Who's on First? in live-action movies.
- Played with briefly in Babe when the eponymous pig meets an old sheep named Maa:
- Carry On Screaming! has the Mad Scientist Dr. Watt, who creates some confusion trying to introduce himself.
- In the Marx Brothers film The Cocoanuts, going over a map, Groucho indicates a land tract is near a viaduct. note Chico: Why a duck? Why that...why a duck? Why-a no chicken?
Groucho: Well, I don't know why-a no chicken; I'm a stranger here myself. All I know is that it's a viaduct. You try to cross over there on a chicken and you'll find out why a duck. - Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead has one, with one character smart enough to figure it out before it goes too long:The Player: The old man thinks he's in love with his daughter.
Rosencrantz: Good God. We're out of our depths here.
The Player: No, no, no! He hasn't got a daughter! The old man thinks he's in love with his daughter.
Rosencrantz: The old man is?
The Player: Hamlet... in love... with the old man's daughter... the old man... thinks.
Rosencrantz: Ah. - The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947) has one as its ending — see if it sounds familiar:Dick: You remind me of a man.
Margaret: What man?
Dick: The man with the power.
Margaret: What power?
Dick: The power of Hoodoo.
Margaret: Who do?
Dick: You do.
Margaret: Do what?
Dick: Remind me of a man.
Margaret: What man?
Dick: The man with the power.
Margaret: What power?
Dick: Give up?
Margaret: Give up. Let's go. - Rush Hour 3 had this sketch with characters Mi and Yu.Yu: May I help you?
Carter: We'll be asking the questions, old man. Who are you?
Yu: Yu.
Carter: No, not me, you!
Yu: Yes, I am Yu.
Carter: Just answer the damn question! Who are you?
Yu: I have told you!
Carter: Are you deaf?
Yu: No, Yu is blind.
Carter: I'm not blind, you blind.
Yu: That is what I just said.
Carter: You just said what?
Yu: I did not say "what", I said "Yu"!
Carter: That's what I'm asking you!
Yu: And Yu is answering!
Carter: Shut up! [to Mi] You!
Yu: Yes?
Carter: Not you, him! What's your name?
Mi: Mi.
Carter: Yes, you!
Mi: I am Mi.
Yu: He is Mi, and I am Yu.
Carter: And I'm about to whoop your old ass, man, cause I'm sick of playing games! You! Me! Everybody's ass around here! Him! - Rush Hour 2 did it in the opposite direction, when discussing Chris Tucker's character's apparent death.Inspector Lee: Not Yu, YOU! note
- Austin Powers in Goldmember: Austin meets nubile teenage twin sisters Fook Mi and Fook Yu.
- In a deleted scene they reveal that those aren't their real names, making all the associated confusions completely unnecessary.
- Airplane! uses characters with names resembling calls used in airport radio talk:Flight Control: Flight 209 you're clear for takeoff.
Clarence Oveur: Roger.
Roger Murdock: Huh?
FC: LA departure frequency 123.9.
Clarence Oveur: Roger.
Roger Murdock: Huh?
Victor Basta: Request vector, over.
Clarence Oveur: What?
FC: Flight 209 clear for vector 324.
Roger Murdock: We have clearance, Clarence.
Clarence Oveur: Roger, Roger, what's our vector, Victor?
FC: Now we're in radio clearance, over.
Clarence Oveur: That's Clarence Oveur, over.
Victor Basta: Roger.
Roger Murdock: Huh?
FC: Roger, over.
Clarence Oveur: What?
Roger Murdock: Huh?
Victor Basta: Who? - Airplane II: The Sequel has a scene very much the one above, as well as some courtroom testimony:Witness: Striker was the squadron leader. He brought us in real low. But he couldn't handle it.
Prosecutor: Buddy couldn't handle it? Was Buddy one of your crew?
Witness: Right. Buddy was the bombardier. But it was Striker who couldn't handle it, and he went to pieces.
Prosecutor: Andy went to pieces?
Witness: No. Andy was the navigator. He was all right. Buddy went to pieces. It was awful how he came unglued.
Prosecutor: Howie came unglued?
Witness: Oh, no. Howie was a rock, the best tailgunner in the outfit. Buddy came unglued.
Prosecutor: And he bailed out?
Witness: No! Andy hung tough! Buddy bailed out. How he survived, it was a miracle.
Prosecutor: Then Howie survived?
Witness: No, 'fraid not. We lost Howie the next day.
Prosecutor: Over Macho Grande?
Witness: No. I don't think I'll ever get over Macho Grande. - The Dinner Game (Le Diner de cons) has Leblanc. Juste Leblanc. That is, a Bond, James Bond mistaken for Only One Name. Juste translates to "just," and Leblanc, roughly, to "White." A further problem is that the "juste" can also mean "right, as in "is that right?" And an unrelated woman named Marlène Sassoeur ("Hi, I'm Marlene Hissister...") The first conversation could be transcribed thus:Pierre: His name is Just White.
