Daily Dialogue — November 4, 2011
JOE. The Mouth of Truth. The legend is that if you’re given to lying, you put you’re hand in there it’ll be bitten off.
ANN. Ooh, what a horrid idea.
JOE. Let’s see you do it.
She looks up worried, but seeing Joe looking at her feels a resolve and, tentatively, she puts her hand towards the mouth. Ann moves her hand, closer and closer but, losing her nerve at the last minute with a giggle, she pulls it back.
ANN. Let’s see you do it.
JOE. [he looks worried then finds his nerve] Sure.
Joe slides his fingers into the mouth and then his hand up to the wrist. Suddenly he gives out a loud cry. Ann screams and rushes to his side, pulling at him from behind. Joe takes out his hand, apparently severed at the wrist and Ann screams. Smiling, he lets his hand spring open, out of his sleeve.
ANN. You beast! it was perfectly alright! You’ve never hurt your hand!
JOE. I’m sorry, it was just a joke! Alright?
ANN. You’ve never hurt your hand.
JOE. I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Ok?
ANN. Yes.
JOE. Alright, let’s go. [They turn to leave and he cries out, jumping away from the Mouth] Look out!
Ann screams, running out of the building.
— Joe (Gregory Peck), Ann (Audrey Hepburn), Roman Holiday (1953), screenplay by Ian McLellan Hunter and John Dighton [Hunter was a front for Dalton Trumbo]
The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is lies. Roman Holiday suggested by Bill Weinberger.
Trivia: Both Ben Hecht and Preston Sturges are said to have been script doctors on the project.
Dialogue On Dialogue: This is a terrific bit of business playing on the underlying reality that both characters are caught up in their own respective lies.
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