- Susan: He was a ladykiller. But don't get any ideas. I ain't no lady.
- Police Lt. Joe Warne: I like that alibi. It's round, it's firm, it's fully packed. Only I don't buy it.
- Police Lt. Joe Warne: Tell me, uh, why did you kill him?
- Frances Ransom: Which one?
- Police Lt. Joe Warne: Keith Vincent.
- Frances Ransom: Oh, wasn't he supposed to have killed himself?
- Police Lt. Joe Warne: We happen to have a different idea.
- Frances Ransom: "We" being a certain inspector of police?
- Police Lt. Joe Warne: "We" a certain lieutenant of police.
- Frances Ransom: Inspector or lieutenant they mean the same thing to me: wrinkled neck tie, messy clothes, big feet.
- Police Lt. Joe Warne: I haven't got such big feet.
- Frances Ransom: I wouldn't be interested.
- Police Lt. Joe Warne: I suppose not... it'd take somebody like Vincent.
- Frances Ransom: [to Joe on movie set] Now why don't you hop on your scooter, sonny boy, and blow. I've got to emote!
- Police Lt. Joe Warne: How do you know I'm not a detective?
- Miss Madison, the dance instructor: Don't be silly! Who ever heard of a detective with his hat off!
- Pat: [trying to push through the apartment door] Well, baby, it's been a nice evening.
- Frances Ransom: [holding him back] Why not let it stay that way? Good night!
- Police Lt. Joe Warne: [waiting inside apartment] That's as good a block as I ever saw. Ever thought of trying out for the Green Bay Packers?
- Police Lt. Joe Warne: He had money, Dolores, a nice house. Only he apparently decided he needed a little more ventilation. So he put a hole through his head.
- Olsen - Police Photographer: Why can't a pretty girl bump herself once? Gets monotonous making pictures of men all the time!
- Police Lt. Joe Warne: Since when are they springin' people like you, Annabell?
- Susan Flanders: Seems they were afraid the house would get dirty - what with all the cops and bodies all over the place.
- [in his apartment, Joe Warne is shown leaving after his mother has just prepared dinner for him. As he's leaving, he looks at his mother]
- Police Lt. Joe Warne: If I'm not back by twelve, mail it to the city jail.
- [Joe turns and leaves the apartment]
- [first lines]
- [as the film starts, a man can be seen playing a piano. This is Keith Vincent]
- Keith Vincent: Alright, Dolores, I have been avoiding you. I've been working, trying to finish this song. Besides, I didn't feel like seeing you. Making nuisances of yourself the last couple of weeks. Telephoning, waiting outside my house. But it isn't going to do any good, we're finished.
- [Vincent turns to face a woman who is sitting on a nearby chair]
- Keith Vincent: I've had girls before.
- [Vincent points at a picture of a woman on his wall]
- Keith Vincent: That one was half-Spanish.
- [Vincent returns to playing his piano]
- Keith Vincent: Followed me all over South America, I wrote this for her.
- [Vincent looks at another picture on his wall]
- Keith Vincent: I met her in Sun Valley.
- [plays his piano again]
- Keith Vincent: This one will be yours.
- [plays another tune on the piano]
- [Keith Vincent can be seen writing at his piano]
- Keith Vincent: How would it be if you went away for a while, Angel? Up to the mountains or to Palm Springs? Meet people? Have a good time?
- [Vincent sings a few notes as he continues writing]
- Keith Vincent: You need any money, I'll be glad to help...
- [a flash can be seen, followed by the sound of a gunshot. Vincent slumps to the floor]
- [following Keith Vincent's death, Detective Halberson can be seen examining the scene. Also present is a photographer, Olsen]
- Olsen - Police Photographer: I don't get this.
- Detective Halberson: What?
- Olsen - Police Photographer: A big music writer, with dough, a nice house, plenty of girls. Why should he kill himself?
- Detective Halberson: Remind me to ask him at the inquest.
- [at the scene of the death of Keith Vincent, a photographer, Olsen, can be seen speaking with Detective Halberson. At some point, Olsen looks over at someone else in the room. This is Joe Warne]
- Olsen - Police Photographer: What do you think, Joe?
- Police Lt. Joe Warne: [points at Halberson] Ask Halberson, he's in charge here.
- Detective Halberson: [nods] Nice of you to admit it, Joe.
- [Detective Halberson can be seen investigating the death of Keith Vincent. Also present is a photographer, Olsen, who is taking a few pictures]
- Detective Halberson: [annoyed] You through wasting the city's film, Olsen?
- [Joe Warne can be seen talking to his mother regarding Detective Halberson]
- Mrs. Warne: Halberson talking through his hat again?
- Police Lt. Joe Warne: Could be.
- [Joe Warne cab be seen listening to his mother playing the tune that Keith Vincent was writing. After playing it for a few minutes, she looks at the title]
- Mrs. Warne: Who's this "Dolores?"
- Police Lt. Joe Warne: His gal, I guess.
- Mrs. Warne: You talk to her?
- Police Lt. Joe Warne: [shakes his head] Not yet.
- Mrs. Warne: She might know something. She might have been there.
- Police Lt. Joe Warne: She might. She might have stood him up. You never can depend on girls name Dolores.
- [Joe Warne can be seen speaking with his mother while the latter is playing Keith Vincent's final composition]
- Mrs. Warne: Why didn't he finish it?
- Police Lt. Joe Warne: You tell me.
- [Joe gets up and walks over to set next to his mother]
- Mrs. Warne: Well, why did...
- Police Lt. Joe Warne: Suppose I answer all the questions right now. He had money, Dolores, a nice house, only he apparently decided he needed a little more ventilation, so he put a whole through his head, left the prints on the revolver, and powder traces on his hand. You figure it out.
- [in his apartment, Joe Warne can be seen opening his bedroom door after hearing the sound of another door opening. He looks to see his mother arriving]
- Police Lt. Joe Warne: How much did you lose tonight?
- [Mrs. Warne appears surprised and delighted to see Joe]
- Mrs. Warne: [smiles] I didn't know you were home, Joe.
- Police Lt. Joe Warne: No? What do they got down the beach? All-night bingo parlors?
- Mrs. Warne: Well, I won three dollars. Mrs. O'Rourke lost six. The dope. You should be glad you've got such a smart mother.
- Police Lt. Joe Warne: How about the eight you lost last week?
- Mrs. Warne: That was last week. Come on, I'll blow you to a coke on the profits.
- Police Lt. Joe Warne: [smiles] That's good enough for me, Mom.
- [Detective Halberson can be seen finishing up his examination of the dead Keith Vincent. Standing nearby is Joe Warne]
- Detective Halberson: Let's go, fellas.
- [Halberson looks at Warne]
- Detective Halberson: You better stick around in case the chief comes by.
- Police Lt. Joe Warne: [nods] Okay.
- [Joe Warne has just finished speaking with his mother regarding Keith Vincent]
- Police Lt. Joe Warne: I'm gonna hit the hay.
- [Joe kisses his mother]
- Police Lt. Joe Warne: Night, mom.
- [Joe stands up and begins to head towards his room]
- Mrs. Warne: Good night, Joe.
- [Mrs. Warne watches Joe exit the room before she returns to to the piano and begins playing Keith Vincent's last tune]