Your Most Memorable Classic Film Moments...

[John Hodson]

The Oberver's list of 100 Most Memorable Film Moments prompts this thread:

Last September, the Observer set out to canvass the views of readers: what, in your view, were the most memorable moments in film history? You told us - in great numbers, and with some passion. We received more than 15,000 votes and over 2,500 different moments received at least one vote. Evidently, plenty of you agree with director Neil Jordan who introduces our list below, "I can far more readily think of my favourite bits of movies than my favourite movies..."

What are your top ten?

[Guest 52145]

A lot of my favourites are post-1980 but some oldies off the top of my head:

Casablanca - the patrons outsinging the Germans.

Rear Window - Grace Kelly's luminous entrance.

Ben-Hur (59) - chariot race.

Bullitt - the car chase

The Third Man - final shot.

The Wild Bunch - 'the walk'

King Kong - T-Rex fight

Dirty Harry - Clint throws his star in the lake.

Soylent Green - EGR opts out. Always has me in tears.

The Mark of Zorro - Power and Rathbone duel. Best. Screen. Duel. Ever.

and a couple of Trek ones from the 80s, but I just don't care: The Wrath of Khan - Kirk strikes back at Khan: "here it comes ..."
Search for Spock: Stealing the Enterprise. "Are you just gonna walk through them?"

[Guest 58711]

Some off the top of my head:

Shadowlands - Anthony Hopkins and kid in loft after Debra Winger has died
Spartacus - I am Spartacus
Field of Dreams - when the kid walks from the baseball field and transforms to Burt Lancaster
Fall of the Roman Empire - burial of Alec Guinness or fight between Stephen Boyd and Christopher Plummer
In a Lonely Place - final scene where Bogart walks away from Gloria Grahame

[Guest 56272]

No too thrilled by the list - just like AFI last week - just too many war, sci fi and scary scenes for me.

My own Top Ten (not ranked): (people who don't go for musicals or saccharine moments should keep away....)

MADAME BOVARY: The sumptuous, symbolic ball scene created by Minnelli with its sweeping music, broken windows, reflections in mirrors and the elation of Emma Bovary as she becomes a part of this elegant world. The camera litterally "dances".

BRINGING UP BABY: The hilarious scene in which Grant and Hepburn, him with his torn coat and her with the back of her skirt missing, try to leave the club in rip-roaringly funny unisson. And it all started with Hepburn doing tricks with olives and Grant falling on his hat as a result.

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE: The nightmarish, noirish sequence when Stewart is shown what his city, friends and family would have been become if he had never been born. (The list went for the scene that comes right after).

THE WIZARD OF OZ: Like the list, Dorothy's entrance and magical journey through Oz.

GOING MY WAY: YES, the schmaltzy ending when Bing Crosby arranges for priest Barry Fitzgerald's frail, elderly mother to be there for Christmas. Fitzgerald has not seen her in 45 years, the boys chorus is singing "Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral" and I cry every time!!!

SOUND OF MUSIC: Like the list, that phenomenal Julie Andrews song as the hills come alive.

GHOST AND MRS. MUIR: When the ghost Captain (Rex Harrison) bids farewell to his sleeping, human lady love so that she can go on with her own life in reality, which as the movie progresses does not necessarily prove to be a good thing for her.

SINGIN' IN THE RAIN: Like the list, that incredible sequence in which Gene Kelly sings and dances in the rain. But I could name about 30 greatest moments from this film alone!

OKLAHOMA: The auction when Curly sells eveything he owns in the world to win Laurie's heart (as if he hadn't already). And of course their magnificent reprise of "People Will Say We're in Love" not long afterwards.

THE RAINMAKER: The whole romantic sequence with Lancaster's flamboyant con man and old maid Hepburn in and outside the bunkhouse.

[Richie]

It's a wonderful life: "I want to live again!"

Casablanca: "Are you ready, Ilsa?"

A Streetcar named Desire: "Stella! Stellllllllaaaaaaa!" and phwoor!

A Place in the Sun: "You'll be my pick-up!"

[SIMON ADEBISI]

"Top of the world Ma!!"

[charlie angel]

A few that stick in my mind -

Jaws – when Brody offers Quint the chance to come & “Come on down here and chum some of this ****!”…

Assault On Precinct 13 – when the little girl goes for an ice cream.

A Clockwork Orange – the opening scene as the camera draws back to reveal Alex & co.

The Magnificent Seven – when they do the maths:
Lee: Insults swallowed - none. Enemies - none.
Chris Adams: No enemies?
Lee: Alive.

Duck Soup – the mirror sequence.

Singin’ In The Rain – I’ll go for Donald O’Connor running up a wall.

Top Hat – Fred Astaire dancing the titular tune, ‘machine-gunning’ the backing dancers with his cane.

The Godfather – Kay, looking on through the doorway as Michael has his hand kissed. The door closes.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre – end scene

Leatherface wildly flailing the chainsaw about.

