"Who's on first." ...

... is #91 on the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 movie quotes. Is there anyone who hasn't heard this hilarious sequence between Bud Abbott and Lou Costello? It's from "The Naughty Nineties", released in 1945. All this time I thought it was a radio routine. What do I know, huh?


Another, listed as #88, has Katharine Hepburn speaking to her husband, played by Henry Fonda. The movie is "On Golden Pond" (1981). "Listen to me, mister. You're my knight in shining armor. Don't you forget it. You're going to get back on that horse, and I'm going to be right behind you, holding on tight, and away we're gonna go, go, go!"

That quote is not my personal favorite from that fabulous movie. The one I like better, but it didn't make the top 100, is where Katharine is talking to her daughter, played by Jane Fonda. "Sometimes you have to look 'hard' at a person to know they're doing the best they can."


Two Arnold Schwarzenegger Terminator quotes made the list. #37, from the 1984 film, "I'll be back.", and #76, "Hasta la vista, baby." (1991) I like stories where the bad guys 'get theirs'.

In this same vein, I can't leave Clint Eastwood out, playing 'Dirty Harry'. "Go ahead, make my day." (1983 - #6) ... and #51, from 1971, "You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?"


"A boy's best friend is his mother." Remember that one? (#56) From the movie "Psycho". Sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it! I had trouble taking a shower for months after seeing it. Do you realize that it was released 48 years ago?!? Boggles the mind.


#53 is "One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don't know." Who other could this possibly be than the great Groucho Marx? From 1930, "Animal Crackers".

Staying in the field of comedy, this next one (#48), from "Some Like it Hot", has Joe E. Brown saying, "Well, nobody's perfect." [A little sidebar. A few years back, here in Houston when the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts had its grand opening, "Some Like it Hot" was the featured first performance. Tony Curtis played one of the lesser roles -- an uncle, I think. He and his wife were staying at the Four Seasons hotel downtown, and I often heard that they were both commonly seen in the lounge area socializing with everyone who was there. I didn't take the time to go in and meet them, but I smiled a lot just thinking about such a pleasant event.]


"They call me Mister Tibbs!", #16, with Sidney Poitier, who else? 1967, "In the Heat of the Night". #23, "There's no place like home." 1939, "Wizard of Oz".


I have mentioned only a few of the top 100. I'll bet you've got your own favorites. I haven't mentioned any from "Casablanca", nor have I cited those of Bette Davis, Tom Hanks, Charlton Heston, or Robin Williams. If you'd like to scroll through the entire list at your leisure, here's the link. Enjoy!


One more for you. This one, uttered by Greta Garbo -- a distant relative of mine (?) -- , is probably her most famous ... "I Want to be Alone." From "Grand Hotel", released in 1932 and ranked #30 on AFI's list.


OK now, ready for the 'story' of how we're related? You're not ready unless you're prepared to fall off your chair on the way to laughing your you-know-what off on the floor. NOW are you ready?? OK. Here goes.

It seems that, as the story goes, "my father's uncle's second wife was the aunt of two girls who claimed to be second cousins of Greta".