The world of sports has given us plenty of memorable moments: World Cup finals, Super Bowls, Jesse Owens at the Berlin Games, the Miracle on Ice, and more. Still, there have been plenty of bizarre sporting moments, too. But they are original and intriguing enough to warrant a closer look.

10 Fireworks Boxing

Boxing is a sport that has been practiced since ancient times, so it’s no surprise that we have tried various methods to spice it up a bit. In 1937, people thought they found a real winner—fireworks. But this wasn’t simply a light show after the match. Instead, the fireworks happened throughout the bout because they were attached to the fighters.

A metal framework in the shape of a person held the fireworks and was attached to each boxer. Then, to make it even more hazardous, the boxers fought in the dark so the audience could fully enjoy the fireworks display. In case you have concerns about the safety of the fighters, don’t worry. They were protected by wearing thick fireproof suits made with asbestos.

Surprisingly, this didn’t really take off as a new method of boxing. Only one such exhibition match took place in London in 1937.

9 One-Limbed Cricket

During the middle of the 19th century, cricket was experiencing its first golden age. After becoming the preferred national pastime in England, it expanded into other countries, mostly parts of the British Empire. But in 1848, a game of cricket was played at the Priory Ground in Lewisham unlike any other—a team of one-armed players took on a team of one-legged players.

All of the cricketers were Greenwich pensioners, navy men who were injured in combat and resided at the Royal Hospital. In preparation for their big match, the men had a large dinner the night before and a large lunch the day of the game. They celebrated the match with a drinking session at the Bull Inn.

For them, this was all about having a bit of fun. But that didn’t stop over 2,400 people from attending the match and even betting on the outcome. The one-armed team was favored to win—and they did—although nobody was really concerned with the final score.

Even though we said that this match was unlike any other, that’s not exactly true. The first one took place in 1796, and it was also between injured sailors. Back then, the game had real stakes—1,000 guineas. When the game finished earlier than expected, the one-legged team organized an impromptu race between its teammates to cap off the show.

8 The Player Who Snubbed Hitler

Matthias Sindelar is one of the greatest Austrian footballers of all time. Known as the “Paper Man” for his slight build, Sindelar earned his greatest professional success as captain of the Austrian national team during the 1934 World Cup.

Austria qualified again for the 1938 World Cup, but there was a problem. By that time, Nazi Germany had already invaded and annexed Austria. On April 3, 1938, Austria played one last football match against Germany before the Austrian team was dissolved and the players incorporated into the German team. It was meant to be a celebration match marking Anschluss, the return of Austria to the fatherland.

However, Sindelar saw it as the perfect opportunity to show how he really felt. First, he insisted that the team wear their red-and-white kits, Austria’s national colors, instead of the traditional white-and-black.

There have always been rumors that Austria was told to lose the match or play to a draw. According to eyewitnesses, the Austrian team appeared to miss several shots on purpose. However, toward the end of the game, they had a change of heart and beat Germany 2–0. Sindelar scored the first goal and then celebrated in front of a VIP box filled with high-ranking Nazi officials.

Afterward, Sindelar refused to join the German national team, saying he wanted to retire due to old age and injury. Less than a year later, he was dead of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, although many have questioned whether it was truly an accident.

7 Wichita Monrovians vs. Klan Lodge #6

On June 21, 1925, the baseball field on Wichita’s Island Park hosted a unique exhibition game between the Wichita Monrovians, a semiprofessional African-American team that played in various Negro leagues, and the baseball team of Lodge #6 of the Ku Klux Klan.

Since the Monrovians were not a professional team, they played against many amateur white teams throughout the US. The reception they got varied wildly based on their location, but it seemed that Wichita was on the positive side of the spectrum.

In fact, by 1925, the Klan’s influence there was starting to wane. This is likely one of the reasons why they wanted to play (and beat) an African-American baseball team in the first place. The Monrovians also wanted to show their superiority, so the game was a PR move for both sides.

Both teams encouraged their fans to attend the game, and a large interracial crowd was present that day. There was a fear of violence, but the teams promised that “all the fans will see is baseball.” Surprisingly, they were right. The game took place without incident, and the Monrovians won 10–8.

6 The Kirkwall Ba

The Orkney Islands form an archipelago in the northern part of Scotland. Kirkwall, the capital of Orkney, hosts a game called the Kirkwall Ba every year. The Ba game is a modified version of mob football and is played throughout various towns in Scotland. But the one in Kirkwall is the largest of its kind and has a long tradition. No one’s sure when the game originated, but we know it is at least 300 years old.

According to legend, the Kirkwall Ba was created to commemorate the death of Tusker, an evil Viking tyrant named for his long, protruding teeth. An unidentified young man defeated Tusker and chopped off his head. However, one of Tusker’s teeth scratched the boy’s leg, causing a fatal infection.

With his last breath, the brave young man reached Kirkwall and threw Tusker’s head into the crowd. Angered by the young man’s death but happy at Tusker’s demise, the people started kicking the head through the streets of Kirkwall. According to legend, that’s how the Ba got started.

The Ba has been taking place as we know it today since the mid-19th century. Hundreds of men participate. They are either Uppies or Doonies based on whether their ancestors lived up or down from the Mercat Cross. The Doonies’ goal is in the sea of Kirkwall Bay while the Uppies must score on the site of the old town gates.

5 Blondin Crossing Niagara Gorge

Daring feats of acrobatics always guarantee a large crowd tantalized by the prospect of someone meeting a gruesome end. Of all these feats, few are more dangerous than the tightrope walk. Going back to the mid-19th century, we have arguably the greatest tightrope walker of all time—Charles Blondin. Arriving in America in 1955, he soon dreamed up the idea that brought him fame and fortune: crossing the gorge over Niagara Falls on a tightrope.

This was long before Annie Edson Taylor became the first person to go over the falls in a barrel. Suffice it to say that most of the 25,000 people who attended Blondin’s spectacle were expecting to see a suicidal man fall to his death.

However, Blondin understood mankind’s fascination with the morbid and even encouraged people to bet on his ghastly death. On June 30, 1859, despite everyone’s doubts, Blondin became the first person to walk across the Niagara Gorge on a tightrope. To increase the excitement, he stopped halfway across, sat down, and had a bottle of wine.

After he reached the Canadian side, Blondin rested for 20 minutes and then returned to the other bank. This time, he carried a daguerreotype camera and stopped to take a picture.

Blondin repeated the feat several times, finding new ways to shock his audience each time. He walked the tightrope backward. He did it blindfolded. He carried his manager piggyback. One time, he even took utensils and food with him, stopping at the halfway point to make an omelet.

4 The Chalmers Award

Back in 1910, two of America’s favorite pastimes came together—baseball and automobiles. Hugh Chalmers, owner of the Chalmers Automobile Company, decided to award a Chalmers Model 30 to the league batting champion. By the end of the season, it was a close race between two players—Ty Cobb of the Detroit Tigers and Nap Lajoie of the Cleveland Naps.

With just two games to go, Cobb was in the lead with a .385 average. He decided to sit out the games to hold the first position. Meanwhile, Lajoie played an almost perfect game in Cleveland’s last match against the St. Louis Browns. He went 8-for-9 and scored in a doubleheader.

But he had some help from the opposing team. Ty Cobb was the most disliked player in the league while Lajoie was exactly the opposite. Even Lajoie’s team was renamed after him due to his popularity. Browns manager Jack O’Connor allowed Lajoie to score hits by playing his third baseman deep for the whole game, giving Lajoie easy bunts.

Lajoie finished with a .384 average, but controversy surrounded the entire event. Cobb was criticized for not playing, and the Browns were panned for helping a player on the opposing team. Cobb was ruled the official batting champion, but Chalmers declared it a tie and gave both players cars to take advantage of Lajoie’s popularity.

In 1989, the controversy resurfaced when it was discovered that Cobb had been awarded two extra hits that season by mistake, so his real average was .383.

3 1904 Olympics

The 1904 Olympic marathon was one of the oddest sporting events in history, plucked straight out of a slapstick comedy. For starters, there was an argument over where the games should be held. The Olympics were originally awarded to Chicago. But St. Louis had the world’s fair at the same time, and they threatened to organize their own sporting events to overshadow the Olympics if the event wasn’t moved to St. Louis. Their threat worked.

Most of the athletes were American. Especially impressive was gymnast George Eyser who won six medals even though he had a wooden leg.

Throughout the Olympics, the organizers scheduled “Anthropology Days“—exhibits where various tribesmen displayed their culture and traditions. Occasionally, they were invited to participate in sporting events to supposedly show how inferior they were to the “white man.” It was just a tiny step above the human zoos that were popular at prior world’s fairs.

As for the marathon, it was initially won by Fred Lorz, but he was disqualified after it was revealed that he had traveled 18 kilometers (11 mi) of the race by car. The real winner was Thomas Hicks, although he had taken performance-enhancing drugs. Specifically, he took strychnine, which acted as a stimulant in small doses.

But that wasn’t the end of the weirdness. Andarin Carvajal, a Cuban postman, competed in his street clothes. During the race, he stopped in an orchard where he accidentally ate some rotten apples and had to take a nap to recover. Even so, he came in fourth.

Another runner named Len Tau was the first black African to compete in the Olympics. He finished ninth. But he had a good excuse—he ran 2 kilometers (1 mi) off course because he was chased by wild dogs.

2 Tour Of Shame

Nowadays, we associate the Tour de France with cheating, but the two have been strongly linked almost from the start. The first race was organized in 1903 by French newspaper L’Auto to increase readership.

It was won by Maurice Garin and proved successful enough to warrant another tournament in 1904, which was rife with such blatant cheating that it makes our modern cycling scandals tame by comparison. In fact, Tour de France founder Henri Desgrange was so “disgusted, frustrated, and discouraged” that he wanted to cancel future events. But he eventually changed his mind.

In the 1904 event, 88 riders participated, with 27 crossing the finish line. But only 15 did it fairly. Almost half were disqualified for cheating, including the first four cyclists and all the stage winners. Initially, Maurice Garin won again. But after months of investigation, fifth-place Henri Cornet was awarded the trophy.

