Sources / 1 quote, saved February 2013
Http://www.phrases.org.uk/
Cut to the chase
Meaning
Get to the point - leaving out unnecessary preamble.
Origin
This phrase originated in the US film industry. Many early silent films ended in chase sequences preceded by obligatory romantic storylines. The first reference to it dates back to that era, just after the first 'talkie' - The Jazz Singer, 1927. It is a script direction from Joseph Patrick McEvoy's novel Hollywood Girl, 1929:
"Jannings escapes... Cut to chase."