Exits and Entrances

Claude Rains and Humphrey Bogart created one of the greatest movie exits of all time in Casablanca.

They say that first impressions are lasting impressions. The same is true with movie characters. When they make a great entrance, you remember them. And final impressions are equally important. A great last line is sometimes all it takes for a screen character to live on forever.

Clark Gable as Rhett Butler has one of the best entrance scenes in Gone With the Wind. Vivien Leigh as Scarlett is walking up a grand staircase asking someone about a man leering at her. The camera then moves down the stairs to the man, Gable, who is looking at Scarlett in a way that does not hide his thoughts at all. Although it was memorable, his exit is even better than his entrance. Standing at the door, Scarlett begs Rhett, "Where will I go? What will I do?" To which a fed up Rhett responds, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn!" He then turns and walks into the fog.

Many beautiful women have had very sexy introduction scenes. Rita Hayworth flips her hair back in Gilda and says sarcastically, "What, me decent?" Marilyn Monroe walks down a train platform in high heels and a tight dress in Some Like it Hot as a staring Jack Lemmon remarks; "It's like Jell-O on springs." Jane Fonda has one of the sexiest entrances ever in Barbarella. She starts out fully dressed in a space suit, floating in zero gravity. Then Fonda starts taking it all of, and I do mean "all" off. Faye Dunaway was equally nude in her first scene in Bonnie and Clyde. She walks around her bedroom bored and naked. She then looks out her window with some strategically placed window framing just covering her up. It is no wonder Clyde was so impressed looking up at her.

One of the best entrances ever made by a villain is Darth Vader's in Star Wars. The stormtroopers blast their way into Leia's ship and shoot all of her guards. Then, with smoke still billowing about, a large heavy breathing figure all dressed in black walks in. He looks around and walks off. He does not say a word but you just know this guy means business and is someone to take seriously.

Heroes can make just as good of entrance as villains. Trinity, from The Matrix does one of the best action entrances in movie history. Her back is turned to a group of police who are about to arrest her, yet she does not seem nervous at all. She then demonstrates why by kicking every last one of their butts via groundbreaking special effects enhanced choreography.

One of the most famous endings of all time is of course Casablanca. Humphrey Bogart and Claude Rains standing on the tarmac after Elsa's plane has just taken off is a classic. "This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Bogart says as they walk away into the fog and into movie history.