Sphinx (1981)

John Gielgud: Abdu-Hamdi

Quotes 

• Abdu-Hamdi : Nowadays, I do mostly a routine trade in scarabs.

  [hands Erica a scarab] 

  Erica Baron : It's very nice.

  Abdu-Hamdi : What dynasty would you guess it was from?

  Erica Baron : I would say middle to late - Abdu-Hamdi.

  Abdu-Hamdi : I see that I am dealing with an expert.

  Erica Baron : It does look authentic. How do you do it?

  Abdu-Hamdi : It's all in the aging process. We feed them to turkeys. One passing makes a perfect patina.

  [Erica hands back the scarab] 

  Abdu-Hamdi : Please, keep it - to remember me.

  Erica Baron : Thank you. I'll think of you every Thanksgiving.

• Abdu-Hamdi : There is no bad time for speaking to a beautiful woman - a beautiful Egyptologist. This surpasses in miracles the invention of steam.