MovieChat Forums > What's New Pussycat (1965) Discussion > Favourite lines

Favourite lines

posted 20 years ago by lagartija1919
46 replies | jump to latest

I love this movie, partly because I adore O'Toole, and it's not everywhere you can see him do a strip-tease! Woody Allen's script is brilliant, what's left of it, Sellers is impeccable...

"You are a selfish gourmet"

"You are a monster and a monster in that order!"

"Silence when you are shouting at me!"

"You'll love this group; it's a real freak show, if it gets dull, they sing songs!"

"Did you like my poem about peaceful co-existence between people of all creeds?
Yes, I thought it was very sexy.
Hum, actually the poem wasn't about sex at all, it was a plea for better housing"

"What in the name of all that's gracious is a semi-virgin?
Here, I'm a virgin. In America I'm not.
What do they do, stamp it on your passport?"

"Ethics! What do I care about ethics!"

"You must'nt strike me, you naughty man! You're my patient, that's who you are!"

"I don't want to be a viking."

[–] davidemartin 20 years ago

There is an odd re-occurence of a line that follws Peter OToole thru three films.

In the Richard Burton/Peter OToole film, BECKETT, OToole says of Burton's slain character, Becket, "He was the finest man who ever breathed."

Okay, move on to WHATS NEW PUSSYCAT....
OToole spots Richard Burton at the bar and asks, "Are you Richard Burton?"
Burton replies, "No, I"m Peter OToole."
OToole replies "Then you're the finest man who ever breathed."

And then in CASINO ROYALE
Peter Sellers is being tortured by being threatned by a marching bagpipe band. He spots Peter OToole among the marchers.
OToole asks, "Pardon me, but are you Peter OToole?"
Sellers replies, "No, I'm Richard Burton"
OToole responds, "Then you're the finest man who ever breathed."

[–] lagartija1919 20 years ago

You're quite right, that is odd and interesting. I noticed the line in Casino Royale and thought it was simply a quick reference to What's New, like when two characters are in Berlin (I think, I haven't seen it in a while) and one lifts up a man-hole cover, and the song What's New Pussycat comes blaring out. I hadn't linked it with Beckett, though; maybe I should see it again.
I'm not sure you have the What's New Pussycat line right, though. First there is the bar-scene at the Strip-tease, where Richard Burton comes up to O'Toole and says "Excuse me, don't you know me from somewhere?" and O'Toole replies "Well, the name is familiar, but I can't remember the face"; and then, later on, getting drunk with Sellers, he points to a picture of Shakespeare on the wall, says: "That man is the finest man who ever breathed". Sellers says "who is" and O'Toole, quite drunk, says "I'll soon show you who is" and takes off his jacket in order to thrash Sellers. Later, O'Toole tells Sellers he will help him woo Ms. Lefevre in a mock-cyrano way, and Sellers says "Then you are doubtless the finest man what ever breathed". O'Toole says "Who is", Sellers says "I'll soon show you who is", takes off jacket, etc.
And now that I think of it, I think that in Casino Royale, Sellers is asked whether he is Richard Burton, and replies that he's Peter O'Toole, and not the other way around.
All the same, thanks for the Beckett link!

"I don't want to be a Viking."

[–] empressofmisrule 20 years ago

"Hello my little laxative, this is Baby Fritzie here."

"You know my views on marriage...I'm a fascist!"

It's been ages since I've seen it, but the exchange between Fritz and Michael in the strip club that goes something like this:

Fritz: "I followed you here."
Michael (looking very puzzled):"Then how did you arrive before me?"
Fritz: "I followed you very closely."

Peter Sellers ad-libbed a lot of his dialogue, so I think the perplexed look on Peter O'Toole's face during this scene was genuine.

[–] lagartija1919 20 years ago

Yes, it's brilliant! It's:
_ How did you contrive to arrive before me?
_ I followed you very fast.

I also like some of Woody Allen's lines:
_ We played strip-chess. She had me down to my shorts and I fainted from tension.

_ Myy woman? You're Michael's woman. In fact, why don't I go get him.

[–] empressofmisrule 20 years ago

"You....hyper-thyroid!!"

Frau Fassbender: "Lascivious adulterer!"
Fritz: "Don't call me that again until I have looked it up!" (flips through large book) "Lascivious adulterer....is a man that is a lascivious adulterer. What kind of book is this?!"

"Cue yourself! What am I, an automatic cueing machine?"

Carol: "Do you have anything to eat?"
Victor: There's some tunafish left.
Carol" "What do you mean, left? When did you make it?"
Victor: "In April...but if you smother it in pepper, it's fine."

The scene where Carol and Michael are having a fight in front of her English class and they keep repeating everything he says, then he screams "AAAH, you're a bunch of parrots!!" and runs out.

I really need my own copy of this now....I taped it off TV when I was in high school and we (me, my brother and sister) watched it pretty well every day after school. I used to be able to quote it in my sleep.

[–] film_ho 19 years ago

Fritz's response actually is, "I followed you very fast."

[–] [email protected] 20 years ago

Here's my short list:

"I love the smell of perfume, the thrill of the chase, the moment of conquest..."
"...I like *thighs*. Do *you* like thighs?"

"Your face is like the pale autumn *moon*; are you *deaf*???"

"HNNH, two, three, four!
Who killed Charlie Parker? HNNH!
...*You* did - you *rat*."

"I'm his fiancee."
"You're...what?"
"I'm his fee-yahn-sayyy." (It's how she says it that gets me)

"There's a gentleman in the 'Marquis de Sade' room - he asks for twelve loaves of bread and a Boy Scout uniform."

