20 Famous Quotes That Were Never Actually Spoken

18. "You Dirty Rat!" - Jimmy Cagney

James Cagney

Another classic phrase, this time attributed to actor Jimmy Cagney, but the White Heat star never actually spoke those words in any of his films.

In fact, he made a point of highlighting this in a speech to the American Film Institute in 1974 when he took to the stage and said: "I never said: 'Mmm, you dirty rat!'"

Contributor
Contributor

NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.