Valentine's Day is better when you're single. You have a societally approved reason for boycotting all the pink fluffy teddy bears, and you don't have to worry about forgetting to get anybody anything on the day itself. (I've really done this. "What card? Why would I get you a card? It's not even your birthday until oh fuck.")
So in the spirit of avoiding pink fluffy teddy bears, some of my favourite romatic dialogue from films that did it so much better.
His Girl Friday (1940):
WALTER: I'd know you any time. Any -
HILDY: 'Any place. Anywhere.' You're repeating yourself, Walter. That's the speech you made the night you proposed.
WALTER: I notice you still remember it.
HILDY: Of course I remember it. If I didn't remember it, I wouldn't have divorced you.
WALTER: Yeah, I sort of wish you hadn't done that, Hildy.
HILDY: Done what?
WALTER: Divorced me. Makes a fellow lose all faith in himself. It gives him -- it almost gives him a feeling he wasn't wanted.
HILDY: Ah, now look, junior, that's what divorces are for.
WALTER: Nonsense, you've got an old-fashioned idea divorce is something that lasts forever. 'Till death do us part.' Divorce doesn't mean anything nowadays, Hildy, it's just a few words mumbled over you by a judge.
Gilda (1946):
JOHNNY: I got some news for you, Gilda. He didn't just buy something. He's in love with ya.
GILDA: Is that so hard to understand?
JOHNNY: And you're not going to do anything...
GILDA: I've got some news for you, Johnny. I'm going to do exactly what I please when I please. I was true to one man once, and look what happened. I made up my mind then...
JOHNNY: This isn't about us, it's about him.
GILDA: Really? You don't say so.
JOHNNY: And get this straight. I don't care what you do, but I'm gonna see to it that it looks all right to him. From now on, you go anywhere you please with anyone you please, but I'm gonna take you there and I'm gonna pick you up and bring you home. Get that? Exactly the way I'd take and pick up his laundry.
GILDA: Shame on you, Johnny. Any psychiatrist would tell you that your thought associations are very revealing.
JOHNNY: What are you talking about?
GILDA: Any psychiatrist would tell you that means something, Johnny.
JOHNNY: Did you hear what I said?
GILDA: Sure, I heard what you said. You're gonna take me there and pick me up - all to protect Ballin. Who do ya think you're kidding, Johnny?
The Lady from Shanghai (1947):
ELSA: It's true. I made a lot of mistakes.
MICHAEL: You said the world's bad. We can't run away from the badness. And you're right there. But you said we can't fight it. We must deal with the badness, make terms. And then the badness'll deal with you, and make its own terms, in the end, surely.
ELSA: You can fight, but what good is it? Goodbye.
MICHAEL: You mean we can't win?
ELSA: No, we can't win. Give my love to the sunrise.
MICHAEL: We can't lose, either. Only if we quit.
ELSA: And you're not going to.
MICHAEL: Not again!
ELSA: Oh Michael, I'm afraid. [He strolls away] Michael, come back here. Michael! Please! I don't want to die! I don't want to die!
MICHAEL (voiceover): I went to call the cops, but I knew she'd be dead before they got there and I'd be free. Bannister's note to the DA would fix it. I'd be innocent officially, but that's a big word - innocence. Stupid's more like it. Well, everybody is somebody's fool. The only way to stay out of trouble is to grow old, so I guess I'll concentrate on that. Maybe I'll live so long that I'll forget her. Maybe I'll die trying.
0 comments