François: Doesn't he have a first name?
Pierre: I told you, it's Just White! White is his surname, and it's Just his name. Your name is François, is it just? Well, same for him, it's Just. - What's Up, Doc? had an exchange between a judge and a thickly accented character named Hugh. The judge thought he was saying, "I am you!" until the judge snapped, "Stop saying that! Make him stop saying that!"
- Jesse and Chester in Dude, Where's My Car? discover that they have tattoos of each other's Catch Phrases ("Dude" and "Sweet") on their backs. Then they ask each other what they say, resulting in much confusion. This goes on for quite a while.
- A harder-to-catch example occurs at the Chinese drive-thru, where Jesse and Chester think a waiter is asking "And then?" to see if they want something else. It's actually a Chinese phrase.
- Happens when the heroes are talking about the Big Bad, Helen Hu, in Kung Phooey, which also comes with a bunch of Punny Names.
- The Pink Panther (2006), in a reversal, has Inspector Clouseau, upon hearing that a murder victim's last words were "Oh, it's you", wanting to interrogate every person in Paris with the name of Yu. Surprisingly enough, this actually led somewhere.
- In Spaceballs, comically ineffectual villains Dark Helmet and Colonel Sandurz have a pair of these. First, in one of the first scenes of the movie, a cross-eyed gunner brings Dark Helmet to a realization about the crew of his ship:Dark Helmet: Who made that man a gunner!?
Cross-eyed Officer: I did, sir! He's my cousin.
Dark Helmet, to Colonel Sandurz: Who's he?
Colonel Sandurz: He's an Asshole, sir.
Dark Helmet: I know that! What's his name?
Colonel Sandurz: That is his name, sir: Asshole. Major Asshole.
Dark Helmet: And his cousin?
Colonel Sandurz: He's an Asshole, too, sir: Gunner's Mate First-Class, Phillip Asshole.
Dark Helmet: How many Assholes have we got on this ship, anyway?
[Entire bridge crew (save one), comprised of dozens of men, stands up at attention]: YO!
Dark Helmet: I knew it: I'm surrounded by assholes. [Beat. Pulls down helmet mask] Keep firing, Assholes!- Later in the film, there is a variant on the trope that substitutes points in time for the role that identity usually plays in this gag (but otherwise plays the classic format of the bit completely straight), during the "instant cassette" scene in which the villains watch a copy of the very movie they are making in order to get a lead on the good guys, but not before briefly viewing the exact same moment of the very scene they are shooting:Dark Helmet: What the hell am I looking at? When does this happen in the movie?
Colonel Sandurz: Now: you're looking at Now, sir. Everything that happens now, is happening Now.
Dark Helmet: What happened to Then?
Colonel Sandurz: We passed Then.
Dark Helmet: When?
Colonel Sandurz: Just now. We're at Now, now.
Dark Helmet: Go back to Then.
Colonel Sandurz: When?
Dark Helmet: Now.
Colonel Sandurz: Now?
Dark Helmet: Now.
Colonel Sandurz: I can’t.
Dark Helmet: Why?
Colonel Sandurz: We missed it.
Dark Helmet: When?
Colonel Sandurz: Just now.
Dark Helmet: [brief pause] ... When will then be now?
Colonel Sandurz [with intensity]: Soon.
- Later in the film, there is a variant on the trope that substitutes points in time for the role that identity usually plays in this gag (but otherwise plays the classic format of the bit completely straight), during the "instant cassette" scene in which the villains watch a copy of the very movie they are making in order to get a lead on the good guys, but not before briefly viewing the exact same moment of the very scene they are shooting:
- The Three Stooges: In the short Disorder in the Court, we get a brief example when Curly confuses how to address the judge and the attorney tries to correct him. It's a brief example because the judge, a Reasonable Authority Figure, cuts to the chase:Attourney: Mr. Howard, kindly tell the court what you know about the murder of Kirk Robin.
Curly: Well, it was like this, Mr. Court—
Attourney: [whispered] Address the judge as "Your Honour!"
Curly: Well, it was like this, My Honour—
Attourney: [still whispered] "Your Honour," not "My Honour"!
Curly: Why? Don'tcha like 'im?
Judge: Allow the witness to continue! The court understands him. - Murder by Death: The butler's name, Jamesir Bensonmum, plays into questions about his name by confusing "Bensonmum" with "Benson, ma'am" and "Jamesir" with "James, sir". This all makes more sense with an English accent.Dora: Thank you. You are?
Butler: Bensonmum.
Dora: Thank you, Benson.
Butler: No, no, no, no, no...Bensonmum. My name is Bensonmum.
Dick: Bensonmum?
