Cinema: Memory Lane

For fledgling screen writers, as for lawyers, nothing is so valuable as precedent. In the National Board of Review’s magazine Films in Review, Harry Purvis lists some “Sure Fire Dialogue.” Examples:

Mysteries: “Whoever he is, our killer is both clever and cunning.”

Safaris: “Men say much taboo, B’wana. Men say no go on.”

Army Life: “Here are the volunteers, sir—Walcowski, Cohen, Jorgenson, Schultz, Minelli and O’Hara.”

Private Eyes: “Somebody’s been using me for a target, and I’m just curious enough to find out why.”

Monsters: “That’s strange. Except for those two tiny puncture marks on the throat, the body bears not a single sign of violence.”

Horse Sense: “We’s done it, Miss Jenny! We’s done it! Sunny Gal’s done win the derby!”

Journalism: “Gimme the desk. Hello. Mac? Hold the presses . . .”

South Seas: “Little Taloo is fast approaching womanhood. Watch how she does the Dance of Awakening.”

Musicals: “You can do it, Sally. Now go out there and wow them.”

Fiction-Scientists: “Sometimes I ask myself—are we doing right?”

Bad Girls (With Hearts of Gold): “It’s no good, Eddie—a dame like me—a guy like you—it’s no good. I tell ya.”

Philosophy: “I’ve done a lot of dirty things in my time, Harkness, but you . . .”