Cyclists were allowed to take almost anything, so there were no doping scandals. In fact, alcohol, cocaine, and chloroform were part of the standard rider diet for decades. Most of the cheating involved using shortcuts, traveling by car or train, and throwing nails on the road.

Riders also relied on angry mobs to beat up the competition when passing through their hometowns. The worst incidents occurred in Saint-Etienne where 100 people armed with stones and cudgels attacked the riders to allow Antoine Faure to take the lead. Giovanni Gerbi was beaten unconscious, and his fingers were broken. From then on, many cyclists were armed with revolvers.

1 Monkey Testicle Doping Scandal

The Wolverhampton Wanderers is an English football club with a long tradition going back to 1877. Throughout its existence, the club has been highly influential. It was one of the founders of the Football League in the UK and later helped to establish the European Cup, which eventually became the UEFA Champions League.

Managed by Major Frank Buckley, the club became involved in the strangest doping scandal in sports history in 1939. Buckley had heard of a revolutionary technique pioneered by surgeon Serge Voronoff that involved grafting tissue from monkey testicles onto human testicles as a rejuvenation method. In fact, his treatment was quite popular throughout the 1920s and ’30s.

Buckley had his players undergo the procedure. He announced it to the media and other clubs, arguing that it wasn’t doping and that there were no rules against it. After the procedure, there appeared to be an improvement in his players’ stamina and strength that was immediately attributed to the rejuvenation therapy.

However, any changes were likely the result of the placebo effect. Even so, more football clubs soon adopted the technique. But other clubs protested so vehemently that the House of Commons had to debate in 1939 whether football players were allowed to use monkey testicles. Eventually, the practice fell out of favor, and Voronoff was ridiculed for his beliefs.

Radu is a history/science buff with an interest in all things bizarre and obscure. Share the knowledge on Twitter or check out his website.

Can you imagine Patrick Swayze striding into the room, looking at Baby’s father and not uttering the words: “Nobody puts Baby in a corner?” Or Leonardo DiCaprio living his best life on the Titanic and not yelling out: “I’m the king of the world!”

Iconic movie lines serve to highlight a feeling or elevate a scene and leave a lasting impression on viewers. Some of them have been thought up by brilliant writers while others have been improvised by ingenious actors. While there definitely isn’t enough space on this list to add all of the memorable lines movies have given us throughout the years, there are quite a few on this list that may just inspire you to rewatch those scenes in which they are uttered.

Or the whole movie, for that matter.

10 Famous Quotes Everybody Knows—And Gets Wrong

10 “Hasta la Vista, baby.”

It’s impossible to watch Terminator 2: Judgment Day and not listen for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s famous “Hasta la Vista, baby” line.
Co-writer of the film, William Wisher, revealed in 2017 that this line was something he used to say to James Cameron over the phone when hanging up. At the time neither of them knew just how iconic the words would become.

Cameron also said in 2017 that ‘Hasta la Vista, baby’ is a line from a Tone Loc song and the rapper approved of the use of it in the movie.

Schwarzenegger’s other iconic line “I’ll be back”, didn’t sit well with the actor at the beginning and he tried several times to persuade Cameron to allow him to say “I will be back” instead. He felt that his accent made the abbreviated line sound strange, but Cameron wouldn’t accept any adjustment to the line whatsoever.

9 “I’m walkin here! I’m walkin here!”

Midnight Cowboy was released in 1969 and became the only X-rated film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. After all these years, the film still has the ability to bring viewers to tears, especially during the bus scene at the end. In the film, Dustin Hoffman stars as Ratso Rizzo and Jon Voight as Joe Buck. Before the movie’s release, Hoffman was convinced that it would ruin his career after a preview saw droves of people leave the theatre during Jon Voight’s gay sex scene. Voight on the other hand was fully convinced that the film would be a success and also become a classic.

In one, now iconic, scene, Ratso and Joe are talking while walking across a street, when Ratso hits the hood of a taxi and yells, “I’m walkin here! I’m walkin here!” This scene was completely improvised, as there was no budget to close a busy New York street. It was also a real struggle to get the scene done in one shot and director John Schlesinger became annoyed when the actors kept stopping at the curb to avoid being bumped by cars and people. The yellow cab bore down on them during one attempt at shooting the scene, trying to beat the signal, and Hoffman slapped his hand down on the hood of the cab and uttered the infamous line. Schlesinger decided to keep the scene because he loved the improv so much.

8 “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”

The ominous score together with Bruce the shark are probably the most memorable parts of the Jaws movie, released in 1975. However, there is one line that became so iconic, it has been parodied and referenced in several other films. When Roy Scheider finally gets a full view of Bruce, he says, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat,” with his cigarette never leaving the spot between his lips.

This was even funnier when uttered for the first time during filming, as that particular line was something of an inside joke before it made its way into the movie. It was well known that Jaws’ producers were quite stingy and refused to get a bigger boat to support the barge housing the Jaws equipment. Whenever something went wrong with the small boat they hired, someone would say the line. Even when lunch ran late, someone would mumble the line and everyone within earshot would burst out laughing. Scheider improvised the line based on this inside joke.

7 “I see dead people.”

M. Night Shyamalan doesn’t always get it right, but he made something special out of The Sixth Sense. The movie is not only creepy, it’s also succeeded in pulling off one of the biggest twists in movie history (before twists became commonplace, that is). Of course, it’s easy after 21 years to see the camera zoom in on Bruce Willis’ face just as the little boy says, “I see dead people”, but at the time, audible gasps were the order of the day in theatres during screenings worldwide after the twist revealed that Willis’ character had in fact been dead the whole time.

In 2019 Haley Joel Osment, who plays Cole Sear, spoke during an interview about how amazed he was that the now infamous line was never thought to be the tagline for movie during filming, or even part of the call sheet. It was simply a small part of the dialogue that had to be spoken during the scene with Willis’ Dr Malcolm to highlight the moment that Sear shares his secret for the first time.

6 “You hit me in the ear?!”

“The first rule of fight club is you don’t talk about fight club.”

This rule apparently extended to the director of the movie as well, who devised a plan to get a genuine reaction out of Brad Pitt during the filming of a fight scene between him and Edward Norton. The scene was originally supposed to include Norton punching Pitt lightly on the shoulder.

Director, David Fincher, apparently walked up to Norton moments before shooting was due to start and whispered to him to hit Pitt in the ear instead. Norton was understandably hesitant but proceeded to do exactly as he was told anyway. The reaction from Pitt was the surprised “You hit me in the ear?!” line that stayed as is during the now iconic fight scene.

10 Quotes The Founding Fathers Never Said

5 “Hakuna Matata.”

Right after Timon tells Simba that he needs to learn a new lesson in the original The Lion King movie, he asks him to repeat the now infamous words, “Hakuna Matata.” Pumbaa then repeats the line and adds, “It means no worries.” Then follows one of the catchiest tunes in Disney history.

There are many unforgettable quotes and songs in this animated classic, but for a lot of fans “Hakuna Matata” tops the list.

Hakuna Matata really does mean “no trouble” or “no problems” in Swahili and was included in the lyrics by Tim Rice who found the term in a Swahili book.

Disney filed to register “Hakuna Matata” as a trademark in 1994, but this stirred up quite the controversy as the phrase is commonly used by those who speak Swahili. Before the remake of The Lion King was released in 2019, an online petition signed by over 100,000 people called for Disney to drop the trademark rights, which it called an assault on Swahili people and Africa as a whole.

4 “I got a jar of dirt!”

Captain Jack Sparrow swaying drunkenly, falling down, and running through shallow sea water, arms flailing comically, is one of the main reasons for the success of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise. Of course, there is also Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom, zombie-looking sailors, the fantastical Black Pearl, and a whole lot of “Savvy.”

Captain Jack is responsible for some of the funniest moments of the franchise, including calmly stepping onto a dock out of a rapidly sinking ship, practically crying over wasted rum, judging Barbossa’s wig, falling over a wall and highlighting his father’s age in the best way possible. One of Jack’s funniest moments was completely unscripted but ended up being used in the second film because the character reactions were genuinely great. Johnny Depp was completely in character, filming a scene in which he calls out ‘Oi fish face’ to Davy Jones before accidently tumbling down the steps of the ship he was standing on.

The fall may have been unscripted, but Depp made it work by jumping up quickly and singing, “Look what I got. I got a jar of dirt, I got a jar of dirt, and guess what’s inside it!” Depp’s changing facial expression, as Jones prepares to launch an attack on his ship, rounds out the scene perfectly.

3 “Welcome to prime time, bitch!”

Freddy Krueger was one of the scariest horror movie villains of the 80s. He brutally killed people by pulling them into their mattresses and creating a blood fountain, slashing them with the blades on his glove and dragging them across ceilings, and even bursting out from their bodies after possessing them. In total there are 9 movies featuring Freddy, with the third film boasting one of the killer’s most iconic lines which also happened to be improvised.

In Dream Warriors, Freddy is about to kill Jennifer who is a teenager with big dreams of becoming a star in Hollywood. Jennifer’s death is the second one in the movie and comes after she tries not to fall asleep by sitting and smoking in front of the TV late at night. She even puts out the cigarette on her hand in an attempt to stay awake. Unfortunately, she gets too close to the TV after she sees Freddy’s face on the screen, only to be grabbed by Freddy himself. His head then emerges from the top of the TV set as he growls “Welcome to prime time, bitch!” This line was completely improvised by Robert Englund and director Chuck Russell decided to keep the line as well as the original one that Englund says before it: “This is it Jennifer, your big break in TV!”

2 “You better hide that big-ass forehead!”

The Fast And The Furious franchise is jam packed with one liners. Some great, others not so much. They include: “It don’t matter if you win by an inch or a mile. Winning’s winning” and “I don’t have friends, I have family.” Who could forget Letty’s catty “I smell skanks. Why don’t you just pack it up before I leave tread marks on your face?” Or Hobbs exclaiming “I will beat your ass like a Cherokee drum.”

