Fletch

My wife and I watched Fletch the other night. This would be my 37th time watching the film. I almost don't laugh anymore, I just revel in the greatness of it. Here are some classic lines, taken from the screenplay, which you can find online:

The jaguar goes up the center of the drive toward a white-pillared mansion. The lawns and planting are spectacular. Fletch stares out the window.

FLETCH What a coincidence.

The car stops before the mansion.

STANWYK What? (as they get out of the car.)

FLETCH I came this close... (holds fingers slightly apart) ... to buying this place.

Stanwyk ignores Fletch and starts toward the house. Fletch follows.

FLETCH Then I found out Hopalong Cassidy killed himself here ... blew it for me.

STANWYK Who?

FLETCH Hopalong Cassidy. Bow and arrow. Very weird.

Stanwyk stops before the front door, stares at Fletch

STANWYK What are you, doped up or something?

..................

WALKER So let's go! We run the pictures.

FLETCH He's not the story! There's a source behind him.

WALKER Who?

FLETCH Well, there we're in a bit of a gray area.

WALKER How gray?

FLETCH I'd say charcoal.

..............................

FLETCH (rapidly) Oh, Margie, sorry, Frieda lost the number of Alan's realtor in Provo. Can you give it to me real quick?

MARGIE Jim Swarthout?

FLETCH Yeah.

She writes it out for him.

MARGIE And, I'm sorry, who are you again?

FLETCH (grabbing the paper) Frieda's boss.

MARGIE (calling after him) Who's Frieda?

FLETCH (out the door) My secretary.

Yes, it does occur to me that these don't seem as funny unless you've seen it. Oh well. I love it. Curiously, if you read the screenplay you see how much Chevy Chase ad libbed in character, which gave each scene of dialogue just that extra hilarity. I was going to put in the scene near the end with the airline clerk, but it would seem most of it wasn't scripted. Classic.