Classic Movie Lines You Never Knew Were Improvised

“I’ll have what she’s having.” — When Harry Met Sally (1989)

The original When Harry Met Sally script called for the woman in the restaurant to tell her waiter: “The female orgasm is a mystical and many-layered thing indeed.” Instead she spouted this famous line, was fired on the spot, and pursued a failed career in making snarky observations at delicatessens.

“We’re gonna need a bigger boat.” — Jaws (1975)

At first view of the eponymous seabeast in Jaws, Roy Schneider’s line was to be: “Sharks and skies — I don’t believe my eyes!” Schneider would then clutch his trademark whoopee hat and run laps around the deck muttering “Hummina-hummina-hummina.” When producers couldn’t find a suitable whoopee hat in time for shooting, Schneider decided this line, coupled with a well-placed cigarette, would do the trick.

“You can’t handle the truth.” — A Few Good Men (1992)

Jack Nicholson was drunk through most of filming for A Few Good Men. So when Cruise prompted Nicholson’s famous reaction by shouting “I want the truth!” Nicholson was so hungover that he really believed Tom Cruise had some inside information on him. The original line was to be “We all want something, Mr. Man.” Nicholson was to then wink flirtatiously at the judge and sashay out of the courtroom a free man. After Jack lost his cool and improvised this line, screenwriters had to scramble for a new ending that didn’t take place at the Code Red Lounge.

“I’m Batman.” — Batman (1989)

When Michael Keaton reveals his superhero identity, the original script called for him to say “I’m Flibflorb” and float away to his home planet of Ginggan. However, Tim Burton loved Keaton’s improv so much that the director decided to change the name of the movie from Flibflorb The Last Gingganian to Batman. The change wound up costing millions. Costume designers were forced to trash the shimmering neon spacesuit Keaton wore during the 90-day shoot, while all scenes of Flibflorb singing in his native space tongue were replaced with shots of Kim Basinger’s legs.

“You maniacs! Casablanca is people! It’s people!” — Casablanca (1942)

Little-known industry secret: the famous Casablanca line “Here’s looking at you, kid” was only added after the 50th anniversary of the film. The original Casablanca — a science fiction, space cannibal biopic — was far ahead of its time. Many didn’t care for the gruesome scenes of violence and long shots of exposed female shoulder skin. It was retroactively altered to a WWII love story to appease censors in the notoriously watered-down silver age of cinema.

“I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse.” — Godfather (1972)

Marlon Brando didn’t know the cameras were rolling during this classic scene of The Godfather. Apparently, neither did the crew! If you listen closely during this pivotal scene, an off-screen production assistant asks if Brando wants a cruller. Brando answers in the affirmative. The PA then replies that he was mistaken, the cruller has already been claimed by fellow actor Abe Vigoda. In the original cut of the film, you can distinctly hear Brando say “That son of a bitch! I’ll kill him and his family. I’ll slice that cruller out of his pulsating stomach while he watches! Yes. I will make him an offer he can’t refuse.” However, since “bitch” was not permitted on film by the FCC at the time, editor Marvin Epstein cut the extended sequence to simply “I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse” in a post-production stroke of genius.

“I feel the need. The need for speed!” — Top Gun (1986)

As we all know, Hollywood actor Tom Cruise died in 1982 on the set of The Outsiders when he choked on a prop gun that was supposed to be a pretzel. Tinseltown execs never expected The Outsiders to launch the now-dead Cruise’s career, which is why every Tom Cruise movie since has been portrayed by a series of up-and-coming prospects made up in Cruiseface. (Ralph Macchio 1983–1990, Charlie Sheen 1991–1995, Ben Stiller 1996–2003, Liza Minnelli 2004-Present.) In this famous scene of 1986’s Top Gun, Macchio-playing-Cruise was supposed to say “Geeze, I dunno Goose, alls I know is I ain’t Ralph Macchio.”