History ThrowItIn / Film

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[[ThrowItIn Click here to go back to the main page]]
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[[folder:Creators]]
* Soviet director Leonid Gaidai often used this. One of the most famous examples is a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=BjlNAWZ4dVQ#t=2775s scene]] from his comedy ''Film/TheDiamondArm'' where a smuggler who got out of the sea notices that his accomplice got stuck on a tiny island several hundred meters away from the shore. The first smuggler, played by the veteran actor Anatoly Papanov, looks out into the sea, growls "Idiot!" and angrily spits out. In reality, the "Idiot" remark was addressed at the cameraman because he had filmed the scene incorrectly and because of this Papanov had to go back into the cold water. Gaidai liked the genuine anger of that remark, so it was inserted into the final cut.
* Norman Mailer directed a small number of films where he threw in unplanned bits:
** In ''Film/Wild90'', an {{improv}}isational movie, about twenty-five minutes of the soundtrack became muffled due to a technical error. Mailer decided to release the movie with the soundtrack muffled, rather than redub it, saying it "sounds like everybody is talking through a jockstrap."
** During the filming of ''Film/{{Maidstone}}'', a movie about a director attempting to become President, Rip Torn attempted to hit Mailer over the head with a hammer. The two of them then fought viciously, all while the cameras rolled. The fight appeared in the movie.
** While making ''Film/ToughGuysDontDance'', Ryan O'Neal gave a poor line reading which Mailer put into the movie, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSRjgb5Zk-k over the protests of various people]], including O'Neal himself, because he felt the poor reading added something to the picture. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9KyBdPeKHg See it for yourself here.]]
* Creator/MarxBrothers
** Groucho Marx ad-libbed frequently; many Marx Brothers movies have noticeable blips where the makers shaved off a few seconds to make room for things like the ''Theatre/AnimalCrackers'' speech which begins: "Pardon me for a second while I have a strange interlude."
** Some scripts simply had "HarpoDoesSomethingFunny" because his improvisations were often better than what the writers could come up with.
** Their first major film ''Film/TheCocoanuts'' had to be shot with multiple cameras because every take they did was different, so normal single camera techniques didn't work. The "viaduct" gag was not in the original script of the play the film was based on.
** In ''Theatre/AnimalCrackers'' the actor playing Mr. Chandler accidentally called Groucho by his own character's name. Both of them were able to improvise off it well enough that the take ended up in the film.
* Creator/PeterSellers: according to IMDB, Inspector Clouseau's "rit of fealous jage" line in ''Film/AShotInTheDark'' was an actual slip of the tongue by Sellers. It was so Clouseau-esque, however, that Creator/BlakeEdwards kept it in.
** There is an outtake of the scene where Sellers says the line wrong before both he and Creator/GeorgeSanders crack up.
* Creator/RobinWilliams was also notorious for ad-libbing a large part of his dialog -- it's said that often his writers end up saying, "[[HarpoDoesSomethingFunny Well, that's funnier, let's go with it.]]"
** ''Film/GoodMorningVietnam'', ''Film/WhatDreamsMayCome'', ''Film/PatchAdams'', and ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'' all feature examples of Williams ad-libbing.
** ''Film/MrsDoubtfire'' has both in-character and out-of-character examples:
*** The movie starts with his character, a professional voice actor, quitting his job because they won't allow him to comment on the cartoon's message that [[FamilyUnfriendlyAesop if someone offers you a cigarette, you should take it.]]
*** Actor Robert Prosky described his approach for the restaurant scene in ''Mrs. Doubtfire'' as "hold on for dear life" since he never knew exactly what was going to come out of Williams' mouth during any given take. If you watch that scene carefully, you can see Creator/PierceBrosnan struggling not to crack up at Robin's antics, and this is made all the funnier by the fact that Brosnan's character is supposed to be annoyed/angry throughout most of that scene.
** Much of the monologue in ''Film/GoodWillHunting'' where Robin Williams' character is counseling Matt Damon on relationships was ad-libbed. This is particularly true in a bit where Williams is describing his dead wife and her tendency to be flatulent when sleeping, which is why Will responds by laughing almost hysterically -- Matt Damon himself [[EnforcedMethodActing had no idea what was coming]]. You can also see the camera shaking very slightly, and it's been reported that the cameraman too was laughing. His last words ("Son of a bitch, he stole my line") were also improvised. So was "Fuck you!" "You're the shepherd."
** During filming of ''Film/TheBirdcage'', Williams and Nathan Lane were so thoroughly into ad-libbing and bouncing off one another that they were forced to promise they'd do one take exactly as scripted before they were allowed, in subsequent takes, to say whatever they wanted. Also, the scene where Robin Williams trips carrying the pot of soup was not supposed to happen, but how hilariously appropriate it was to the mood made it into the film. If you pay enough attention, Creator/HankAzaria nearly loses it at Robin falling. Finally, Williams' character Armand is asked if a character in an in-universe production should just stand still. Armand goes into an elaborate dance routine complete with shouting, then tells the actor "but keep it all inside." The entire thing was improvised by Williams.
** Genie, the breakout character of ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'' was originally supposed to be very somber and mellow; he'd appear, grant the wishes, not take up too much time. Then they got Robin into the booth. Supposedly there are over four hours of him just going off, with a good third of that unusable because "you can't say that, we're Disney". It was so funny, however, that the character (and script) was rewritten, and the animators told to show whatever impression or visual gag Robin would do in film.
*** However, even then, a lot of Robin's work was ad-libbed. So much so, that the film was disqualified from any writing Oscars.
* Ever wonder why ''Creator/BradPitt'' is eating in so many of his scenes in movies? The guy stashes food around the sets and just starts eating in the middle of takes. Often either the take with him eating is the best or even ''adds'' to the scene, and thus often make the final cut.
* Creator/RobertDowneyJr does the same thing, especially in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse movies as [[Film/IronMan Tony Stark]], where he basically ad-libs a lot of his lines to play up the character's arrogant bravado. In fact, Tony outing himself as Iron Man was unscripted.
* Creator/LouisDeFunes was well-known for ad-libbing, especially when it came to physical comedy. On theater especially, he could make a mere walk-in role last longer and longer with every play. This often happened with movies too, naturally; [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VUQ23KfgMs just watch these 20 famous improvised scenes.]]
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[[folder:0-B]]
* In ''Film/OneHundredAndTwentySevenHours'', in the self-amputation scene, the crew had created a super-realistic prosthetic arm for the lead actor James Franco to cut through. It was so realistically built that they didn't actually expect the actor to be able to cut through the bones, and had planned editing alternate shots to simulate it. However, Franco did manage to do it, and it was so realistic and gruesome that the take was left in the final film.
* In ''[[Film/TwentyThousandLeaguesUnderTheSea 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea]]'', Kirk Douglas falling over in his haste to row to safety was an accident too funny to pass over.
* In ''Film/TwentyEightDays'', Gerhardt's speech about forks in the road, salad forks, crab forks, and ladles was entirely ad-libbed by Alan Tudyk.
* In ''Film/ThreeHundred'', the memetic delivery of the line "[[PunctuatedForEmphasis THIS! IS! SPARTA!!!]]" was actually not that highly emphasized in the comic book novel, nor the original script. According to Gerard Butler, after they'd finished filming the scene as scripted, he asked them to do "one more take" and then delivered the line in the now-famous manner. The crew loved it so much that they used that take instead, and the rest, as they say, is history.
* ''Film/TheFortyYearOldVirgin''
** The "You know how I know you're gay?" scene sprang from an improvisation about a completely different subject.
** The waxing scene: they didn't tell Creator/SteveCarell on the first rip that they were actually going to go through with it. Hence his expression, followed by some decidedly out-of-character swearing at the actor who just ripped ''half his chest hair off''. Those wincing looks and glances off-camera from his "buddies" are ''real.'' Carell also ad-libbed all the lines he yelled after each rip including "Kelly Clarkson!!" The script for this scene actually read: "Scream, swear, apologize,".
* In the romantic classic ''Film/AnAffairToRemember'', several of the dry-witted exchanges between Terry and Nickie were ad-libbed by Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant.
* The scene in ''Film/TheAddamsFamily'' where Wednesday Addams sleeps with her arms folded up on her chest like a corpse laid out for a funeral was ad-libbed by Creator/ChristinaRicci, who was about 10 when the movie was filmed.
* ''Film/{{Aliens}}'': "Game over, man! Game over!"
* Two flubbed lines by Robert Redford made it into the final cut of ''Film/AllThePresidentsMen'', thanks to Redford's ability to work the mistake into his performance. One was Redford on the phone with a person who spoke only Spanish, asking the others in the newsroom: "Does anybody here speak English?" when he was supposed to ask for someone who spoke Spanish. The other is at the end of a [[TheOner six-minute take]] with Redford on the phone (again). He calls the person he's talking to by the wrong name but keeps going.
* In ''Film/AlmostFamous'', Penny asks William if he wants to go with her to Morocco, and he answers, "Yes. Wait, ask me again." Penny asks him again, and he responds with an even more enthusiastic "Yes!" This was not in the script; Patrick Fugit, who played William, was simply asking Kate Hudson to do another take of that line, and Cameron Crowe left both takes in.
* In ''Film/AmericanGraffiti'', the opening where Terry (Charlie Martin Smith) crashes his moped into a garbage can was an accident but left in.
* The moment in ''Film/AmericanHustle'' where Rosalyn kisses Sydney was not in the script but came from Creator/AmyAdams (Sydney). Given Miss Adams and the fact that Rosalyn's played by Creator/JenniferLawrence, [[GirlOnGirlIsHot many straight guys]] ([[EvenTheGirlsWantHer and many women as well!]]) everywhere are eternally grateful.
* Gwen Stacy yelling "PETER!" after Spider-Man webs her hand to the hood of a police car and her subsequent OhCrap expression in ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan2'' weren't in the script according to the commentary and was, in fact, a happy accident they decided to keep in.
* ''Film/AmericanPie'':
** Jim asks Michelle, aka Creator/AlysonHannigan, to the prom. After she talks about [[DoubleEntendre using her flute to make her sing]] and wanting to have sex with Jim, she climbs on top of him and says, "What's my name? Say my name, bitch!" This was yet another "tried it differently on the last take" that they threw in. (You can see all the takes on the DVD special features.)
** The second film makes a call back to this as Michelle refers to Jim as "My Bitch".
** Eugene Levy is known for doing this. Adam Hertz, the screenwriter for the ''Film/AmericanPie'' movies, said when writing for Mr. Levinstein he likes to sketch out what he wants Levy to say and not write too much actual dialogue. Justified, too, given Levy's appearances in so many {{Mockumentar|y}}ies.
* ''Film/AnnieHall'': the scene where Alvy sneezes, blowing away a boxful of his friend's $2000/oz cocaine ran much longer but was cut back because the laughter from the audience made the rest of the dialog inaudible. The sneeze was real and unrehearsed.
* A few Creator/JohnBelushi moments in ''Film/AnimalHouse'' came about like this, particularly in the cafeteria scene. His trip through the buffet line was between takes, but when the crew saw they were told to keep rolling. Moments later, he improvised the "I'm a zit" gag, and the looks of surprise and disgust on the actors [[EnforcedMethodActing are genuine]].
* In the ''Film/{{Armageddon}}'', Creator/BruceWillis improvised the famous line: "The President of The United States just asked us to save the world... anyone want to say 'no?'" Creator/MichaelBay liked it so much he made sure they put it in the trailer.
* In ''Film/AttackOfTheKillerTomatoes'', the helicopter that they'd rented for the day crashed, and they caught it on film... so they added a line about a tomato leaping at it.
** The actors just got out of the wreck, dusted themselves, and went right on with the scene.
--->"Well, what do you think?"
--->"I don't think it will ever fly again."
* In ''Film/{{Atonement}}'', director Joe Wright reveals in his commentary that the scene just before Robbie discovers the school girls massacre, at the point where he removes his helmet, the weather is cloudy. As he looks up the sky, the sunlight surprisingly shines and gets cloudy again the moment he put his head down.
* ''Film/AustinPowers in Goldmember'':
** During the fountain scene, at one point Austin's, ahem, "stream" starts giving out intermittent splashes like a sprinkler. According to the DVD commentary, this was actually a result of the water cannon malfunctioning, but the directors found it so funny they left it in.
** Similarly, Scott Evil's little dance at the very end after gloating that he'll get Austin Powers in the same film was not in the original script. Creator/SethGreen, the actor for Scott Evil, was just fooling around with the set without realizing that the camera was actually rolling, but the directors found this to be hilarious so they left it in.
* In ''Film/{{Avatar}}'', during a scene where Neytiri is attempting to teach Jake how to speak Na'vi, she gets annoyed at his mispronouncing the word "nari" and [[DopeSlap smacks him in the side of the head]]. This was a real smack from the actress and was not in the script. [[RuleOfFunny They kept it in anyway.]]
* ''Film/TheAvengers2012'' has several:
** Robert Downey Jr. ad-libbed a joke about one of the BridgeBunnies on SHIELD's Helicarrier playing ''VideoGame/{{Galaga}}''. Not only was the line kept in, but at the end of the scene, one of the Bridge Bunnies (whom director Creator/JossWhedon thought looked a little sketchy in said scene) is seen returning to his game of ''Galaga''.
** He also ad-libbed the semi-delirious monologue from Tony as he's recovering from his NearDeathExperience. [[spoiler:Famously, during this speech he expresses an interest in trying shawarma; Whedon found this hilarious and brought the cast back after filming had concluded to shoot the post-credits scene where the six exhausted superheroes [[BrickJoke eat shawarma]].]]
** Creator/MarkRuffalo ad-libbed the Hulk's roar that brings Iron Man back to consciousness, as well as a small moment where he touches a cradle when he meets Black Widow. The latter would be expanded upon in the sequel, where the two characters bond about their [[CommonalityConnection inability to have children]].
* ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'':
** Creator/AndySerkis was originally only brought in as a [[SerkisFolk motion capture]] consultant to help Creator/MarkRuffalo and Creator/JamesSpader. Jeremy Latcham then stumbled upon some online fan art of Serkis as the ''ComicBook/BlackPanther'' villain Klaw, and Creator/JossWhedon liked it so much that he decided to cast Serkis as Klaw in the movie.
** Once again, Robert Downey Jr. improvised the "Hello, Deere" quip. In the home release director's commentary, Whedon admitted that he regrets not thinking of the line himself.
* In ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', as written, [[spoiler:Tony and Morgan's]] special way of saying "I love you" was "Love you tons". At the actor's suggestion, the line became "I love you three thousand", which is what [[https://www.fandango.com/movie-news/the-most-memorable-line-in-avengers-endgame-came-from-robert-downey-jr-753732?cmp=TWFD_News_Iron_Man_3000 his real-life children say to him]].
* Two of the most memorable moments in ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' were improvised:
** Star-Lord, having mistaken Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Dr. Strange for Thanos' minions, asks them where Gamora is. Iron Man shoots back: "I'll do you one better: who's Gamora?" Dave Bautista, playing [[TheComicallySerious Drax]], then ad-libbed: "No, I'll do 'you' one better: 'why' is Gamora?"