Dwayne Johnson also came up with one of the best one-liners for his Hobbs character when he took out Roman who tried to get a dig in at him. When Hobbs arrives at the barbecue in Furious 6, Roman shouts that Mia should hide her baby oil. Without missing a beat, Hobbs retorts “You better hide that big-ass forehead.” Johnson improvised the line on the spot, causing Ludacris to spit out his drink and Tyrese being at a loss for words, mumbling “I was just joking,” both genuine reactions to the pithy line.

1 “Wakanda Forever” – Black Panther

In the age of superheroes and supervillains, could there be a more iconic line than the two words: “Wakanda Forever?” There has been cheering and clapping in packed theatres across the globe during the screening of Marvel movies whenever this line was spoken. The cheering also had much to do with late Chadwick Boseman, aka Black Panther.

During an appearance of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Boseman confirmed that the salute done in conjunction with uttering “Wakanda Forever” was always done with the right arm over the left. The salute, according to director Ryan Coogler, came from various cultures and languages and has been popularized as a gesture of black excellence. Wakanda, a fictional East African country in the movie Black Panther, was and still is a name for God.

Both the phrase and the salute have been adopted by celebrities worldwide after the release of the movie in 2018. Tennis players have flashed the salute and mouthed the words after victories on the court, soccer players have gotten in on the action after scoring goals as have rugby players after scoring tries.

“Wakanda Forever” is also the lasting legacy of T’Challa who vocalizes the phrase as a battle cry in fight scenes, and Chadwick Boseman, who expressed the salute and words on multiple occasions beyond the movie.

10 Eerie Quotes From Musicians Who Died Before 30

There are many instances of music being used in movies to excellent effect. A cleverly chosen song can enhance a scene, add emotive depth, and create powerful associations between the audio and visual aspects of the film in question. Sometimes, this is done so well that the songs stand out and achieve recognition regardless of the relative success or failure of the movie.

The movie songs on this list are all by noted musicians, each of whom saw their stock rise considerably and gained a wider following through the cinematic associations of their work. The movies themselves stand out as a result. What follows is a list of not just excellent music, but some great examples of fine filmmaking as well, and a potent illustration of how one can drastically improve the other.

Top 10 Better-than-the-original Metal Cover Songs

10 Danger Zone – Kenny Loggins (Top Gun, 1986)

After Top Gun’s release in the mid-eighties, the US Navy saw a sharp increase in applications for its flying program. And why not? Tom Cruise just made being a fighter pilot look so damn cool. And speaking of cool, the movie’s opening sequence, which sees a series of jet landings and takeoffs from an aircraft carrier to Kenny Loggins’ Danger Zone, is all that and more.

Something of a movie soundtrack specialist in his heyday, Loggins wrote the track, which sounds like the embodiment of cheesy 80s pop music now, specifically for the movie. The singer admits that it doesn’t hold up so well on its own, but it works incredibly well in the context and so takes its place among some of the greatest film songs of all time. The animated TV series, Archer, makes something of a running joke of continually referencing the tune, so the point where Kenny Loggins makes a guest appearance in a later season. That, and the upcoming Top Gun reboot which is set to feature the song once more, means Danger Zone is likely to inspire a whole new wave of aspiring aviation aces in the not-too-distant future.

9 Stayin’ Alive – The Bee Gees (Saturday Night Fever, 1977)

One of the most recognizable Bee Gees songs, Stayin’ Alive featured on the soundtrack of Saturday Night Fever and plays over the movie’s opening credits as a young, bell-bottom-bearing John Travolta struts down the street. Given the movie’s theme, the catchy song cemented the Bee Gees reputation as a disco group, much to the band’s consternation. They resented being pigeonholed to such an extent, but such was the popularity of Saturday Night Fever that the label stuck firmly and remains today.

The movie follows the story of a young man who lives a dreary existence Monday to Friday but comes alive on the weekend when he goes dancing at his favorite disco club. The lyrics of the song, therefore, make an excellent accompaniment as they refer to following one’s passions in life despite what others may think. The track not only breathed life into the Bee Gees career, but it has also been identified by the American Heart Association as the perfect song to perform CPR to given its 100 BPM tempo, providing the title with a new, literal meaning. Incidentally, Queen’s Another One Bites the Dust is of a similar tempo and works just as well, but the song’s name makes it a less appropriate suggestion when it comes to life-saving endeavors.

8 (Everything I Do) I Do It For You – Bryan Adams (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, 1991)

Sometimes a great movie can add depth and meaning to its soundtrack. Sometimes it’s the other way around. And sometimes, a song can rise to great heights even as the movie behind it falls flat. The 1991 retelling of the story of Robin Hood wasn’t terrible, but the poorly done, unnecessarily violent movie wasn’t anything special, either. The one redeeming feature, however, was the inclusion of (Everything I Do) I Do It For You on the soundtrack, and the song quickly became dissociated from the movie and proved the multi-faceted Bryan Adams’ skill at the love ballad.

Written in only an hour, Adams borrowed the line “I do it for you” from the movie in the emotionally stirring love song which didn’t meet with Hollywood approval initially and was buried midway through the credits. It went on to become one of Bryan Adams’ bestselling songs, proving just how clueless the filmmakers really were. Many of the singer’s fans were displeased with the departure from his usual, guitar-driven rock style, but with I Do It For You he gained a whole new following and proved his dynamism as a musician. He also proved it was no one-off when he did the same thing on the soundtracks of The 3 Muskateers and Don Juan DeMarco in the years that followed.

7 Where Is My Mind – The Pixies (Fight Club, 1999)

Where is My Mind was released in 1988, eleven long years before it would see The Pixies gain a new mass following when the song appeared on the movie Fight Club. If the lyrics have never quite made sense to you, that’s because they were inspired by lead singer Frank Black’s snorkeling exploits in the Caribbean, and have nothing to do with the movie itself. But the simple yet haunting guitar riff, Black’s unique singing voice, and, of course, the title all make it perfectly suited to Fight Club’s off-the-wall style and crazy theme.

Based on Chuck Palahniuk’s novel as it was, Fight Club’s strength lies in the storytelling style and the mind-bending twist at the end, and the movie upped things a level still with a stellar cast and some top-notch acting. It all comes together expertly in the final scene, where Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter stand hand in hand and witness the destructive climax of Project Mayhem. It’s at that exact moment that Where Is My Mind kicks in, providing another atmospheric layer of depth to a story packed full of deeper meaning, and offering the perfect accompaniment to one of the best movie endings in recent memory.

6 Circle of Life – Elton John (The Lion King, 1996)

We all know how successful Disney’s animated classic was, and there can be no denying that the excellent soundtrack, with Elton John as the chief contributor, played a big part in The Lion King’s popular reception. Written by Tim Rice, The Circle of Life plays during the epic opening scene, where the entire animal kingdom gathers en masse to witness the birth of their new sovereign. While the version that appears in the movie was sung by Carmen Twillie, the song is Elton John’s through and through, and it’s his version that appears on the official soundtrack.

The song was nominated for an Academy Award, but Sir Elton ultimately lost out to himself, with another of his efforts from the movie, Can You Feel The Love Tonight taking the honors. In the singer’s estimation, Circle of Life is the better of the two and remains the only of his Lion King contributions that he performs live regularly. The song had personal meaning for him as well, as his work on the movie soundtrack allowed him to break out of the recording-releasing-touring cycle and gave him fresh inspiration for creative exploits, as he proved with several more excellent movie score projects following The Lion King’s success.

5 I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing – Aerosmith (Armageddon, 1998)

Having seemingly reached their musical peak in the early-to-mid 90s, Aerosmith’s waning career was dramatically revived when their version of I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing appeared on the soundtrack of Armageddon, the most successful movie at the box office in 1998. The song was written for the film by the legendary Diane Warren and was originally meant to be performed by U2. Aerosmith only entered the conversation when lead singer Steven Tyler’s daughter, Liv, was cast in the principal female role and the rest, as they say, is history.

The emotive song captures the painful essence of missing a loved one dramatically, an impression enhanced by the employment of a full 52-piece orchestra in the recording. Much like the movie itself, the result is epic in scope and scale. Warren has said that looking back, the song is a bit ‘treacly’ in places, but that didn’t stop Aerosmith from winning over a whole new following. Such was its popularity that the band played a snippet of I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing during their 2001 Super Bowl halftime performance and when British heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury defeated Vladimir Klitschko in 2016, he famously launched into a lusty rendition of the song in the ring, dedicating it, naturally, to his beloved wife.

4 My Heart Will Go On – Celine Dion (Titanic, 1997)

There are many reasons why Titanic was a breakout success at the box office and remains so popular today, chief among which is the excellent storyline which focusses on the stirringly unlikely love affair between Rose and Jack as the vessel heads towards disaster. Knowing the ship’s inevitable fate adds a layer of dramatic irony to the story and enhances the overall effect, as does the inclusion of My Heart Will Go On, Celine Dion’s instantly recognizable love song, on the soundtrack.

The song has admittedly become something of a cliché and was so overplayed at the end of the 90s that anyone who hears it now is more likely to grimace than grin. But that’s only because of its phenomenal success and the seemingly endless airplay it received on radio and television. Film buffs will know that Titanic holds the tied record for most Oscars at 11, one of which went to My Heart Will Go On for Best Song, a fitting testament to Celine Dion’s musical talent.

3 You Never Can Tell – Chuck Berry (Pulp Fiction, 1994)

Pulp Fiction stands out as one of Tarantino’s finest movies which, given the excellent contents of his filmmaking catalog, is saying something. In a movie full of memorable moments, quotable quotes, and impressive cinematography, one of the standout scenes in Pulp Fiction features Uma Thurmann and John Travolta cutting loose on the dancefloor in the twist contest at Jack Rabbit Slims. And, of course, it all goes down to the classic rock ‘n roll sound of Chuck Berry’s You Never Can Tell.

Quinten Tarantino does nothing by chance, and it’s clear the tune was specifically chosen not just because it perfectly matches the period atmosphere he was going for in the scene, but also because of the lyric’s references to unexpected love. This proves an interesting counterpoint to the awkward interplay between hitman Vincent Vega and his boss’ wife, Mia Wallace, whom he is instructed to keep company for the evening and a strictly look-but-don’t-touch basis. Their victory in the twist contest proves a turning point for the pair but, unlike the couple in Berry’s song, theirs is not a happy ending. The whole thing makes for a truly iconic film moment but, given it’s Tarantino at the helm, we would expect nothing less.

