Cinema: Memory Lane

For fledgling screen writers, as for lawyers, nothing is so valuable as precedent. In the National Board of Review's magazine Films in Review, Harry Purvis lists some "Sure Fire Dialogue." Examples:

Mysteries: "Whoever he is, our killer is both clever and cunning."

Safaris: "Men say much taboo, B'wana. Men say no go on."

Army Life: "Here are the volunteers, sir—Walcowski, Cohen, Jorgenson, Schultz, Minelli and O'Hara."

Private Eyes: "Somebody's been using me for a target, and I'm just curious enough to find out why."

Monsters: "That's strange. Except for those two tiny puncture marks on the...