So many beautiful and entertaining films were released during the 1950s. Many of these films are still quoted and referred to. During this decade, actors like James Dean, James Stewart, Marlon Brando, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, and Grace Kelly graced screens across the world.
So, what were the trends during the 1950s in film? International films were growing in popularity during this decade. Apart from this 1950 films were also diverse in genre and themes. It wasn’t all just romance or action films. Instead, the 1950s produced incredible thrillers, horror, drama, western movies, and more. Some of the best movies to come out of this raving decade include “Vertigo,” “Sunset Boulevard,” “Some Like It Hot,” “The Blob,” and “Creature from the Black Lagoon.” Quite a few Disney animated films were also released during this decade, including two main princesses, “Cinderella” and “Sleeping Beauty.”
These movies aren’t just entertaining, but also deliver some of the most memorable lines. Once you hear the lines just once, it’ll be hard to get them out of your head. Are you also interested in watching unforgettable 50s movies? After this article, check out the best 50s movies that will never get old.
So, how did we compile this list of the 50 most unforgettable lines from ’50s movies? To compile this list of the most unforgettable lines from ’50s movies, 247 Tempo reviewed multiple entertainment websites and opinion-based forums like Reddit, Quota, IMDb, and Rotten Tomatoes. Since this topic is subject to opinion and preference, we also took some creative liberty in choosing memorable quotes.
Ready to discover some of the best and most unforgettable lines from ’50s movies? Keep reading.
“Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy night.”
Source: Getty Images / Moviepix via Getty Images
- Who Said It: Margo Channing
- Played By: Bette Davis
- Movie: “All About Eve” (1950)
“You never know when a girl might need a bullet.”
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- Who Said It: Lola Manners
- Played By: Shelley Winters
- Movie: “Winchester ’73” (1950)
“Them that die will be the lucky ones!”
Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures
- Who Said It: Long John Silver
- Played By: Robert Newton
- Movie: “Treasure Island” (1950)
“You do wear it on your head! I just love finding new places to wear diamonds.”
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- Who Said It: Lorelei Lee
- Played By: Marilyn Monroe
- Movie: “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” (1953)
“I’m talking about you. You ridiculous, old-fashioned, jug-eared, lop-sided Little Caesar!”
Source: "Touch of Evil" (1958)
- Who Said It: Susan Vargas
- Played By: Janet Leigh
- Movie: “Touch of Evil” (1958)
“All right, Mr. DeMille. I’m ready for my close-up.”
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- Who Said It: Norma Desmond
- Played By: Gloria Swanson
- Movie: “Sunset Boulevard” (1950)
“There’s only two things in this world that a ‘real man’ needs: a cup of coffee and a good smoke.”
Source: Courtesy of Republic Pictures
- Who Said It: Johnny Guitar
- Played By: Sterling Hayden
- Movie: “Johnny Guitar” (1954)
“Hello, everybody. This is Mrs. Norman Maine.”
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- Who Said It: Esther Blodgett / Vicki Lester
- Played By: Judy Garland
- Movie: “A Star Is Born” (1954)
“Greetings, my friend. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives.”
Source: Courtesy of Distributors Corporation of America
- Who Said It: The Narrator
- Played By: The Amazing Criswell
- Movie: “Plan 9 from Outer Space” (1957)
“I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am.”
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
- Who Said It: Terry Malloy
- Played By: Marlon Brando
- Movie: “On The Waterfront” (1954)
“The last time we talked, Mr. Dodd, you reduced me to tears. I promise you, it won’t happen again.”
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- Who Said It: Georgie Elgin
- Played By: Grace Kelly
- Movie: “The Country Girl” (1954)
“I can tell you something about this place. The boys around here call it “The Black Lagoon” — a paradise. Only they say nobody has ever come back to prove it.”
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- Who Said It: Captain Lucas
- Played By: Nestor Paiva
- Movie: “Creature from the Black Lagoon” (1954)
“I speak English, sheriff. If you wanna ask me.”
