rooting for the shark.
"Apocalypse Now" and it's extended version Francis Ford Coppola's brilliant film set in the Vietnam war, became arguably the greatest war movie ever made. The lead actor, Martin Sheen, had a heart attack part way through, and film had to be suspended until he was able to return. The most well known line quoted, (in it's abbreviated version here) was Lt. Colonel Bill Kilgore (Robert Duvall) "I love he smell of napalm in the morning, it smells like...victory! The film was beset with other woes. Marlon Brando had grown so fat, he refused to be filmed unless it was a close up. A stand in was used for the silhouette. The producers, knowing they could not simply leave this village set they had built in the jungle, they blew it for a spectacular scene near the end of the movie. The film had a great, highly acclaimed Rock & Roll sound track. Credence Clearwater Revival's "Runnin' Through The Jungle" and The Doors eerily fitting "The End" ("...this is the end...") got major airplay, which just added to the box office. Dennis Hoppers over the top portrayal of the semi-sane photographer was a highlight when ever he had screen time.
"Road Warrior" (1982) "As for the Road Warrior, he lives now only in my memory" The closing voice over line, on this, the best of the series about Mad Max Rockatansky
"A Few Good Men" (1992) "You want answers?" "I want the truth!" "You can't handle the truth" Interchange between Lt. Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) and Col. Nathan A Jessup (Jack Nicholson) in a US Naval courtroom the greatest courtroom breakdown of an officer since Humphrey Bogart (Captain Queeg) "The Caine Mutiny" (1954)
"The Naked City" Film (1948) TV Series (1958-1963 137 Episodes) "There are eight million stories in the Naked City, this has been one of them" Lawrence Dobkin, narrator, at end of film and each TV episode (set in the 65th Precinct, New York City Police Dept.
"Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969) "I can't swim" Sundance (Robert Redford) "But, why, you crazy, the fall'll probably kill ya'" Butch (Paul Newman)
"Dr Strangelove, Or How I Stopped Worrying and Love The Bomb" (1954) "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here, it's the War Room!" "Nuclear combat, toe to toe with the Rooskies" Major T. J. "King" Kong (Slim Pickens) "Mein Fuhrer, I can walk!" (Peter Stellers, Dr. Strangelove)
Allow me to insert a bit of trivia, before we continue. The most common scriped line in all Hollywood productions, it was used in 84% of the time from the late 30's to the mid 70's: "Let's get outta here" Whoever researched that, clearly, really did not have enough to do!
Dr. No (1962) "...Bond. James Bond" Sean Connery in the first Bond film.
"Terminator" (1984) "I'll be back!" Arnold the Govenator...er...Terminator.
"Forest Gump" (1994) "My Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get" Tom Hanks, in voice over.
"Sudden Impact" (1983) "Go ahead, make my day" Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry character.
"Wall Street" (1987) "The point is, ladies and gentlemen, that greed, for a lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clairfies, cuts through and captures the essences of the evolunitary spirit" Michael Douglas as the ruthless Gordon Gekko.
Well, for you, ladies and gentlemen, this is all, for the time being, for Mr. Fly and the Movies. Ah, you may ask, just how did Mr Fly obtain all the goodies of Movie Trivia? Well, ladies and gentlemeen, I do not ask, I simply transcribe as he relates it to me. I find that a whole lot less complicated. Besides, he may well be irritated at my query, and I do not want to irritate Mr. Fly, I have other missions for him and find it logical not to question his integrity.
Thanks for coming by. Y'all come back ya' hear. I'll always have icy cold Lonestar Longnecks in the cooler, ID required of course.
ozzygreybeard
Sci-Fi X-ile is a personal Website for Julia Houston.