** Tom Holland improvised the entirety of [[spoiler:Spider-Man's death scene]] on the spot.
* The scene with Thorton Melon's secretary taking notes for him in ''Film/BackToSchool'' was supposed to show his son Jason sitting next to her looking disgusted, but the actor simply couldn't stop laughing at Edie [=McClurg=]'s performance. They decided to leave it in since it works just as well that he is supposed to be laughing in frustrated disbelief instead.
* In ''Film/BackToTheFuturePartII'', the stunt double of Griff's female gang member was injured when she hit the column of the courthouse. They actually used that take in the movie.
* In the final shot of ''Film/BartonFink'', the seagull diving into the water was unplanned.
* In ''Film/BasicInstinct'', actors Creator/MichaelDouglas and Jeanne Tripplehorn were merely rehearsing the sex scene between their characters and didn't even know they were being filmed, but the director liked the footage so much that he put it into the film.
* In Creator/TimBurton's ''Film/Batman1989'', when exploring Wayne Manor with Vicki, Knox (Robert Wuhl) ad-libbed the jokes about the decorative suits of armor Wayne has.
** Michael Keaton ended up creating two things, both iconic for the movie. The first is the infamous "I'm Batman." line. The original line on the script was "I am the {k}night.", but after doing it so many times, he ended up saying the iconic line and it was kept in. The other is Batman's full body turn because the cowl design was so stiff that actually turning it caused it to bow awkwardly.
* In ''Film/BeautifulGirls'', when Timothy Hutton is saying goodbye to Creator/NataliePortman at the end, he kisses her on the cheek, which was unscripted, and her reaction is genuine.
* During the filming of the chariot race in ''Film/BenHur1959'', Creator/CharletonHeston's stunt double Joe Canutt almost flew out of the chariot when it jumped over a wrecked chariot, which was unintentional. The shot was left in with director William Wyler shooting a close-up of Heston climbing back into the cart. Reputedly, the crowd flooding the arena at the end of the chariot race was an unplanned move by enthusiastic extras.
* Several scenes in TheFilmOfTheSeries of ''Film/{{Bewitched}}'' were directly scripted from development-period improvisations between Creator/NicoleKidman and Creator/WillFerrell, including, in an amusing recursion, the scene where Isabel and Jack "improvise" an interview with a witch. According to Creator/NoraEphron's DVDCommentary, this scene was essentially unchanged from the original improv, right down to Kidman's line, "Do we have to keep doing this?"
* The elephant defecating next to Creator/EwanMcGregor in ''Film/BigFish'' was absolutely not in the script. As the elephant started going while [=McGregor=] delivered his lines, director Creator/TimBurton ordered a quick zoom out so they could catch exactly what [=McGregor=]'s character had signed up for when he joined the circus.
* In ''{{Film/Birdman}}'', the film opens with score drummer/composer Antonío Sanchez asking director Alejandro González Iñárritu a question in Spanish, and then detuning his drums as desired by the director, who was sitting in on the sessions and helping to direct the score. Iñárritu can also be heard in the background of the closing credits.
* In the BlaxploitationParody ''Film/BlackDynamite'', there is a scene where some men in black suits are shooting at Black Dynamite and a man in a large jelly doughnut costume from the car. As they pull up in the car and begin shooting, the car begins rolling away due to the fact that the actor ''forgot to enable the parking brake''. He got it eventually, but the shot was kept in due to the fact that it fit in with the rest of the movie's intentional "Throw it In"s.
* According to the DVD info for ''Film/BlackKnight'', one of the female lead's faceplants was entirely unintentional but kept in because it looked awesome.
* Roy Batty's "tears in rain" speech from the ending of ''Film/BladeRunner'' was actually a mostly-improvised performance by Rutger Hauer that was kept in the final product. According to Hauer and screenwriter Creator/DavidWebbPeoples, the script called for Batty to deliver a two-page speech that explained all of his past adventures in greater detail. After a long night shooting, and with the sun coming up on the final day of filming, Hauer (who had been trying to figure out how he could condense it down) stripped the speech down to its barest minimum and delivered it in one take.
* ''Film/BlazingSaddles'': When Jim the gunfighter is telling Bart why he'll never be accepted in Rock Ridge, Creator/GeneWilder's line goes, "These are simple folk, people of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know: morons." Cleavon Little [[{{Corpsing}} started breaking up]], because Wilder had improvised the "morons" part.
* There's a scene in ''Blood Of The Tribades'' where three of the female vampire characters, all wearing face-concealing cloaks and shot from a distance, climb up a stairway etched into rock above a waterfall: None of the cast was able to travel to the location they wanted to use, but co-director/co-writer Sophia Cacciola was, so she {{FakeShemp}}ed for all three actresses by climbing the stairs once, then compositing the shot to make it look like three people walking in single file instead of just one. She happened to adjust the hood of her cloak at a certain point of this shot, so in the composited version it looks as though all three women pulled on their hoods in a certain way in succession; This was left in because it looked cool and seemed like some sort of ritualized gesture that the characters might do.
* While he was writing ''Film/BoogieNights'', Creator/PaulThomasAnderson accidentally mixed up two words while writing dialogue about Little Bill's cheating wife. He decided to leave it in, as Little Bill is angry when he says the line and [[{{Angrish}} would have mixed the words up]].
* ''Film/{{Borat}}'': The naked wrestling scene. Sacha Baron Cohen told the director that if he ran short on oxygen from having a 300 lb man sit on his chest he'd hit the mattress three times fast. If you look you'll find he does that about halfway through the fight.
* In the classic ''Film/BringingUpBaby'', Creator/CaryGrant's character Dr. David Huxley has lost his clothes and is forced to find whatever he can around Susan's aunt's house to wear home. Naturally, all that is available are a ridiculous pair of hunting boots and a woman's frilly nightgown. When Susan's aunt sees him, she angrily asks him why he's wearing those clothes; impatiently, Grant jumps in the air and shouts "Because I just went ''gay'' all of the sudden!"
* ''Film/{{Bullitt}}'': In an early scene without dialogue, Bullitt goes to a Chinese restaurant with his girlfriend and the waiter nearly smacks him in the eye with a menu. Steve [=McQueen=] chuckles and claps a hand over his eye in mock pain, then visibly reassures the off-camera waiter that there's no harm done.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:C-D]]
* Bill Murray ad-libbed the scene in ''Film/{{Caddyshack}}'' where he was pretending to win the Masters.
* ''Film/{{Caine}}'' was supposed to be about smuggling. When a stuntman was killed by a shark, it was retitled ''Shark'' and recut as an animal attack movie.
* In ''Film/CannibalTheMusical'' there was a scene where the town's drunken sheriff informs Packer that he's going to be hung at sunrise, then adds "You know what they say about sunrise?", awkwardly pauses for a moment, and just wanders off. According to the commentary, the actor (who actually ''was'' drunk) had just forgotten his line and walked off camera -- Trey Parker opted to leave it in because he decided that it was funnier than the actual punchline.
* In the Disney Channel Original Movie ''Camp Rock'', starring Music/TheJonasBrothers, the character of Shane, played by Joe Jonas, falls in a bush while running. According to Demi Lovato, the fall was real.
* In ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'', when Steve finishes getting transformed by the super serum, Agent Carter briefly reaches out to touch his abs, before pulling back at the last second. [[EatingTheEyeCandy This was not scripted]].
* ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'':
** Tony's "I'm going to sit here, so you move your leg?" was improvised, since Tom Holland forgot his blocking, for the scene. It works as Tom Holland acting anxious about Robert Downey Jr. melds in well to Peter acting anxious about Tony Stark. It even gets folded into their dynamic in ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'', with the awkward "That's not a hug, I'm just getting the door" bit.
** Creator/AnthonyMackie and Creator/SebastianStan improvised the bit where [[SeriousBusiness Bucky asks Sam to adjust his seat]]. Look closely, and you'll notice that the camera cuts away just as Stan is [[{{Corpsing}} starting to laugh]]. The directors opted to keep it both to lean into the TeethClenchedTeamwork dynamic between the Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and it's one of the very few scenes in the film of [[WhenSheSmiles Bucky smiling]].
** Creator/JohnKani (as King T'Chaka) speaks Xhosa and taught Creator/ChadwickBoseman (as Prince T'Challa / ComicBook/BlackPanther) some during filming. The two then performed some of their lines in the language. Ever since, Xhosa has become the language of Wakanda in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse.
* In ''Film/{{Captain Marvel|2019}}'', Creator/SamuelLJackson improvised the joke during the AlienAutopsy where Nick Fury takes a peek at the dead Skrull's private areas.
* The most famous example of all time, in ''Film/{{Casablanca}}'':
-->'''Rick:''' Here's lookin' at you, kid.
** There's also scene where several of Rick's French customers sing ''La Marseillaise'' to drown out the Nazis and break down crying. Most of these extras were Europeans displaced by the Nazis and the crying was genuine.
* In the film version of ''Film/TheCatInTheHat'', Mike Myers is standing in the hallway amidst the house falling down when one particular beam falls, and Mike jumps and starts looking around because no one told him it was going to happen.
* In Eric Liddell's first scene at the running meeting in ''Film/ChariotsOfFire'', Ian Charleson (Liddell) was giving a speech - "I am, and will be whilst I breathe..." - when he was suddenly interrupted by a cow mooing offscreen. Instead of stopping, he smiled and finished his line: "...a Scot." The director liked it and left it in.
* ''Film/ChildsPlay'' has a scene near the end where Chucky is in an elevator with an elderly couple. As soon as the couple steps off the elevator, the woman says "Ugly doll." As the elevator ascends, Chucky retorts "Fuck you.", which was ad-libbed by actor Brad Dourif.
* ''Film/AChristmasCarol1938'' had a scene of Scrooge telling Bob Cratchit to remove the coals from the fireplace. Cratchit's actor, Gene Lockheart, burns his hand doing so and the take of him nursing his hand is left intact.
* ''Film/{{Cinderella 2015}}'':
** Ella dancing while singing "Lavender's Blue" in the attic was improvised by Lily James.
** Sophie [=McShera=] and Holliday Granger improvised their lines on set for the stepsisters' first scene.
* In ''Film/CitizenKane'', Joseph Cotten mispronounced the word "criticism" and quickly corrected himself, due to his exhaustion in acting in the ambitious film at the same time that he was starring in ''Film/ThePhiladelphiaStory'' on Broadway. Since his character was drunk in the scene Welles decided to use that take, and in fact, you can see that he is initially surprised and then pleased by the mistake. There is a story that [[EnforcedMethodActing Welles intentionally had Cotten kept awake for a very long time because extreme fatigue resembles drunkenness]].
* Creator/MalcolmMcDowell claims Alex's use of the song "Singin' in the Rain" during the rape scene in ''Film/AClockworkOrange'' was an improvisation on his part which Kubrick approved. During rehearsal, the scene had not been working as scripted, so Kubrick told [=McDowell=] to try dancing. While trying this, [=McDowell=] spontaneously began singing the song. Kubrick realized it worked and immediately left the set to call New York and secure the rights to the song.
* In a scene from ''Film/{{Clueless}}'', Cher is giving a speech about granting asylum to Haitians. Cher pronounces it "Hate-ians" instead of "Hay-shens." This wasn't scripted - Alicia Silverstone didn't actually know how to pronounce Haitians. The director liked it so much that she told the crew not to correct Silverstone.
* At the beginning of the 1965 French film ''Le Corniaud'' (''Film/TheSucker''), the Citroën 2CV driven by Bourvil's character is hit by Creator/LouisDeFunes's Rolls Royce, which causes it to fall into pieces a la Blues Brothers. Both drivers then proceed to have an argument over the wreckage, during which Bourvil threw the ad-libbed line "Maintenant, elle va marcher beaucoup moins bien, forcément!" ("Now, it will run a lot less well, naturally!"). De Funès had to lower his head to hide [[{{Corpsing}} his snicker at the unexpected reply]] in order to not ruin the shot. (Which they couldn't afford, as they had only one self-destructing car available...)
* ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'':
** ''Film/TheDarkKnight'':
*** The Joker [[SarcasticClapping clapping sarcastically]] with everyone while in his cell when Gordon was promoted to Commissioner was an improvisation by Creator/HeathLedger. Creator/ChristopherNolan immediately told the camera crew to keep filming.
*** Similarly, Ledger ever so slightly modified the line where Joker disparages Lau's plan to run to Hong Kong. The script said "As for ''Lau's'' so-called plan", which was changed to "As for '''the television's''' so-called plan". The tiny change adds a little humour to the line and dehumanises Lau, which fits well with Joker's overall attitude towards people.
*** It was claimed that the scene outside the hospital where Joker expresses displeasure at the lack of explosions was unscripted. However, the behind-the-scenes making of featurette of that scene shows that everything was meticulously timed and executed flawlessly.
*** A ''lot'' of the Joker's antics were thrown in. His [[CharacterTics lip licking]] was because Ledger found the scar make up uncomfortable, and him accidentally firing his gun and falling when stumbling from the truck was when Ledger accidentally hit the trigger after almost losing his grip on the weapon. Even little things like eating the hors d'oeuvre at the fundraiser were unscripted.
*** During the scene when the Joker arrives at the fundraiser, he steps out of the elevator and into the room, past Alfred. Creator/MichaelCaine (playing Alfred) had a line at that point. This was his first time seeing Heath Ledger in costume as the Joker, and he was so unsettled that he forgot his line and Ledger moved on as though nothing had happened. Nolan liked it enough that he didn't bother with a reshoot.
** ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'': Tom Hardy improvised the line, "What a lovely, lovely voice," which Bane says while listening to the boy singing the national anthem at the football stadium.
* ''Film/DasBoot'': A literal example. To simulate scenes during rough seas, a set was built of the conning tower's observation platform and huge jets of water were projected at the actors at realistic pressures. While filming one of these scenes, Jan Fedder (Pilgrim) lost his footing and was nearly swept off the set. Bernd Tauber (Kriechbaum) noticed he was suddenly missing, and called attention to him by shouting "Mann-über-Bord!" ("Man overboard!") before helping him to the hatch. Director Wolfgang Petersen [[AllPartOfTheShow was impressed]] and wanted to do another take, before realizing that the accident was real and Fedder was actually injured. His scenes had to be partially [[WrittenInInfirmity re-written so that he spent a portion of the voyage in bed afterwards]].
* Many, many, many, scenes of ''Film/DateNight'' are all improvised and ad-libbed.
* In the 2004 ''Film/DawnOfTheDead2004'' film, an early scene filmed with a fixed camera on a car roof as it drives around the wrecked apocalyptic neighborhood almost caused an accident when the car drove in front of another vehicle, forcing the other driver to slam their brakes and barely avoid hitting it. Everyone agreed that it added a great touch to the apocalyptic feel of the sequence.
* ''Film/{{Deadpool|2016}}'':
** A lot of the jokes. The biggest one has to be when Creator/RyanReynolds makes a joke about how Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead are the only two X-Men in the film due to their limited budget.
--->'''Deadpool''': You know it's funny how I only see the two of you here. It's like the studio couldn't afford any more X-Men.
** The [[CreditsGag opening credits]] were a placeholder by the previsualization team. The crew found them funny/fitting and kept them.
