- Martha Phillips: I had a husband. I lost him. There's no use crying about it. I just want to call the whole thing off.
- Dianne Carter: Would you, uhmm, rather be respectable, or successful?
- Bob Phillips: Is there any law against being both?
- Judge Conlon: I've grown weary of homes being broken up. Especially when chivalrous men like Mr. Carter are involved... .. Any woman who's been married so many times can hardly come into a divorce court with clean hands. So she prevails on her husband... contrary to the usual custom... I'd say that everything about this proceeding savors of collusion... What a mockery. It's a shame to see this courtroom packed day to day with men and women intent and determined to destroy their marriages and, their lives. There's hardly a single marital breech that's been aired in this courtroom that can't be reconciled. Obstinate husbands and selfish wives too proud to make even the slightest concession to each other, but not too proud to drag their sordid marital difficulties into the limelight. Yet I can do nothing -- no court can -- where love and trust and self-denial is succeeded by selfishness and bitterness. Mr. Carter, June 5th was once the most beautiful day in your life. Today, one year later, it has become a hideous anniversary.
- [reluctantly]
- Judge Conlon: You'll probably get your divorce when the formalities are complied with.
- Title card: [opening lines] MARRIAGE - entered into with such high hopes - such promise of happiness. Then - too often - DIVORCE - which solves no problems - merely creating new ones - And - in its wake, leaves disillusionment, heartbreak, despair - Of such is our story...