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- Who Said It: Colorado Ryan
- Played By: Ricky Nelson
- Movie: “Rio Bravo” (1959)
“Whoever you are, I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.”
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- Who Said It: Blanche
- Played By: Vivien Leigh
- Movie: “A Streetcar Named Desire” (1951)
“Now you’ve done it! Now you have done it!…You tore off one of my chests.”
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- Who Said It: Jerry
- Played By: Jack Lemmon
- Movie: “Some Like It Hot” (1959)
“This is most unusual. I’ve never been alone with a man before, even with my dress on. With my dress off, it’s MOST unusual.”
Source: Courtesy of Paramount PIctures
- Who Said It: Princess Ann
- Played By: Audrey Hepburn
- Movie: “Roman Holiday” (1953)
“I’ll just take my ego for a walk.”
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- Who Said It: Nickie Ferrante
- Played By: Cary Grant
- Movie: “An Affair to Remember” (1957)
“Lina. She can’t act, she can’t sing, she can’t dance. A triple threat.”
Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- Who Said It: Cosmo Brown
- Played By: Donald O’Connor
- Movie: “Singin’ in the Rain” (1952)
“Nature, Mr. Allnut, is what we are put in this world to rise above.”
Source: Courtesy of Paramount PIctures
- Who Said It: Rose Sayer
- Played By: Katharine Hepburn
- Movie: “The African Queen” (1951)
“It’s a hard world for little things.”
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- Who Said It: Rachel Cooper
- Played By: Lillian Gish
- Movie: “The Night of the Hunter” (1955)
“We must make an idol of our fear, and call it god.”
Source: Courtesy of Janus Films
- Who Said It: Antonius Block
- Played By: Max von Sydow
- Movie: “The Seventh Seal” (1957)
“Every time you leave me for a minute, it’s like goodbye. I like to believe it means you can’t live without me.”
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- Who Said It: Angela
- Played By: Elizabeth Taylor
- Movie: “A Place in the Sun” (1951)
“I am big. It’s the pictures that got small.”
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- Who Said It: Norma Desmond
- Played By: Gloria Swanson
- Movie: “Sunset Boulevard” (1950)
“A world full of ignorant people is too dangerous to live in.”
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
- Who Said It: Paul Verrall
- Played By: William Holden
- Movie: “Born Yesterday” (1950)
“You see, dogs like us, we ain’t such dogs as we think we are.”
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- Who Said It: Marty Pilletti
- Played By: Ernest Borgnine
- Movie: “Marty” (1955)
“Well, I wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor. And I’m happy to state I finally won out over it.”
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- Who Said It: Elwood P. Dowd
- Played By: James Stewart
- Movie: “Harvey” (1950)
“That’s the second bullet I stopped for you.”
Source: "Touch of Evil" (1958)
- Who Said It: Police Captain Hank Quinlan
- Played By: Orson Welles
- Movie: “Touch of Evil” (1958)
“You’re a good-looking boy: you’ve big, broad shoulders. But he’s a man. And it takes more than big, broad shoulders to make a man.”
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- Who Said It: Helen Ramirez
- Played By: Katy Jurado
- Movie: “High Noon” (1952)
“You’re tearing me apart!”
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- Who Said It: Jim Stark
- Played By: James Dean
- Movie: “Rebel Without a Cause” (1955)
“When it gets hot like this, you know what I do? I keep my undies in the icebox!”
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- Who Said It: The Girl
- Played By: Marilyn Monroe
- Movie: “The Seven Year Itch” (1955)
“Better luck next time, only not with me, of course.”
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- Who Said It: Elsie Marina
- Played By: Marilyn Monroe
- Movie: “The Prince and the Showgirl” (1957)
“I’d hate to take a bite out of you. You’re a cookie full of arsenic.”
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- Who Said It: J. J. Hunsecker
- Played By: Burt Lancaster
- Movie: “Sweet Smell of Success” (1957)
“Oh, well, you’re about as romantic as a pair of handcuffs.”