* According to the director, much of the humor in ''Film/DeathAtAFuneral'' was based on deliberately exploiting this trope. He explained that scenes would often be repeated until something funny went wrong, and then that take was used.
* One of the crashes staged for ''Film/DeathRace'' unexpectedly sent the stunt car much higher than intended, so it hung up on a billboard rather than smashing into the wall below. The resulting footage looked so badass that the filmmakers went back and equipped one of the other racers' vehicles with a rocket launcher suitable for blowing rival drivers sky-high, purely so they could justify using the clip.
* In the 2006 movie ''Film/DejaVu'', there's a scene where the [[TimeyWimeyBall Timey Wimey Machine]] is ramping up to full power. As they're trying to get it to work, the lead machine wonk played by Adam Goldberg yells at his colleagues "[[Series/SaturdayNightLive I need more cowbell!]]" Reportedly this was an ad lib by Goldberg that suited the scene so well they left it in, and somewhat amusingly, several reviews singled it out as one of the most entertaining moments of the film.
* The famous "squeal like a pig" quote from ''Film/{{Deliverance}}'' was not present in the source novel or the original script. It was an ad lib cooked up by the actors that the director liked since it didn't contain any of the foul language of the original line, meaning the line wouldn't have to be cut or edited for TV.
* ''Film/TheDescent'': A crew member's face was accidentally caught on camera in one scene. Rather than reshooting the scene or removing him, his face was whitened to make him look like a hiding Crawler.
* ''Film/DieHard''
** Creator/AlanRickman plays BigBad terrorist Hans Gruber. When he can't get information from a character, he shoots him without a second thought. Later, he tells the rest of the terrified hostages, "I wanted this to be professional, efficient, adult, cooperative, not a lot to ask; sadly, your Mr. Takagi couldn't go along, so ''he won't be joining us for the rest of his life''." This line was an ad-lib by Rickman.
** He also ad-libbed eating some of the food from the party buffet while saying the line.
** While not as spur-of-the-moment as many examples, the scene where Gruber pretends to be a hostage was written after the filmmakers discovered that Rickman could do an excellent American accent. The filmmakers had been looking for a way to have [=McClane=] and Gruber meet face-to-face before the movie's climax, and Rickman's accent provided a way to do that.
** In one scene [=McClane=] tries to jump between air ducts in an elevator shaft. He misses his mark and just barely clings to one of the lower ducts - which was really an accident by the stuntman, but included in the final cut because it looked authentic.
** Al Leong improvised the bit where he takes a candy bar from the concession stand before fighting the SWAT team, as he felt the scene could use some comic relief.
* French-Canadian comedy ''Ding et Dong: Le Film'' has the two [[IdiotHero dim as lightbulbs protagonists]] hired as stuntmen for a driving sequence in a [[ShowWithinAShow movie being filmed]]. They barely understand enough English to write down the English-speaking director's directions, and turn the wrong way right at the start, leaving the stunt course and driving like maniacs in real traffic. When they're finally stopped, the character in the passenger seat looks dizzy and asks "Pis, c'etais-tu correct?" ("So, was that good?") before being arrested by the police. [[WordOfGod The actor who played the role]] stated that he had a completely ''different'' line to say, but the stunt drive he had just gone through (the driver was a ''real'' stuntman) had left him so shaken that he blurted out that line to the ''real movie director'', forgetting that the cameras were still rolling. They loved that take so much that it was used in the final movie. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tT3S4CGhlJE See it here.]]
* In the 1967 film, ''Film/TheDirtyDozen''. Creator/LeeMarvin's "Oh, they played an active part alright." line was completely unplanned, as was Creator/ErnestBorgnine's reaction of spitting his drink on the floor and coughing.
* ''Film/{{District 9}}'': Many, if not all of Wikus' lines are improvised. When you consider how beautifully Sharlto Copley acts his part, this becomes really impressive food for thought.
* In ''Film/DjangoUnchained'', Candie (Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio) cutting himself before smearing blood on Broomhilda's face was ad-libbed. [=DiCaprio=] actually injured his hand while smacking it on the table (and the glass). This is also why nobody reacts to Candie's hand dripping blood, but are all giving each other "are we supposed to pretend we don't notice that?" side-eyes. It's also why Broomhilda's actress looks so mortified. However, the blood added tension to the scene, and so they left it in, necessitating [=DiCaprio's=] character wearing a bandage over his hand for the rest of the movie. Reportedly, after the take was over, [=DiCaprio=] [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome got a standing ovation from the cast and crew]].
* The scene in ''Film/DoctorStrange2016'' where Christine is scared by a mop falling over after being exposed to all of Dr. Strange's new magic wasn't planned. Creator/RachelMcAdams was just supposed to walk out of frame dumbfounded, but the mop just happened to fall over, scaring the shit out of her.
* ''Film/DoctorStrangelove'':
** General Turgidson's tumble in the War Room was unscripted and accidental.
** A great deal of Peter Sellers' performance is said to have been improvised, including prominent examples such as President Muffley's "Just as sorry as you are" phone conversation with Premiere Kissov and the title character's uncontrollable hand. Highly uncharacteristically for Kubrick, who was known to be an extreme perfectionist, who in some cases demand would several hundred takes of a scene to get it just right, wholeheartedly embraced Sellers' improvisations and made sure to keep several cameras on him at all times during filming. (It probably helps that, in his own way, Sellers was almost as much of a perfectionist as Kubrick--it's just that he was more willing to go off script than Kubrick.)
** One notable (and possibly apocryphal) example of Sellers's on-set ad-libbing was with the famous [[UsefulNotes/NaziGermany "Mein Führer,]] I can walk!" moment. Supposedly, Sellers got so caught up in the emotion of his role as the titular doctor that he briefly forgot that Strangelove was supposed to be handicapped; once he realized his mistake, Sellers hastily shouted the line to save face.
* A lot of dialogue in ''Film/DogDayAfternoon'' including Creator/AlPacino yelling "Attica! Attica!" and John Cazale's response when Pacino asks him what country he wants to go after the robbery: "Wyoming."
* ''Film/DownPeriscope'':
** Supposedly, the scene where [[GoodLookingPrivates Lt. Emily Lake]] (played by Lauren Holly, as a Naval experiment for having women on submarines) confronts her commander (played by Kelsey Grammer) regarding a sub maneuver that he'd pulled to help her regain her confidence. When leaving, the part where the actress slammed her elbow into the doorjamb and gave a short hysterical laugh before darting out of the set was not in the script but kept anyway for extra laughs.
** Also supposedly, many of Nitro's lines were ad-libbed. The character, portrayed by Toby Huss, was only supposed to have a couple of lines at the beginning of the film.
* ''Film/DraculaDeadAndLovingIt'' had the infamous "Staking Lucy" scene, in which Steven Weber (as Jonathan Harker) gets ''[[BloodyHilarious covered]]'' [[BloodyHilarious in blood]] from hitting the stake once into her heart. Brooks (as Van Helsing) - [[GenreSavvy who'd hidden behind a nearby pillar]]) explains that she'd just eaten before exclaiming that she'd moved. Harker hits her again, only to get covered in ''another'' geyser of blood. When Van Helsing insists that she's NotQuiteDead...
-->'''Harker''': She's dead ''enough''.
* The scene in ''Film/TheDreamers'' where Isabelle's hair catches fire happened unplanned. Eva Green was supposed to lean forward and kiss Matthew goodnight but accidentally caught her hair on fire on the candle on the table. She didn't let it worry her and acted so natural that Creator/BernardoBertolucci decided to leave it in as he felt it demonstrated perfectly the cross over in the film that things are about to get a bit crazy!
* The "Most Annoying Sound" scene in ''Film/DumbAndDumber'' was unscripted (you can tell because it's clear Jeff Daniels is about to crack up). Jim Carrey also made up the "We went to the moon!" line.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:E-H]]
* In the film version of ''Film/EastOfEden'', Cal was supposed to deck Adam after he rejects his present. When shooting, James Dean had the impulse to instead hug Raymond Massey. This became a moment of EnforcedMethodActing for Massey who, unpracticed in improvisation, came across exactly as stiff and uncomfortable as Adam ought to be under the circumstances.
* In ''Film/EdgeOfTomorrow'', the kiss Rita gives Cage at the end was not in the script. Creator/EmilyBlunt said afterwards, "It just felt right. It felt right and I did it."
* Another continuity reference happens at the end of ''Film/ElDorado'' when Creator/JohnWayne snaps at Robert Mitchum for alternating which arm he put his crutch under. Before becoming a big star, Wayne did part-time continuity work in college.
* In ''Film/EnterTheDragon'' in the scene where O'Hara (Robert Wall) is beaten by Lee, Lee delivers a flying kick to O'Hara. Wall and Lee had decided that Lee should deliver a real flying kick to add authenticity to the scene, as Wall knew how to take the hit. They had not planned for Wall to go flying back into the extras, knocking them all over and actually breaking one's arm.
* An In-Universe example occurred in the ''Series/EvenStevens'' movie: In the film's beginning, during Ren's valedictorian speech, Louis and Beans (after tricking Donny into letting them go backstage) have a beach ball-shaped device bounce around the podium, with Tugnut (who was asleep during the speech) being ordered by Weskler into grabbing the ball and restoring order. Louis intended for the ball, when exploding, to release confetti. However, Beans (who presumably was the one who actually created the ball) misheard his instructions and said that he thought Louis said "spaghetti", right after the ball detonates and sprays the coach with the brunt of spaghetti and meatballs. Louis then said to Beans that his mishearing things made the prank even better.
* ''[[Film/TheFastAndTheFurious Fast & Furious 6]]'' has a scene where Roman sees Hobbs and tries to tease him by calling out "Hey, Mia, you better hide your baby oil." Hobb's actor, Wrestling/DwayneJohnson, improvised the retort "And you better hide that big-ass forehead", which made Ludacris do a SpitTake and ended up making it into the final movie.
* ''Film/FerrisBuellersDayOff'' has actress Edie [=McClurg=]'s famous line, "They think he's a 'righteous dude.'" This was ad-libbed.
* In ''Film/FieldOfDreams'', Shoeless Joe Jackson accidentally hits a ball close enough to make Ray Kinsella jump aside with a "Whoa!" It also knocks over the nearby bag of baseballs.
* From a scene between Creator/JohnCleese and Creator/JamieLeeCurtis at the end of 1997's SpiritualSuccessor to ''Film/AFishCalledWanda'', ''Film/FierceCreatures'' (bonus points for Curtis' '''very''' visibly suppressed laughter immediately afterwards):
-->'''Rollo Lee:''' Oh, Wanda...!\\
'''Willa Weston:''' Willa.\\
'''Rollo Lee:''' --Willa...!
* While filming ''Film/AFistfulOfDollars'', Creator/ClintEastwood discovered that the intense Spanish sun and his sensitive eyes did not agree very well. And as the role didn't exactly allow him to wear shades and the hat only helped so much, his solution was to squint as much as possible during filming. Resulting in his now iconic ClintSquint look.
* ''Film/FightClub'':
** When The Narrator exits from [[spoiler:the Tyler Durden-controlled police station]], he threatens the police officers with a "lead salad." The line was improvised by Creator/EdwardNorton on the spot, as were the dubious expressions of the threatened officers.
** According to the DVD commentary, during the first fight between the Narrator and Durden, where Durden is taunting him to "hit me, hit me in the face" and gets punched in the ear instead, Norton was supposed to take a swing at Creator/BradPitt's shoulder, but was directed at the last minute to actually hit Pitt in the ear, resulting in the "Ah, God! Fuck! Why the ''ear'', man?!" line.
** The scene with Pitt and Norton hitting golf balls into the trainyard had nothing to do with the original script. The two of them were drunkenly aiming golf balls to hit the catering trucks; Fincher decided to film it and put it in.
* In ''Film/FindingNeverland'', at the ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve part, the uptight Emma starts clapping fervently. The children were shocked in response since the actress wasn't supposed to. It adds a lot to the scene.
* In ''Film/FirstBlood'', protagonist John Rambo jumps off a cliff into a tree, then falls down, hitting branches on the way down, to hit the ground with a blood-curdling scream. That's because Stallone broke three ribs doing the stunt.
* In ''Film/TheFrenchConnection'', while tailing Sal, the actor playing Sal got too far ahead of the chase car, which was then caught in a traffic jam coming off the Brooklyn Bridge. There's also the car, a '67 Torino, Popeye crashes into. It was actually just some guy on his way to work, driving on a street that was missed when closing to traffic. The production crew paid for the repairs to his car.
* ''Film/TheFugitive'':
** When Richard Kimble pleads with Deputy Marshall Gerard, "I didn't kill my wife!", Jones ad-libbed his blunt response of "I don't care!"--which promptly became the film's most memorable line.
** When Gerard and Newman are hanging around:
--->'''Gerard:''' Newman, what are you doing?\\
'''Newman:''' I'm thinking.\\
'''Gerard:''' Well, think me up a cup of coffee and a chocolate doughnut with some of those little sprinkles on top -- while you're thinking.
** Harrison Ford injured his knee during filming, but postponed surgery until filming was complete, feeling (correctly) that the resulting limp would heighten the tension of the chase scenes and emphasize Kimble's vulnerability.
** Similar to his actions while filming ''Film/ANewHope'', he also refused to memorize the script for the scene where he's interrogated by the police, allowing his responses to be completely realistic.
* ''Film/FullMetalJacket'', Creator/RLeeErmey, as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, pulled the "reach-around" line when insulting a recruit from Texas, out of his head. Kubrick stopped the filming to ask Ermey what that meant. After it was explained, Kubrick simply said to go with it. It helped that Ermey really was a [[DrillSergeantNasty Drill Instructor]] during Vietnam. During Hartman's initial tirade against the recruits, Hartman punching Joker in the stomach wasn't originally in the script. Ermey later said in an interview that it was just what he would do in response to what Joker did (speaking without being spoken to) and he wanted it to feel authentic. So when Joker is bent over gasping for air, he isn't acting. Other Hartman lines were also ad-libbed, with Ermey being one of the relative few that Kubrick, notorious in some circles as a control freak, allowed to go off-script.
* In the 2005 remake of ''Film/FunWithDickAndJane'', the scene where Dick and Jane rob and bedevil a mean old bank executive while wearing all-concealing suits and voice distorters was originally built around a BrickJoke with the electric shock collar they put on him, but then Creator/JimCarrey took his new voice and ''ran with it.''
* In ''Film/GetSmart'', the scene after the parachute jump in which 99 grills Max about what he would do if someone pointed a gun at him was taken almost verbatim from dialogue Anne Hathaway ad-libbed for her screen test. The director like it so much, he added it to the film. (From the making-of featurette on the DVD.)
* ''Film/{{Gettysburg}}'':
** General Pickett remains cheerful about the assault on the center of the Union line until he is thrown from his horse. The fall jars him into reality and he starts saying "What's happening to my boys?!", realizing that they're being slaughtered. This bit of symbolism happened because Stephen Lang actually did fall off the horse, but remained in character.
** Supposedly, the scene where cheering Confederate troops mob General Lee happened because the reenactors liked Martin Sheen so much they showed their appreciation this way, and Ronald Maxwell filmed it. However, a similar scene does happen in the book, so it may be apocryphal.
