With all due respect to the late great Ed McCurdy - and the doubtless great and, Lord willing, still with us McGrath and EBbarnacle - I can't see how the line "Last night I had the strangest dream I ever dreamed before" makes any sense at all, grammatically, with "ever" or "never". At risk of being redundant, I most emphatically state that it is completely nonsensical. However, at risk of being self-contradictory, I will most willingly allow that we all know what it means.

I must say, at risk of being condescending, that I find the idea of McCurdy waxing indignant at the changing of the word "ever" to "never" rather amusing. (Sniggers in smug, superior fashion, and resumes his perusal of the Times).