Some of my favourites are:
Philippe: "What have we got for chop?"
Baines: "When you smell carbolic stuff, you hanker after rot."
Philippe: "Hmm, I understand. Makes a change."
Policeman: "If Baines didn't kill her, who did?"
Philippe: "I did, my thumb marks downstairs on the bannister."
There is a lovely line when Baines takes the boy for a walk and asks if he'd like an ice cream. The boy responds beautifully, "I wouldn't say no, Baines"
shareBains: "Life is great if you don't weaken."
share"It's not my turn yet."
The doxy in the police station protesting the unfairness of her being brought in that night.
"That bastard, Donald Crisp!"
The same 'lady' in the police station when she finds out his father is the ambassador: 'Oh! I know your father, dear!'
Oh man! My wife and I had a good laugh about that one.
lol Rose to phile: "Would you like to come home with me!"
lelelellele
what a bizarre movie, various women predating on poor little philippe, and all he wants is his baines :-\
lol also the whole bit where they're asking julie if she and baines were intimate.
"I'll put it plainly!"
and right before the movie mentions SEX directly they're interrupted!
Yes, that was a crack up for me too. While watching the movie, I was thinking how well, in 1948, the movie conveyed sexual activity by pointing to the bed and comments about the girl putting her clothes back on.
Somehow implied sex is generally more interesting to me than watching others fornicate in a dark theater full of strangers.
Maybe it's because the viewer must use reasoning and imagination so much more when things are implied.
> than watching others fornicate in a dark theater full of strangers.
What theatre do you go to?
:->
"Somehow implied sex is generally more interesting to me than watching others fornicate in a dark theater full of strangers."
Yes, I can see where the latter situation would quickly pall.
Yes, I can see where the latter situation would quickly pall.
Oh boy, that whole scene with the prostitute was brilliant (though I'm a little surprised that they would have dialogue like that in a scene with a little boy back in 1948!). The dialogue with the prostitute and the boy is very funny, but I also loved how Reed and Greene juxtaposed the serious dialogue with the cops and the boy with the prostitute's flippant asides. It reminded me also of how Reed had also brilliantly juxtaposed the boy's light, unknowing remarks with the serious, emotional, indirect conversation that Baines and his girlfriend had in the cafe. I love it when such contrasts are brought together convincingly.
My favorite line, though, was probably the snake's tombstone: "MacGregor, killed by Mrs. Baines..."
Without a doubt "I know your father dear!"
shareThe same 'lady' in the police station when she finds out his father is the ambassador:Great line. Had me laugh out loud share
"Oh! I know your father, dear!"
[deleted]
"I know you daddy!" has to get the prize.
sharePHILIPPE - McGreggor doesn't like Mrs. Baines.
or
BAINES - It's a great life Phil, if you don't weaken.
or
BAINES - The chief got all the blackies worked up with some speechifying...so I had to plug him.
Just now watching the film. Rose's actual line is: "Oh! I know your daddy!"
Great punchline to the scene.
Of course, the lines just previous are pretty good too:
"Does your father work at the embassy?"
"No. He's ambassador."
BAINES: "Mrs Baines will get it out of you if she can."
PHILLIPE: "Oh, I'll never let you down, Baines. Funny, isn't it, Julie working at the embassy and all this time she was your neice."
BAINES: "Yes, it's a scream."
P: Why did you leave Africa?
B: To get married.
P: Wasn't there anybody out there to marry in Africa?
B: Oh yes, plenty, but they weren't white
Even the casual racism in this film is droll and witty, almost like something Wilde would've written!
That isn't racism. It is normal worldwide for people to want to marry within their own community or race.
shareUhhh, discriminating against someone (including ruling them out as possible romantic partners) on the basis of their race is pretty much the definition of racism.
Peter, is your social worker in that horse?
At the reptile house in London Zoo:
PHILLIPE: (sighing as he looks across the room at Baines and Julie, who are wrapped up in themselves and ignoring him): "Oh, dear...Baines, do come and have a look at this snake".
JULIE: "Is it as nice as MacGregor?"
PHILLIPE (disappointed): "Oh, you've told her!"
BAINES: "I said we don't have secrets from Julie".
PHILLIPE: "I do".
JULIE: "MacGregor wouldn't be frightened of me, would he?"
PHILLIPE: "There's only one person in the whole world he's frightened of".
JULIE: "And who's that?"
PHILLIPE: "Mrs Baines!"
A tearful Phillipe being consoled by Baines after discovering that his beloved pet, MacGregor, has been killed by the hateful Mrs Baines:
BAINES: “It’'s just a bit of bad luck you'’ve got to take”.
PHILLIPE (sobbing): “She never really liked him. She said he was vermin”.
BAINES: Well, tomorrow, we’'ll put up a little stone in the garden and we'’ll write his name on it”.
PHILLIPE (bitterly): “MacGregor, …killed by Mrs Baines…, and the date!”
BAINES: “No, no, no, not that. Something like: ‘My MacGregor. Very lovely he was in his life, ’…and then the date. No, we'’ll, we'’ll just have MacGregor. That'’ll be plenty. We'’ll remember. How about a bite of supper? Then, we’'ll play a game. Come on”.
Superb dialogue, beautifully spoken.
My favourite as well, 'David W' ...
"Your mother puts license plates in your underwear? How do you sit?!"
By far the best line of this film is the funniest one:
Dora Bryan as the prostitute, with the boy resting his head on her bosom and when he reveals he is the son of the ambassador, she smiles: "Oh, I know your daddy!"
That was so random but totally in tone with Bryan's character, an ageless joke on no-good diplomats and politicians, it made me laugh out loud.
Another vote for this:
"McGregor, killed by Mrs. Baines ... and the date."