* In ''Film/{{Ghostbusters 1984}}'':
** Creator/BillMurray reportedly adlibbed at least some of his lines. The degree varies between different accounts from practically everything he said to just a couple of lines. One of the most notable is him mentioning the [[NoodleIncident time]] Egon tried to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trepanning trepan]] himself - especially since Ramis went with it seamlessly.
** The commentary notes that practically every scene had an ad-lib, not just by Bill Murray either. Creator/RickMoranis also ad-libbed much of his dialogue, especially in the party scene, though he worked with the screenwriters to get a vague outline of what was needed.
** During the scene where Dana watches the Ghostbusters' [[KitschyLocalCommercial cheesy no-budget commercial]], watch how Egon steps forward, delivers his line, and awkwardly steps backward while glancing down to make sure he's on his mark. This was a genuine gaffe by Creator/HaroldRamis, and he and Ivan Reitman decided to keep it in because it showed how awkward the inexperienced Ghostbusters were in front of the camera.
* In ''Film/GhostRider,'' the first scene with Creator/NicolasCage as Johnny Blaze, a professional daredevil, has him failing a jump. During the fall, the front wheel of his motorcycle smashes into his helmet, breaking the visor of the helmet. This was not intentional, and the stuntman really did take a tire to the face. However, when the stuntman saw the footage of the crash, he thought it looked good, so they decided to leave it intact.
* Ripcord's helmet flashing holographic pictures of Scarlett in ''Film/GIJoeTheRiseOfCobra''. Originally, he was meant to be responding to the number of virtual controls showing up in the HUD, but when it got to actually including the display in the visual effects department, they thought it'd be more amusing if it had her face popping up.
* ''Film/TheGodfather''
** The RightHandCat in the opening scene was not in the script. It was just some random stray cat that Marlon Brando befriended and argued Coppola into letting him work it into the scene. And it works.
** Legend has it that Lenny Montana (who worked for the Colombo crime family) was one of the thugs sent down to the set to see how the movie portrayed the Mafia, and whether changes needed to be made to the script; one of their demands, for example, was that the word "Mafia" not be used. The actor playing Brasi had had a stroke, they needed a replacement, and Lenny got the part. He was a big fan of Marlon Brando and flubbed the line where he congratulates Don Corleone on his daughter's wedding because he was so nervous about meeting him. Coppola liked it (seeing a huge imposing guy like Brasi completely humbled and nervous in front of Corleone says a lot more about the latter's reputation than dialogue ever could), and inserted a scene earlier in the film, where Brasi is rehearsing his congratulation.
--->"Don Corleone, I am honored and grateful that you have invited me to your daughter...'s wedding... on the day of your daughter's wedding. And I hope their first child be a masculine child. I pledge my never-ending loyalty."
** Clemenza's now-famous "Leave the gun. ''[beat]'' Take the cannoli" line was a half-improvisation by Richard Castellano; the gun was in the script, the cannoli was not.
* ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'':
** The film ''Film/MothraVsGodzilla'' (1964) has a rather famous one. There is a famous shot of Godzilla falling into the Nagoya Castle and destroying it. This was actually an accident; in the filming of the scene, suit actor Creator/HaruoNakajima, actually fell and the suit's head slammed hard into the castle, loosening the teeth and causing the upper lip on the Godzilla suit in this film to have a slight wobble. Special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya loved this so much that he kept it in the film and left the suit as is.
** Another incident happened when the suit was struck by pyrotechnics while Haruo Nakajima was still inside. The suit caught fire, but Nakajima, protected by the thick suit, wasn't aware that it was burning and kept acting out the scene regardless. This shot, in which Godzilla's head and neck are engulfed in flames, was also kept in the final product.
** In the final battle of ''Film/TerrorOfMechagodzilla,'' there's a moment when (due to a nearby explosion) Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'s back-spikes ''catch fire.'' You can bet they left ''that'' shot in.
** In the first American ''Film/{{Godzilla 1998}}'', there's an establishing shot of Manhattan from the south, in which an ominous bolt of lightning strikes one of the Twin Towers. It's totally real.
* In the opening number of ''Film/GoldDiggersOf1933'', Ginger Rogers sings "We're in the Money. In between takes, the director heard Ginger joking around speaking fluent PigLatin. He then decided to put in a part where the camera closes in tight on Ginger as she sings a verse of the song in Pig Latin.
* During the chase sequence in ''Film/GoneInSixtySeconds1974'', the [[CoolCar Mach 1 Mustang]] driven by the protagonist was accidentally clipped from the rear by another car, causing it to spin out of control and collide with a lamp post. The collision was kept in the film for dramatic effect. Also, the derailed train at the very start of the film was a real one, which director H.B. Halicki happened to come across, so he incorporated it into an EstablishingCharacterMoment scene.
* Several of [[VillainProtagonist Tuco's]] lines in ''Film/TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly'' were ad-libbed. Most notably "If you have to shoot, shoot don't talk."
* In ''Film/TheGreatEscape'' during the Fourth of July scene, Goff's line "No taxation without representation" was an ad-lib, causing Creator/SteveMcQueenActor to do a double-take.
* ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'': '''Three times''' by Creator/ChrisPratt.
** According to the director James Gunn, Peter flipping off the Nova Corps came from Chris Pratt goofing around on set.
** The scene where Peter drops the orb during the Collector scene was also not scripted. According to the commentary, Chris Pratt accidentally dropped the orb during filming but remained in character, so it was left in.
** As was his quip, "If I had a blacklight, this place would look like [[UnusualEuphemism a Jackson Pollock painting]]."
** Outside of Pratt, Sean Gunn (the on-set actor for Rocket Raccoon) came up with the line, "Bunch of jackasses, standing in a circle."
* ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2'': The shot of Creator/DavidHasselhoff dramatically narrating the final lines of "Guardians Inferno" during the end credits was a last-minute decision by James Gunn, who shot the footage with his phone and rushed to the studio worried that the final cut had already gone out for distribution. Luckily, there was still time to make the addition.
-->''In these times of hardship, just remember: We. Are. Groot.''
* ''Film/HarryPotter'':
** There is a scene in ''Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'' where Draco Malfoy asks Harry, who is disguised as Goyle, why he is wearing glasses, as Harry had forgotten to take them off. When Harry replies that he had been reading, the script originally only had Malfoy stare him down skeptically. Creator/TomFelton decided to add the line "I didn't know you could read," and it was kept.
** In the same film, Crabbe's actor, Jamie Waylett, didn't realize his character wasn't supposed to participate in the SlowClap at the end, so he stood up and was pulled down again by Tom Felton. They kept it.
** Jason Isaacs improvised two lines in the film: the first, as he was leaving Dumbledore's office and felt it was un-Lucius-like to let Dumbledore get the last word, he turned to Daniel and sneered "Let us hope that Mr. Potter will always be around to save the day." Daniel ad-libbed Harry's reply: "Don't worry. I will be." The second ad-lib was Lucius' curse cut short by Dobby; the script didn't mention any specific spell so he just recalled from memory the "Avada Kedavra" curse, which led to some fans wondering how Lucius thought he could be [[FridgeLogic using an unforgivable curse on Harry outside of Dumbledore's office]].
** In an interview, Isaacs revealed that a scene in the second film, where he kicks Dobby and then knocks him down with his cane, was also ad-libbed by him. Chris Columbus first thought he had tripped, but after hearing the explanation, he was delighted.
** When Hermione meets Harry in the first film, she says "Holy cricket, you're Harry Potter!" According to Creator/EmmaWatson, she ad-libbed the "holy cricket" part and Creator/ChrisColumbus thought it was hilarious.
** In the fifth film, the Trio cracks up at the end of the scene when Harry tells Ron and Hermione about his kiss with Cho. This was an instance of {{Corpsing}}, which Creator/DavidYates left in because he thought it hit the right tone.
** Voldemort's memetacular hug of Draco was improvised by Ralph Fiennes. According to Tom Felton, they did over twenty takes of that scene and Ralph Fiennes only did the hug once.
* In ''Film/TheHatefulEight'', there's a scene in which Kurt Russell takes a guitar that Jennifer Jason Leigh had been playing and smashes it against a wall, destroying it. The guitar Leigh had been playing in the scene was a genuine antique guitar that was over a century old, that had been lent to the production. The antique guitar was supposed to be swapped out for a breakable prop before Russell smashed it. Russell, apparently having not been informed this, grabbed the antique from Leigh's hands and smashed it. Leigh's shocked yelling in the scene is genuine.
* ''Film/{{Heat}}'' has the line "cause she's got a... GREAT ASS! And you got your head... ALL THE WAY UP IT!". Creator/AlPacino made that up on the spot, and [[LargeHam given the hammy delivery]], Hank Azaria's look of exasperated shock was totally genuine.
* ''Film/{{Help}}'': Part of the "Ticket to Ride" sequence, which the directors considered beautiful, was marred by the presence of telegraph poles in the background. Attempts at removing them failed...and then someone had the idea of superimposing musical notes over the wires in time with "I think I'm going to be sad..."
* In ''High Road to China'', Tom Selleck actually slaps Bess Armstrong hard enough to knock her to the ground in a take for the scene in which their characters first arrive in Afghanistan. This was the take used in the film.
* Kate's now iconic shouting of "[[SayMyName Kevin]]!" in ''Film/HomeAlone'' was unscripted. It was an attempt by her actress, Catherine O'Hara, to salvage the take after she forgot her lines. Not only was the take used, but shouting a child's name became a staple of the entire ''Home Alone'' film series.
* More of a funny mistake than an intentional improvisation, the film ''Film/HotFuzz'' includes a scene where Simon Skinner, Timothy Dalton's [[LargeHam intentionally-played up]] bad guy [[spoiler: who is in fact merely a DiscOneFinalBoss]] raises his glass and for a split second looks right down the barrel of the camera. Director Edgar Wright decided to leave the outtake in and even timed the sound of a bell in the background to accompany it. Additionally, Danny Butterman's "I'm not made of eyes" was ad-libbed by the actor. Similarly, the first scene where Dalton's character gets introduced (when the two are jogging) was going to be reshot, because Dalton kept unintentionally pushing Pegg out of frame. They decided to keep it in, as they felt it fit Skinner's character.
* In ''Film/TheHours'', when Creator/MerylStreep goes to the sink and turns it on, the faucet explodes and shoots water up into the air; Meryl [[{{Corpsing}} just went with it]], and they kept the take.
* In ''Film/HowTheGrinchStoleChristmas'', while trying to find something to wear to The Who-bilation, the Grinch does the TableclothYank in order to make what he claims is a kilt. The yank was intended to fail, but Creator/JimCarrey successfully pulled it off. He then ran back and knocked over everything, table included.
* ''The Hunger Games'':
** ''Film/TheHungerGames'':
*** A unique variant of "throw it in" occurred during production. Originally, Donald Sutherland's character, President Snow, was only planned as a cameo, in keeping with the books [[spoiler: in which Snow doesn't become a major character until later]]. However, Sutherland sent director Gary Ross a very detailed letter in which the veteran actor discussed Snow's frame of mind and his motivations. The letter (which Sutherland reads as a bonus feature on the DVD/Blu-ray release) motivated Ross, who was also one of the film's writers, to craft several additional scenes involving President Snow, giving the character a much greater presence in the film.
*** Peeta joking with Katniss that he'll take the bow when they go hunting was ad-libbed by Josh Hutcherson.
** ''Film/TheHungerGamesMockingjay'':
*** Creator/NatalieDormer improvised most of Cressida's directions to the twins and Finnick when his speech is being filmed, citing inspiration from how the film's director did so. She ad-libbed a lot of her other scenes too.
*** Creator/WoodyHarrelson and Creator/ElizabethBanks ad-libbed Haymitch and Effie's kiss, shocking everyone on set.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:I-L]]
* The final scene from ''Film/IAmAFugitiveFromAChainGang'' had Paul Muni disappear into the darkness as he said his final line "I steal," thanks to the lights being turned off a bit too early. Everyone agreed it was the perfect touch to end the film on.
* In the French movie ''Il y a des jours et des lunes'', a priest who acts in amateur plays is at one point complimented on his acting skills. The actor playing the priest was supposed to answer with a joking "You're telling me you want to be my agent?" but flubbed the line into "You're telling me you want to be my apostle?" When he realized, he started laughing hysterically but tried to stay in character by apologizing and talking about Freudian slips and blasphemy before repeating the real line. The director decided to keep it because the slip was just too good.
* In ''Film/{{Inception}}'' the infamous "You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling" line was originally not supposed to include the word darling. Nolan liked the improvisation and decided to keep it.
* ''Film/IndependenceDay'':
** The line at the end of Bill Pullman's RousingSpeech was ad-libbed. In fact, the speech was written as a placeholder for Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin to work on later. But they were so consumed by filming that they forgot to work on it until Pullman started rehearsing the speech. The reactions by the extras and even the crew caused them to leave the speech as it was.
** "AND WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SMELL?!!" was caused by the intense smell of decomposing brine shrimp on location in Utah which no one had warned Will Smith about. Most of the scene was unscripted, in fact. Emmerich said he could have shot a whole movie out of Smith dragging an alien through the desert given how funny he found the result.
** One scene was cut when Harvey Fierstein ad-libbed a kiss with Jeff Goldblum. It was added back into the Special Edition.
** It was Robert Loggia's idea for General Grey to be a Marine since his branch wasn't established in the script.
* A example that has become a legendary scene: ''Franchise/IndianaJones'' [[CombatPragmatist shooting the swordsman]] in ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk''. Creator/HarrisonFord had diarrhea problems and wasn't up to fight him with his whip as originally scripted. This has led to multiple and somewhat conflicting versions of how it plays out.
** One story says that Ford improvised the scene while filming.
** A slightly more plausible version says that Creator/StevenSpielberg said sarcastically to Ford that the only way the scene could get shortened was if he just shot the guy. The crew thought it was hilarious, and changed the scene.
** Another version holds that not only Ford, but most of the crew had gotten sick, and this was the last scene they needed to film in this location. Ford goes to Spielberg and says "Look, Indy wants to save the girl, right? He doesn't have time for this, so [[CombatPragmatist why not have Indy shoot the fucker?]]" And so he did.
** According to the ''Making of Indiana Jones'' book, they also shot a completed fight scene with the swordsman. Both versions were considered during the editing process, with Creator/GeorgeLucas preferring the former and Spielberg the latter. They left it to a test screening to decide which to use. Indy shooting got the biggest laugh and was kept in.
* In ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade'', in response to Indy asking his father how he knew Elsa was a Nazi, Jones Sr. simply replies "She talks in her sleep." Sean Connery actually ad-libbed that line, and it was kept since it made the entire crew burst into laughter.
* During the climax of ''Film/InvasionOfTheBodySnatchers1978'', one of the extras missed his cue when chasing Creator/DonaldSutherland and was engulfed in a massive explosion that Sutherland himself barely evaded, suffering severe burns. This shot was kept in the film.
* The "Put on a phat beat for me to beat my buddy's ass to." line in the ''Film/IronMan2'' [[BoogieKnights party scene]]. It's pretty obvious (as Robert Downey Jr. immediately cracks up on camera), but also perfectly in character, as Tony Stark is supposed to be drunk.
