Classic Movie Quotes: 50 Famous Lines

What are the most #ClassicMovieQuotes of all time? We bet you can rattle off several off the top of your head, such as:

"I love the smell of napalm in the morning."
"Here's looking at you, kid."
"I'll be back."

Where do your favorites rank? Here's the list of the top 50 movie quotes, as compiled by the American Film Institute, and some choice quotage in movie clips.


50. "Houston, we have a problem."
'Apollo 13' (1995)

49. "It's alive! It's alive!"
'Frankenstein' (1931)

48. "Well, nobody's perfect."
'Some Like It Hot' (1959)

47. "Shane. Shane. Come back!"
'Shane' (1953)

46. "Oh, Jerry, don't let's ask for the moon. We have the stars."
'Now, Voyager' (1942)

45. "Stella! Hey, Stella!"
'A Streetcar Named Desire' (1951)

44. "I see dead people."
'The Sixth Sense' (1999)

43. "We'll always have Paris.""
'Casablanca' (1942)

42. "Plastics."
'The Graduate' (1967)

41. "We rob banks."
'Bonnie and Clyde' (1967)

40. "Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."
'Forrest Gump' (1994)

39. "If you build it, he will come."
'Field of Dreams' (1989)

38. "Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth."
'The Pride of the Yankees' (1942)

37. "I'll be back."
'The Terminator' (1984)

36. "Badges? We ain't got no badges! We don't need no badges! I don't have to show you any stinking badges!"
'The Treasure of the Sierra Madre' (1948)

35. "You're gonna need a bigger boat."
'Jaws' (1975)

34. "You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and blow."
'To Have and Have Not' (1944)

33. "I'll have what she's having."
'When Harry Met Sally' (1989)

32. "Round up the usual suspects."
'Casablanca' (1942)

31. "After all, tomorrow is another day!"
'Gone With the Wind' (1939)

30. "I want to be alone."
'Grand Hotel' (1932)

29. "You can't handle the truth!"
'A Few Good Men' (1992)

28. "Play it, Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By.'"
'Casablanca' (1942)

27. "I'm walking here! I'm walking here!"
'Midnight Cowboy' (1969)

26. "Why don't you come up sometime and see me?"
'She Done Him Wrong' (1933)

25. "Show me the money!"
'Jerry Maguire' (1996)

24. "I am big! It's the pictures that got small."
'Sunset Blvd.' (1950)

23. "There's no place like home."
'The Wizard of Oz' (1939)

22. "Bond. James Bond."
'Dr. No' (1962)

21. "A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti."
'The Silence of the Lambs' (1991)

20. "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
'Casablanca' (1942)

19. "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!"
'Network' (1976)

18. "Made it, Ma! Top of the world!"
'White Heat' (1949)

17. "Rosebud."
'Citizen Kane' (1941)

16. "They call me Mister Tibbs!"
'In the Heat of the Night' (1967)

15. "E.T. phone home."
'E.T. the Extraterrestrial' (1982)

14. "The stuff that dreams are made of."
'The Maltese Falcon' (1941)

13. "Love means never having to say you're sorry."
'Love Story' (1970)

12. "I love the smell of napalm in the morning."
'Apocalypse Now' (1979)

11. "What we've got here is failure to communicate."
'Cool Hand Luke' (1967)

10. "You talking to me?"
'Taxi Driver (1976)

9. "Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night.
'All About Eve' (1950)

8. "May the Force be with you."
'Star Wars' (1977)

7. "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my closeup."
'Sunset Blvd.' (1950)

6. "Go ahead, make my day."
'Sudden Impact' (1983)

5. "Here's looking at you, kid."
'Casablanca (1942)

4. "Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."
'The Wizard of Oz' (1939)

3. "You don't understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am."
'On the Waterfront' (1954)

2. "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse."
'The Godfather' 1972)

1. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."
'Gone With the Wind' (1939)


Watch clips featuring some of AFI's top 50 quotes -- plus some other favorites.