Most quoted lines from films?

  1. Humphrey Bogart Casablanca (1942)"I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
  2. Renee Zellweger Jerry Maguire (1996)"You had me at hello"
  3. Clarke Gable Gone with the Wind (1939) "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn"
  4. Arnold Schwarzenegger Terminator II (1992)"Hasta la vista, baby"
  5. Gloria Swanson Sunset Boulevard (1950)"I'm ready for my close-up"
What makes these lines so memorable? Researchers at Cornell University have suggested some distinctive features:
  • more of a use of the indefinite article e.g 'Frankly my dear I don't give a damn,
  • Unusual word combination:  my dear/damn/hasta la vista/baby 
  • General application: 'I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.' 
This 'formula' alway been the elusive holy grail for Hollywood. Usually the alchemy defies explanation. Casablanca was famously chaotic in its development, with actors going into celebrated scenes with hastily rewritten scripts. 

As William Goldman pointed out in his seminal 'Adventures in the Screen Trade' the formula will always remain out of reach because 'nobody knows anything'.

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