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 Introduction: Film speeches are normally
delivered orally and directed at an audience of three or more
people, although there can be exceptions. They are usually persuasive-type
speeches, either designed to promote or to dissuade, and they
are highly quotable.
Key to Iconic Symbol:
 - Entries in Blockbuster Video's Top 20 Best Film Speeches and Monologues with ranking number (#)
Note: The films that are marked
with a yellow star  are the films that
"The Greatest Films" site has selected as the 100 Greatest Films
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Film and Brief Title |
Speech |
Example |
Sunset
Boulevard (1950)
 Dead Man's Opening Voice-Over Narration
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Joe Gillis' (William Holden) opening
off-screen voice-over narration ("Yes, this is Sunset Boulevard,
Los Angeles, California. It's about five o'clock in the morning")
about his death as he floats face down in a swimming pool: ("The
poor dope! He always wanted a pool. Well, in the end, he got himself
a pool - only the price turned out to be a little high") |
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| Delusional
Descent Down the Stairs |
Norma Desmond's (Gloria Swanson) demented,
delusional speech as she descends her staircase to be arrested at
the film's conclusion: ("I can't go on with the scene. I'm
too happy! Mr. De Mille, do you mind if I say a few words?... There's
nothing else - just us - and the cameras - and those wonderful people
out there in the dark. All right, Mr. De Mille, I'm ready for my
close-up...") |
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Ace in the Hole (1951) (aka The Big Carnival)
"No chopped chicken liver. No garlic pickles" |
In the Albuquerque Sun-Bulletin's news office, belligerent big-city newspaper reporter Charles 'Chuck' Tatum (Kirk Douglas), after being brought a lunch of chicken tacos (and not chopped chicken liver and garlic pickles), starts to contemptuously and savagely rant about how much he misses New York after working in New Mexico for a year: ("When the history of this sunbaked Siberia is written, these shameful words will live in infamy: 'No chopped chicken liver.' No garlic pickles. No Lindy's. No Madison Square Garden. No Yogi Berra. What do you know about Yogi Berra, Miss Deverich? ("..Yogi? Why, it's a sort of religion, isn't it?") You bet it is - a belief in the New York Yankees. You know what's wrong with New Mexico, Mr. Wendell? Too much outdoors. Give me those eight spindly trees in front of Rockefeller Center any day. That's enough outdoors for me. No subways smelling sweet-sour. What do you use for noise around here? No beautiful roar from eight million ants - fighting, cursing, loving. No shows. No South Pacific. No chic little dames across a crowded bar. And worst of all, Herbie. No 80th floor to jump from when you feel like it....When I came here, I thought this was gonna be a 30-day stretch, maybe 60. Now it's a year. It looks like a life sentence. Where is it? Where's the loaf of bread with a file in it? Where's that big story to get me outta here? One year, and what's our hot news? A soapbox derby. A tornado - that double-crossed us and went to Texas. An old goof who said he was the real Jesse James - until they found out he was a chicken thief from Gallup by the name of, uh, Schimmelmacher. I'm stuck here, fans. Stuck for good. Unless of course, you Miss Deverich, instead of writing household hints about how to remove chili stains from blue jeans, get yourself involved in a trunk murder. How about it, Miss Deverich? I could do wonders with your dismembered body. ("Oh, Mr. Tatum. Really") (He growls) Or you, Mr. Wendell. If you'd only toss that cigar out of the window - real far, all the way to Los Alamos - And boom!! (He chuckles) Now there would be a story.") |
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The
African Queen (1951)
Comparison
of a Sailor to a Lady
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Scruffy sailor Charlie Allnut's (Humphrey
Bogart) begrudging acceptance of straightlaced Rose Sayer (Katharine
Hepburn) on board his steamer: ("Ah, it's a great thing to
have a lady aboard with clean habits. It sets the man a good example.
A man alone, he gets to living like a hog. Then, too, with me, it's
always: 'Put things off. Never do today what you can put off till
tomorrow.' But with you: 'Business before pleasure.' Every time.
Do all your personal laundry, make yourself spic and span, get all
the mending out of the way and then - and only then - sit down for
a nice quiet hour with the Good Book. I tell you, it's a model -
like an inspiration...") |
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The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
Warnings
Against War and Violence
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Klaatu's (Michael Rennie) lecture and
warning to the world leaders at the conclusion of the film: ("...But
if you threaten to extend your violence, this Earth of yours will
be reduced to a burned-out cinder. Your choice is simple. Join us
and live in peace, or pursue your present course and face obliteration.