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
- Who Said It: Debby Marsh
- Played By: Gloria Grahame
- Movie: “The Big Heat” (1953)
“No, we’ve been in our own dream.”
Source: Courtesy of Hallmark Productions
- Who Said It: Harry
- Played By: Lars Ekborg
- Movie: “Summer with Monika” (1953)
“It isn’t fair. I never had anybody but you. Not a real husband. Not even a man. Just a bad joke without a punch line.”
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- Who Said It: Sherry Peatty
- Played By: Marie Windsor
- Movie: “The Killing” (1956)
“I’m not livin’ with you. We occupy the same cage, that’s all.”
Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- Who Said It: Margaret “Maggie” Pollitt
- Played By: Elizabeth Taylor
- Movie: “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” (1958)
“But like all dreams, I’m afraid this won’t last forever.”
Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures
- Who Said It: Fairy Godmother
- Played By: Verna Felton
- Movie: “Cinderella” (1950)
“Gentlemen, that’s a very sad thing… to be nothing.”
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- Who Said It: Juror #9
- Played By: Joseph Sweeney
- Movie: “12 Angry Men” (1957)
“Now, father, you’re living in the past. This is the 14th century!”
Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Distribution Company
- Who Said It: Prince Phillip
- Played By: Bill Shirley
- Movie: “Sleeping Beauty” (1959)
“You’ve committed murder just as much as Helene did. You killed a fly with a human head. She killed a human with a fly head.”
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- Who Said It: François Delambre
- Played By: Vincent Price
- Movie: “The Fly” (1958)
“You’re still fighting, aren’t you. You’re always fighting. Why do you hate everybody?”
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
- Who Said It: Kathie Bleeker
- Played By: Mary Murphy
- Movie: “The Wild One” (1953)
“She must have strained every muscle in her head to get so stupid.”
Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- Who Said It: Reno Smith
- Played By: Robert Ryan
- Movie: “Bad Day at Black Rock” (1955)
“How do you tell a child that she was born to be hurt?”
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- Who Said It: Annie Johnson
- Played By: Juanita Moore
- Movie: “Imitation of Life” (1959)
“When I figure out what that means I’ll come up with a crushing reply.”
Source: Courtesy Paramount Pictures
- Who Said It: Bob Wallace
- Played By: Bing Crosby
- Movie: “White Christmas” (1954)
“Nobody ever lies about being lonely.”
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
- Who Said It: Robert E. Lee “Prew” Prewitt
- Played By: Montgomery Clift
- Movie: “From Here to Eternity” (1953)
“You shouldn’t keep souvenirs of a killing. You shouldn’t have been that sentimental.”
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- Who Said It: Scottie
- Played By: James Stewart
- Movie: “Vertigo” (1958)
“I’ve done a lot of lying in my time. I’ve lied to men who wear belts. I’ve lied to men who wear suspenders. But I’d never be so stupid as to lie to a man who wears both belt and suspenders.”
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- Who Said It: Charles “Chuck” Tatum
- Played By: Kirk Douglas
- Movie: “Ace in the Hole” (1951)
“You give me powders, pills, baths, injections, enemas when all I need is love.”
Source: Courtesy of Columbia PIctures
- Who Said It: Commander Shears
- Played By: William Holden
- Movie: “The Bridge on the River Kwai” (1957)
“There it is, Wendy; second star to the right and straight on till morning.”
Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures
- Who Said It: Peter Pan
- Played By: Bobby Driscoll
- Movie: “Peter Pan” (1953)
“It isn’t faith that makes good science, Mr. Klaatu, it’s curiosity. Sit down, please. There are several thousand questions I’d like to ask you.”
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- Who Said It: Professor Jacob Barnhardt
- Played By: Sam Jaffe
- Movie: “The Day the Earth Stood Still” (1951)
The 1950s was a fun decade, but so were the 1970s. If you’re interested in also discovering unforgettable lines from the ’70s movies, click here.