* In the classic Russian holiday film ''The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!'', the LoveInterest's fiancé Ippolit is thrown into a shower fully clothed in order to sober him up. After the water is turned on, Ippolit says "Oh, hot water, very nice!" Mosfilm had troubles with running hot water, so when it was finally turned on, Yury Yakovlev (Ippolit's actor) reacted to that without breaking character. The director loved the unintentional ad-lib and kept it.
** Another ad-lib by Yakovlev in the same film was "Such muck, such vile muck, this fish galatine of yours!". The fish galantine was, in fact, not very good, and Yakovlev reacted accordingly — again while saying in character.
* During the infamous rape scene in ''Film/{{Irreversible}}'', an assistant director wandered into the shot because he didn't realize they were filming, and quickly backed out again. Director Gaspar Noe liked the very horrifying example of BystanderSyndrome it unintentionally provided, so he left it in.
* ''Film/ItsAWonderfulLife'':
** Creator/ThomasMitchell, the actor playing the drunken uncle is accompanied by a loud crash on one of his [[TheExitIsThatWay exits]]; the noise was actually caused by a grip tripping over a prop table and scattering its contents, but the timing was so serendipitous that director Frank Capra decided to use the take anyway. They were going to re-take it, but Mitchell shouted "I'm alright! I'm aallllll right!" That saved the take, as it made it look like he'd just done an off-screen collision with a garbage can. The grip thought he would be fired on the spot. Instead, Capra gave him a $10 bonus for "improving the audio quality of the movie."
** There was much more dialogue in the scene where George and Mary are both talking to Sam over the phone -- but that long kiss was so much better than the dialogue Capra scripted that it got used instead. Technically, that might be "Throw It Out" as much as "Throw It In".
** In the building and loan panic scene, the woman asking for $17.50 wasn't originally in the script. Capra fed the actress the line before shooting without telling James Stewart, so he could seem genuinely surprised when she said it. He was, and the grateful kiss afterward was an in-character ad-lib on Stewart's part.
* In ''Film/JackReacher'', [[MyCarHatesMe the car Jack is driving stalls]] but he is able to restart it in time to continue his escape. That was unscripted (and given Creator/TomCruise really did his stunt driving, the surprised and "fuck yeah" looks are genuine).
* ''Film/JamesBond'':
** ''Film/LiveAndLetDie'' - during the shooting of the boat chase, a boat that Mr. Big's mook is piloting didn't make the jump over the road and smashed through a police car - it was quite in line with the comic tone running through the movie.
** ''Film/TheSpyWhoLovedMe''.
*** In the scene where Major Amasova couldn't [[DrivingStick drive stick]], Barbara Bach, Anya's actress, actually couldn't drive stick: Moore's snarky responses were unscripted!
*** For the climactic showdown between Bond and Stromberg, it was originally intended that Roger Moore would stand behind the dining room chair as it was shot from under the table. However, Moore decided at the last minute that it would be more dramatic if he was sitting in the chair, which meant that he faced serious injury if the shot went wrong.
** ''Film/TheWorldIsNotEnough'':
*** In the scene where Renard is told by Bond that [[spoiler: Elektra is dead]] the actor Robert Carlyle's makeup is actually slipping, but the director thought his performance so powerful that he kept the shot in. It's actually easy to mistake the slipping makeup for tears, such as how it comes across!
*** Creator/PierceBrosnan ad-libbed the bit where he adjusts his tie during the boat chase at the beginning of the movie.
** ''Film/CasinoRoyale2006'' had the iconic scene of Daniel Craig [[SexySurfacingShot walking out of the water]] showing off [[{{Fanservice}} his well-muscled physique]] as well as doubling as a ShoutOut to the very first Bond film ''Film/DrNo'' with Honey Rider having a similar scene. In reality, the shot was supposed to be of Craig swimming to shore. However, he hit a sand bar, forcing him to stand up. The resulting shot was too good not to include and cemented Craig's status as a MrFanservice as well as win over some skeptical fans.
* ''Film/{{Jaws}}'':
** "[[GonnaNeedMoreX You're gonna need a bigger boat.]]" Both the book's author and the screenwriter said that they'd have killed to write a line that good.
** Of the two shooting stars that appear during the shark's night attack on the boat, the first one was apparently real and kept in due to being a real one-in-a-million shot.
** When the barrel whips over the front of the boat and knocks Brody's glasses off, it wasn't meant to get that close to Creator/RoyScheider, and his reaction was at least partly natural.
** The footage of the live shark thrashing around in the cables supporting the cage was captured when the animal accidentally got stuck there. This contributed to [[spoiler: Hooper surviving]] as legend has it the dwarf actor they were using for purposes of scale refused to get back into the cage afterwards!
** During the first take for Quint's Indianapolis speech, Robert Shaw was extremely drunk. They reshot the scene with him sober, but Shaw's performance in the first take fit so well with Quint's character, that the crew actually edited cuts from both takes into the scene.
** Before setting off, Quint recites "Here lies the body of Mary Lee, died at the age of 103. For fifteen years, she kept her virginity. Not a bad record for this vicinity." This was added by Robert Shaw; when asked who wrote it, he replied that he found it on a tombstone in Ireland.
* In ''Film/JohnCarpentersVampires'', Creator/JohnCarpenter got along with James Woods, a notoriously hard-to-work-with actor, by allowing him to ad-lib as long as he did at least one take strictly by the script. According to the DVD commentary, a lot of the ad-libs made it to the final cut.
* ''Film/JohnnyEnglishStrikesAgain'': In the commentary, director David Kerr revealed that when Volta used all the ammo in his specialised gun towards a knight armor-clad Johnny (Creator/RowanAtkinson), [[ThrowingYourGunAtTheEnemy followed by Volta throwing the gun as a projectile]], the latter improvised the following quip: ''"Don't worry, Bough! He's only got six bullets in that thing! And of course, the thing itself."''.
* Creator/JerryOConnell beatboxing in ''Film/KangarooJack.'' According to the DVD commentary, Bruckheimer heard O'Connell and Anderson beatboxing on set and asked O'Connell if he could do that "spit-rap thing" in the movie. Extra funny because people assume it isn't really O'Connell doing it in the movie since both the actor and character are pretty white.
* In ''Film/KickAss'', the entire bazooka subplot was improvised in the course of filming.
* In ''Film/KingdomOfHeaven'', there's a moment during the final battle where you can see a siege tower on fire. This wasn't scripted or planned; an improperly-extinguished fire effect ignited one of the tower models, which happened to be caught on camera. Director Ridley Scott liked the image and it fit the context of the scene, so the footage of the burning model ended up in the final cut.
* In ''Film/KillBill'', Daryl Hannah went off-script when she started screaming and flailing around in the trailer after the Bride vs. Elle battle. Apparently, Tarantino liked it, possibly due to its unintentional shades of ''Film/BladeRunner''.
* ''Film/AKnightsTale'':
** The rather strange opening sequence was filmed on the second unit as a joke, and then the director decided to use it for real.
** The scene where a crowd fails to cheer until one of the main characters does. This happened because the extras were all Czech, didn't understand English, and at first actually didn't realize they were supposed to cheer.
** In one shot where in response to how to beat William, Adhemar's page says that "With a lance, on a horse..." "...he's unbeatable." This shot was actually the result of a cameraman not realizing he was supposed to be doing a close-up until right as the action began.
** Alan Tudyk was cast as Wot because he improvised the "entrails will become your extrails" line in his audition, the director liked it so much he figured he had to hire Alan if he wanted to use the line.
* In ''Film/KramerVsKramer'', the last scene of the movie where Joanna (Creator/MerylStreep) asks Ted Kramer (Creator/DustinHoffman) "How do I look" and he replies "You look terrific" took place before the filming was supposed to begin, apparently Robert Benton liked it more than the original scene and left it in.
* At the very end of Creator/MartinScorsese's film adaptation of ''Film/TheLastTemptationOfChrist,'' in a scene depicting Jesus' Crucifixion, the film image suddenly dissolves and then goes stark white, as if there were a sudden light leak in the camera while they were filming. Turns out that that's exactly what DID happen - something had gone screwy with the camera while they were filming the scene, and no one noticed until they reviewed the footage later. But since it happened at precisely the point of Jesus' death in the film, Scorsese kept it in.
* ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings''
** In ''The Fellowship of the Ring'', Creator/IanMcKellen ''accidentally'' hit his head on the ceiling while entering Bilbo's residence.
** Makaore, the actor playing the Uruk during the final fight between Aragorn and the leader of the Uruk-Hai hunting party, couldn't see properly with his makeup. He kept hitting Viggo Mortensen when he was supposed to miss, so Mortensen hit back, and they ended up actually fighting.
** In that fight scene, Makaore throws a knife at Mortensen. The script called for him to throw it and miss, but he actually threw it straight at Mortensen, who deflected it with his sword. It should be noted that ''it was a real knife'', meaning that if Mortensen hadn't successfully deflected it, it would've gone straight into his face.
** In ''The Two Towers'', Aragorn comes upon a scene that seems to indicate that two of the other characters are dead. On the extended DVD, they show several takes of him snarling in helpless anger as he kicks an Orcish helmet. Then, in the take that was used, he collapses to his knees, screaming in what looked like fury and grief. It was actually physical pain- Viggo Mortensen [[AgonyOfTheFeet broke two toes]] kicking the helmet, but Mortensen managed to work it into his performance seamlessly.
** In the scene where Éowyn runs onto the terrace after her confrontation with Wormtongue and stares out at the landscape, a banner suddenly tears off its pole and blows away. That was not intended, but the symbolism was so provocative and moving that the shot was kept, and a follow-up scene was filmed showing the banner landing near Aragorn as he rides up to the base of the hill.
** King Theoden's line "no parent should have to bury their child" was improvised on-set by Bernard Hill, based on a conversation he once had with a mother who [[OutlivingOnesOffspring lost her child]].
** During filming of the Battle of Helms Deep, some of the stuntmen playing Uruk-Hai relieved their boredom between takes by making a game of tapping their spears against the ground in unison. This gave Peter Jackson the idea to have all 10,000 Uruk-Hai do it as they arrived as an intimidation method.
** The [[LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition special edition]] extra content describes an instance where they were about to shoot the Elves attacking the Uruks which were coming through the breach in the deeping wall. The actors playing the Elves were standing across from a large group of stuntmen in Uruk costumes, who began stomping their feet, beating their weapons against their chests, calling them names, and even making obscene gestures at them, as well as shouting a Maori ''haka'' to mess with the Elvish actors. This quickly got them riled up, and they began posturing and drawing imaginary arrows at the Uruks. Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, the director yelled "Cut!" Part of the footage got into the film, though they had to cut out parts with gestures and exclamations that were not native to Middle-Earth.
** In ''The Fellowship of the Ring'', as Frodo is sailing away while Sam attempts to chase him down, Sam slips and falls into the river, and does not come back up. This is because Sean Astin had stepped on a particularly sharp rock and cut his foot. They kept it in and had Frodo come back to save Sam from drowning.
* Many scenes in ''Film/TheLostSkeletonOfCadavra,'' including a malfunctioning spaceship door and Animala saying "click" aloud as she flips a switch, were deliberately left in on account of the RuleOfFunny.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:M-P]]
* In ''Film/MadMax2TheRoadWarrior'', one stunt involved a motorcycle hitting an embankment, whereupon the stuntman was to flip over the handlebars and land on his back on a padded area. The stunt went wrong, and the stuntman flipped head-over-heels two or three times and wound up breaking both legs. The scene made it into the final film without reshooting, because it was that awesome. Plus, of course, the stuntman was in no state to try it again.
* As noted in several places (including Music/PaulMcCartney's director's commentary), ''Film/MagicalMysteryTour'' is essentially Throw It In: The Movie.
* In the original 1962 ''Literature/TheManchurianCandidate'', the scene where [[spoiler: Major Marco overrides Sgt. Shaw's brainwashing by showing him an entire deck of queen of diamonds]] has Major Marco slightly out of focus. Director John Frankenheimer later claimed to have heard theories this was done intentionally to show Marco from Shaw's hazy, brainwashed point of view. In fact, it was a technical glitch. They had tried to reshoot the scene with the camera in focus, but according to Frankenheimer, Frank Sinatra's performance was at its best in the first, out-of-focus take, and it deteriorated in take after take. In the end, they decided to use the take with the best performance, out of focus or no.
* In ''Film/TheMartian'', NASA employee Rich Purnell (Creator/DonaldGlover) slips and falls after being roused from sleep, prompting his boss to ask, "Are you all right?" Both the fall and the concern were unscripted. Both actors stayed in character, and director Creator/RidleyScott kept the take.
* In ''Film/MaryPoppins'', the scene where Mary Poppins is pouring the children's medicine, Jane lets out a shriek when she notices the medicine changed color, interrupting Michael's protesting. The scream was not in the script as her actress, Karen Dotrice, genuinely was surprised.
** Another example: When Creator/GlynisJohns, who played Mrs. Banks, was invited to the studio, she assumed she was there to take the role of Mary. Walt Disney himself rapidly improvised and explained, while the Sherman Brothers were in earshot, that Johns would instead be Mrs. Banks, who had an absolutely ''amazing'' song that they were waiting to unveil to her after lunch. Disney escorted Johns to another area of the studio, and the Shermans wrote like mad to finish "Sister Suffragette" before they returned. Johns liked the song, took the role, and the rest is history. Not bad for an hour or two.
* Two examples from the first ''Film/TheMatrix'' film:
** As the elevator doors close at the end of the famous lobby blastout scene, the camera goes to a wide shot as the elevator doors close, just in time to show a piece of stone veneer on one of the damaged pillars to the side of the image break off and [[CueTheFallingObject crash to the floor]]. Completely unplanned, but [[RuleOfCool a perfect way to emphasize the scale of destruction just wrought in that room]].
** Neo vomits after being told by Morpheus the truth of the Matrix because Keanu Reeves had eaten something that disagreed with him earlier.
* In ''Film/{{MASH}}'', after the scene where the main characters prank Sally Kellerman's character Hot Lips by dropping the shower tent wall while she's taking a shower and forcibly exposing her, Hot Lips goes to complain to Col Blake. The scene as written was comic and rather cruel, with Hot Lips hysterically threatening to resign her commission and Blake calmly replying "Well, god damn it, Hot Lips, resign your god-damned commission," and was intended to be Hot Lips's final scene in the film, the implication being that she did just that. But Altman kept the camera running and Kellerman played the humiliation absolutely straight, ad-libbing a desperate wail of "My commission..." It made the prank look cruel and the character much more sympathetic. Altman decided to keep the character in the film and the writers gave her a HeelFaceTurn; in later scenes she has loosened up and has become one of the gang e.g. cheer-leading exuberantly during the football match.
* ''Film/MaxKeeblesBigMove''
** Most of Elliot T. Jindrake's character was ad-libbed by Creator/LarryMiller, wanting to portray him like the dean from ''Film/AnimalHouse''.
** Max Keeble's giggling when meeting Jenna at the middle school was a flub on [[Creator/AlexDLinz Alex Linz's]] part, but the creators liked it and put it in.
