Daily Dialogue — February 3, 2012

Jerry: Oh no you don’t! Osgood, I’m gonna level with you. We can’t get married at all.

Osgood: Why not?

Jerry: Well, in the first place, I’m not a natural blonde.

Osgood: Doesn’t matter.

Jerry: I smoke! I smoke all the time!

Osgood: I don’t care.

Jerry: Well, I have a terrible past. For three years now, I’ve been living with a saxophone player.

Osgood: I forgive you.

Jerry: [tragically] I can never have children!

Osgood: We can adopt some.

Jerry: But you don’t understand, Osgood! Ohh…

[Jerry finally gives up and pulls off his wig]

Jerry: [normal voice] I’m a man!

Osgood: [shrugs] Well, nobody’s perfect!

[Jerry looks on with disbelief as Osgood continues smiling with indifference. Fade out]

— Jerry (Jack Lemmon), Osgood (Joe E. Brown), Some Like It Hot (1959), written by Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond

http://static.movieclips.com/embedplayer.swf?shortid=95Uvn

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is break-ups, suggested by Teddy Pasternak. Today’s suggestion by Steve Trautmann.

Trivia: The now-famous closing line, “Nobody’s perfect,” was actually never intended to make the final film. It was apparently to be replaced by the writers once they thought of something they liked better. Furthermore, both I.A.L. Diamond and Billy Wilder credit the other for the genesis of the line.

Dialogue On Dialogue: I know everyone remembers the last line, but I think my favorite in this scene is, “I can never have children.” The way Lemmon delivers it is superb. Such a great movie! Billy Wilder and Izzy Diamond: Nobody better. Ever.


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