"Thanks! I Needed That!"

[Shapiro, Fred]

Garson's information seems to confirm what I found in an Amazon.com review of the film, which says: "Myth: when slapped, Robert Stack never says 'Thanks. I needed that' (watch the movie for the actual line)."

Fred Shapiro



________________________________________
From: American Dialect Society [ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Garson O'Toole [adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM]
Sent: Sunday, August 22, 2010 12:19 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: "Thanks! I Needed That!"

 Ben Zimmer wrote
> In the clips of "The High and the Mighty" I can find on YouTube, John
> Wayne slaps Robert Stack in the cockpit and mutters "Get a hold of
> yourself, you yellow..." But there's no expression of gratitude from
> Stack immediately after:
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYVvIqclEMM
> (trailer, scene starts about 2 minutes in)
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnrTq9Y-uJY
> (just the cockpit scene)
>
> It's possible that Stack thanks Wayne a bit later, after the clip that
> shows up in the trailer.

I found the same YouTube clips and noticed that the scene cuts off
before any expression of thanks. So I obtained a subtitle file and
located the following exchange after the slapping scene. (John Wayne
plays Dan Roman in the film.)

1533
02:00:32,520 --> 02:00:33,509
Dan?

1534
02:00:34,360 --> 02:00:35,349
Yeah?

1535
02:00:36,280 --> 02:00:37,395
Thanks.

1536
02:00:38,360 --> 02:00:41,113
Thanks for knocking some sense
into my head.

Below is a fuller version of the spoken audio track with some of the
intermediate dialog between the slap and the expression of gratitude.
I have not verified this transcription and it may be inaccurate. It is
rather long, and I have deleted 8 lines of dialog. The time codes
indicate that the total elapsed time is not large.

1511
01:59:03,520 --> 01:59:05,750
I've already waited too long.
Here we go.

1512
01:59:05,880 --> 01:59:09,714
No, we don't. Get a hold of yourself,
you yellow...

1513
01:59:17,480 --> 01:59:19,357
420 is losing altitude, sir.

1514
01:59:19,480 --> 01:59:21,152
420, from Coast Guard.

1515
01:59:21,480 --> 01:59:24,597
Radar reports you're descending.
Are you going to ditch?

1516
01:59:27,240 --> 01:59:30,550
You are now below the minimum legal
altitude for approaching the coast.

1517
01:59:30,680 --> 01:59:33,478
Time's wasting.
You better climb or settle for the drink.

[Deleted 8 lines of intermediate dialog]

1526
02:00:11,320 --> 02:00:14,630
<i>Leonard, stand by electric altimeter,
call out readings.</i>

1527
02:00:14,760 --> 02:00:17,035
<i>Nose tipped down, ship fly faster.</i>

1528
02:00:17,160 --> 02:00:19,754
<i>More efficient use of fuel against time.</i>

1529
02:00:20,200 --> 02:00:21,792
<i>Study approach book.</i>

1530
02:00:22,400 --> 02:00:24,675
<i>Air Traffic Control to clear area.</i>

1531
02:00:24,840 --> 02:00:27,195
<i>Direction finders on range station.</i>

1532
02:00:28,240 --> 02:00:29,753
<i>Start right now.</i>

1533
02:00:32,520 --> 02:00:33,509
Dan?

1534
02:00:34,360 --> 02:00:35,349
Yeah?

1535
02:00:36,280 --> 02:00:37,395
Thanks.

1536
02:00:38,360 --> 02:00:41,113
Thanks for knocking some sense
into my head.

1537
02:00:41,760 --> 02:00:44,399
- Someday I'll explain.
- You don't have to.

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