* ''Film/MenInBlack'':
** Creator/WillSmith ad-libbed the line, "It just be rainin' black people in New York!"
** In the sequel, Creator/WillSmith ad-libbed another line. When Agent J first shows Agent K the car's new "autopilot," a life-sized human model pops out of the steering column;
--->'''Agent K''': Does this come standard?
--->'''Agent J''': Actually, it came with a black dude, but he kept getting pulled over.
** Almost all of Creator/TommyLeeJones' lines in the first film were ad-libbed because Jones hated his character's lines. Will Smith is genuinely confused half the time.
* A much-disputed, yet nonetheless famous instance, is in ''Film/MidnightCowboy''. One of the producers insists that the cab that prompted Hoffman's now-famous "I'm walkin' here, I'm walkin' here!" was driven by an actor, and that the production team was told to make the near-hit appear to be ad-libbed. However, when on Inside The Actors Studio, Hoffman claimed that he and Voight were not supposed to be nearly hit by any traffic, even from paid drivers, and that his reaction was in lieu of "We're filming a movie here!"
* ''Film/MightyMorphinPowerRangersTheMovie''
** Ivan Ooze's rant about the horrible things inflicted on humanity he missed out on: "The Black Plague! The Spanish Inquisition! [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking The Brady Bunch Reunion!]]" That last one was ad-libbed by Paul Freeman, which everyone on the set loved.
** Johnny Yong Bosch also ad-libbed his disappointment about his ninja animal being the frog, and the cast and crew liked it well enough that it was kept.
* In ''Film/MontyPythonsTheMeaningOfLife'', Creator/MichaelPalin ad-libbed the line "Hey! [[GuiltByAssociationGag I didn't even eat the (salmon) mousse]]!" This does destroy the logic of the scene, making it even funnier. [[RuleOfFunny As if it matters]].
* In ''Film/MontyPythonsLifeOfBrian'', when Brian is telling everyone that they are all individuals, and they mindlessly repeat it, the one guy who goes "I'm not!" is an extra who threw it out on the spur of the moment. He got a pay raise to speaking actor.
* ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail''
** The "He hasn't got shit all over him" line was improvised.
** Creator/JohnCleese has an improvised moment in the BurnTheWitch scene; when asked why witches burn, the crowd is stumped. Cleese has the next line: "Because they're made of wood?" However, according to the DVD commentary with Eric Idle, he experimented with the timing between the question and the answer, even going so far as to start answering and then go back to thinking. Watch Eric Idle in this scene; towards the end of the pause he's biting down on his scythe to keep from laughing.
** The line, "There are [[SomeCallMeTim those who call me... Tim?]]" According to some versions of the story, the Enchanter did have a more appropriately mystical name, but Cleese forgot it while shooting.
* In ''Film/MulhollandDrive'', the director Creator/DavidLynch included Richard Green's (The Magician) prep - that first moment of him standing there for a couple of seconds was shot before the actor knew they were rolling. Richard Green said he was surprised to see it when the movie premiered.
* In ''Film/MyBigFatGreekWedding'', Toula's aunt, who goes up to Ian (Toula's fiancé) to ask him something, randomly says "Let me touch your hair", and begins to massage it. This was an ad lib on Andrea Martin's part, as she'd forgotten her line.
* Done in-universe in ''Film/MyFavoriteYear''. With King Kaiser getting beaten up by mob goons on live television, someone in the audience looks up and spots that week's guest star, [[{{Swashbuckler}} Alan Swann]], in the rafters above the stage and starts applauding. The director in the control booth snaps "What is Alan Swann doing in the balcony?! Get a light on him!"
* Done in-universe in ''My Giant'': Max, the "giant" of the title, gets his first film role as a villain in a low-budget SwordAndSandal film, but because he's been drinking, he ends up vomiting on the hero in his introductory scene. Near the end of the movie, we see a screening of the film-within-a-film and learn they actually left it in.
* The scene from ''Film/MysteryMen'' in which a burning trash can suddenly flares up behind the Spleen who jumps in surprise, then sheepishly says "Excuse me" to the other characters was a total improvisation on the part of Paul Reubens. Apparently, one of the workmen on the set didn't know the garbage can was a prop that would be later set on fire and had thrown a disposable lighter into it.
* ''Film/NapoleonDynamite'':
** There is a scene where Napoleon attempts to hop a fence but ends up falling over onto the other side. Jon Heder actually fell while taking this shot, and the makers decided to keep it.
** Also, the scene where Kip is giving the demonstration with the van and the dinnerware. [[spoiler:Originally, he was to roll over it, and the plastic would deform but reshape itself, to which Kip was to say, "Pretty cool." However, the plastic was unable to comply due to the laws of physics, and that is what is seen in the film. [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments It turns out to be actually funnier]]]].
* In ''Film/{{Neighbors|2014}}'', Stella turning her head to watch Mac and Kelly go at it, even after Mac turned her chair to face the wall, was of the baby's own doing and was too funny to not throw in (you can hear both Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne {{corpsing}} when she turns to look at them).
* In ''Film/TheNewGuy'', RealLife twins Jerry and Charlie O'Connell improvised climbing on a swing-set to do upside-down crunches, hence the RomanticFalseLead's very confused look.
* Creator/RobertEnglund improvised quite a few of Freddy Krueger's one-liners, but the best-known example happened in ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet3DreamWarriors'', in a scene where Freddy emerged from a television set and killed a girl by smashing her head into it. The scripted line was "This is it, your big break in TV!" which Englund said on the first take. When the director went for an alternate angled shot however, Englund changed the line to "Welcome to Prime Time, [[ThisIsForEmphasisBitch bitch]]!" The different camera angle made it easy to edit the two lines together, and it became probably Freddy's defining one-liner. According to [[Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]], the line was originally "You're on TV now, girl!"
* In the 1990s remake of ''Film/{{The Nutty Professor|1996}}'', Sherman Klump/Buddy Love and the comic's dialogue during the comic act was ad-libbed by Creator/EddieMurphy and Creator/DaveChappelle, respectively.
* The PC LOAD LETTER scene from ''Film/OfficeSpace''. The machine beeped with an actual error message after Michael put paper in it which threw off the actor's line, and the entire thing was improvised to try and salvage the scene.
* In ''Film/OnTheWaterfront'', Eva Marie Saint accidentally drops her glove, which Marlon Brando proceeds to pick up and play with. The scene was kept in the movie.
* In ''Film/TheOutsiders'', the scene where Dallas falls out of his chair while flirting with Cherry at the movies was an accident. You can see C. Thomas Howell briefly look at the camera.
* ''Film/PacificRim'': In an argument with Pentecost, Raleigh grabs his arm. Pentecost stops, glares at Raleigh's hand ''very'' pointedly, and Raleigh lets go. "One. Don't you ever touch me again. Two. Don't you ever touch me again." Apparently, Raleigh's actor just got carried away, and Pentecost's actor used it.
* ''Film/{{Passengers|2016}}'': According to interviews, it wasn't until they were filming the FirstKiss scene that Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence discovered the bulky spacesuits they were wearing at the time made it physically impossible for her lips to reach his. They just laughed and went with it, struggling to find a way to make it work... which found its way into the story.
* ''Film/ThePassionOfTheChrist'':
** During the carrying-his-cross scene Creator/JimCaviezel dislocated his shoulder when he collapsed and the cross fell on him. He insisted that the take be kept in the final film so that the pain Jesus was supposed to be experiencing would seem more real.
** During the flogging scene, Caviezel was wearing a protective guard on his back while being whipped, but on the last blow the guard slipped and he was whipped for real.
* A slasher film titled ''Pieces'' has a scene with a college student cornered by a chainsaw-wielding killer. [[BringMyBrownPants She pees her pants]], which was added to the script because the actress really wet herself during a rehearsal take from being so close to a real chainsaw.
* ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' and its sequels.
** In ''[[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl The Curse of the Black Pearl]]'', Jack's statement that he used "human hair -- from my back" wasn't supposed to include "from my back.". You can see Bloom trying not to laugh, and [=McNally=] chuckling in the movie. The commentary states that they initially tried to edit it out, but found that the line was better with the addition.
** Jack the Monkey’s smile when Barbossa explains WeNamedTheMonkeyJack was just an amazingly timed coincidence.
** One of the funnier moments in the trailer for ''[[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest Dead Man's Chest]]'' is Will's insistence that he won't leave the island without Jack -- until he sees Jack running up the beach, chased by a large group of natives. Then it's "Never mind, let's go!" The line was a blooper where Bloom flubbed his line and said: "Never mind, let's go!" (i.e. keep the cameras rolling), and it wasn't included in the film itself (sadly).
** Jack's line "I've got a jar of dirt!" was also unscripted. You can also see Bloom temporarily look to his left after Depp walks by. He was looking at the director, expecting him to say "Cut!"
** All of Jack's jokes about Will supposedly being a eunuch were ad-libbed by Creator/JohnnyDepp. The creators approved, and it became a running joke.
* Literally the only explanation for the bulk of ''Film/PocketNinjas''; many of the things going on, especially during supposed fight scenes, only make sense if you assume the actors were clowning around without realizing the cameras were rolling and the director (who may or may not have been drunk and high at the same time) decided that that was ''exactly'' what he wanted in his movie.
* Creator/ChristopherWalken's trick shot in ''Film/PoolhallJunkies'' was accidentally filmed. As he was being taught how to perform it, he tried for the first time as practice and sunk the shot. They were filming, at his request, since he was afraid that he would be unable to sink the ball in any following take. If you watch you can see all the actors in the scene gasp and begin to laugh, even Walken looks surprised.
* According to an interview with Uwe Boll, the infamous Dave Foley full frontal nude scene in ''Film/{{Postal}}'' was a result of this: Foley was sitting down wearing only a robe and Boll had merely instructed him to stand up. Apparently, neither of them anticipated that the robe would suddenly open. Boll found this so funny that he had to leave it in.
* When Kevin Kline's character in ''Film/APrairieHomeCompanion'' opens the bottle of champagne, it was director Creator/RobertAltman he hit in the forehead with the flying cork. Kline's "Sorry!" was unscripted.
* The Film/{{Predator}}'s iconic design was thanks to Creator/JamesCameron. When the production's initial design proved to be a spectacular failure, they decided to hire Creator/StanWinston to provide the creator effects. The two were flying to Japan, and Cameron watched as Winston did some preliminary design sketches. He then said "you know, I've always wanted to see something with mandibles." Winston then included them in his design.
* In ''Film/PrettyWoman'', there's one scene where Richard Gere is showing Creator/JuliaRoberts' character a very expensive necklace in its open box. The original scene as written simply required Roberts to tentatively touch the necklace and say it was beautiful. Instead, as Roberts touched the necklace, Gere clapped the box's lid down on Roberts' hand, scaring the hell out of her and making her laugh. Because of the way it looked on film, the take was left in -- watch where Roberts turns to when the joke is played on her -- she's looking offscreen at the crew, not anywhere near a camera.
* Creator/CaryElwes improvised Westley's dive into the lightning sand during the Fire Swamp scene in ''Film/ThePrincessBride''. Originally, Westley was supposed to go in feet first holding his nose, and Elwes thought that made him look too much like a wimp and came up with a better, more Flynn-esque idea: the dive. Unfortunately, it was thought to be a dangerous stunt. Fortunately, director Creator/RobReiner relented after a stuntman tested it and came out OK. Even better, Elwes nailed the dive on the first take.
** Billy Crystal was given free rein to go off-script in his one scene as Miracle Max. He improvised at least two of the more memorable lines in that scene -- "While you're at it, why don't you give me a nice paper cut and pour lemon juice on it?", and comparing true love to a mutton, lettuce, and tomato sandwich. Carol Kane, who played Max's wife, improvised the line about the magic pill's chocolate coating and not going swimming after.
* ''Film/ThePrincessDiaries'':
** While filming, Creator/AnneHathaway slipped and fell on her butt while filming a scene on some bleachers. Garry Marshall put that cut in the movie as her character was a CuteClumsyGirl anyway. You'll notice Creator/HeatherMatarazzo briefly slips out of character when this happens. Hathaway did this quite a bit during the film as when Mia accidentally sets fire to a man's arm at the state dinner, the fire was meant to go out in the ice bucket but Hathaway panicked and threw the glass of water on him. It was also her idea that the brush break in her hair when Mia is getting her makeover.
** The entire Clarisse and Joseph romance was actually a case of this. It was not scripted at all and the dance scene and affection between the two was added by their actors.
* In ''Film/TheProfessional'', Gary Oldman ad-libbed his iconic shouting of "E-VERY-ONE!!" during Stansfield's VillainousBreakdown as a joke. The scene was left in because of how scarily effective it was.
* The [[MemeticMutation Memetic]] line "Are you serious? Right in front of my salad?" from the gay pornographic film ''Private Lessons 3'' was improvised.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Q-T]]
* ''Film/RepoMan'' has a couple:
** Miller's monologue about time travel, flying saucers, the Mayans and plates of shrimp was written for the screen tests, as was Lite's monologue while he and Otto are breaking into the red Corvette. Both were added in when the filmmakers realized how funny they were [[spoiler:and the former became a key part of the film's ending]].
** Parnell's erratic driving, including the accident where he hits the gas pump, was real—Fox Harris, the actor, did not know how to drive and found those scenes very nervewracking to film.
* In ''Film/RequiemForADream'', the shot of Ellen Burstyn delivering a [[TearJerker tearjerking]] monologue of why her character wants so badly to lose weight and be on television is slightly askew. When director Darren Aronofsky confronted his cinematographer who was operating the camera, he admitted he had let the camera slip because his crying had actually fogged up the lens. Aronofsky left this shot in the film.
* ''Film/TheReturnOfTheLivingDead'' has one scene toward the end where [[spoiler:Frank immolates himself in the oven]]. This is because James Karen didn't want to shoot his final scene in the cold rain and instead suggested that Frank [[spoiler:commit suicide]] because he's a nice guy and didn't want to hurt anybody.
* In ''Film/TheReturnOfThePinkPanther'', Catherine Schell can be seen breaking into laughter at some of the antics of Peter Sellers. The two scenes in question are when Insp. Clouseau impersonates a telephone repairman, and later when Clouseau meets her in a restaurant and pretends to be a lounge lizard; in this latter example, the scene ends with Schell choking on her drink. It's been said Schell's laughter (and the choking) were outtake-worthy moments that the director decided to keep; Schell has claimed they were scripted.
* In ''Film/RoadToMorocco'', Creator/BobHope and Music/BingCrosby are stranded in the desert when they find a convenient camel. In mid-line, Bob gets spit in the eye by the camel, and Bing laughs "Ho ho, ''good'' boy!" They pretty much ''had'' to keep that in.
* ''Film/RoboCop1987'':
** During a car chase, a hubcap comes loose and rolls almost directly at the camera. Creator/PaulVerhoeven left it in since it looked very cool.
** In the scene where Robocop faces two would-be rapists, the [[GroinAttack groin shot]] was a last-minute addition. Originally Robocop was to just shoot the hostage taker in the upper body, just missing the woman he was holding (Creator/OceanSoftware's LicensedGame plays out this way) when they noticed that the way the actress posed herself when struggling would allow a clean shot through her skirt.