Butler: Yes, sir. Jamesir Bensonum.
Dick: Jamesir?
Butler: Yes, sir.
Dick: Jamesir Bensonmum?
Butler: Yes, sir.
Dick: How odd.
Butler: My father's name, sir.
Dick: What was your father's name?
Butler: Howard. Howard Bensonmum.
Dick: Your father was Howard Bensonmum?
Dora: Leave it be, Dickie. I've had enough. - Broken Lizard's Club Dread had a character named Yu, naturally leading to a few short versions of this trope.Juan: Pete! Yu and Hank are dead!
Coconut Pete: Why? What did we do?
Juan: No, man! Yu and Hank are fucking dead!
Coconut Pete: Are you threatening me?! - In 200 Motels, the MC, Rance Muhammitz, has many names, including, apparently, "Opal You Hot Little Bitch".
- Back to the Future has Marty trying to order a diet soft drink at Lou's Café in 1955:Lou: You gonna order something, kid?
Marty: Uh, yeah...give me a Tab.
Lou: Tab? I can't give you a tab unless you order something.
Marty: All right, give me a Pepsi Free.
Lou: You want a Pepsi, pal, you're gonna pay for it!
Marty: Look, just give me something without any sugar in it, okay?
[Lou brings him a black coffee] - Another Mel Brooks film, History of the World Part I, has a scene with Brooks as a waiter at Christ's Last Supper. When he tries to take the Apostles' food orders while Jesus is discussing his imminent betrayal with them, they angrily tell him to go away.Waiter: All right, all right! Jesus!
Jesus: Yes?
Waiter: What?
Jesus: What?
Waiter: What?
Jesus: Yes?
Waiter: Jesus!
Jesus: What?
Waiter: Yes?
Jesus: What?
Waiter: Wha...You said "what?"
Jesus: What?
Waiter: [irritated] Nothing. - Done in The Sandlot, though with reference to S'Mores rather then a name.Ham Porter: Hey, Smalls, you wanna s'more?
Smalls: Some more of what?
Ham Porter: No, do you wanna s'more?
Smalls: I haven't had anything yet, so how can I have some more of nothing?
Ham Porter: You're killing me, Smalls!- This particular version is actually Older Than Radio, as a similar minstrel-show routine involved one of the company asking another member if he wanted molasses, only to be told "Molasses? I ain't had any lasses yet!"
- In The Maiden Heist, Roger Barlow gets confused by the radio talk usage of "roger".
- Abbott and Costello, are the Trope Namers and Trope Codifiers, having originally created the routine for vaudeville and incorporating it into film:
- They perform their original "Who's On First?" vaudeville routine as part of the 1945 film The Naughty Nineties.
- In Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy, they do this with tools. Costello holds out some digging tools (including a pick) and says "take your pick." He's confused when the shovel is Abbot's pick, rather than the pick.
- In Who Done It?, it happens with a conversation about a man getting electrocuted. Costello is told that the man got "10,000 Volts," prompting him to askswhat election he won. Abbott clarifies that it was volts, not votes, but that just kicks off another round of confusion between "What are Volts?" and "Watts are Volts." They even throw in a reference to the original "Who's On First?" routine.
Costello: Next thing you know, you'll be telling me what's on second base!
Abbott: Oh, now don't start that! - The Little Rascals short "Little Daddy" when Farina is telling a story of Noah's Ark to Stymie. It led to Stymie's confusion over "Yeah" and "Noah" thinking they both built the boat.
- Classic example from ClueCol. Mustard: Wadsworth, am I right in thinking there is nobody else in this house?
Wadsworth: Um- no.
Col. Mustard: Then there is someone else in this house?
Wadsworth: No, sorry. I said no meaning yes.
Col. Mustard: "No meaning yes?" Look I want a straight answer, is there someone else, or isn't there? Yes or no?
Wadsworth: Um, no.
Col. Mustard: No there IS, or no there ISN'T!?
Wadsworth: Yes.
[Mrs. White smashes her glass against a fireplace]
Mrs. White: PLEASE!!!Col. Mustard: Well, there is still some confusion as to whether or not there is anybody else in this house.
Wadsworth: I told you, there isn't!
Col. Mustard: There isn't any confusion, or there isn't anybody else?
Wadsworth: Either, or both.
Col. Mustard: Just give me a clear answer!
Wadsworth: Certainly! What was the question?
Col. Mustard: Is there anybody else in the house!
Everyone: No!!! - In Purple Rain, "what" is the password:Morris: Okay. What's the password?
Jerome: You got it.
Morris: Got what?
Jerome: The password.
Morris: The password is what?
Jerome: Exactly.
Morris: The password is exactly?
Jerome: No, it's okay.
Morris: The password is okay?
Jerome: Far as I'm concerned.
Morris: Damn it, say the password!
