from The American Scholar, today's "Talking Pictures" post features a quiz -- with clues and answers -- having to do with memorable conclusions of movies. For extra credit, who in the picture on the left, is the blonde situated between Anne Baxter and Bette Davis?:
<<<
Nearly all classic movies end on a note of exceptional pathos, irony, or humor. Take “there’s no place like home,” “tomorrow is another day,” and “nobody’s perfect,” which perfectly match the movies they conclude: The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, and Some Like It Hot. The first of these concluding lines states the moral of Dorothy’s story, the second sums up the indomitable character of Scarlett O’Hara, and the third is the perfect punchline for a joke that’s gone as far as it could go.
Below is a list of 10 other terrific last lines. Test your knowledge using only the hints provided below—then read on for the answers and explanations.
1. “Hello, America, hang on to your lights; they’re the only lights in the world.”
Hint: Windmills.
2. Miss Harrington knows all about it.”
Hint: The drama critic can help make it happen.
3. Always the same. People come. People go. Nothing ever happens.”
Hint: Revolving door. >>>
For the other seven, please click here.
I loved the quiz--so many memorable lines and I loved that I remembered Yul Brynner's line from the Magnificent Seven. Such a fun quiz!
Posted by: Leo G Kailas | July 21, 2022 at 10:33 AM
I got only one: Network and its memorable rant, "I'm made as hell . . ."
Fun quiz. Thanks for posting.
Posted by: Emily Fragos | July 21, 2022 at 11:24 AM
So much fun, David! I just watched THE ROSE TATTOO the other night....
Everybody is nothing until you love them.
Posted by: Denise Duhamel | July 21, 2022 at 12:39 PM
Love this! And what a great meta-comment on Some Like It Hot: "a joke that's gone as far as it can go." Ashamed to say I've seen all the movies but one, yet still got only 4 out of 10. First saw The Rose Tattoo at a drive-in with my parents when I was 8 or 9; didn't have a clue, though I remember Anna Magnani starred. She must've made an impression. Here's a quiz: 'What were Stonewall Jackson's last words? Hint: Hemingway'. I'm reading 'Grant and Sherman' by Charles Bracelen Flood, who lives on a farm outside Richmond, KY. His 'Lincoln at the Gates' is GREAT. He's maybe not as comprehensive as Shelby Foote, but as eminently readable as Bruce Catton. A real find for my retirement years. Speaking of which, I'm thinking of being a Civil War reenactor to get some extra cash. It's either that or metal detector sales. Love to all.
Posted by: jim c | July 21, 2022 at 04:46 PM
These are fun but I couldn't help but notice how OLD the movies are-- two dating back nearly a century, and even the most recent almost half a century. Surely in the 46 years since The Candidate there have been some flicks with slam-bang words to bring down the curtain. But among vintage films, I like the closers in Missouri Breaks ("Sounds like a real good guess.") and Blade Runner (It’s a shame she won’t live – but then again, who does?”) Both a little opaque without the contest of the whole drama, but zingers with it.
Posted by: Ken Lauter | July 21, 2022 at 06:08 PM
Thanks everyone for the comments. Ken, it's true the films are old; my beat at The American Scholar is "classic movies," reflecting my conviction that the great days of Hollywood ended some times ago. Just as in popular music, the kids and their juvenile taste took over, and adults are deemed ridiculous. I was in a movie audience of mainly college students who couldn't respond with anything but a sort of embarrassment when witnessing a hot love scene (in this case, Orson Welles & Rita Hayworth in The Lady from Shanghai).
Posted by: David Lehman | July 23, 2022 at 12:47 PM
Because young love today
Is a version of parallel play?
I didn't say
That.
Posted by: Sir William Oldfart, PhD | July 23, 2022 at 03:11 PM
What were Stonewall Jackson's last words?
Posted by: Diane Redfern | July 23, 2022 at 07:56 PM
"Let us cross over the river and rest in the shade of the trees." (Sorry this took so long; I just saw your response today.)
Posted by: jim c | August 14, 2022 at 05:47 AM