* The original ''Film/{{Rocky}}'',
** Loan shark Tony Gazzo is chastising Rocky for not breaking the thumbs of one of his clients when he pulls out an inhaler in mid-sentence and uses it. Gazzo's actor actually had an asthma attack, but the director liked how it made the scene more authentic and kept it.
** During the shot in which Rocky runs through the market, he has an apple thrown at him. It was actually a member of the public trying to hit Sylvester Stallone. The director liked the shot and kept it in the scene.
** The original script had Rocky realizing that he was going to lose after going to the arena the night and being intimidated by the size of the venue and realizing he doesn't belong. However, the art department drew Rocky's trunks the wrong color, and there wasn't time to get it redone. Instead, producers rewrote the scene so that Rocky has his sad epiphany after complaining about the poster, only for the promoter to blow him off. Similarly, the too-large robe he wears pre-fight is also discussed in-universe, to cover for yet another mistake by the prop department.
* Colombia flashing her nipple in ''Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow'' was her actress's idea. Creator, Creator/RichardOBrien had always assumed it was accidental until Creator/PatriciaQuinn told him during the commentary that Little Nell used to practice it in their trailer.
** The reason Dr. Scott burst through the wall of Frank's lab is that they forgot to put in a door when building the set.
* According to multiple interviews by Creator/GregoryPeck, the famous scene in ''Film/RomanHoliday'' in which he pretended to have his hand bitten off by the Mouth of Truth was ad-libbed by him, with only the director being aware of it in advance. Creator/AudreyHepburn[='=]s [[EnforcedMethodActing scream and her relief laughter were genuine reactions]]. According to Peck, he borrowed the joke from Red Skelton.
* ''Many'' things were ad-libbed or kept in for ''Film/TheRoom'', particularly as production dragged on and the crew lost all enthusiasm, thinking the film would never be screened. For instance, the "hospital on Guerrero Street" was improvised by Greg Sestero because this was the location of Tommy Wiseau's condo in San Francisco. Naturally, Wiseau was furious because any info about him is super-secret. However, it was kept in because that was their best take. Sestero lists more instances in his memoir ''Literature/TheDisasterArtist'', including the origin of the framed spoons.
* In a "take advantage of coincidental circumstances" move, TheStinger of ''Film/RunawayBride'' where [[WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue the couple are having a snowball fight]] was only filmed thanks to a lucky unseasonable snowfall.
* In the roulette scene of ''Film/RunLolaRun'', an initial take was filmed of the wheel spinning and the ball being dropped, with the intention of later editing it together with a staged shot of the ball landing on twenty to complete the scene and win her the money she needed. The ball landed on twenty in the first take.
* The famous "blood explosion" at the end of Kurosawa film Film/{{Sanjuro}} was supposedly accidental. According to Tatsuya Nakadai, the actor playing the losing samurai, the pump that was meant to make him bleed blew a coupling when activated, causing the blood to blast out at full pressure rather than the intended rate. The unexpected force almost knocked him over, and it was all he could do to finish the scene, but they ended up using the take anyway -- partly because it looked impressive, and partly because it would have been very difficult to clean the "blood" off the set and costumes for a second take.
* Matt Damon's story about his brothers in ''Film/SavingPrivateRyan'' was ad-libbed. Tom Hanks' gaze flits off-camera for a second, then a slow nod. Is that "Captain Miller hears you, Private Ryan", or "Tom Hanks hears you, Steven Spielberg: run with it"?
* In ''Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'', Wallace bursts into the apartment drunk and throws his keys at Scott's head. The actor did this as a joke, but Edgar Wright loved it so much that he kept it in.
* ''Film/{{Scream 1996}}''
** The bit where Billy goes to give Stu the phone, but it slips out of his hand, hitting Stu was an accident. Matthew Lillard screamed out "You fuckin' hit me with the phone, dick!" The moment made director Creator/WesCraven laugh so hard, he chose to keep it in.
** Also, in the climax when Billy is attacked with an umbrella, his screams are real as the stuntman had hit an implanted wire in his chest. The wire was from heart surgery he got as a kid and touching it causes him immense pain.
* ''Film/{{Scream 3}}'': when Roman is searching for Sid and tries to find her with his phone only for her to beat him to the punch, distracting him. She pops up from behind a bar and stabs him in the shoulder with an ice pick. The scream from actor Scott Foley is real as she had missed the pads and actually struck flesh.
* At the end of ''Film/SeaOfLove'' Al Pacino bumps hard into an approaching passerby while [[WalkAndTalk walk&talking]]. He gets hit so hard, that he's actually knocked back a few steps, yet doesn't even so much as blink, and fluently continues his speech. That wasn't scripted, in fact, the guy wasn't even an extra. In the DVD commentary, the director explained that they couldn't close off the whole location, it being a public street in New York, and that the pedestrian was real. It's realistic because he's [[spoiler: trying to convince the woman he loves to give him a second chance,]] so it's understandable that his character completely ignores it. Plus it's New York, people who live there probably don't even notice anymore.
* In ''Film/{{Serenity}}'' Mal's "Faster! Faster would be better!" is ''such'' [[BuffySpeak a Whedon line]]. It turns out it was ad-libbed when Nathan Fillion was asked to "say something Mal would say."
* WordOfGod on Brad Silberling's director commentary for ''Film/ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents'' states that Creator/JimCarrey ad-libbed quite a few of his lines during practice runs. His practice lines damn near perfectly added to the scene's mood almost every time and were memorable even when they didn't, so Brad shrugged it off and said, "Eh, what the heck." Thus, almost all of his best lines in the movie were actually cooked up during practice runs. Overlaps with HarpoDoesSomethingFunny, because anyone willing to cast Jim Carrey knows he can make a scene absolutely perfect if you don't try to order him around too much.
** In response to Klaus saying "Our parents just died," Count Olaf says, "Ah yes, of course. How very, very awful. Wait! Let me do that one more time. Give me the line again! Quickly, while it's fresh in my mind!" The dialog was supposed to end after Klaus says "Our parents just died", but Jim Carrey felt he didn't get the reaction right. Director Brad Silberling just kept the cameras rolling and Carrey ad-libbed without breaking character.
* ''Film/TheShapeOfWater'': During filming of the scene where the villain Strickland arrives at Elisa's flat, Michael Shannon, the actor, accidentally lost control of the car while trying to park it, mounted the sidewalk, and crashed (at low speed) into a telegraph pole. Creator/GuillermoDelToro decided to use the take, as it fit Strickland's desperation and SanitySlippage at the time in-universe.
* Probably the most bizarre example on this page: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1XOfHax6Q8 this]] gargantuan {{Narm}} from ''Film/SharkAttack3Megalodon'' was a Creator/JohnBarrowman ad-lib, to try and make his co-star laugh. They ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_XKsJ_emog kept it in the freaking movie!]]''. Why? Well, honestly, what did they have to lose?
* [[AxeBeforeEntering "Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's Johnny!"]] was reportedly not in the original script for ''Film/TheShining'', but was just Creator/JackNicholson adding in something to make Jack Torrence seem just that little bit crazier. And thus, a legend was born.
* ''Film/SilenceOfTheLambs''
** Hannibal Lecter's famous hissing was improvised; indeed, was enough of a joke that the actors didn't expect it to be kept in the film. You'll notice that there's a nice long pause between "[[AGlassOfChianti A nice Chianti]]" and the hiss, presumably so that it could be cut without damaging the line. The director decided it struck the right tone, after noticing Creator/JodieFoster was quite genuinely creeped out.
* In-universe, in ''Film/SinginInTheRain'', Don Lockwood figured that the line he was supposed to say in his and Lena's first talkie when seducing her sounded too cheesy, so he decided to stick with repeated uses of the phrase "I love you" while kissing her arm. It... [[{{Narm}} didn't quite work as well as they had hoped]].
* Creator/BillyWilder and I. A. L. Diamond struggled for days with the final dialogue between Jerry and Osgood in ''Film/SomeLikeItHot'', trying to think of an appropriate answer from Osgood when Jerry reveals he's a man. Unable to think of anything funny, they gave up and had Osgood say "Nobody's perfect." This has gone down in film history as one of the funniest punchlines and film endings ever. Creator/BillyWilder even used the sentence as the title for his own autobiography. It's also on his gravestone.
* In ''Film/TheSoundOfMusic'', Creator/JulieAndrews tripping at the end of "I Have Confidence" wasn't scripted, but was so perfectly in character that it was left in.
* Nearly all of ''Film/{{Spaceballs}}'' was co-written by Creator/MelBrooks, but the lines for the scene where Dark Helmet plays with his action figures? They were ad-libbed by Creator/RickMoranis, who plays Helmet in the movie.
* Creator/HaroldLloyd's silent 1928 comedy ''Film/{{Speedy}}'' climaxes with a high-speed chase through the streets of NYC by a horse-drawn trolley. At one point during location shooting for the scene, the trolley crashed into a pillar holding up an elevated railroad platform. This was kept in the final film.
* ''Film/SpiderManTrilogy'':
** During the otherwise serious and foreboding scene in ''Film/SpiderMan1'' where Norman Osborn is subjecting himself to his SuperSerum, he twitches and quips "Oh! That's cold!" when strapped into the table. Apparently, that was Creator/WillemDafoe actually being caught off-guard by the ice-cold metal prop, and the director left it in as it perfectly fits his personality as The Green Goblin.
** In ''Film/SpiderMan3'', Topher Grace ad-libbed the quip, "My SpiderSense is tingling, [[LampshadedDoubleEntendre If You Know What I Mean]]." Apparently, he also added all sorts of jokes that didn't make it in, such as a needlessly creepy "I've just upgraded from a vanilla to a strawberry!" addressed at the red-headed Mary Jane.
* ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'':
** In between takes, Creator/TomHolland fell asleep on set in the Spider-Man suit. Someone took a photo without Holland knowing and edited it into the image seen on the [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/spider-man-homecoming-poster-puts-peter-parker-view-avengers-tower-988574 first teaser poster]].
** Jacob Batalon and Tom Holland came up with the gag where Ned wears Peter's mask while they were bored and playing with the props.
* In the 2002 [[TheCaper caper]] movie ''Stark Raving Mad'', when Ben is knocking out [[spoiler:the nightclub owner]] with a convenient bottle, they had several takes where the SoftGlass bottle didn't actually break -- but the actors were so dedicated to selling every take that they just had Ben shatter the bottle and knock the guy out with the ''second'' blow.
* In ''Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan'', producer Harve Bennett signed off on the sketch of the design of the Starship ''Reliant'' upside-down. The visual effects people realized that it looked better upside-down, and was more distinguished from the ''Enterprise'' with the nacelles angled down rather than up, so they built the model according to the "upside-down" view. That design of Starship is still used.
* In ''Film/StarTrekIIITheSearchForSpock'', when Kirk learns the Klingons have [[spoiler: murdered his son]] he seems to be so deep in shock he completely [[DramaticSitDown misses his chair and falls on the floor.]] Director Leonard Nimoy wasn't sure if William Shatner was improvising or if he actually missed the chair (since Shatner kept going), but he felt that it was perfect for the scene and left it in.
** For his part, Shatner confirms in his book ''Star Trek Memories'' that he did, in fact, just miss the chair and fall on his ass by accident.
* In ''Film/StarTrek2009'' [=McCoy=]'s "All I've got left are my bones" line is an ad lib as is Scotty's "can I get a towel." You can see Spock's lips twitch after that one since he's trying not to laugh. In a previous take of it he did laugh.
* In ''Film/StarTrekGenerations'', Kirk's [[spoiler: line, "Oh my..." during his death scene]] was improvised on set.
* ''Franchise/StarWars'' series:
** ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'': Han's reply to Princess Leia saying that she loves him was originally supposed to be "I love you too," but Ford ad-libbed "I know," because he felt it to be more accurate to Solo's LoveableRogue character.
** In ''Film/ANewHope'' when Han has to pose as a Stormtrooper to an Imperial commander via radio, Ford intentionally did not memorize his lines so Han's slightly panicked on-the-spot bluffing would sound more authentic. In the same scene, Ford also improvised the line "We're all fine now, thank you... How are you?", as well as Han's remark "Boring conversation anyway" after shooting the speaker.
** Apparently Luke's remark "I can't see a thing in this helmet!" regarding his Stormtrooper disguise, was made by Creator/MarkHamill after he thought the cameras had stopped rolling. This led to another ThrowItIn moment when the Stormtrooper smacks his head on the door, a moment that's so iconic, recent DVD releases have added a "thud" sound effect when it happens.
** Jango Fett gets banged slightly by a descending ship door in ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'' in homage of the above, even though that scene was done in CGI.
** There is at least one instance of a "throw it in" in the new trilogy. Hayden Christensen and Creator/NataliePortman improvised the dinner table scene in which Anakin mentions "AggressiveNegotiations". Apparently, Lucas didn't like the dialogue he had written for the scene, so he just told them to improvise. Portman later said that "it got inappropriate very quickly."
** Also, the name of the benefactor of the Clone Army was intended to be "Jedi Master Sido-Dias" (a thinly-veiled alias for Darth Sidious), but the scriptwriter made a typo due to the D and F keys being right next to each other. George Lucas ultimately thought it was better, he rewrote the scene to make Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas a real person [[DeadPersonImpersonation who had died several years prior]].
** In ''Film/RogueOne'', most of the character traits for Chirrut Îmwe and K-2SO were improvised by their respective actors Creator/DonnieYen and Creator/AlanTudyk. Donnie Yen convinced the crew to make Chirrut blind and improvised the hilarious "Are you kidding me? I am blind!" line. K-2's sarcastic remarks and his slapping of Cassian Andor were all made up by Alan Tudyk.
** When DJ betrays the crew in ''Film/TheLastJedi'', and Finn argues his philosophy is wrong, DJ’s scripted response was something more standard like: “yeah, wrong and rich.” Creator/BenicioDelToro ad-libbed the line “maybe” that eventually made it in, which fits well with DJ’s code of avoiding moral scruples. Creator/CarrieFisher also had several ideas that made it into the final cut, notably for her to comment on her hair when meeting Luke again, Leia and Holdo saying “may the Force be with you” at the same time, and the twin medallions worn by Rose and Paige, which became a critical symbol in the film.
* In ''StirOfEchoes'', in the scene where Tom gets angry after digging in the back yard and kicks the bucket towards the wall, it was not supposed to hit and break the window. This was a "happy accident" and it could be used in the film as Creator/KevinBacon stayed in character and continued the scene.
* ''Film/TheStuntMan.'' Creator/PeterOToole read the script a few years before the film was made and told Richard Rush, "I read the screenplay and if you don't give me the part, I will kill you." Eli Cross (O'Toole's character) says a similar line in the movie.
* A surprising amount of the jokes in ''Film/{{Superbad}}'' were purely ad-libbed by the cast, usually until something was funny enough to cause the actors to break down laughing, and thusly added to the script.
* While filming ''Film/SweetSweetbacksBaadasssssSong'', MelvinVanPeebles obtained a permit to set a car on fire for a scene he wanted to shoot that weekend. Unfortunately, he got the permit on a Friday, and the city hadn't filed it by the time shooting was scheduled. He did the scene anyway and when the fire department showed up, he filmed it and left it in the finished movie.