[Guest 57028]

I'll play! (and Cinekarine--I quite agree with your reservations about the "consensus" lists)

I'll try to limit myself to 10...

1. The Miracle Woman -- quoth Barbara Stanwyck: "you are thieves liars killers adulterers six days a week, and on the seventh day you are hypocrites!"...the whole first scene, basically
(could we please have a DVD, Columbia?)

2. Miracle of Morgan's Creek -- Trudy confides her whole trouble to Norval, and he begins to see THE SPOTS in spades

3. Portrait of Jennie -- "I think he knows, Eben..."

4. Alice Adams -- "you're a doggoned MEAN MAN, Mr. Lamb"

5. The Sky's the Limit -- Robert Benchley accounts for the industry "bottleneck" using a few simple charts

6. Strange Cargo -- Clark Gable realizes that he (and each of us) is "God"--and then he realizes what that REALLY means...

7. Holiday -- Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant dance on New Year's Eve

8. Vertigo -- Barbara Bel Geddes: "Well now, Johnny-O... was it a ghost? was it fun?"

9. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp -- confrontation at the Cafe Hohenzollern

10. Shadow of a Doubt -- Teresa Wright: "Go away, I'm warning you. Go away or I'll kill you myself... See that's the way I feel about you..."

there are only about 200 million of the best moments of my solitary teen years left to be described!

[Guest 45586]

Oh no! Not another list thread!

[John Hodson]

In desperation, I'm afraid (avert your eyes, pretend it isn't here...s'easy enough)

[Guest 57708]

Deleted. Fr. gender error.

[Guest 57708]

List fatigue is probably setting in - so many recently!

I haven't checked the Observer's list but if it doesn't include the cigarette-paper scene of Clouzot's Le Salaire de la peur then it is a disgrace.

I also recall having to more or less carry one companion out of the cinema after the final scene of Chinatown.

[Guest 49234]

The end of the fight scene, "we have come to do battle for calhorra (sp?)", and Heston delivering the line, "My lady your colors are no longer black.."
- El Cid

[Raigmore]

Casablanca - The singing scene mentioned above. Marvellously memorable.

Gone With the Wind: Gable & Leigh getting away from the burning town

Battleship Potemkin: The Odessa Steps massacre

The Wilby Conspiracy: The final helicopter scene

Night of the Hunter: The barn sequence (as Mitchum arrives singing through the night)

To quote a few. I am sure that there are many more.

[Guest 59968]

The bit where the Predator finally reveals himself to Arnie

The bit where the Predator is cleaning the skull on top of the tree in Predator.

The bit where the Predator is attending to his wounds in the tree and then lets out a shriek.

[Raigmore]

Originally Posted by alanjay

The bit where the Predator finally reveals himself to Arnie

And gets arrested for indecent exposure?

[Guest 56272]

Originally Posted by Jefty

1. The Miracle Woman -- quoth Barbara Stanwyck: "you are thieves liars killers adulterers six days a week, and on the seventh day you are hypocrites!"...the whole first scene, basically
(could we please have a DVD, Columbia?)

2. Miracle of Morgan's Creek -- Trudy confides her whole trouble to Norval, and he begins to see THE SPOTS in spades

3. Portrait of Jennie -- "I think he knows, Eben..."

4. Alice Adams -- "you're a doggoned MEAN MAN, Mr. Lamb"

5. The Sky's the Limit -- Robert Benchley accounts for the industry "bottleneck" using a few simple charts

6. Strange Cargo -- Clark Gable realizes that he (and each of us) is "God"--and then he realizes what that REALLY means...

7. Holiday -- Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant dance on New Year's Eve

8. Vertigo -- Barbara Bel Geddes: "Well now, Johnny-O... was it a ghost? was it fun?"

9. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp -- confrontation at the Cafe Hohenzollern

10. Shadow of a Doubt -- Teresa Wright: "Go away, I'm warning you. Go away or I'll kill you myself... See that's the way I feel about you..."

there are only about 200 million of the best moments of my solitary teen years left to be described!

Jefty, all the scenes you described are GREAT favorites moments of mine too - HOLIDAY, PORTRAIT OF JENNIE, SHADOW OF A DOUBT, ALICE ADAMS etc. - totally unfogettable and indelible scenes. Sometimes I think there are chances we might be long-lost twins!

[Guest 57028]

we do seem to be in sync on most things (I'm even starting to warm up to Doris Day--although I still wish that Eleanor Powell had received one box before Doris got ALL of her movies released!), which proves to me that we COULDN'T be related, since no one else in my family appreciates classic films at all!

[Guest 56272]

Originally Posted by Jefty

we do seem to be in sync on most things (I'm even starting to warm up to Doris Day--although I still wish that Eleanor Powell had received one box before Doris got ALL of her movies released!), which proves to me that we COULDN'T be related, since no one else in my family appreciates classic films at all!

LOL! Loved that answer. I know just what you mean, I am the black sheep of my family when it comes to classic films too

[Guest 45586]

Steady the buffs.