2 Kiss From a Rose – Seal (Batman Forever, 1995)

Superhero movie fans have become spoiled for choice these days, but that wasn’t always the case, nor were those that did see release as impressive as what we find on the big screen today. Batman Forever is a case in point. With an established franchise, a great cast, and interesting characters, it could’ve been great, but the critical opinion at the time was that director Joel Schumacher, true to the film’s name, ruined Batman movies for eternity. The movie may have been a bit of a letdown, but it did introduce then-struggling singer-songwriter Seal to the world, and Kiss From a Rose remains one of the things Batman Forever is best remembered for.

Seal wrote the song in obscurity years before, but his lyrics are perfectly suited to the darker theme present in all Batman stories as the hero struggles with the internal conflict inherent in being a law-abiding billionaire by day and masked vigilante, often pursued by the police even as he does their work for them, by night. Bruce Wayne’s battle with his dual identities becomes most evident in a romantic context, and this is excellently illustrated in the light-dark, love-death contrast in Kiss From a Rose. The song’s mysterious interpretation, excellent vocals, and unique, waltz-like rhythm made it stand out on radio play, and it received wide attention following the film’s release. Seal went on to produce many more hits, and we’ve seen some excellent Batman movies since the flop of ‘Forever’ but Kiss From a Rose remains synonymous with the dark knight and stands out as the British singer’s career-defining track.

1 Eye Of The Tiger – Survivor (Rocky III, 1982)

Quite possibly the number one go-to inspirational song of all time, Eye of the Tiger has been getting gym-goers pumped up for their workouts ever since it first appeared on the soundtrack of Rocky III in 1982. The song has it all – a crashing, distinctive intro, a catchy beat, and lyrics that perfectly describe Rocky’s struggle to recapture his past glory in the ring as he rouses himself from lethargy and prepares to face the indomitable Mr. T.

The track was written for the movie at Sylvester Stallone’s request and, although all writing credit goes to Survivor, Sly himself made significant suggestions in the creation of the famous song we all know and love today. The title comes directly from a line in the movie, when the boxer’s former rival, Apollo Creed, urges him to regain the ‘eye of the tiger,’ his old drive and determination to succeed. We all know how it ends, of course, but it’s still so enjoyable because there’s nothing quite like a story of a triumphant underdog. That is the essence of many a great movie in general and Rocky III in particular, and it’s perfectly captured in Survivor’s timeless song.

Top 10 Incredible Songs Based On Books

About The Author: : I’m 32 years old and I live in South Africa. I work full time in logistics and I’m a freelance writer in my (limited) spare time. I have various projects in the works, including a potential novel, and I regularly participate in the Reedsy Prompts short story contest, where a growing collection of my work is available for reading. I have been a shortlisted finalist there twice so far.

Netflix recently released David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet, an autobiographical feature recounting the life and times of the environmental broadcaster we all know and love. In this feature film, the 94-year-old Sir David Attenborough looks back at the evolutionary history of life on earth, mourns the loss of wild places he has visited and offers a vision for the future.

Attenborough’s contribution to broadcasting and wildlife film-making over the last 5 decades has brought him international recognition and earned him countless awards. He has been called the great communicator, the peerless educator, a national treasure and the greatest broadcaster of our time. His programmes are often cited as an example of what public service broadcasting should be and have influenced generations of wildlife film-makers.

The legendary Attenborough’s distinctive voice lends a special something to all his films and on this list are 10 of the sonorous naturalist’s most memorable video moments. From somber to light-hearted, they all show his care, dedication and passion for life on earth. Be warned, though, humans don’t always come off well.

Top 10 Rare Quirks Found In Nature

10 Attenborough: The Amazing Lyre Bird Sings Like a Chainsaw

“Ever since we arrived on this planet as a species, we’ve cut them down, dug them up, burnt them and poisoned them. Today we’re doing so on a greater scale than ever.”

Known for its perfect impersonations, the Lyre Bird mimics the calls of at least 20 different bird species, such as the Kookaburra. And while the clip above beautifully illustrates not only the songbird’s magnificent voice but also his spectacular plumage, there is something disturbing about its ability to mimic ‘man-made’ noises. Whether it’s the noise made by a camera shutter or car alarm, it’s unsettling to know that this magnificent bird has come into such close contact with humanity. Most disturbing of all: it perfectly imitates the noises of a lumber crew with their chainsaws cutting down its very habitat.

9 Killer Whales Attack Minke

“In moments of great grief, that’s where you look and immerse yourself. You realise you are not immortal, you are not a god, you are part of the natural world and you come to accept that.”

(Not suitable for sensitive viewers.) The clip above tracks the movements of a lone Antarctic Minke whale as it crosses paths with a pod of Orcas, also known as killer whales. These majestic creatures are surprisingly nimble as they battle it out in a sprint for survival. For two long hours the Orcas flank the Minke whale and it’s impossible to tell who will go down first. But as there is only one Minke and a pod of, the lone Minke is soon battered and bitten by the killer whales. Sea gulls are attracted by the scent of the fresh blood in the water and lend a Hitchcock-like soundtrack to the battle of the giants. Before long, the Orcas try to flip the Minke on its back and keep it there – with the blowhole submerged it will soon die. With a final strike, the hunters drag the Minke under and start to feed.

8 Lonesome George the Galapagos Tortoise

“Real success can only come if there is a change in our societies and in our economics and in our politics.”

The rarest living animal in all the world, George the Galapagos Tortoise, was 100 years old when he died (only a fortnight after the clip above was filmed). Much of the video focuses on the unique evolutionary attributes of these gentle Galapagos giants such as the shape of their shells and their long slender necks – all in aid of better feeding. The sad truth is that when ships first arrived on the islands, sailors started slaughtering the tortoises for meat. They soon discovered that these creatures could live for about a year without food or water and started keeping them on board their vessels to slaughter for fresh meat after months of being kept in captivity. In 1971 it was discovered that there was only one single tortoise left on Pinta Island – lonesome George, the last of his kind. He was captured and lived out his last days in a safe enclosure.

7 Attenborough Makes Friend with an Orangutan

“An understanding of the natural world is a source of not only great curiosity, but great fulfilment.”

Once you get past the idea of “collecting specimens”, i.e. capturing wild animals and locking them up in cages, this video from 1956 is rather heartwarming. A very young Attenborough has gone to Indonesia as a joint venture with the London Zoo in search of the fearsome Komodo Dragon. Having collected their specimens (as was the practice at the time), Attenborough and the rest of the crew return by boat. He slowly wins the trust of a young orangutan named Charlie and entices him to leave his cage in order to feed him a tasty treat. Fortunately, practices have changed and the next item on this list somewhat restores Attenborough’s rapport with the great apes.

6 Attenborough and the Amazing DIY Orangutans

“It’s extraordinary how self-obsessed human beings are. There is so much more out there than what connects to us.”

The video opens with the sight of an orangutan washing herself with soap and then doing the laundry. As Attenborough is quick to point out, she has not been trained to do this as some kind of party trick. She has simply observed others doing it and is now copying them. And it doesn’t stop there. From rowing a boat with a massive paw to using a handsaw, hammer and nails to do some work around the house, orangutans are able to imitate humans entirely of their own volition. The similarity to human beings is just uncanny. Their very human-like hands, big brains and the ability to learn and copy what they see happening around them, just goes to show how closely we are related to these great apes.

10 Bizarre Helper Animals You Don’t See Every Day

5 David Attenborough Plays with Cute Baby Gorillas

“If we see a little thing like that, big eyes, tiny nose, we go ‘aaaah’. We are programmed to.”

Arguably one of Attenborough’s most famous animal interactions, this gorilla encounter has been voted one of the top TV moments of all time. The smiles and grimaces on his face are not only about the beautiful moment, though. Off camera, two playful baby gorillas are carefully removing his shoes! Together with the BBC ‘Gorillas’ camera crew, the clip above sees the living legend recalling one of the most unforgettable moments of his life. When asked what he remembers most about being surrounded by gorillas, he responds with a single word: “bliss”.

4 Saying Boo to a Sloth!

“I am intoxicated by animals.”

In this amusing clip, Attenborough ditches his usual trademark soft whisper and climbs a tree in pursuit of what he refers to as an extraordinary plant predator and mobile compost heap. No need to sneak up on this fella as sloths are notoriously slow to move and react. Like many of us, the sloth has adapted to the lack of nutrition in its diet by hanging around and not doing very much at all. It spends most of its time hanging from tree branches in a way that uses very little muscle. Funnily enough, only the need to defecate will encourage the sloth to make its way down to the forest floor. Why? Nobody knows.

3 Bird Interrupts David Attenborough

“I wish the world was twice as big and that half of it was still unexplored.”

In the clip above, the beautiful bird of paradise does what no man has dared before – interrupting Sir David Attenborough. Ever the professional, Attenborough attempts, several times, to complete his monologue by starting over, eventually settling for incorporating the bird’s beautiful song. It had been a childhood dream of the naturalist narrator to visit Papua New Guinea, so when it finally happened in 1996, he was not going to be upstaged!

2 The Capercaillie Bird Defends its Territory

“I can’t pretend that I got involved with filming the natural world fifty years ago because I had some great banner to carry about conservation – not at all. I always had a huge pleasure in just watching the natural world and seeing what happens.”

In this clip, Attenborough studies the battle tactics of the largest of the grouse species: the capercaillie. Roughly the size of a turkey, this particular bird is more than a match for our beloved presenter. As Attenborough enters its territory in the Caledonian pine forest in the Scottish Highlands, the normally shy bird goes straight for his knees, knocking him right over. Perhaps not the best idea to visit during mating season …

1 Sir David Attenborough Greets a Group of Cannibals

“To say I was concerned is putting it mildly.”

