Snappy Dialogue Movies

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 4:49pm

I'm looking to watch (or rewatch) some of the old movies that had snappy, witty dialogue. Probably many from the '30s and '40s. What are your favorites?

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 4:53pm

Anything with Astaire and Rogers is always very snappy. Also, what was that one with Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell? The newspaper one? Also It Happened One Night. Yay!

[Mamie]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 4:55pm

The newspaper one is "His Girl Friday".

I'd have to say ALL of The Thin Man movies with William Powell and Myrna Loy. They've always been favorites of mine.

[shermanslave]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 4:57pm

The Women. You have to really pay attention to catch all the lines in that one.

[JailyardGuy]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 4:59pm

All About Eve...Whatever Happened to Baby Jane...Steel Magnolias. (One of these things is not like the other!)

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 5:02pm

Oooh, sherman, The Women! Nice one!

[broadway86]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 5:08pm

The Philadelphia Story
Casablanca
All About Eve
Sullivan's Travels
Double Indemnity
Laura
Some Like it Hot

[Craig]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 5:09pm

Marx Brothers movies, definitely

A silly but amusing contemporary film in that style is "Brain Donors"

Grosse Point Blanke (contemporary) also has a lot of sharp dialogue between John Cusack and Dan Aykroyd

other than that, the ones listed in posts above are great

[WindyCityActor]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 5:13pm

I would also suggest "Stage Door" and any comedy with Rosalind Russell.

[peach]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 5:17pm

Everything everyone suggested plus...

Charade (the original with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn - not the remake!)

Pulp Fiction (contemporary)

ETA: Just a caveat - if you haven't seen Pulp Fiction, it has strong language and violence so it's not for everyone. But the dialogue is well-orchestrated! I put this caveat here in the event someone young reads this thread and says "gee, think I'll check that out!" Don't want to mislead anyone...



Updated On: 1/10/06 at 05:17 PM

[Plum]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 5:27pm

Ooh, I love Charade. Anyway, the remake was called The Truth About Charlie, I think, so it's hard to mix them up. Updated On: 1/10/06 at 05:27 PM

[peach]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 5:28pm

Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn on the same screen? It's like heaven!

Thanks Plum - good point on the remake's name. I had forgotten what it was called. Updated On: 1/10/06 at 05:28 PM

[Love4Cheno]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 5:31pm

Murder by Death.

Maggie Smith is hilarious.

[justme2]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 5:33pm

The Awful Truth
Any of the Goldigger movies of the 1930's (33,35,37)
42nd Street
BabyFace

I'm trying to come up with ones that are available for viewing on DVD..some of the best dialogue is in pre-codes, most of which are not readily available.

[DayDreamer]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 5:37pm

I have to third The Women. One of my favorite movies.

I really can't add any... just agree with those already posted.

[greeneyed_one]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 6:38pm

Arsenic and Old Lace

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 7:30pm

Any Coen Brother film should fit you nicely.

[Glebb]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 7:35pm

DESK SET

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 7:44pm

"Midnight" - Claudette Colbert, Don Ameche & John Barrymore

Written by Bracket & Wilder... and absolutely brilliant.

Favorite line: "That hat does something for your face... Oh, I know, it gives you a chin."

[fflagg]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 7:58pm

THE LADY EVE. "I need him like the axe needs the turkey."

WHAT'S UP, DOC? "Yeah, you know, with a hyphen?"

THEODORA GOES WILD

THE AWFUL TRUTH

THE PALM BEACH STORY "The only thing permanent nowadays dear is Roosevelt."

MY MAN GODFREY

[Therese]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 8:01pm

The first two things I thought of were the already-oft-mentioned "His Girl Friday" and "The Women." Both are musts.

[Glebb]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 8:01pm

Adding:
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
&
Pillow Talk

[IWannaDance!]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 8:44pm

"The Front Page" There were a few versions of it through the years. The most recent one was in the 80s with Kathleen Turner and Burt Reynolds, called "Switching Channels."

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 8:50pm

Oh, my favorite snappish line from any movie will probably forever be:

"You are physically repulsive, intellectually retarded, you're morally reprehensable, vulgar, insensitive, selfish, stupid, you have no taste, a lousy sense of humor, and you smell!"

One of the few redeeming lines from The Witches of Eastwick.

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 8:52pm

The best screen version of The Front Page is "His Girl Friday" when the roles switched gender.

A brilliant film.. and a "must' on this list (particularly for any Roz Russell and Cary Grant fans).

EDIT: I mentioned "Midnight" earlier, because it's fairly obscure. After you see it, you'll be scratching your head as to why. It's a minor masterpiece... and a "modern" take on Cinderella (circa 1939).

Updated On: 1/10/06 at 08:52 PM