All 4 entries tagged Film

View all 482 entries tagged Film on Warwick Blogs | View entries tagged Film at Technorati | View all 1 images tagged Film

July 07, 2006

Oneliners in North by Northwest (1959)

Forties and some fifties films have the best dialogue that one can find, so I have a little project here on my blog to collect great passages of dialogue from mainly forties films with the desire to learn in my own writing.

North by Northwest Roger: What I mean is, the moment I meet an attractive woman, I have to start pretending I have no desire to make love to her.
Eve: What makes you think you have to conceal it?
Roger: She might find the idea objectionable.
Eve: Then again, she might not.
Roger: Think how lucky I am to have been seated here.
Eve: (ironically) Well, luck had nothing to do with it.
Roger: Fate?
Eve: I tipped the steward five dollars to seat you here if you should come in.
Roger: Is that a proposition?
Eve: I never discuss love on an empty stomach. [She actually says, “I never make love on an empty stomach,” but the line was dubbed over.]
Roger: You’ve already eaten.
Eve: But you haven’t.

_{Eve: I’m Eve Kendall. I’m twenty-six and unmarried. Now you know everything.

Roger: Tell me. What do you do besides lure men to their doom on the Twentieth Century Limited?

Eve: I’m an industrial designer.

Roger: Jack Phillips. Western sales manager for Kingby Electronics.

Eve: No, you’re not. You’re Roger Thornhill of Madison Avenue, and you’re wanted for murder on every front page in America, and don’t be so modest. Oh, don’t worry, I won’t say a word.

Roger: How come?

Eve: I told you. It’s a nice face.

Roger: Is that the only reason?

Eve: It’s going to be a long night.

Roger: True.

Eve: And I don’t particularly like the book I’ve started.You know what I mean?

Roger: Let me think. (Pause) Yes, I know exactly what you mean…}

Eve: Incidentally, I wouldn’t order any dessert if I were you.
Roger: (eagerly) I get the message.
Eve: That isn’t exactly what I meant. This train seems to be making an unscheduled stop, and I just saw two men get out of a police car as we pulled into the station. They weren’t smiling.

Roger: Now where were we?
Eve: Here. (They kiss again passionately.)
Roger: Yes. Nice of you to have opened the bed.
Eve: Yes.
Roger: Only one bed.
Eve: Yes.
Roger: That’s a good omen, don’t you think?
Eve: Wonderful.
Roger: You know what that means?
Eve: Hmmm.
Roger: What? Tell me.
Eve: It means you’re going to sleep on the floor.

: 07 Jul 2006 21:21 | Tags: Film | Comments (4) | Close comments | Report a problem

Oneliners in The Maltese Falcon (1941)

The Maltese Falcon Spade: You, er – you aren’t exactly the sort of a person you pretend to be, are you?
Brigid: I’m not sure I know exactly what you mean.
Spade: The schoolgirl manner, you know, blushing, stammering, and all that.
Brigid: I haven’t lived a good life – I’ve been bad, worse than you could know.
Spade: That’s good, because if you actually were as innocent as you pretend to be, we’d never get anywhere.
Brigid: I won’t be innocent.
Spade: Good.

Spade: (smiling) You are a liar.
Brigid: I am. I’ve always been a liar.
Spade: Don’t brag about it. Was there any truth at all in that yarn?
Brigid: Some…not very much…Oh, I’m – I’m so tired, so tired of lying and making up lies, not knowing what is a lie and what’s the truth. I wish… (Striking a sensual, languishing pose, she reclines back on the couch)

: 07 Jul 2006 21:20 | Tags: Film | Comments (0) | Close comments | Report a problem

Oneliners in Double Indemnity (1944)

Double Indemnity

Double Indemnity

Neff: I wish you'd tell me what's engraved on that anklet.
Phyllis: Just my name.
Neff: As for instance?
Phyllis: Phyllis.
Neff: Phyllis, huh. I think I like that.
Phyllis: But you're not sure.
Neff: I'd have to drive it around the block a couple of times.
Phyllis: Mr. Neff, why don't you drop by tomorrow evening about eight–thirty. He'll be in then.
Walter Neff: Who?
Phyllis: My husband. You were anxious to talk to him weren't you?
Walter Neff: Sure, only I'm getting over it a little. If you know what I mean.
Phyllis: There's a speed limit in this state, Mr. Neff. Forty–five miles an hour.
Walter Neff: How fast was I going, officer?
Phyllis: I'd say about ninety.
Walter Neff: Suppose you get down off your motorcycle and give me a ticket.
Phyllis: Suppose I let you off with a warning this time.
Walter Neff: Suppose it doesn't take.
Phyllis: Suppose I have to whack you over the knuckles.
Walter Neff: Suppose I bust out crying and put my head on your shoulder.
Phyllis: Suppose you try putting it on my husband's shoulder.
Walter Neff: That tears it.