In a 1975 episode of Michael Parkinson’s chat show, Attenborough recounts his travels through the Amazon. When his entourage of chaperones one day comes to a halt, he wonders about their reluctance to go any further. Upon questioning, it turns out that the men were afraid as they knew that further down the mountain lived a colony of cannibals. Or, as they put it, “bad fellas”. Being British to his core, Attenborough at first ignores their protestations. Soon, however, a bunch of men came charging up the mountainside brandishing spears and knives. Ever the pragmatist, the cameraman turned the camera towards the men and captured the moment Attenborough walked up to them, sticking out his hand and greeting them with a “good afternoon”.

+ Sir David Attenborough Narrates Adele’s Hello

Watch and enjoy. You’ve got to see (and hear) it to believe it!

10 Horrifying Stories Of Surviving Nature’s Fury

With 2020’s Netflix remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic Rebecca, it’s clear that Hitchcock’s movies still have a significant influence on pop culture, film, and TV even 40 years after his death. He is one of those rare directors who comes along once in a while and changes cinema forever. Even long after his death, we still see the impact he has had on entertainment through countless references and homages. Here are 10 memorable pop culture references that keep his work alive.

Related: 10 Bizarre Stories Behind The Movies Of Alfred Hitchcock

10 Scream: “We All Go a Little Mad Sometimes”

We love to see the iconic ’90s slasher movie paying tribute to an even more iconic Hitchcock film. Wes Craven’s blockbuster hit is full of scary movie references throughout its runtime like The Exorcist, Friday the 13th, Halloween, and so many more. So it only makes sense that Hitchcock’s Psycho would make a cameo at some point.

When Billy Loomis (who is a huge horror film fanatic) reveals he is one of the killers, he says, “We all go a little mad sometimes.” This famous line was said by Norman Bates, the famous villain with mommy issues we all know and love, at the very end of Psycho. Not only that, but Billy shares his last name (Loomis) with the husband of Norman Bates’s first victim, Marion Crane. Now, that’s definitely no coincidence. It’s safe to assume that Bates may have been an inspiration or role model to Loomis’s character, who loved horror films and was clearly a psycho.^[1]

9 Family Guy: “North By North Quahog”

The title of Family Guy’s season 3 opener is a dead giveaway that we may see a Hitchcock reference or two. The episode finds Peter stealing a script from Mel Gibson’s hotel room and being chased North By Northwest style. We even get a shot-for-shot rendition of the famous crop duster scene. Later in the episode, Peter saves Lois from Mel Gibson’s house, in another exact replica of the North By Northwest Mount Rushmore scene. It’s also worth mentioning the show’s producer, Seth MacFarlane, even did a Psycho-themed Oscars promo in 2013, so it’s no surprise that his show has a few Hitchcock homages throughout the series.^[2]

8 Horrible Bosses: Strangers on a Train

When you think of the plot of Horrible Bosses, it’s easy to make the connection to Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train. In fact, the movie does it for you. When Jason Bateman’s, Charlie Day’s, and Jason Sudeikis’s characters decide to murder their bosses, they meet with Jamie Foxx’s character, Motherf––r Jones. Mr. Jones calls himself a “murder consultant” and advises the three to kill each other’s bosses so the police don’t have a motive and they have a secure alibi.

When hearing this, Jason Sudekis’s character points out that this is just like in Hitchcock’s film Strangers on a Train. Charlie Day’s character, Dale, goes on to say that the movie stars Danny DeVito. The funny thing to note is that the movie Dale mentions is Throw Momma from the Train, a parody of Hitchcock’s film. So he was kind of half right. The movie’s plot is clearly inspired by Hitchcock, and it finds a hilarious way to explain that within the movie itself.^[3]

7 The (Not So Great) Hitchcock Remakes

Many directors have tried to pay tribute to Hitchcock’s films with their own version, yet very few (emphasis on very) have succeeded. The most recent Netflix remake of the 1940 film Rebecca received a sad 41% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Many critics agreed it had nothing new to offer, standing in the shadow of the original movie. We won’t even mention the almost shot-for-shot 1998 Psycho remake starring Vince Vaughn because we pretend it didn’t happen. The 2007 modern remake of Rear Window, Disturbia, was fairly well-received by audiences and critics, but it still didn’t live up to Hitchcock’s greatness.

On the flip side, one of the highest-rated Hitchcock remakes is not even an actual remake but a parody. Mel Brooks’s High Anxiety is a funny spoof of many Hitchcock films, including Vertigo, Spellbound, and Psycho. In conclusion, can we all just collectively agree to stop making Hitchcock remakes unless they bring something new and fresh to the table? Thank you for coming to my TedTalk.^[4]

6 That ’70s Show: Hitchcock Halloween Episode

If you’re a Hitchcock fan, you’ll definitely enjoy this Halloween-themed episode of That ’70s Show. The entire 4th episode of season 3, titled “Too Old to Trick or Treat, Too Young to Die,” is a funny, light-hearted homage to Hitchcock films. At the beginning of the episode, Fez breaks his leg and ends up in a wheelchair. Then, much like James Stewart in Rear Window, he begins suspecting a neighbor may have murdered his wife while creeping around with a pair of binoculars.

The episode also spoofs Hitchcock’s The Birds when Kitty has a hard time feeding a neighbor’s creepy birds who don’t seem too friendly. There is also a Vertigo nod when Eric develops a fear of heights after almost falling from a roof, and we get a hilarious scene with Michael and Laurie reenacting the famous shower scene from Psycho. Last but not least, we see a funny parody of the crop duster scene from North by Northwest.^[5]

5 The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror Hitchcock Spoof

If you’re a fan of The Simpsons, you know they love a good movie reference. The Simpsons pays tribute to great movies with a fresh and funny twist. The show has made tons of Hitchcock references over the years with spoofs of Vertigo, Psycho, Strangers on a Train, North by Northwest, The Birds, and Rear Window.

One of their most popular Hitchcock-themed episodes is, of course, Treehouse of Horror XX. You can spot at least five Hitchcock movie references in this Halloween special, including a silhouette of Homer, a call back to Hitchcock’s TV series Alfred Hitchcock Presents. The Simpsons even included Hitchcock’s famous cameo appearance in this episode, which he was famous for, appearing in over 38 of his films.^[6]

4 Bates Motel: Norman Bates Origin Story

The main takeaway from this Psycho spinoff show is that you should never trust a man who likes to stuff dead birds for fun or stay in a shady motel by yourself. The character of Norman Bates became so popular that 53 years after Psycho’s premiere, the A&E network decided to do an entire show around his origin story titled Bates Motel. The show was very successful, and even Rihanna made a guest appearance, playing the iconic role of Marion Crane.

Bates Motel also re-created the famous shower scene—with a twist—and explored the weird and slightly (ok, very) creepy relationship between Norman and his mother, Norma. At the beginning of the series, we meet a relatively normal teenage Norman, and by the end of it, he becomes the psycho that stole America’s hearts.^[7]

3 Psycho Shower Scene: The Spoofs

Even people who have never seen the original 1960 film Psycho know about THE shower scene: the shadow behind the shower curtain, the knife slowly inching up on the other side of it, or the unmistakable musical score. This is without a doubt one of the most famous scenes in movie history, and the violence in it was highly controversial at the time.

So it’s no surprise that this is Hitchcock’s most spoofed scene. Even Jamie Lee Curtis, the daughter of the actress who played the victim, Marion Crane, re-enacted the scene. From cartoons like Looney Tunes to comedies like High Anxiety and modern remakes like the Bates Motel, here is a compilation of the many “Shower Scene” parodies.^[8]

2 The Beatles: “Eleanor Rigby” Inspired by Psycho Score

Yes, you read that right. Most people don’t know that the dark and “edgy” strings behind the popular Beatles song “Eleanor Rigby” were inspired by the Psycho musical score, known for its almost screeching sound. Now it’s important to note that the song itself was not inspired by Psycho’s score, but the melody and instrumentals were. In an interview, the Beatles’ producer George Martin reveals that when Paul McCartney suggested using strings for “Eleanor Rigby,” Martin drew inspiration from Hitchcock’s famous score.

If you listen to the song, you can easily make the connection between the two. “Eleanor Rigby” is a darker song than other famous Beatles tunes, so it’s no surprise that the instrumentals behind the lyrics were inspired by one of the greatest horror soundtracks of all time.^[9]

1 James Bond: North by Northwest Influence on Bond Franchise

Probably the least known but significant pop culture influence Hitchcock movies have had was on one of the biggest franchises of all time: James Bond. Some call North by Northwest the “first James Bond film” that isn’t actually a James Bond film. Even the author of the James Bond series, Ian Fleming, wanted the star of North by Northwest, Cary Grant, to star in the first Bond film. Grant was actually offered the 007 role after his performance in Hitchcock’s film but turned it down.

If you watch North by Northwest (which came out before any Bond film, of course), it’s easy to see the major influence on the iconic Bond movies. Grant played the slick, well-dressed, and charming ladies’ man running from danger in beautiful and exotic locations. This spy thriller had everything you see in any Bond film: suspense, espionage, a villain, and a mysterious, beautiful woman on our hero’s arm. So it’s no surprise that every Bond movie that followed uses the same recipe as its inspiration.^[10]

Sometimes the best movie scenes are created when an actor is inspired to adlib or use a prop that isn’t part of the script. Who will ever forget Roy Scheider’s “You’re gonna need a bigger boat,” the iconic jewelry scene in Pretty Woman, or Gandalf bumping his head in Bilbo’s house?

On this list are some unforgettable movie scenes that would never have had the impact they did were they not improvised.

Related: Top 10 Funniest Food Scenes In Movies

10 Rain Man Fart Scene

When Rain Man premiered at the 39th Berlin International Film Festival, it won the Golden Bear award. After its release in 1988, the movie became the highest-grossing film of that year. Star of the film, Dustin Hoffman, won an Oscar for his portrayal of an autistic savant who inherits the majority of his father’s estate.

More than 30 years on, the film is being viewed as “controversial” because of its perceived autism stereotyping. However, despite the controversy, fans still love it and continue to quote several scenes, including a great unscripted one that had Tom Cruise’s eyes watering. While filming the scene where Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman’s characters are in a phone booth, Hoffman let one rip. Exclaiming “Uh oh, fart. Uh oh, fart” started an improvised back and forth between the two actors that was so funny, it was kept in the movie.

