Every year, the American Film Institute releases it’s list of the top 100 something-related-to-movies of all time. This past year it was songs, with “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” topping the list. For the upcoming year, they’ve announced that their list will be “100 years… 100 movie quotes,” and the 400 quotes on the ballot are listed here.
Not surprisingly, Casablanca, one of my favorite movies, has the most candidates with 7. But surprisingly (at least to me), “… maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life,” is not one of them. On the other hand, looking at the Casablanca quotes that are nominated, I’d only want to remove “Play it, Sam. Play ‘As Time Goes By.'” While this is the direct quote from the movie, the line everyone remembers, which was never actually spoken, is “Play it again, Sam.”
Other highlights of the list that amused, surprised, or delighted me…
- “I’ll have what she’s having.” – When Harry Met Sally
- “But I would be proud to partake of your pecan pie.” – When Harry Met Sally
- “There’s no crying in baseball!” – A League of Their Own
- “You’ll shoot your eye out!” – A Christmas Story
- “The pellet with the poison’s in the vessel with the pestle. The chalice with the palace has the brew that is true.” – A Court Jester
- “Toto, I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” – The Wizard of Oz
- “Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here. This is the war room.” – Dr. Strangelove
- “It isn’t that I don’t like you, Susan, because after all, in moments of quiet, I’m strangely drawn toward you; but, well, there haven’t been any quiet moments!” – Bringing Up Baby
- “These go to eleven.” – This is Spinal Tap
- “There’s a name for you ladies, but it isn’t used in high society — outside of a kennel.” – The Women
- “Surely, you can’t be serious!” “I am serious, and don’t call me Shirley.” – Airplane!
- “One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don’t know.” – Animal Crackers
Colossus of Rhode 
They should do 100 memorable quotes entirely from Airplane!
Airplane! got three nominations… Surprisingly, Airplane 2: The Sequel was shut out.
I was surprised by:
“Gort! Klaatu barada nikto!” (The Day the Earth Stood Still). Maybe people said it a lot after the movie came out. Anyway.
I missed “High school girls: I keep getting older and they stay the same age.” from Dazed and Confused. I think that’s pretty quotable. . .
My favorites:
“Nobody puts Baby in a corner.” (Dirty Dancing)
“It’s a Sicilian message. It means Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes. ” (The Godfather)
“A martini. Shaken, not stirred. ” (Goldfinger)
“Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” (Gone With the Wind)
Mrs. Robinson, you’re trying to seduce me. Aren’t you? (The Graduate)
(The Spinal Tap Quote)
“I feel the need… The need for speed.” (Top Gun)
“I have a head for business and a bod for sin.” (Working Girl – although my favorite from that movie is “It’s not even leather!”)
But the “Dazed and Confused” quote was on the list… wasn’t it?
I almost put the Graduate quote on my list of favorites, but I decided that it was getting too long.
Oh RainBOWS!
You’re right. I skipped over it somehow.
“That’s what I love about these high school girls, man. I keep getting older, they stay the same age.”