Wow! Write a column about Bill Clinton lying or Ken Starr testifying and all you get are yawns. Ho hum. Maybe a couple of e-mails, tops.
Write a column about favorite movie lines, and people can't get to their keyboards fast enough.Unsolicited response to Monday's column about top movie lines has been, to say the least, unprecedented. Every time I turn on the computer I've got mail. All right! We really are a frivolous society.
So, "Movie Lines, The Sequel."
From Allan Staker of Colorado: "Best movie line of all time" from "Camelot":
Guinevere: "What do they call you?"
Arthur: "Wart."
Guinevere: "Are you sure you heard them properly?"
From Mike McShane of Taylorsville: "My favorite is from 'It's a Wonderful Life' when George asks Clarence, his guardian angel, if he has eight thousand bucks and Clarence says no, they don't need money in heaven, and George answers, 'Well, it sure comes in handy down here Bub.' "
I got two calls, and was not surprised, for "Go ahead, make my day," one from Fred of Salt Lake and from a former co-worker, Craig Hislop of Logan.
My brother called. He said I missed the greatest movie line of all time -- when Paul Newman asks in "Hombre," "How you going to get back down that hill?"
Attorney Ed Brass nominated more or less the entire "Animal House" screenplay, including "Seven years of college down the drain," while another noted attorney, Ron Yengich, quoted Tom Hanks in "A League of their Own" -- "Are you crying? There's no crying in baseball."
Resident Deseret News movie guru Chris Hicks paid tribute to Humphrey Bogart in "The Big Sleep," when, after a so-so kiss with Lauren Bacall, they kiss again and Bogart says, "Oh, it's even better when you help." Fellow movie critic Jeff Vice, who speaks movie script, singled out bar owner Jeff Morris in "The Blues Brothers" -- "We play both kinds of music here -- country and western." Literary critic Jerry Johnston nominated what he called "the real signature line" from "Princess Bride" -- "My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
Even the sports writers chipped in. Rich Evans, who once made it through an entire Jazz season by eating popcorn and watching late night movies, nominated Paul Newman in "Hombre" when he says, "'Cause I can cut it, lady." And Doug Robinson's favorite line is from "Jaws," when the sheriff sees the shark and says, "We're going to need a bigger boat."
Sunday columnist Ann Cannon sent in her favorite line, which was the same as the one sent in by reader Rich Gilliat: "Badge? I don't need no stinking badge." Although Ann quoted "Blazing Saddles" while Rich quoted the original movie source, "Treasure of the Sierra Madre."
Ann's father, BYU football coach LaVell Edwards, said his favorite movie line is a non-line. It comes from "High Noon," where Gary Cooper, after gunning down the bad guys as the townsfolk hover out of sight, stands over the bodies as the people creep around him. Then he takes the star off his shirt, throws it on the dirt, and walks away.
"Amazing how much someone can say without saying anything," said Edwards.
Jazz owner Larry Miller's favorite line is when the old ballplayers in "Field of Dreams" talk about Shoeless Joe Jackson hitting the ball "where triples go to die."
And finally, Gov. Mike Leavitt chipped in with a soundbite-ready quote from "Mr. Smith goes to Washington" -- "I wouldn't give you two cents for all your fancy rules if, behind them, they didn't have a little bit of plain, ordinary, everyday kindness and a little lookin' out for the other fella, too."
Vicki Varela, the governor's aide, couldn't resist adding, "And if you want one from me, here's a quote from Saunders, Smith's aide in the movie: 'I don't want to seem like I'm complaining, senator, but in all civilized countries there's an institution called dinner.' "
Lee Benson accepts faxes at 801-237-2527 and e-mail at lbenson@desnews.com. His column runs Monday, Wednesday and Friday.