Hoffman still refers to the incident as his favorite scene in the film.^[1]

9 The Lion King Luau Scene

Even after 28 years, The Lion King still holds up as one of the best animated films ever made. It combines heartfelt scenes with comedic ones, making for an unforgettable movie experience. In addition, there are several homages to other legendary movies and actors, including beloved warthog Pumbaa yelling, “They call me Mr. Pig!” in reference to Sidney Poitier’s iconic “They call me Mr. Tibbs!”

Timon and his sidekick Pumbaa are an unmissable duo and created several hilarious scenes together. One of these, the luau scene, was improvised by Nathan Lane, who voiced Timon. He adlibbed, “What do you want me to do, dress in drag and do the hula?” after Simba said they needed live bait as a diversion for the hyenas. The director of the film loved the line so much he created the hula dance and song around it.^[2]

8 Thor: Ragnarok Snake Story Scene

The strong dynamic between Loki and Thor is part of what made Thor: Ragnarok such a successful film. During filming, Chris Hemsworth improvised a lot of dialogue that made several scenes sparkle. An example of this is the “get help” gag that Hemsworth came up with on the spot.

Another excellently improvised scene was the snake story related by Thor. He tells of Loki transforming himself into a snake because he knew Thor loved snakes. When the God of Thunder picked up the snake to admire it, Loki changed back into himself and stabbed Thor. The kicker was that they were both eight at the time. Loki’s face as Thor tells the story rounds the scene out perfectly.

Six versions of the story were filmed, and Taika Waititi eventually decided that the snake story was the best. One of the previous versions included Thor seeing a Turkish rug in a field and standing on it. The rug then turned into Loki, and upon doing so, a hole formed. Thor fell through the hole and was impaled on a bunch of spikes.^[3]

7 The Green Mile Last Words Scene

One of Stephen King’s best books was brought to life in 1999 and starred Tom Hanks and the brilliant late Michael Clarke Duncan. While most Stephen King adaptations are not well-received, The Green Mile was a huge success at the box office and received excellent reviews from critics. Duncan played the memorable role of John Coffey, for which he earned an Academy Award nomination. He was suggested for the part by Bruce Willis, who had nothing but praise for the actor after working with him on Armageddon.

Another unforgettable main character is Eduard Delacroix, who awaits his execution while on death row. When his time is finally up, he dies a violent death after a dry sponge is left on the electrodes of the electric chair. The actor behind the character, Michael Jeter, adlibbed Delacroix’s final words, praying the Hail Mary in Cajun French. However, in this case, it’s not the improv that gets the most attention. Instead, the death scene itself traumatized many movie-goers and is still referred to as the “movie scene that went too far.”^[4]

6 Pulp Fiction Dance Scene

Pulp Fiction has been called the best movie ever made and is chock full of fantastic scenes and memorable dialogue. There is the Honey Bunny and Pumpkin moment, the three little Fonzies scene, and Quentin Tarantino’s coffee cameo, to name just a very few
.
John Travolta and Uma Thurman also shine in the film and have one of many distinctive moments when they enter a dance contest in a retro diner called Jack Rabbit Slim’s. Tarantino requested that Travolta and Thurman dance the Twist to “You Never Can Tell” by Chuck Berry. Travolta took the scene to a whole new level when he improvised more dance moves into the scene, including the Spin, the Hitchhiker, and the Batman. Tarantino left it in Travolta’s hands and was hugely impressed with how the scene turned out.^[5]

5 American Psycho Moonwalk Scene

American Psycho is a disturbing film, made more so by the brilliant performance of Christian Bale. Bale claimed that he’d drawn inspiration for his alpha male scenes from observing Tom Cruise. He also spoke in an American accent at all times to ensure a flawless delivery during filming. So when he reverted back to his native English accent at the wrap party, many of the crew were shocked as they thought he was American.

Bale improvised several scenes in the film, the most memorable of which was the moonwalk he did when hiding away an ax before murdering Paul Allen, played by Jared Leto. The author of the preceding novel, Bret Easton Ellis, wasn’t a huge fan of the improv, even though he approved of the movie adaptation overall.^[6]

4 Good Will Hunting Memory Lane Scene

The beloved late Robin Williams won an Oscar for his supporting actor role in Good Will Hunting, in which he played a therapist to Matt Damon’s Will Hunting character. The pair were praised for their on-screen chemistry, and the film has been ranked 53 on Hollywood’s 100 Favorite Films list.

Being the comedian that he was, it is no surprise that Williams improvised the funniest scene in the movie. As Dr. Sean Maguire, Williams goes down memory lane when asked questions about his deceased wife. He then leaves the script behind and tells Hunting, “She used to fart in her sleep. One night it was so loud it woke the dog up. She woke up and was like, ‘Oh, was that you?’ I’d go, ‘Yeah.’ I just didn’t have the heart to tell her.”

Damon tried to stay in character but couldn’t help but laugh aloud at this turn of events.^[7]

3 A Clockwork Orange Home Invasion Scene

It’s not often that an improvised scene ends up costing filmmakers more money. So when Malcolm McDowell decided to add his own unique stamp to A Clockwork Orange during filming, Stanley Kubrick forked out an additional $10,000 to ensure the improvised scene could be used.

During the scene where McDowell’s Alex DeLarge and his droogs break into a woman’s home to assault her, DeLarge starts dancing and singing his own rendition of Gene Kelly’s “Singin’ in the Rain.” McDowell later said it was the only song he ‘sort of knew half the lyrics to.’ Kubrick liked the improv so much that he and McDowell set off on a trip to obtain the rights to use the song, to the tune of $10,000. It was also Kubrick’s idea to change “rain” to “pain” after seeing how well the song and dance worked in the scene.^[8]

2 A Star Is Born Ugly Comment Scene

Lady Gaga surprised the world when she proved that she could act as well as she could sing. While she got her first major acting role in American Horror Story Hotel, she really showed off her skills in the critically acclaimed A Star Is Born. Her chemistry with fellow star Bradley Cooper was off the charts, leading to speculation that the pair were seeing each other in real life.

In the film, the two start a tumultuous and even toxic relationship. In one scene, Gaga, who plays Ally, is taking a bath while Bradley Cooper’s character, Jackson, is hurling drunken insults at her. Then, veering off the script, Jackson calls Ally “ugly” during the final take, which clearly devastates her. Gaga later told a news outlet that the shocked expression on her face was real because, just like her character, she’d always battled with insecurities about her looks.

Cooper also commented on the scene, saying that he never saw the comment “as a violation” because he and Gaga were very close and “felt safe together acting.”^[9]

1 Rocky Ice Skating Scene

The story of how Rocky came to be is almost as much of an underdog tale as the film itself. Sylvester Stallone was broke, and he kept having his script rejected because he insisted on playing the main character. So when it was finally greenlit, he had to rewrite large sections of the script during filming. However, his hard work paid off big, as it grossed over $200 million, making it the highest-grossing movie of 1976. It also received a whopping 10 Oscar nominations.

One of the most endearing scenes in the film, where Rocky and his love interest Adrian go ice-skating, was almost entirely improvised. Production couldn’t afford to rent the ice skating rink or pay for extras, which meant they could only use it during the rink’s off-hours. Stallone ignored most of the set dialogue for the scene to try and heighten the awkwardness of the moment. He also jogged around the rink alongside Adrian, played by Talia Shire, because he didn’t know how to skate. This improvisation added to the believability of the unease between two people who had very little in common.^[10]

Some songs tell a creepy story by means of dark lyrics and haunting music. Others tell a creepy or disturbing story using catchy melodies and thumping beats. On this list are just some of the many upbeat songs out there that tell a terrifying story or two.

10 “Copacabana” – Barry Manilow

A conversation about whether or not there was an existing song called “Copacabana” between Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman at the Copacabana Hotel in Rio de Janeiro sparked the idea for the now-infamous “Copacabana” song recorded by Manilow, which was released in 1978.

The disco tune became a tropical foot-tapping hit, but beyond the upbeat music, the lyrics tell a truly dark story. It centers around the life of a Copacabana showgirl named Lola and her lover named Tony, a bartender at the club. Tony attacks a gangster who tries to seduce Lola and is killed in the ensuing fight. The lyrics pick up again 30 years after the tragedy, and the club is now a disco. But Lola still sits at the bar dressed in her showgirl attire, pining for Tony and drinking herself “half blind.” ^[1]

9 “Mack the Knife” – Bobby Darin

Bobby Darin recorded his version of “Mack the Knife” as a single in 1958, earning him two Grammy Awards. Before this, Louis Armstrong brought his own version of the song to the U.S. in 1955. There are many more notable recordings of the song, originally composed by Kurt Weill and included in the 1928 music drama The Threepenny Opera.

And in the same way as “Copacabana,” the catchy tune accompanies some truly disturbing lyrics. Mack is portrayed as a rapist, arsonist, and murderer with sociopathic traits, especially around women. There is blood on the sidewalks, bodies in the river, and missing victims, and the story is told in an almost carefree manner.^[2]

8 “One” – Metallica

“One” starts out pretty calm, but soon the music is ramped up to intense levels, and there is not a sad note to be found.

However, the lyrics tell a deeply sad story, and the music video only serves to deepen the feelings of despair. The song was released in 1989 and relates the harrowing story of a WWI soldier who suffered catastrophic wounds from an exploding landmine. The soldier has lost his arms, legs, and jaw and cannot move or speak. His only wish is that God would take his life.

The music video shows the soldier trying to communicate in Morse code, forcing out the words ‘kill me’ by jolting his entire body inside his hospital bed.^[3]

7 “Fast Car” – Tracy Chapman

Tracy Chapman is one of the best singers in the world. All her songs are noteworthy, and they all tell a story. In particular, “Fast Car” is an earworm that you won’t stop humming after hearing it on the radio.

“Fast Car” is a song inspired by Chapman’s parents, as she explained to a local newscaster, and how difficult it was for them to start their lives as newlyweds with a lack of higher education and career opportunities. The “fast car” symbolized the way out of this less-than-ideal situation.