Jerome: What.
Morris: Say the password, onion head!
Jerome: The password is what?
Morris: [frustrated] That's what I'm asking you!
Jerome: [more frustrated] It's the password!
Morris: The password is it?
Jerome: [exasperated] Ahhhhh! The password is what!
Morris: It! You just said so!
Jerome: The password isn't it! The password is?
Morris: What?
Jerome: Got it!
Morris: I got it?
Jerome: Right.
Morris: It or right? - In 1941 (1979), a group of Japanese soldiers capture one American, Hollis P. Wood, and take him to a Japanese submarine to interrogate him:Cmdr. Mitamura: Where Hollywood?
Hollis: Right here.
Mitamura: What?
Hollis: You're looking at him.
Mitamura: Who?
Hollis: Hollis Wood.
Mitamura: Where?
Hollis: I'm right here! Shoot, can't ya understand plain English?
Mitamura: Hollywood?
Hollis: Huh?
Mitamura: Where?
Hollis: Here!
[Mitamura opens a map and shows it to Hollis]
Mitamura: Where Hollywood? North? South?
Hollis: Ohhhhh! You want me to tell you where Hollywood is! - Mr. Magoo: The bad guy is a Brazilian drug lord by the name of Ortega Peru. This leads to a lot of confused dialogue whenever someone says that Peru is in Brazil.
- In Doctor Strange (2016) we have this exchange:Kaecilius: How long have you been at Kamar-Taj, Mister...
Dr. Strange: Doctor.
Kaecilius: Mister Doctor?
Dr. Strange: It's "Strange".
Kaecilius: Maybe. Who am I to judge?- One fight scene later, and Kaecilius still thinks that Strange's surname is "Doctor", leading to an exasperated Strange having to explain it to him.
- The World's End:Gary: I don't even know what a pronoun is.
Oliver: Well, it's a word that can function by itself as a noun which refers to something else in the discourse.
Gary: I don't get it.
Andrew: You just used one.
Gary: Did I?
Andrew: "It" it's a pronoun.
Gary: What is?
Andrew: It!
Gary: Is it?
Andrew: Christ! - Intolerable Cruelty, when Rex tries to find out if Miles and Wrigley have ever argued a case before this judge before:Rex: Have you sat before her before?
Miles: No, no. The judge sits first, then we sit.
Rex: (Beat) Well, have you sat after her before?
Wrigley: Sat after her before? You mean, have we argued before her before?
Miles: The judge sits in judgement. The counsel argues before the judge.
Rex: So, have you argued before her before?
Wrigley: Before her before, or before she sat before?
Rex: Before her before. I said before her before.
Wrigley: No, you said before she sat before.
Rex: Well, I did at first, but-
Miles: Look; don't argue.
Rex: I'm not! But-
Wrigley: You don't argue. We argue.
Miles: Counsel argues.
Wrigley: You appear.
Miles: Judge sits.
Wrigley: Then you sit.
Miles: Or, you'd stand in contempt.
Wrigley: Then, we argue.
Miles: Counsel argues.
Rex: Which you've done before?
Miles: Which we've done before.
Rex: Ah.
Wrigley: But not before her. - Avengers: Infinity War: Thor informs the Guardians of the Galaxy about Thanos and his plan:Gamora: We need to stop Thanos. Which means we need to find out where he’s going next.
Thor: Knowhere.
Mantis: He must be going somewhere.
Peter Quill: No. Knowhere? It's a place. We've been there. It sucks. - Knives Out: When Marta heads to an empty laundromat at the behest of a blackmailer, she finds her friend Fran succumbing to a lethal morphine overdose. Fran seemingly gasps “You did this… won’t get away with it” before passing out. She turns out to have been saying “Hugh did this”, referring to Hugh Ransom Drysdale, the real killer all along.
- Hook: Among the Lost Boys are Too Small and Don't Ask. Naturally, Peter has some difficulty trying to get acquainted with them in a deleted scene.Peter: Who are you?Too Small: I'm Too Small.Latchboy: That's his name.Peter: And you?Latchboy: Latchboy.Peter: What's your name?Don't Ask: Don't Ask.Peter: Why not?No Nap: That's his name!
- The Funhouse Massacre: Morgan, while serving an elderly customer, tries explaining to him that he's dressed as the seventh Doctor Who for Halloween. However, the customer just takes that to mean "Doctor Who?", and gets confused.
- Medicine Man. Dr. Rae Crane is a bit startled to meet Dr. Robert Campbell because he's dressed up like a giant toucan bird for a native ceremony, and there's a short version of this trope when she introduces herself.Dr. Campbell: Who are you?Dr. Crane: Crane.Dr. Campbell: No, I'm a toucan.Dr. Crane: That's my name.Dr. Campbell: Toucan?Dr. Crane: No, Crane!
