10 Movie Mistakes That Made Films Better

9. Midnight Cowboy - "I'm Walkin' Here!"

ARAGORN BROKEN TOE
United Artists

Sometimes, actors like to ad lib their dialogue when they either think their words are better than the scripted bits or even in the heat of the moment. Often, these lines of dialogue make it into the final cut and become some of the best spoken words in the movie.

One example would be Han Solo's response to Leia's saying she loved him with "I know," but another, slightly more famous example would have to be Dustin Hoffman's line from Midnight Cowboy at the moment he was nearly run over by a cab.

When Midnight Cowboy was being shot, the production didn't have the permits necessary to shut down traffic on a busy New York City street, but Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman had to make that trek. To get past the lack of a permit, a van was stationed with a hidden camera across the street and the actors walked back and forth to get the scene on a busy sidewalk.

After 15 takes, the duo finally had a workable shot, but it was interrupted by a cab that ran a red light and nearly barreled right into the actors. Without skipping a beat, Hoffman reacted like anyone would in such a situation, but he remained in character, which made all the difference. He repeatedly slammed the hood of the car and yelled, "I'm walkin' here," and movie history was made.

Contributor
Contributor

Jonathan is a graphic artist, illustrator, writer, and game designer. Jonathan retired from the U.S. Army in 2017 and enjoys researching and writing about history, science, theology, and many other subjects. He writes for ScreenRant, CBR, NerdBastards, Listverse, Ranker, WhatCulture, and many other sites online. You can check out his latest on Twitter: @TalkingBull or on his blog: jonathanhkantor.com