The lyrics themselves also tell a sad story about a girl stuck in a small town, taking care of her father, who is an alcoholic and a deadbeat. She finally escapes this life with her boyfriend, and they start what she believes will be a better future. But then the boyfriend turns out to be just like the girl’s father, an unemployed alcoholic, while she goes to work every day and takes care of their children.^[4]

6 “Goodbye Earl” – The Chicks

The country song “Goodbye Earl” is the definition of a chipper tune. It was released as a single in 2000 and was recently included in Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Best Songs of All Time.

And the lyrics are befitting of what is still a terrifying scourge worldwide today. In a black comedy kind of way, it tells the story of best friends Mary Ann and Wanda, who go their separate ways after high school. Wanda marries a man named Earl, who starts physically abusing her. The lyrics go on to describe how Wanda filed for divorce and got a restraining order, but Earl still put her in intensive care.

Then Mary Ann returns to help Wanda kill Earl… by poisoning his food.

The song stirred up controversy at the time because of the violent themes, but it remains one of The Chicks’ most popular releases.^[5]

5 “Run for Your Life” – The Beatles

A fantastic comical cover of “Run for Your Life” exists in an Ally McBeal episode in which a choir singer “warns” a fellow choir member not to mess with her man.

The Beatles released the song in 1965, and it remains a memorable melody to this day. But the lyrics also remain disturbing. They are basically a repeated threat to an unnamed girlfriend that the singer would rather see her dead than with another man. It exposes possessiveness, obsession, and jealousy, all set to a cheerful tune.

The lyrics were mainly written by John Lennon and based on a line taken from an Elvis Presley song, “Baby, Let’s Play House.”^[6]

4 “Follow Me” – Uncle Kracker

Uncle Kracker’s “Follow Me” was playing on the car radio the day I heard about the 9/11 attacks. It was cut off right in the middle of the mellow chorus as the shaken-up newsreader related what was happening in the U.S.

It was only years later that I really listened to the song and its lyrics again, read up on it, and realized that it basically depicts drug addiction, specifically heroin addiction. Uncle Kracker, during an interview in 2001, stated that the song was about both drugs and infidelity. This then also led many fans of the song to become convinced that Uncle Kracker was singing about his own infidelity with a married woman, as opposed to cheating in general.^[7]

3 “Skinned” – Blind Melon

There are dark lyrics, and then there are the lyrics of “Skinned,” which are downright nightmare-inducing.

“I’ll make a shoehorn outta your shin
I’ll make a lampshade of durable skin
And, oh, don’t you know that I’m always feeling able
When I’m sitting home and I’m carving out your navel?
I’m just a-sitting here carving out your navel”

If that reminds you of one Ed Gein, it might be because the song was inspired by this terrifying killer. The lead singer of Blind Melon, Shannon Hoon, wrote the lyrics after reading a book about serial killers. His thinking behind the idea of the song was that all stories have two sides, and he wanted to show the “comical” side of the Ed Gein killings.

So the song is indeed memorable, but very much for all the wrong reasons.^[8]

2 “Every Breath You Take” – The Police

“Every Breath You Take” is a popular dance floor staple. You’ll hear the lyrics pouring through speakers at weddings and school dances and straining through earphones on the bus or train. It is the definition of a sing-along song and a very popular karaoke tune.

But it’s also a song about a possessive lover watching every move their partner makes—jealous over everything they do. The lyrics basically detail the partner being stalked, which makes the song sound like it’s being sung from the perspective of the stalker.

Sting once stated, “I think the song is very, very sinister and ugly, and people have actually misinterpreted it as being a gentle little love song when it’s quite the opposite.”

He also said that he wrote the song lyrics while he was going through a separation from his first wife and starting a relationship with her best friend.^[9]

1 “Adam’s Song” – Blink 182

All Blink 182 songs are instantly appealing.

“Adam’s Song” is appealing and heartbreaking at the same time. It is a song about depression, loss, loneliness, and suicide. Bassist, Mark Hoppus, read about a teen’s suicide in a magazine, which inspired the lyrics of “Adam’s Song,” which reads like a suicide note. Some of the lyrics also allude to Nirvana’s “Come as You Are.”

In a tragic real-life echo, the song was playing on repeat when Greg Barnes hung himself in his family’s garage in 2000. Barnes had survived the Columbine High School massacre one year earlier but had lost a close friend and mentor of a teacher.

However, the song has also been instrumental in helping hundreds of people overcome suicidal feelings, as is evidenced by the constant stream of thank-you letters the band has received over the years.^[10]

There is no shortage of animal heroes today, from service dogs caring for their owners, to those serving with the police, fire departments, and militaries across the world. Many animals of the past were heroes, to the point they were celebrities in their day. In some cases, they became celebrities due the celebrity of their master. In others, their own exploits garnered them fame.

A Latin phrase, Sic Transit Gloria Mundi, “Thus Passes the World’s Glory” is sometimes paraphrased, “all glory is fleeting.” Certainly the phrase applies to the animals listed here, all of which were honored in life, though their stories are known today to a relative few. Here are ten memorable animals celebrated as heroes during their lifetimes, and why.

10. Copenhagen, the race horse who became a war hero

Copenhagen was a part thoroughbred and part Arabian race horse, with his maternal grandsire the winner of the 1793 Epsom Derby. In 1811, Copenhagen began a racing career in which he gained marginal success and lasted just two seasons. In 1813 the five year old stallion was sent to Lisbon, part of a consignment of several horses for the use of British officers, and later that year was purchased by Colonel Sir Alexander Gordon. Gordon acquired the horse for the Commander of British forces during the Peninsular War with Napoleon in Spain, Sir Arthur Wellesley.

Wellesley then held the title of Marquess of Wellington, since his brother Richard, also a Marquess, had retained the family name in his title. Wellington found Copenhagen to be an exceptional horse in battle and in travel. It was said Copenhagen would allow no other to ride him, and he even took a kick at Wellington from time to time. As Wellington’s fame grew, so did that of his horse, and his mane and tail were snipped to allow jewelry to be made of his hair. At the Battle of Waterloo Wellington remained on Copenhagen for 17 hours, and his praise of the horse added to its fame.

Wellington continued to ride Copenhagen in victory parades and other events until the horse was retired at the Duke’s estate at Stratfield Staye, where he enjoyed sugar cakes and other delectables until his death at the age of 28. The Duke had him buried at Stratfield, though he later claimed to have no knowledge of where the horse was interred. Years later, a headstone was placed near the site where he was believed to have been buried. He is memorialized in equestrian statues of the Duke of Wellington, and in many paintings of the mounted Duke in battle.

9. Montauciel, the sheep who flew in a hot-air balloon

The Montgolfier brothers Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Etienne were early experimenters with hot-air balloons, though they believed it was smoke, which in their minds contained a gas they called Montgolfier gas, which caused their balloons to rise. In 1782 they proposed the use of their balloons as a means of assaulting the British fortress of Gibraltar to King Louis XVI. The King agreed to allow a demonstration, but at the time no living thing other than birds had ascended to what they then considered the “upper atmosphere” (about 1,600 feet). The brothers proposed launching a rooster, a duck, and a sheep. The latter was chosen because it was believed its internal anatomy was similar to humans. The birds, which were expected to be unharmed, served as controls for the experiment.

So, on September 19, 1783, with King Louis and Queen Marie Antoinette in attendance, as well as Benjamin Franklin, a sheep became the first mammal to ascend into the sky in a man-made vehicle. The brothers named the sheep Montauciel, French for “ascend the sky.” It flew a distance of about two miles, at an altitude of about 1,500 feet, and landed safely. Montauciel exhibited no harm from its experience, and the King agreed to further demonstrations of flight with the brothers taking turns as the balloon’s pilots. Jacques-Etienne went first, making him the first man to fly in a balloon.

Marie-Antoinette was smitten by Montauciel, and to further ingratiate themselves with His Majesty (they needed money) the brothers made her a gift of the sheep. She kept it in the gardens at Versailles, and allegedly fed it candy and other sweets. Sheep were then common on palace grounds as they kept the lawns clipped with their grazing, so Montauciel likely had plenty of ovine company.

8. Simon, ship’s cat on HMS Amethyst

Ship’s carried cats as mascots for centuries, both to entertain the crew and more importantly, to help control rodents. Several became famous, including Unsinkable Sam, who allegedly survived the sinkings of three ships. Simon, ship’s cat in HMS Amethyst in the late 1940s, earned the Dickin Medal for his heroics aboard the ship during its deployment to China during the Chinese Civil War. Ordered to Nanking to protect the British embassy from the communists, Amethyst came under fire on April 20, 1949 while still traveling up the Yangtze River. Some 22 men of its crew were killed and several more were wounded, including Simon, severely enough that he wasn’t expected to survive.

Simon suffered lacerations and several burns, but after the crew was attended to, he was cared for by the ship’s medical staff. Eventually he returned to duty, helping control the ship’s worsening rodent problem. From April 30 into July, Amethyst was unable to depart for Hong Kong without being shelled by communist guns. For months negotiations for the ship’s release proved fruitless. The long stay in the river caused the rodent infestation to worsen, which threatened the dwindling food stores. As he regained his health Simon stayed busy. Finally, on July 30, Amethyst slipped away under cover of darkness, eluded the communist batteries, and returned to Hong Kong. There Simon’s story became known to the world.

The ship’s captain, Lt. Cdr. Bernard Skinner, was killed during the attack. On April 21, Lt. Cdr. John Kerans arrived from the British Embassy and took command of the vessel through its ordeal and escape. Kerans was not a fan of the cat when he came aboard. Simon caused him to change his mind. He recommended Simon for a Dickin Medal, and when the award was confirmed in August, the crew fashioned a collar for Simon in the colors of the award’s ribbon. He was scheduled to receive the award formally on December 11, after Simon completed quarantine upon arrival in Britain in November. Sadly, Simon died of enteritis in late November. He was given a Naval funeral with full honors and buried in the PDSA (People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals) cemetery at Ilford. To date, Simon is the only cat to be awarded the Dickin Medal, often referred to as the Victoria Cross for service animals.

