Top 10 Funniest Movie Quotes of the 1970s

The stuck-up, orthodox dean is a common figure in college comedies, and Dean Vernon Wormer of “Animal House” just might be the funniest example of this archetype. Though it could’ve been a really bland role, the screenwriters actually give Wormer some great dialogueue, especially when he informs the Delta Tau Chi gang of their abysmal grade point averages. The standout is when he comes to Mr. Dorfman and gives him some valuable, if not insulting, advice. It’s no way to go through life, but it does make for hilarious comedy.



This is a line that’s been repeated countless times in our culture, and we can thank “Blazing Saddles” for launching this phrase into mainstream popularity. As for the setup behind the line, it’s a bit like something out of a Looney Tunes cartoon with Jim trying to grab the attention of a couple of KKK members. He naturally gets their racist blood boiling upon whipping out the African American Bart, who delivers this age-old question. It sounds so wrong, but your funny bone tells you it’s so right.



Speaking of Looney Tunes, Barbra Streisand’s Judy in “What’s Up, Doc?” is like the human incarnation of Bugs Bunny, always with something witty to say. Just as trouble habitually follows Judy everywhere, she begins to follow around the neurotic Howard aka Steve. As hard as Howard/Steve tries, he can’t shake Judy. This is only made more complicated by the fact that he has a domineering fiancée, whose name throws Judy for a loop. Well, anybody who names their daughter Eunice is basically setting her up to be a bossypants.



While Woody Allen has been writing ingenious dialogue for several decades, the ‘70s arguably produced his finest body of comedic films. Allen’s Boris delivers countless witty retorts throughout “Love and Death,” particularly one concerning the village idiot. Boris’ most well-constructed line, however, arises from a conversation with Diane Keaton’s Sonja about sex without love. It might be an empty experience, but Boris pretty much sums up the philosophy of every man with his hysterical response. It’s a line that not only makes you laugh, but also makes you think.



When a carnie tries to guess a person’s weight, their approximation can be very embarrassing for the participant and very funny for all those in the crowd. Thesocially inept Navin R. Johnson takes this guessing game to a new level of awkwardness in “The Jerk.” He not only offers to estimate anyone’s weight and height, but their gender too. That may actually be easier said than done with this being a carnival and all. While we’d gladly pay one dollar to hear Navin’s response, this clearly isn’t his special purpose.



While Woody Allen is often credited as one of our most talented and distinguished comedy writers, a number of his funniest lines ironically boil down to dirty sex jokes. This gem of a line from “Bananas” is a prime example, as Allen’s Fielding Mellish reminisces about a pornographic book printed in braille. You wouldn’t think a braille book could ever be as effective as the conventional sort, but Mellish offers insight on how the blind get off. To be fair... it does sound much more intimate.



This scene from Mel Brooks’ 1974 comedy classic finds Dr. Frankenstein, oh sorry, Dr. Fronkensteen, in an awkward position as his fiancée visits after he has coitus with his assistant. Being stuck in the middle of a love triangle is only made more awkward when Igor (eye-gor) enters the mix. Asking his hunchbacked servant to help with the bags, Igor misinterprets the request as an invitation to take advantage of one of the ladies. Igor’s not her type, but it turns out she does have a thing for monsters.



Lovers come and go, but masturbation is forever. Alvy Singer is more interested in satisfying himself than his girlfriend, Annie Hall. Of course that seems to bethe case with a lot of guys… Since these two are having an on-again, off-again relationship, Alvy finds himself sleeping alone much of the time. Even when he and Annie are going through a rough patch, however, Alvy takes comfort in the fact that he can always spend time in the company of someone he loves. Masturbation: yet another highly fulfilling empty experience.



“Blazing Saddles” is full of so many quotable lines that it couldn’t be limited it to just one entry on this list. While the film takes a lot of edgy shots at African Americans, it takes just as many at racists. Upon having the N-word spouted at him, Bart naturally feels down in the dumps. Jim attempts to put a smile on thesheriff’s face, reminding him that these are just simple people of the new west, or something even more blunt. That hilariously epitomizes bigotry in a nutshell.
 
Before we crack up at our top pick, here are some honorable mentions:
-    A Studebaker
“The Muppet Movie” (1979)
-    Insane Asylum
“M*A*S*H” (1970)
-    Shove It
“The Bad News Bears” (1976)



It was tempting to recognize a certain line from “Life of Brian” here, but we simply had to give this spot to the taunting French guard from “Monty Python andthe Holy Grail.” We’ve heard some bizarre insults in our time, but only the comedic geniuses of Monty Python would ever think to compare someone’s mother to a hamster and insult their father’s elderberry stench. It’s hard to explain just why this line makes people die with laughter every time, but we can’t help but constantly quote it.
 
Do you agree with our list? What do you think is the funniest movie quote of the ‘70s? For more entertaining Top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.