Infamy! one-liner carries Williams on to top spot

RATHER appropriately for an election year, Kenneth Williams’ “Infamy! Infamy! They’ve all got it in for me!” gag has been voted the funniest film one-liner.

Williams uttered the words as Julius Caesar in the 1964 comedy romp, Carry On Cleo.

Time will tell which pol-itician will be uttering similar words in the months ahead but the Williams line was named the best one-liner in a Sky Movies Poll of 1,000 comedians, industry figures and film fans.

Second was “He’s not the Messiah, he’s a very naugh-ty boy” from the comedy classic Life of Brian while third was the Airplane! classic in which Leslie Nielsen is asked: “Surely you can’t be serious,” and replies: “I am serious — and don’t call me Shirley.”

Surprisingly all of the top 10 one-liners were delivered by men. They include Woody Allen’s famous quip from Annie Hall: “Don’t knock masturbation. It’s sex with someone I love.”

Bob McCabe, film critic and author of The Rough Guide To Comedy, said: “It’s great to see two British movies in the top three and well-established classics with great lasting power.

“I thought that Kenneth Williams would win as it is a great stand-alone joke. The joke is simple and no build-up to the line is needed.”

Top film one liners

2. ’He’s not the Messiah, he’s a very naughty boy.’

— Terry Jones as Brian’s mum in The Life Of Brian (1979)

3.‘Surely you can’t be serious?’

‘I am serious — and don’t call me Shirley.’

— Leslie Nielsen as Dr Rumack in Airplane! (1980)

4.’Remember you’re fighting for this woman’s honour,

which is probably more than she ever did.’

— Groucho Marx as Rufus T Firefly in Duck Soup (1933)

5.’Don’t knock masturbation. It’s

sex with someone I love.’

—Woody Allen as Alvy Singer in Annie Hall (1977)

6.’Do you have a licence for your minkey?’

— Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau in The Return of the Pink Panther (1975)

7.’Is that ... is that hair gel?’

— Cameron Diaz as Mary Jensen in There’s Something About Mary (1998)

8.’Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here. This is the War Room.’

— Peter Sellers as President Merkin Muffley in Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb (1963)

9.’Nice beaver!’

‘Thank you. I just had it stuffed.’

— Leslie Nielsen as Lt Frank Drebin and Priscilla Presley as Jane Spencer in The Naked Gun: From The Files of Police Squad! (1988)

10.’When I met Mary I got that old-fashioned romantic feeling where I’d do anything to bone her.’

— Jim Carrey as Lloyd Christmas in Dumb and Dumber (1994)