Quoteable Noir: Part 2
Back in 2019, I
kicked off the new year with some of my favorite quotes from some of my
favorite noirs. So much has changed in our world since then – but one thing
that’s remained the same is the awesome lines that can be found in the films of
classic noir. Because one good turn deserves another, I’m ringing in 2025 with
even more great quotes. Enjoy! And happy noir year!
…..
“I got
everything by talking fast in a world that goes for talking. And ended up with
exactly nothing.” – Eric Stanton (Dana Andrews) in Fallen Angel (1945)
“I want a
monopoly on you, David, or whatever it is that people have when they don’t want
anyone else to have any of you.” – Louise Howell Graham (Joan Crawford) in Possessed
(1947)
“The next time
you must indulge your hot, Spanish passion for dramatics, put on a uniform with
polished boots and stomp around your wife’s bedchamber. Do not attempt
brilliant decisions.” – Marcel Jarnac (Luther Adler) in Cornered (1945)
“All my life I’ve tried to love you, done everything to please you. . . . And what have you done? With your love you wrecked Mother’s life, you pressed Father to death, and you’ve made a shadow of Richard. I don’t envy you – I’m sorry for you. You’re the most pitiful creature I’ve ever known.” – Ruth Berent (Jeanne Crain) in Leave Her to Heaven (1945)
“I don’t like
blackmailers – nor would you, if you were in my business. They constitute a
very bad industrial hazard.” – Frank Hugo (Fred Clark) in Ride the Pink
Horse (1947)
“How far could
I get with you? What do you want me to do, let him get us both? You have to
watch out for yourself – that’s the way it is, I’m sorry. What do you want me
to do, throw away all this money?” – Anna Dundee (Yvonne DeCarlo) in Criss
Cross (1949)
“He used to be
my boss. Now I’m his. . . . First is first and second is nobody.” – Mr. Brown
(Richard Conte) in The Big Combo (1955)
“I said I liked
it – I didn’t say I wanted to kiss it.” – Laurel Gray (Gloria Grahame) in In
a Lonely Place (1950)
“Anybody who
puts the finger on me is living on borrowed time.” – Harry Colton (Lawrence
Tierney) in Shakedown (1950)
“You’re no good
and neither am I. We deserve each other.” – Kathie Moffat (Jane Greer) in Out
of the Past (1947)
“You seem like
a reasonable man. Why don’t we make a deal? What’s it worth to you to turn your
considerable talents back to the gutter you crawled out of?” – Carl Evello
(Paul Stewart) in Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
“You like
poetry, hon? George hated poetry. He hit me once when I recited Robert Burns.
He hit me right in the eye. George was no good. George had no manners at all.”
– Harriet Sinton (Jean Hagen) in Side Street (1950)
“Face it – if
you’re smart, you can get just about anything you want. If you can’t get it one
way, you can get it another.” – Ronnie Mason (Zachary Scott) in Danger
Signal (1945)
“A girl has to
keep her head one step of her heart if she wants to get along.” – Francine
Huber (Signe Hasso) in Strange Triangle (1946)
“One thing
about me, I never stick my nose into business that don’t concern me. It don’t
pay.” – Shorty (Harry Morgan) in The Gangster (1947)
“You afraid of
those ghosts they’re all talking about? I guess I made a mistake. I thought you
were a man. Sorry.” – Millie Perkins (Susan Hayward) in Among the Living (1941)
“One more crack
like that and I’ll slap your kisser off ya. Believe me?” – Barney Nolan (Edmond
O’Brien) in Shield for Murder (1954)
“You said I
didn’t know the difference between right and wrong. What’s right for Walter and
myself? For us to tell the truth? And hang for it? For what? What was she? A
mean, vicious, hateful old woman who never did anything for anybody. What was
he? A thief, a drunk, someone who would have died in the gutter anyway. Neither
one of them had any right to live.” – Martha Ivers (Barbara Stanwyck) in The
Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946)
“I’ve got to
think fast. Got to think of a nice, foolproof little accident.” – Lester Blaine
(Jack Palance) in Sudden Fear (1952)
“Don’t think you’re going to walk out on me. It isn’t as easy as all that.” – Vivian Heldon (Jan Sterling) in Mystery Street (1950)
…
– Karen Burroughs Hannsberry for Classic Movie Hub
You can read all of Karen’s Noir Nook articles here.
Karen Burroughs Hannsberry is the author of the Shadows and Satin blog, which focuses on movies and performers from the film noir and pre-Code eras, and the editor-in-chief of The Dark Pages, a bimonthly newsletter devoted to all things film noir. Karen is also the author of two books on film noir – Femme Noir: The Bad Girls of Film and Bad Boys: The Actors of Film Noir. You can follow Karen on Twitter at @TheDarkPages.
If you’re interested in learning more about Karen’s books, you can read more about them on amazon here:
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