The Women (1939)
Rosalind Russell: Mrs. Howard Fowler (Sylvia)
Photos
Quotes
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Exercise instructress : Mrs. Fowler you've hardly moved a muscle.
Sylvia Fowler : Whose carcass is this, yours or mine?
Exercise instructress : It's yours, but I'm paid to exercise it.
Sylvia Fowler : You sound like a horse trainer.
Exercise instructress : No, Mrs. Fowler, but you're getting warm.
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Exercise instructress : Arms flat. Crawl slowly up the wall...
Sylvia Fowler : The way you say that makes me feel like vermin.
Exercise instructress : That shouldn't be much effort. I mean, crawling up the wall.
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Sylvia Fowler : [Holding up a bottle of Summer Rain perfume] A friend of ours, Mrs. Stephen Haines, simply dotes on this.
Crystal Allen : Really!
Sylvia Fowler : Her husband picked it out for her. Perhaps you sold it to him. Stephen Haines, the engineer?
Crystal Allen : Oh, I'm afraid I don't remember. You see, we have so many men come in here.
Sylvia Fowler : Awfully good-looking. Tall, fair, distinguished. I'm sure you wouldn't overlook him.
Crystal Allen : I'm sorry, but when one's mind is on one's own business...
Sylvia Fowler : Of course. And, as you say, you have so many men.
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Nancy Blake : You just can't bear Mary's happiness, can you, Sylvia? It gets you down.
Sylvia Fowler : How ridiculous! Why should it?
Nancy Blake : Because she's contented. Contented to be what she is.
Sylvia Fowler : Which is what?
Nancy Blake : A woman.
Sylvia Fowler : Ah! And what are we?
Nancy Blake : Females.
Sylvia Fowler : Really. And what are you, pet?
Nancy Blake : What nature abhors: I'm an old maid, a frozen asset.
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Sylvia Fowler : Mrs. Haines never listens to any of her friends...
Exercise instructress : [under her breath] How does she avoid it?
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Sylvia Fowler : Well, heaven be praised, I'm on to my husband, I wouldn't trust him on Alcatraz, the mouse.
Peggy Day : Sylvia, you oughtn't talk about him like that! Why, I think it's disloyal!
Sylvia Fowler : Oh now, listen Peggy, do we know how the men talk about us when we're not around?
Nancy Blake : I've heard rumours.
Sylvia Fowler : Exactly... And uh... While we're on the subject, have either of you wondered whether the master of this maison might not be straying?
Nancy Blake : I haven't.
Sylvia Fowler : Well, for all you know Mary Haines may be living in a fool's paradise.
Nancy Blake : You're so resourceful darling. I ought to go to you for plots.
Sylvia Fowler : You ought to go to *someone*.
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Miriam Aarons : [to Sylvia, about Sylvia's husband] I made him pay for what he wanted... you made him pay for what he didn't want.
Sylvia Fowler : [to Miriam] Why you...!
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Crystal Allen : It will be out tomorrow, Mrs. Prowler.
Sylvia Fowler : [Turns around and gives her the evils] FOWLER!
Crystal Allen : [Smiling sarcastically] Oh I'm so sorry...
[corrects herself]
Crystal Allen : Mrs. Fowler.
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Sylvia Fowler : Oh, you remember the awful things they said about what's-her-name before she jumped out the window? There. You see? I can't even remember her name so who cares?
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Mary Haines : [about Slyvia and the model arguing] Oh it's just professional jealousy, they're really very good friends!
Sylvia Fowler : Of course! She adores the Fowler family. Particularly my husband.
Countess Tamara : Are you accusing me of flirting with Howard?
Sylvia Fowler : No, my little pet, but of trying to! I'd like to see Howard bat an eye at another woman!
Countess Tamara : Well I've seen him, and she's not bad either!
Sylvia Fowler : Did you get her innuendo?
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Sylvia Fowler : You know I go to Sydney's for my hair. Oh, you ought to go, pet. I DESPISE whoever does yours.
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Edith Potter : [Wiping her hands on towel] Oh, cheap Chinese embroidery! You know, I'll bet Peggy gave her these...
Sylvia Fowler : It wouldn't be so bad if only Mary's friends knew; we could keep our mouths shut.
Edith Potter : I know plenty I'd never breathe about my friend's husbands.
Sylvia Fowler : Oh, so do I!
[They both turn around and look at each other]
Edith Potter : Well, you know, I adore Mary!
Sylvia Fowler : I worship her! We're not only cousins; she's my dearest friend in the world. After all, we were raised together!
[Turns around quickly]
Sylvia Fowler : Oh Edith, I forgot to tell you...
[Whispers to Edith]
Mary Haines : Break it up, girls! Break it up!
Edith Potter : Darling!
Mary Haines : Hello!
Edith Potter : You're so slim, I could kill you.
Mary Haines : You don't have to. The diet I'm on is pure poison.
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Sylvia Fowler : [Showing her nails to Mary] Mary, how do you like that?