We shall be waiting for your answer. The decision rests with you.") - The film was remade in 2008 by director Scott Derrickson, starring Keanu Reeves as Klaatu. |
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Death of a Salesman (1951)
Father's
Delusion About His Sons
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Willy Loman's (Fredric March) delusional
assumption that looks are all his sons Biff (Kevin McCarthy) and
Happy (Cameron Mitchell) will need to get ahead: ("That's just
what I mean, Bernard can get the best marks in school, y'understand,
but when he gets out in the business world, y'understand, you are
going to be five times ahead of him. That's why I thank Almighty
God you're both built like Adonises. Because the man who makes an
appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest,
is the man who gets ahead. Be liked and you will never want. You
take me for instance, I never have to wait in line to see a buyer.
'Willy Loman is here!' That's all they have to know, and I go right
through...") |
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A
Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
"Beauty
is Transitory" Speech
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Blanche DuBois' (Vivien Leigh) famous
"beauty is transitory" speech: ("A cultivated woman
- a woman of breeding and intelligence - can enrich a man's life
immeasurably. I have those things to offer, and time doesn't take
them away. Physical beauty is passing - transitory possession -
but beauty of the mind, richness of the spirit, tenderness of the
heart - I have all those things - aren't taken away but grow! Increase with the years!") |
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The Thing From Another World (1951)
"Look
to the Skies" Warning
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Ned 'Scotty' Scott's (Douglas Spencer)
frantic "Look to the skies" warning at the film's conclusion:
("I bring you a warning. Every one of you listening to my voice,
tell the world. Tell this to everybody wherever they are: watch
the skies, everywhere. Keep looking. Keep watching the skies!") |
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The Marrying Kind (1952)
The Importance of Thinking
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Newlywed Florence 'Florrie' Keefer's (Judy Holliday) flashbacked epiphany about the beauty of thinking while honeymooning in Atlantic City with her new postal-worker husband 'Chet' (Aldo Ray), told to her mother Mrs. Derringer (Phyllis Povah) and sister Joan Shipley (Sheila Bond): ("Because everybody gets in a rut. Take me. A rut! But down there in Atlantic City, I got into a lot of thinking. You know what I mean? I don't mean just stewin' around - I mean thinking. And to tell you the truth, I was surprised by how enjoyable it was! Well, you take most people, including me. They hardly ever get to do any thinking - when do they get the time? Or if you do get the time, there's the movies or the radio or you play a game of cards, but no thinking. Down there it was my first chance in I don't know how long, and I've made up a rule: I'm gonna do at least a half hours of thinking every day, all by myself. Just quietly. (What are you going to think about?) I don't know. Everything.") |
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From Here to Eternity (1953)
Decision
to Put Aside Boxing
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Private Robert "Prew" Prewitt's
(Montgomery Clift) explanation behind his decision to never box
again: ("Some of the guys are puttin' me over the jumps 'cause
I don't want to fight...yeah, on the boxing team. I don't want to
box. I don't even want to think about it...see, I used to fight,
middleweight. And I was pretty good and they know it...I used to
work out with this guy Dixie Wells. He's a real good friend of mine.
Loved to box. People on the outside had their eye on him. He was
gonna come out of the Army and go right up to the top. Well, one
afternoon, he and I were sparrin' around in the gym, you know, kind
of friendly-like. And, he must have been set pretty flat on his
feet 'cause I caught him with a, no more'n ordinary right cross,
and uh, he didn't get up. He didn't move. He was in a coma for a
week, and uh, finally, he did pull out of it. Only the thing was
that he was blind. Well, I went to see him at the hospital a couple
of times and finally I just couldn't go back. The last time he and
I started talking about fighting, and uh, he started to cry. And
seein' tears comin' out of those eyes that couldn't see anything.") |
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The Caine Mutiny (1954)
"Ah,
but the Strawberries" Testimony
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Captain Queeg's (Humphrey Bogart) paranoid,
unstable testimony in his court-martial trial: ("...He was
no different from any other officer in the ward room, they were
all disloyal. I tried to run the ship properly, by the book, but
they fought me at every turn. The crew wanted to walk around with
their shirt tails hanging out, that's all right, let them. Take
the tow line, defective equipment, no more, no less. But they encouraged
the crew to go around scoffing at me, and spreading wild rumors
about steaming in circles, and then old yellow-strain. I was to
blame for Lt. Maryk's incompetence and poor seamanship. Lt. Maryk
was the perfect officer, but not Captain Queeg. Ah, but the strawberries,
that's where I had them, they laughed at me and made jokes, but
I proved beyond the shadow of a doubt, with geometric logic, that
a duplicate key to the ward room icebox did exist, and I've had
produced that key if they hadn't pulled the Caine out of
action...") |
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On the Waterfront (1954)
Taxi-cab "Coulda Been a Contender"
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# 3
Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando) to his brother Charley
(Rod Steiger) in the back seat of a taxi-cab: ("It wasn't
him, Charley! It was you. You remember that night in the Garden,
you came down to my dressing room and said: 'Kid, this ain't your
night. We're going for the price on Wilson.' You remember that?