7. Comanche, survivor of Custer’s Last Stand

Comanche was a 15-hand mixed-breed gelding purchased by the US Army in 1868 for use as a cavalry mount. At Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Captain Myles Keough encountered the horse and purchased it from the army to serve as his personal mount. Keough served in the 7th Cavalry, a newly formed unit commanded by Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer. Keough was mounted on Comanche when he rode with Custer at the Battle of the Little Big Horn in June, 1876. When the bodies of Custer’s men were discovered by troops under General Alfred Terry, they found the badly wounded horse on the battlefield, two days after the battle. Comanche was taken to Fort Lincoln, nursed back to health, and retired.

In the order establishing his retirement, it was mandated that Comanche “…will not be ridden by any person whatsoever, under any circumstances, nor will he be put to any kind of work”. Comanche was used in regimental formal mounted formations, saddled, bridled, and draped in mourning garb, for the remainder of his life. He lived to be 29 years of age, according to estimates of his age at the time he was purchased by the army in 1868. After he died he was given a funeral with full military honors, though the horse was not interred.

Instead, he was sent to the University of Kansas and taxidermists preserved his body for display. He is there still, in a temperature and humidity controlled glass display case at the University of Kansas Natural History Museum. Comanche is often referred to as the only US Army member with Custer’s command to have survived the Little Big Horn, and as the only cavalry horse to have survived the battle. Neither is true, though it is true he is the only veteran of the battle around today, in a manner of speaking.

6. Antis, the German Shepherd that helped bomb Germany

Czechoslovakian Air Force airman Vaclav Bozdech fled his home country to Poland when Hitler annexed the Sudetenland in 1938. From Poland he made his way to France, where he served with the French Air Force until it was apparent France was to fall to the Germans in 1940. While there he either found or purchased a German Shepherd puppy (his later stories varied). He smuggled the pup into Britain when he escaped to that country, evading the British quarantine laws. He joined the Royal Air Force, and the dog joined him, living on base. Assigned to a Wellington bomber, Bozdech was on a flight when he discovered the dog had “stowed away” on the airplane. The crew decided following the mission that the dog, which its owner named Antis, had brought them luck.

And so, despite it being against regulations, Antis became part of the crew, normally six men. In the case of Bozdech’s Wellington it became six men and a dog. Antis flew 30 missions during the war before the illicit practice was discovered. After the war he returned to Czechoslovakia with his master. When the Soviet Union made it plain that Czechoslovakia was to be a communist puppet state, Bozdech again fled, leaving behind his wife and child but taking his dog, which helped him evade Soviet and Czech secret police and border guards and cross the border into West Germany. From there he again went to England, with Antis. He never returned to Czechoslovakia.

Following the war the story of the German Shepherd flying on bombing missions over Germany became well-known, including the fact Antis had been wounded by flak fragments on two occasions. Antis was recommended for the Dickin Medal, which was pinned to his collar by Field Marshall Archibald Wavell in 1949.

5. Enos, the only chimpanzee (so far) to orbit Earth

Enos is not as well known as Ham, the first chimpanzee to fly in space, and return to earth. Ham’s fight was suborbital, lasting only about fifteen minutes. Because his flight was longer, Enos required more extensive training than Ham, and was subjected to zero gravity conditions for a longer period of time. Enos’ flight was far from problem free, and after just two of the planned three orbits NASA aborted the mission, though the chimp returned to earth safely and was recovered.

Enos, like Ham, was trained to press levers in response to light patterns, and received a small electric shock on the soles of his feet if he didn’t respond correctly, or at all. During the flight Enos sometimes responded correctly, only to receive a shock due to a failure in the system. At times the frustrated chimp pushed different combinations of levers, only to receive further shocks. In all, Enos received 78 shocks during his flight, nearly all of them because of the failure of the system. His capsule also overheated, adding to the animal’s discomfort. Finally, NASA decided to bring him down early.

Enos’s problems were not over. His capsule splashed down far away from where his earthbound controllers anticipated, and Enos had to ride out his wait on the tossing ocean while the Navy steamed to recover him. While he waited (over three hours) Enos ripped open his spacesuit and tore up his biosensors, as well as his urinary catheter in a perfectly understandable expression of disgust. Enos died of dysentery less than a year after his space flight. NASA officially chronicled it as a success to the newspapers and other media.

4. Sgt. Reckless, USMC

Sgt. Reckless was a Korean mare of Mongolian breeding, purchased from a South Korean stableboy at the Seoul racetrack by US Marines in 1952. The Marines intended her to be a packhorse for a Recoilless Rifle Platoon, 5th Marine Regiment. The mare was allowed to roam freely through their encampment, and became known for a willingness to eat virtually anything put before her. She also learned to drink both Coca-Cola and GI-issued beer with her Marines. And she exhibited exceptional intelligence.

Sgt. Reckless learned the route from the combat fronts to the supply depots after just one or two trips with a handler. She would then make the trip on her own, freeing a handler to perform other duties. On one day of heavy fighting, Sgt. Reckless made 51 trips on her own, resupplying the Marines on the front lines. She often transported wounded on her return trips as well. She received two Purple Hearts after being twice wounded during the war, and afterwards was awarded the Good Conduct Medal. She also received the Dickin Medal, a Navy Unit Commendation, and numerous other awards.

After the war she stayed in the Marines, spending most of her time at Camp Pendleton, where she often snacked on her own blankets, a proclivity she had also demonstrated in Korea. Reckless retired from the Marine Corps in 1960, and instead of taking retirement pay she accepted free room and board. During her career, few Marines were allowed to ride her, though legendary Marine Chesty Puller did, and later a foal she produced was named Chesty in his honor. Sgt. Reckless died in 1968. She is honored through several monuments in the United States and South Korea, as well as in Marine Corps lore.

3. Kaiser, the longest held prisoner of war in American history

Kaiser was a German carrier pigeon, captured by the Americans near the end of the First World War. After the war’s end, the bird, who was given the name Kaiser by his American captors, was brought to the United States. After a stint at being used for publicity purposes, Kaiser was assigned a job likely never before or since offered to a prisoner of war. He was sent to the Signal Corps Pigeon Center at Fort Monmouth in New Jersey.

Kaiser was assigned to serve as a breeding pigeon. Despite the onerous nature of his duties Kaiser evidently tackled them enthusiastically. After the United States entered the Second World War Kaiser performed his duties at the Camp Crowder, Missouri. By then he had sired scores of offspring which served on all fronts where American troops fought during the war. During the war years Kaiser, who lived with his mate, Lady Belle, enjoyed a private loft which the Army thoughtfully provided with a heater during cold Missouri nights. Over 75 pigeons sired by Kaiser entered the Signal Corps during World War II, an indication he took his duties seriously, despite his German birth.

Kaiser died on October 31, 1949. There is practically no way to establish the number of pigeons his progeny produced for the US Army. The latter dissolved the pigeon service in the late 1950s. But his heroic performance of his duties during the Second World War led to him being preserved at the Smithsonian Institution, along with other heroic pigeons of his era. He must have loved his work, because he is the longest-lived carrier pigeon on record, living over 33 years. He was also the longest American held prisoner of war in the nation’s history.

2. Judy, the only dog to be held as a POW during World War II

Judy was a ship’s mascot aboard HMS Grasshopper when that vessel attempted to flee Singapore early in the Pacific War in 1942. The ship was sunk en route to the Dutch East Indies, and the survivors, which included Judy, attempted to reach safety overland, but were captured by the Japanese and imprisoned at Medan. There a British prisoner, Frank Williams, convinced the Japanese commandant to treat Judy, a pedigreed Pointer, as a prisoner of war. Miraculously the commandant agreed and Judy became the only canine registered prisoner of war of World War II. Like the other British prisoners, Judy endured the kicks and beatings administered by the Japanese guards, but she stayed alive.

Judy evidently got in and out of the camp at will, because she delivered two litters of puppies during her incarceration. In 1944 Williams and 700 other prisoners were transferred to Singapore by ship. Williams smuggled Judy aboard. When the ship was torpedoed by a British submarine Williams and Judy both survived, but were separated for some time. By 1945, Judy was acting more aggressively toward the Japanese, and they decided to shoot the dog. Judy fled from the camp into the jungle and did not return until after the Japanese guards had abandoned the camp.

After the war, Judy was smuggled into a troopship bound for Liverpool by Frank Williams. After the latter used an advertisement to solicit funds to pay the quarantine fees, Judy entered quarantine, and was finally released to Frank in the UK in April, 1946. She became a celebrity, met actor David Niven, and was feted in towns across the UK. She then traveled with Frank to East Africa. There it was learned she had a tumor, which was surgically removed, but an infection proved too much for her to handle. She was euthanized in 1950. Judy was awarded the Dickin Medal, “For magnificent courage and endurance in Japanese prison camps…” in May, 1946.

1. Rin Tin Tin, an early international action hero

The original Rin Tin Tin was a newly-born puppy when he was found by an American soldier in France during World War I. The soldier, Corporal Lee Duncan, discovered five pups and their mother, the puppies so young their eyes were not yet open. The mother was emaciated. After nursing the mother to health and weaning the puppies, Duncan kept one of each sex for himself. He named the male Rin Tin Tin, though he called the dog Rinty, and his sister he named Nanette. He smuggled both pups onto the ship taking him back to the United States. Nanette developed pneumonia, and Duncan replaced her with another Shepherd pup in New Jersey before traveling across the United States by train to California.

Duncan trained both dogs on his own. In 1922 Rin Tin Tin appeared in his first film role, portraying a wolf in the silent film The Man From Hell’s River. The following year he appeared as the star in Where the North Begins. Rin Tin Tin became a major big screen action hero, popularizing the then little-known German Shepherd breed in the United States. Because the films had no dialogue and could be shown overseas by simply changing the intertitles screens to the appropriate language, Rin Tin Tin became a global superstar, popular on the five inhabited continents.

He had just ventured into sound movies when he died in 1932, aged 13 or 14, depending on the source. Radio networks interrupted programs to announce the news. Obituaries and appreciations appeared in newspapers and national magazines. By the time of his death his sons and grandsons were playing him onscreen. He was buried in Duncan’s Los Angeles backyard, and later reinterred in the Cemetière des Chiens in Paris, France, the country of his birth. His descendants continue to portray his persona, using his name, to the present day.