* In ''Film/TaxiDriver'', the scene where Scout dances with Iris while playing soul music was based on an improvisation Creator/HarveyKeitel came up with while rehearsing. He asked Creator/MartinScorsese to include it in the movie because it added so much to the character. Scorsese was reluctant to do that because the rest of the movie is from Travis Bickle's point of view, but once he realized Travis could be outside the apartment watching from his taxicab, the scene stayed.
** Also, "YouTalkinToMe?"
* In ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesIITheSecretOfTheOoze'', Michelangelo accidentally drops a piece of his pizza into the canister of anti-mutagen. You can tell this was unscripted by the way Mikey immediately looks up at the camera. Even funnier since he somehow has an OhCrap expression on his (animatronic) face.
* In ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'', Sarah Connor, after breaking out of her cell, ambushes an orderly by whacking him out and inflicting cuts in the process. This was not acted: Creator/LindaHamilton actually inflicted the orderly's actor with the injury as revenge, because he went too easy on her when she was being restrained in an earlier scene (causing Creator/JamesCameron to re-shoot that scene several times, and she had to fall to her knees on a hard tile floor each time). It was kept in the final cut.
* "[[ChewBubblegum I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass, and I'm all out of bubblegum]]" from ''Film/TheyLive'' wasn't in the script. Wrestling/RoddyPiper took it from a list of ideas he had for his wrestling promos.
* The ladies' bathroom scene in ''Film/ThisMeansWar'' was improv on the part of Reese Witherspoon... except the bit where she leans into the mirror and says "Has that been on my teeth the whole time?" They had filmed an eating scene earlier in the day, and she had a piece of schmutz stuck in one of her front teeth, and her reaction to seeing it was real. They used it in the film anyway.
* In ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'', Creator/ChrisHemsworth improvised the gag where Thor hangs his enchanted hammer on a coat hook, figuring [[NiceGuy it would be the polite thing to do]].
* ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' had a kid from the "Make A Wish Foundation" on set the day they filmed the gladiator brawl between Thor and ComicBook/TheHulk. The kid suggested they add in the now famous line from Thor saying "He’s a friend from work!" referring to the Hulk.
* While Film/TheThreeStooges were filming the train scenes for "Hold That Lion!", Curly Howard just happened to pay a visit to the set. Jules White saw an opportunity and improvised a scene with Moe, Larry, and Shemp harassing Curly as a snoring passenger. [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d2/Curlyshempholdf.jpg]]
* ''Film/{{Titanic 1997}}''
** Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio telling Creator/KateWinslet to get on the daybed in preparation for him sketching her nude portrait, saying "Get on the bed -- errr, the couch!" According to the director's commentary, the original line had no reference to a bed, but [=DiCaprio=]'s nervous flubbing of the line seemed too perfect to leave out.
** When the ship is sinking, Jack jumps in the rising water and says, "Oh, SHIT, this is cold!" -- apparently, unscripted. This was also EnforcedMethodActing, as the actors were told the tank of water would be warmer than it was.
** When Jack and Rose are hanging on for dear life about two minutes before the ship sinks, Rose says "Jack, this is where we first met!". Complete ad-lib, but it makes the scene that much sadder.
** Also ad-libbed was Jack's line as he left the First Class dinner table: "Time for me to go back and row with the other slaves." Creator/JamesCameron preferred it to the scripted line and left it in.
* From ''Film/TomJones'', according to the Website/IMDb: "Hugh Griffith was reportedly drunk through much of the production; the scene in which his horse falls on him was not planned, and many believed he was saved by virtue of his inebriated condition. The film incorporated every frame of footage before rescuers entered the frame to save him."
* The crowd rushing the stage during the "Pinball Wizard" number in ''Music/{{Tommy}}'' was not scripted, in one of the most spectacular "throw it ins" ever.
* In Creator/OrsonWelles' ''Film/TouchOfEvil'', a scene featured a shot of Welles smoking. A piece of paper accidentally blew by in front of Welles. It was kept in at his request.
* In ''Film/TradingPlaces'', when Don Ameche has his money clip tossed to him, he bobbles it spectacularly a few times before catching it.
* In the ''Film/{{Transformers}}'' series Creator/MichaelBay is known for encouraging improvisation among the actors, which led to Creator/StevenSpielberg talking to the cast saying he would be looking at the dailies and saying "That's not in the script." Apparently in the first film, the reason Mikaela was mostly looking away from Sam while he was driving her home is that Shia [=LaBeouf=] improvised this long line of dialogue where she wouldn't recognize him because he lost 100 pounds at fat camp and the friends he met there have died from diabetes. Creator/MeganFox could not keep a straight face.
** It's also done occasionally to get more realism, such as the dialogue on the AWACS, which was improvised by the crew based on what they'd say in a combat situation like that (only without the giant robot scorpion...).
* ''Film/TropicThunder'':
** The scene that had Tugg talking to a flying mantis; it flying in his face actually happened by accident.
** When Tugg nearly fell into the river while he was crossing alone, Ben Stiller really did trip and nearly drown.
** The dance sequence at the end came from Tom Cruise randomly deciding to start hip-hop dancing during a make-up test. The crew thought it was funny enough that they worked it into the script.
* ''Film/TrueLies'':
** WordOfGod says that Curtis' slip and fall during the stripper dance wasn't scripted, and you can even see Arnold jumping out of the chair to see if she's alright. She instead jumped right back up and continued the dance, with Arnold sitting back down quickly. Luckily, all of this is perfectly in character (Harry would obviously be concerned about his wife, and then hastily attempt to maintain TheMasquerade when the show goes on) and it ends up as one of the funniest scenes of the movie.
** A scene when Arnold breaks a car window in frustration is also this -- Tom Arnold's reaction is authentic, as Schwarzenegger broke the wrong (read: non-stunt) window without noticing.
* In ''Film/TopGun'', Maverick (Tom Cruise) describes flying upside down over a [=MiG=] and Iceman (Val Kilmer) coughs, "Bullshit!" This line was ad-libbed and likely left in because the other actors in the scene found it very funny.
* In ''Film/ToraToraTora'', in one scene an American plane was supposed to explode while trying to lift off. However, the explosives failed, and instead the plane continued taxiing at high speed, veered off to the side and collided with other planes, causing a lot of mayhem and destruction. Several extras are seen in the film running for their lives, and almost being run over by the destruction or hit by flying debris. They were not acting. They were literally running for their lives. Since fortunately nobody got hurt in this accident, it was left in the film and is one of the most awesome practical "effects" in the film.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:U-Z]]
* ''Film/UnknownIsland'' When a horde of Ceratosaurs descends upon the heroes, who are throwing grenades at them, a little mistake made it in for the better. Because they were filming in mid-day in the desert with heavy rubber suits on. An explosion went off near one actor, who then promptly fainted from the heat. They kept it in the scene.
* ''Film/TheUsualSuspects'':
** The lineup scene was scripted as a serious scene, but the actors didn't play it as such. One of the actors was constantly making funny faces and apparently, Benicio Del Toro was stinking up the room with a bad case of gas, [[{{Corpsing}} which made it impossible for the other actors to stay serious]]. Bryan Singer was initially pissed off about it, but ended up using some of the funniest takes in the final film (so much that there's a take of everyone laughing).
** In the scene where Redfoot the Fence flicks a cigarette into [=McManus=]' face, the reaction is entirely genuine: he was aiming for the chest.
** Fenster's status as TheUnintelligible wasn't in the script. According to Benicio Del Toro, he came up with it (and Singer let him run with it), because Fenster was intended to be the SacrificialLion, and Del Toro figured that if he was going to be killed off early, he'd be memorable. Singer told the other actors to make del Toro repeat himself if they didn't understand a line. A few of these exchanges make it into the final film.
* ''Film/Venom2018'': The part where Eddie Brock climbs into the lobster tank wasn't scripted; Creator/TomHardy came up with the idea the moment he saw the restaurant set, and the crew immediately made it a priority to reinforce the tank so that it could support his weight.
* In ''Film/WalkTheLine'', Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash rips a sink out of a wall while portraying Cash as being affected by drugs. The sink-rip was not in the script.
* ''Film/WarGames'':
** Early in the film, Jennifer playfully pins David between her legs. According to Ally Sheedy, it was done on a whim, and she didn't realize the sexual implications until after the scene had been included in the final film.
** When David, Jennifer, and Falken were rushing to Norad, the Jeep they were driving wasn't supposed to crash, but it was kept since it added more dramatic tension.
** [=McKittrick=] asking David about his flight reservations to Paris wasn't in the original script. One of the crew saw the implication while filming and informed the director.
* In ''Film/TheWarriors'', when the Rogues arrive at Coney Island, director Walter Hill realized that the scene was missing something, so he asked actor David Patrick Kelly to think of something to say. Kelly improvised the famous, "Warriors, come out to playyyyyay!" taunt, inspired by a man who used to make fun of him in New York. He requested that he have dead pigeons in his hands, but that was not available, so he improvised the rattling the beer bottles.
* In ''Film/WhenHarryMetSally'', Creator/BillyCrystal's "Pecan Pie" monologue is largely improvised. Meg Ryan's bafflement is genuine EnforcedMethodActing, and you can actually see her glance off-camera for a moment. Creator/RobReiner made "run with it" motions, Ryan stayed in the moment and it stayed in.
* While filming ''Film/WhiteHeat'', the crew ran into a problem. The scene takes place in the prison cafeteria, where [[PsychopathicManchild Cody]] [[AxCrazy Jarrett]] has just been informed of his mother's death. As written it was falling flat until Jimmy Cagney seated the two biggest extras on either side of himself and told the director to follow him with the camera [[VillainousBreakdown no matter what.]]
* The scene in ''Film/WildHogs'' where Creator/JohnTravolta attempts to pull off a poor Creator/ClintEastwood impression in the biker bar was completely improvised on the spot. "What the hell is wrong with you?" wasn't directed towards his character.
* Creator/ValKilmer ad-libbed most of his lines as Madmartigan in ''Film/{{Willow}}''.
* ''Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory'':
** During "Pure Imagination," the only direction the cast got was that they could not stand in front of Creator/GeneWilder. As they're descending the stairs into the Chocolate Room, Julie Dawn Cole and Creator/DeniseNickerson decided to throw in some shoving and clawing at each other. Also, at one point, Paris Themmen steps in front of Wilder but does not step back with him; he improvised that.
** While filming the Everlasting Gobstopper scene, Julie Dawn Cole thought it would be in character for Veruca to do a LyingFingerCross when the kids promise not to share their treats with anyone. Director Mel Stuart paused filming because he was unfamiliar with the gesture, but once it was explained to him, he filmed it in closeup.
** Jack Albertson threw in the line "educated eggdicator."
** After Veruca goes down the garbage chute, Mr. Salt nervously fiddles with Wonka's bow tie, who returns the gesture by adjusting Mr. Salt's necktie. This was ad-libbed by Roy Kinnear and Gene Wilder.
* In ''Film/TheWindAndTheLion'', during one of Teddy Roosevelt's monologues, a horse lies down and rolls. In the commentary, the director notes that most filmmakers would have reshot the scene, but he kept it in for verisimilitude.
* Deliberately cultivated in ''Film/TheWindThatShakesTheBarley'', where the actors were given very little rehearsal time, and much of the dialogue consists of them interrupting each other or stumbling over words.
* ''Film/WitchfinderGeneral'': The film's memorable ending was unscripted. Originally, it was intended for the soldier to fatally shoot both Hopkins and Marshall, but it was realised at the last minute that an earlier scene had established that he only had one (single-shot) pistol. As a result, the soldier only shot Hopkins, and Ian Ogilvie improvised Marshall's psychotic freak-out.
* ''Film/XMen1'': Reports suggest that the actual script of the movie didn't have ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} saying "bub" but Creator/HughJackman, as a fan of the character, threw it in. Some reports state that he actually "threw it in" many, many times. They just only kept some of them. When Wolverine meet Professor X, he says "What do they call you -- ''Wheels''?" where the Wheels part was ad-libbed. The scripted line was "What do they call you -- ''Baldie''?"
* ''Film/YoungFrankenstein'':
** Marty Feldman started covertly switching his prosthetic "[[TheIgor Igor hump]]" from shoulder to shoulder between scenes until someone on the production crew finally noticed, and a bit was added where Frederick [[LampshadeHanging notices the change on-camera]]. Also, the "[[ThatPoorCat cat hit with a dart]]" sound-effect was Mel Brooks's on the spot improvisation.
** Another improvised moment by Marty Feldman was when Madeline Kahn's character arrived at the castle. After saying the line "Soitenly! You take the blonde, I'll take the one in the toiben," Feldman starting biting and tearing at Khan's fur piece, which was not expected from either the other actors or the crew. This choice was eventually kept in the final cut, but multiple takes had to be shot because both actors and crew couldn't stop laughing at that point in the scene.
* In ''The Young Lions'', when Creator/MarlonBrando's character [[spoiler: is fatally shot]], he falls down a big hill and into a pond. He apparently injured himself rather badly in the fall, but being the world's most famous Method actor, he kept still and finished the take and waited to yell in pain until "cut" was called.
* In ''Film/YouveGotMail'', there's a scene where the Tom Hanks character, holding balloons in one hand and a bagged goldfish in another, accidentally closes the door on the balloon strings. In an ad-lib, Hanks re-opened the door to free the balloons and joked to Ryan, "Good thing it wasn't the fish!"; it made the cut.
* During the graveyard scene in ''Film/{{Zoolander}}'', right after Prewitt explains why male models are trained to be assassins, Creator/BenStiller (who was also directing) completely forgot his line, and tried to wordlessly re-start the take by repeating his earlier line of "But why male models?", which prompted Creator/DavidDuchovny to run with it and hilariously reply, "...You serious? I just told you, like a minute ago." Fortunately, the error was perfectly in character, so it was left in.
[[/folder]]

* Miller's monologue about time travel, flying saucers, the Mayans and plates of shrimp in ''Film/RepoMan'' was written for the screen tests, as was Lite's monologue while he and Otto are breaking into the red Corvette. Both were added in when the filmmakers realized how funny they were [[spoiler:and the former became a key part of the film's ending]].

* In the 1990s remake of ''Film/TheNuttyProfessor'', Sherman Klump/Buddy Love and the comic's dialogue during the comic act was ad-libbed by Creator/EddieMurphy and Creator/DaveChappelle, respectively.

* ''Film/XMen1'': Reports suggest that the actual script of the movie didn't have {{Wolverine}} saying "bub" but Creator/HughJackman, as a fan of the character, threw it in. Some reports state that he actually "threw it in" many, many times. They just only kept some of them. When Wolverine meet Professor X, he says "What do they call you -- ''Wheels''?" where the Wheels part was ad-libbed. The scripted line was "What do they call you -- ''Baldie''?"

* In ''Film/TheHours'', when Creator/MerylStreep goes to the sink and turns it on, the faucet explodes and shoots water up into the air; Meryl just went with it, and they kept the take.

* ''Film/{{Jaws}}''

** When the barrel whips over the front of the boat and knocks Brody's glasses off, it wasn't meant to get that close to Roy Scheider, and his reaction was at least partly natural.