"Oh, Victor, I can't let you make love to me with a person in the closet!"
"Oh really, how many people in the closet do you need?"

[–] empressofmisrule 20 years ago

"Your face is like the pale autumn *moon*; are you *deaf*???"

LOL!!! Forgot about that one!

[–] lagartija1919 20 years ago

Woohoo!

_I have had a lot of experience handling young girls, and it's all got to stop!

_I come from a long line of nymphomaniacs that includes my father and my brother.

_Why don't you get yourself a nice red sportscar? Drives them wild! A sign of man's virility! You should get two maybe...

_ What's wrong? Are you sad 'cause you're a sissy? You could go to a gym, get a haircut, you'd be great!
_ It's nothing to do with the hair!!!

[–] wisenhimher 17 years ago

"I’m going avay for zhe veekend. Don’t forget to vash.”

[–] rossica 20 years ago

"(...) twelve loaves of bread and a Boy Scout uniform" - !!! in Marquis de Sade room:) I always laughed at it a lot.

And I haven't seen this film for ages! I have a video tape but someone took it from me and I don't remember who...

Once when I was in England I found a book by Marvin H. Albert 'What's New Pussycat?' based on Woody Allen's screenplay, in a second-hand library. I bought the novel immediately! There are even some photos from the film:)

And what do you think about Dr.Fassbender's therapy?
"I use many unorthodox methods. For example, I've had great success locking patients in dark closets."

[–] adrian_wake 18 years ago

I've never got this joke. Perhaps my mind is too clean ( I doubt it though).

Please explain it to me. It has plagued me since I first saw this film when I was 12. Loved it though.

Adrian

[–] DBloodnok 17 years ago

Mrs Fassbinder: Is that lipstick on your collar?
Dr Fassbinder: Well, nobody's perfect.
Mrs F: I know she's not the first. Is she prettier than me?
Dr F: Is she prettier than you??!!! I'm prettier than you!!!!

"Someone has been tampering with Hank's memories."

[–] b_hargreaves 20 years ago

Not just a line, but a situation.

Woody Allen's in his apartment with Carol and he's really hoping to get down to the nitty-gritty, but burns his finger while trying to be cool when lighting a cigarette, gets off the bed, walks briskly to the bathroom (behind a curtain), and then you hear, 'OOOOOooowwwwww, my FINGERRRRRRRR!!' after which he walks briskly back into the room to resume the hanky-panky.

It's just so surreal.

[–] lagartija1919 20 years ago

Yeah, he's in his apartment with Carol, the love of his life who's also O'Toole's girlfriend. The bit where he starts shaving and blithely swipes the razor across his nose always has me in stitches!

[–] empressofmisrule 19 years ago

OOOOOooowwwwww, my FINGERRRRRRRR!!'

The girly screech that begins the "OOOOOooowwwwww" killed me every time!

[–] lagartija1919 19 years ago

And the way he goes off behind some flimsy little curtain as if that would smother the screech in any way at all!

Victor, you were so brave I'm shocked!

[–] [email protected] 19 years ago

Aww man, that scene always makes me fall down. I described it to my sister, but she went all stony and sniffed 'I don't like Woody Allen.' Bahhh.

I love how Romy Scneider jumps at that girly scream and how he returns all suave-like. Hee.

[–] lagartija1919 19 years ago

"she went all stony and sniffed 'I don't like Woody Allen.' Bahhh."
Aaaarrrgh! I hate when that happens! I have friends who do that too. Now when I tell a joke from a Woody Allen film, I never start by saying it's one of his. I just tell the joke, or describe the scene. Otherwise people just freeze up and say 'I don't like Woody Allen. I just don't think he's funny.' Urgh.

I will set fire to my beautiful psychoanalyst's body and set out to sea, ablaze like a Viking!

[–] Ironhead-Haynes 19 years ago

"Fritz plays around with the floozies!"

at Sellers' Group analysis
O'Toole:
"Group, in Britain we have a national therapy. We call it... cricket.
Unlike other sports, there's no anxiety or pressure. It's leisurely and lyrical.
It's the song of willow on leather."
Sellers:
"Is there any sex in it?"
O'Toole:
"Oh, no. This is a game for gentlemen, played by gentlemen."
Sellers:
"It's sick. Sick!"

O'Toole to his fiancee Romy Schneider
"I'll be back tomorrow. If i'm not back tomorrow, send for the police.
If they're not back tomorrow, send my clothes."

[–] [email protected] 19 years ago

I think it was Capucine? who had to tell her parents they were adopted.

[–] YourAverageFool 19 years ago

"I'm going to go into the bathroom and overdose on sleeping pills."
"I like you. You're a nice, stable girl."

I always liked those for some reason.

[–] [email protected] 19 years ago

I love that flashback, O'Toole in a schoolboy outfit talking to his hot teacher:

Michael: "Did you read my paper on 'what I did last summer'?"
Miss Marx: "Yes...it was the most moving thing I've ever read."
Michael: "I hope you noticed I dedicated it to you, Miss Marx."
Miss Marx: "Call me Tondoleo!"
(big grabby clench, much kissage)
Miss Marx: "Oh, Michael, this can't work! I'm 34 and you're 12!"
Michael: "Don't be negative!"

That is just wrong on so many levels. But funny.

[–] suzycreamcheese1 17 years ago

Peter Sellers: "...my little laxitive."

[–] willjohn 15 years ago

"How can you eat while I am committing suicide?"
"It's my birthday."