Nancy Blake : Too, too adorable.
Sylvia Fowler : Ah, you have no idea how it stays on... I get it at Sydney's. You should go, Mary. A wonderful new manicurist. Olga's her name; she's marvelous. Isn't that divine? Jungle Red!
Nancy Blake : Looks like you've been tearing at somebody's throat!
Sylvia Fowler : [Smacks her hand on the table] I'll be darned, Nancy, if I'll let you ride me anymore!
Mary Haines : Oh Sylvia, Nancy's only trying to be clever, too.
Sylvia Fowler : Well, she takes a crack at everything about me... Even my nails!
Mary Haines : Well, I like them, I really do. Sydney's, Olga's, Jungle Red... I'll remember.
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Sylvia Fowler : Is that anyway to talk to me, after all I've done for you?
Crystal Allen : Aw, done what?
Sylvia Fowler : You didn't know a soul when you married Steven. After all, it wasn't easy to put you over.
Crystal Allen : And who said you put me over?
Sylvia Fowler : I've gotten you into some of our very best homes.
Crystal Allen : [in a Ritzy tone] Yes, for some of their very best insults!
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Exercise instructress : [instructing Mrs. Fowler in her exercises] Up, over. Up, down. Up, stretch! Up, together.
Sylvia Fowler : No more up. This has got me down.
Exercise instructress : Rest a moment and relax your diaphragm muscles.
[under her breath]
Exercise instructress : If you can.
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Exercise instructress : Let's begin with posture. A lady always enters a room erect.
Sylvia Fowler : Most of my friends exit horizontally.
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Sylvia Fowler : [At the place Crystal Allen works] Well, here we are... Creeping up on her!
Edith Potter : Darling do you think we ought to do this?
Sylvia Fowler : Oh shut up!
Edith Potter : [Spots lady] That's little Crystal!
Sylvia Fowler : None other...
Ugly saleswoman : [Turns around] May I serve you madam?
Edith Potter : [Surprised] No, thank you!
Sylvia Fowler : [Surprised] Just looking!
[Walking away]
Sylvia Fowler : Oh from the neck up I'd say no...
[Spots other woman]
Sylvia Fowler : Ah, how about baby?
Edith Potter : Of course!
[Walks over to her]
Edith Potter : Mmmm... Couldn't be anyone else!
[Hears other lady call her "Pat"]
Sylvia Fowler : Pat?
Edith Potter : I still don't know why he overlooked her.
Sylvia Fowler : I do...
[points to Crystal]
Sylvia Fowler : Pipe.
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Peggy Day : Oh, I wish I could make a little money writing the way you do!
Nancy Blake : If you wrote the way I do, that's just what you'd make.
Sylvia Fowler : You're not a very popular author, are you, dear?
Nancy Blake : Not with you.
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Sylvia Fowler : [Last lines] Mary Haines, don't you have any pride?
Mary Haines : No pride at all. That's a luxury a woman in love can't afford.
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Sylvia Fowler : I'd die before I hurt Edith.
Nancy Blake : [offering Sylvia a tray of nuts] Nuts.
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Sylvia Fowler : I don't need to sit around and act glum. When I think of what I've sacrificed for Howard Fowler!
Miriam Aarons : Such as what, Mrs. Fowler?
Sylvia Fowler : [Looks at Miriam] I gave him my youth!
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Mary Haines : [Introduces them] This is the Countess DeLave... Mrs. Howard Fowler.
Countess DeLave : [Same time] How do you do?
Sylvia Fowler : [Same time] How do you do?
Mary Haines : And Miriam Aarons.
Miriam Aarons : How do you do?
Sylvia Fowler : [Looks closely at Miriam's flat chest] How do *you* do?
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Sylvia Fowler : What are you, pet?
Nancy Blake : What nature abhors. I am an old maid, a frozen asset.
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Sylvia Fowler : Ohh... What I go through to keep my figure and do I see red when some fat, lazy, dinner partner says: "What do you do with yourself all day Mrs. Fowler?"
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Sylvia Fowler : Oh uh... is that umm... Crystal Allen across the hall?
Saleswoman : Yes she's a new customer. Do you know her? Has she a lot of money?
Sylvia Fowler : I think she knows where she can get a lot.
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Countess DeLave : [sitting on Sylvia Fowler] Take it easy, Mrs. Fowler. I'm only trying to help in my own way.
Sylvia Fowler : Oh, you big moose!
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Edith Potter : Weren't you going to Africa to shoot, Nancy?
Nancy Blake : As soon as my book's out.
Sylvia Fowler : I don't blame you. I'd rather face a tiger any day than the sort of things the critics said about your last book.
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Sylvia Fowler : I'm devoted to Edith Potter, but she DOES get me down...
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Sylvia Fowler : Why you sly little fox, you.
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Sylvia Fowler : Did you get her innuendo?
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Sylvia Fowler : The way you say that makes me feel like vermin.
Exercise instructress : That's shouldn't be much effort. I mean crawling up the wall.