Daily Dialogue — September 19, 2012
PETER: Oh, forgive me. (indicating JEAN-LOUIS) Is this yours?
REGGIE: (indicating SYLVIE) It’s hers. Where’d you find him, robbing a bank?
PETER: He was throwing snowballs at Baron Rothschild. (a pause) We don’t know each other, do we?
REGGIE: Why, do you think we’re going to?
PETER: I don’t know — how would I know?
REGGIE: I’m afraid I already know a great many people. Until one of them dies I couldn’t possibly meet anyone else.
PETER: (smiling) Yes, of course. But you will let me know if anyone goes on the critical list (he starts off)
REGGIE: Quitter.
PETER: (turning) How’s that?
REGGIE: You give up awfully easy, don’t you?
Eyeing one, then the other, SYLVIE sizes up the situation and rises.
SYLVIE: Viens, Jean-Louis, let us take a walk. I have never seen a Rothschild before.
SYLVIE and JEAN-LOUIS start off, but not before the boy squirts PETER with his pistol.
PETER: (drying) Clever fellow — almost missed me.
REGGIE: I’m afraid you’re blocking my view.
PETER: (moving) Sorry. Which view would you like?
REGGIE: The one you’re blocking. This is the last chance I have — I’m flying back to Paris this afternoon. What’s your name?
PETER: Peter Joshua.
REGGIE: I’m Regina Lampert.
PETER: Is there a Mr. Lampert?
REGGIE: Yes.
PETER: Good for you.
REGGIE: No, it isn’t. I’m getting a divorce.
PETER: Please, not on my account.
REGGIE: No, you see, I don’t really love him.
PETER: Well, you’re honest, anyway.
REGGIE: Yes, I am — I’m compulsive about it — dishonesty infuriates me. Like when you go into a drugstore.
PETER: I’m not sure I –
REGGIE: Well, you go in and you ask for some toothpaste — the small size — and the man brings you the large size. You tell him you wanted the small size but he says the large size is the small size. I always thought the large size was the largest size, but he says that the family size, the economy size and the giant size are all larger than the large size — that the large size is the smallest size there is.
PETER: Oh. I guess.
REGGIE: Is there a Mrs. Joshua?
PETER: Yes, but we’re divorced.
REGGIE: That wasn’t a proposal — I was just curious.
PETER: Is your husband with you?
REGGIE: Oh, Charles is hardly ever with me. First it was separate rooms — now we’re trying it with cities. What do people call you — Pete?
PETER: Mr. Joshua. (turning to go) Well, I’ve enjoyed talking with you.
REGGIE: Now you’re angry.
PETER: No, I’m not — I’ve got some packing to do. I’m also going back to Paris today.
REGGIE: Oh. Well, wasn’t it Shakespeare who said: “When strangers do meet they should erelong see one another again”?
PETER: Shakespeare never said that.
REGGIE: How do you know?
PETER: It’s terrible — you just made it up.
REGGIE: Well, the idea’s right, anyway. Are you going to call me?
PETER: Are you in the book?
REGGIE: Charles is.
PETER: Is there only one Charles Lampert?
CLOSE SHOT — REGGIE
Her face clouding.
REGGIE: Lord, I hope so.
— Reggie (Audrey Hepburn), Peter (Cary Grant), Sylvie (Dominique Minot), Charade (1963), screenplay by Peter Stone, story by Peter Stone and Marc Behm
http://static.movieclips.com/embedplayer.swf?shortid=px7d
The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is meet-cute, recommended by robfrappier. Today’s suggestion by Teddy Pasternak.
Trivia: The character of Peter Joshua was named after Stanley Donen’s two sons: Peter and Joshua.
Dialogue On Dialogue: Teddy’s commentary: “This film is so good! Clever, crackling dialogue that makes you just love these two characters. Interesting that the bit about “dishonesty infuriates me” was not included in the film. Perhaps it slowed down the scene. Perhaps it was too on the nose in regards to the theme.”
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