'This ain't your night!' My night! I coulda taken Wilson apart!
So what happens? He gets the title shot outdoors in the ball park
- and whadda I get? A one-way ticket to Palookaville....You was
my brother, Charley. You shoulda looked out for me a little bit.
You shoulda taken care of me - just a little bit - so I wouldn't
have to take them dives for the short-end money....You don't understand!
I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody,
instead of a bum, which is what I am. Let's face it (pause) ......
It was you, Charley.") |
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All That Heaven Allows (1955)
Salesman's
Pitch for a New Television
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The scene in which fortyish widow Cary
Scott (Jane Wyman), after suspending her love affair with her handsome
gardener Ron Kirby (Rock Hudson), is presented with a brand new
TV set (adorned with red ribbons) as a Christmas present to keep
her company - she sees her reflection on the screen as the salesman
tells her: ("All you have to do is turn that dial and you have
all the company you want right there on the screen - drama, comedy,
life's parade at your fingertips...") |
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Bride of the Monster (1955)
"I
Have No Home" Speech
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In Ed Wood Jr.'s
B-horror film, Dr. Vornoff's (Bela Lugosi) impassioned speech to
Prof. Strowski (George Becwar) about his exile and plans for revenge:
("...Home? I have no home. Hunted, despised, living like an
animal! The jungle is my home. But I will show the world that I
can be its master! I will perfect my own race of people. A race
of atomic supermen which will conquer the world!") [The speech
was recreated memorably in Tim Burton's Ed Wood (1994) by
Martin Landau, portraying Lugosi.] |
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East of Eden (1955)
"It's
Awful Not to Be Loved" Speech
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Abra's (Julie Harris) "It's awful
not to be loved" speech to bedridden Mr. Adam Trask (Raymond
Massey) regarding his relationship with son Cal (James Dean): ("Mr.
Trask, it's awful not to be loved. It's the worst thing in the world.
Don't ask me -- even if you could -- how I know that. I just know
it") |
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The Night of the Hunter (1955)
An
Insane Preacher's Prayer
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The insane, memorable, and perversely-evil,
chilling prayer of "Preacher" Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum),
a killer-evangelist with borderline sanity who glances heavenward
while driving: ("Well now, what's it to be, Lord? Another widow?
How many has it been? Six? Twelve? I disremember. You say the word,
Lord, I'm on my way...You always send me money to go forth and preach
your Word. The widow with a little wad of bills hid away in a sugar
bowl. Lord, I am tired. Sometimes I wonder if you really understand.
Not that You mind the killin's. Yore Book is full of killin's. But
there are things you do hate Lord: perfume-smellin' things, lacy
things, things with curly hair.") |
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Tattoos
and the Famous Tale of "L-O-V-E" and "H-A-T-E" |
The Preacher's explanation of the tattoos
on his fingers to little John Harper (Billy Chapin) and others listening
in the Spoon's ice-cream parlor: ("Ah, little lad, you're staring
at my fingers. Would you like me to tell you the little story of
right-hand / left-hand? The story of good and evil? H-A-T-E! It
was with this left hand that old brother Cain struck the blow that
laid his brother low. L-O-V-E! You see these fingers, dear hearts?
These fingers has veins that run straight to the soul of man. The
right hand, friends, the hand of love. Now watch, and I'll show
you the story of life. Those fingers, dear hearts, is always a-warring
and a-tugging, one agin t'other. Now watch 'em! Old brother left
hand, left hand he's a fighting, and it looks like love's a goner.
But wait a minute! Hot dog, love's a winning! Yessirreee! It's love
that's won, and old left hand hate is down for the count!"). |
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Rebel Without a Cause
(1955)
"Dirty
Tramp" Speech
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Judy's (Natalie Wood) "dirty tramp"
speech about her father: ("He must hate me. He hates me. I
know he does. He looks at me like I'm the ugliest thing in the world.
He doesn't like my friends. He doesn't like one thing about me.
He called me - he called me a dirty tramp"). |
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BEST FILM SPEECHES AND MONOLOGUES