Top 10 Unscripted Moments in Classic Movies
#10: The Mouth of Truth
Top 10 Unscripted Moments That Were Kept in Pixar Movies
“Roman Holiday” (1953) Bocca della Verità in Italian, the Mouth of Truth is an ancient marble plate that has become a tourist attraction in Rome thanks to "Roman Holiday." In the Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck-led rom-com, their characters visit the famous statue. In the movie, Peck's character, Joe Bradley, fakes this exact scenario in front of Hepburn's onscreen persona, Princess Ann. While Peck followed the script, he upped the ante by concealing his hand in the sleeve of his jacket to make it look like it was missing. Hepburn's reaction is said to be genuine, there! At the very least, she had no idea what Peck was about to improvise.
#9: The Orange
Top 10 Unscripted Moments That Were Kept in DreamWorks Movies
“Rocky” (1976) The training montage from 1976's "Rocky" has to be the most famous fitness routine ever captured on film. Every moment is truly iconic, from running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art to boxing with slabs of meat. Throughout the sequence, many real-life Philadelphians go about their business in the background. When it comes to filming with the public, though, you never know what you will encounter. During the part where Rocky’s running through a market, a man tossed Sylvester Stallone an orange. Without skipping a beat, Stallone spun and caught it, making for a surprisingly sweet moment in the otherwise grittiness of it all. The City of Brotherly Love indeed.
#8: Willy Wonka’s Entrance
Top 10 Creepiest Scenes in The Willy Wonka Movies
“Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” (1971) Throughout the filming of "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," Gene Wilder constantly went off script. The comedic actor was always trying to push the envelope and keep his cast mates guessing what his next move would be. In fact, before even agreeing to play the confectionery legend, he pitched an idea to director Mel Stuart. For Wonka's grand entrance, Wilder wanted to establish the character’s unpredictable nature right from the start by fooling the audience into believing he needed a cane to walk. Although it wasn't originally part of Roald Dahl's screenplay, Gene's idea was met with favorable consideration and tumbled right into the final cut of the film.
#7: The Necklace
Top 20 Best Unscripted MCU Movie Moments
“Pretty Woman” (1990) The necklace scene in "Pretty Woman" is truly the gift that keeps on giving. Towards the end of their week together, Richard Gere’s Edward treats Julia Roberts’ Vivian to an elegant night at the opera, which, of course calls, for an equally elegant ensemble. The scene wasn't meant to take a comedic turn, but Gere had something up his sleeve. Now that you know, you can really see how genuine her reaction is. It apparently captivated audiences so much that the famous bit has been parodied and referenced in pop culture ever since.
#6: “Here’s Looking at You, Kid”
Top 10 Unscripted Moments That Were Kept in Animated Movies
“Casablanca” (1942) A quintessential classic of the Hollywood Golden Age, this wartime drama is full of memorable lines that have burrowed their way into the collective consciousness. In fact, six phrases from the film made the American Film Institute’s list of the Top 100 Movie Quotes of All Time. And the highest ranked one of all was this one - a line spoken by Humphrey Bogart at several points during the film. At first, Bogart’s Rick says it to Ingrid Bergman’s Ilsa in the flashback to their love story, and Rick brings the line back to say goodbye to Ilsa at the end of the film. There are various stories about its origin, but the one that’s told the most claims Bogart came up with the line while he was teaching Bergman poker on-set between takes.
#5: “I’m Walkin’ Here!”
Top 10 Unscripted Moments That Were Kept in Teen Movies
“Midnight Cowboy” (1969) The hustle and bustle of New York City have been profiled countless times in movies. As if it were a character itself, the city that never sleeps always offers the element of surprise. While filming "Midnight Cowboy," stars Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight were shooting a take where their characters Ratso and Joe Buck are walking down crowded Sixth Avenue. When a cab nearly ran straight into the two actors, Hoffman stayed in character, turning the scary moment into cinematic gold. That’s right – this moment was 100% improv! And hey, Hoffman got one of the most quotable lines of all time in the bargain.
#4: The Ledge Scene
Top 10 Best Unscripted Moments From MCU Movies
“Titanic” (1997) James Cameron may have written the script of one of the highest-grossing movies ever, but not every line made it to the screen. Twenty-two years after "Titanic's" release, Cameron confessed that one of the most memorable lines in the film was made up on the spot! After testing many lines for the scene where Leonardo DiCaprio's Jack Dawson stands at the front of the ship, Cameron spontaneously pitched the now famous dialogue. He confessed that DiCaprio was reluctant at first but eventually caved. Hey, it's not exactly poetry, but it’s pretty endearing!
#3: “You Talkin’ to Me?”
Top 10 Saddest Moments in Classic Hollywood Movies
“Taxi Driver” (1976) It's hard to imagine a time when this phrase wasn't a part of the pop culture stratosphere. According to director Martin Scorsese, this now renowned scene of “Taxi Driver” had no or very little dialogue in it. So, he asked the film's star, Robert De Niro, to improvise. Nearing the end of the film's shoot, everything was riding high on getting it wrapped, so they made it a closed set in order to allow De Niro some focus. The whole thing was entirely natural and, once he uttered the winning line, he kept repeating it. Simple, effective and memorable – no wonder it’s still so frequently quoted today.
#2: “Here’s Johnny”
Top 10 Most Romantic Moments in Classic Hollywood Movies
“The Shining” (1980) Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" sent shivers down audiences' spines in 1980. Jack Nicholson's haunting performance as the deranged hotel caretaker, Jack Torrance, was chilling all around, but one scene in particular is downright distressing. An ax-wielding Jack chops down the door of the bathroom his wife, Wendy, played Shelley Duvall, is hiding in. And then comes the horribly creepy line. It was inspired by "The Tonight Show’s" introduction at the time that Johnny Carson was still the host. Luckily, Kubrick, despite being notorious for making actors do an unreasonable amount of takes, spared the line from the chopping block.
#1: The Shark Reveal
Top 20 Things in Classic Disney Movies That Wouldn't Work Today
“Jaws” (1975) Steven Spielberg made waves in 1975 with "Jaws." Credited as being the first summer blockbuster, the film terrified moviegoers. It's well known that the production was anything but easy thanks to a malfunctioning mechanical shark and tensions among cast members. The film’s most quoted line was purportedly something the crew would often say on set when things went wrong. Having overheard, Roy Scheider rolled with it, and gave those now famous words just enough bite to save it from the cutting room floor. Or, er, perhaps the cutting room deck.