Van Heflin credited as playing...
Peter Denver
- [opening narration]
- Peter Denver: The Black Widow, deadliest of all spiders, earned its dark title through its deplorable practice of devouring its mate.
- Peter Denver: Were you drunk when you did these?
- Costume Designer: A little.
- Peter Denver: They're very good.
- [discussing a woman who has been charged with murdering her husband's lover]
- Detective Lt. C.A. Bruce: Nancy Ordway's trouble was that she was a purpose girl who forgot her purpose. She fell in love. Unfortunately the fellow she fell in love with was Miss Carlotta Marin's husband. Personally I would as soon try to take something away from Rocky Marciano.
- [Rocky was an American professional boxer and world heavyweight champion at the time]
- Detective Lt. C.A. Bruce: .
- Iris Denver: What do you think they will do to Lottie?
- Detective Lt. C.A. Bruce: That I couldn't tell. A thing like that is up to the jury.
- Peter Denver: I can hardly wait.
- Iris Denver: [Iris disapprovingly] Why Peter.
- Peter Denver: No, I mean for one of the greatest dramatic actress in this country to open in court. I can already see her in the witness chair. Without any make up, her hair just a little straggled and grey. Wearing a rather faded print dress from a bargin basement. And no girdle. And when this poor, brave, pathetic little housewife gets through with that jury...
- Detective Lt. C.A. Bruce: They'll probably convict me.
- Peter Denver: That is not impossible.
- [stirring music - The End]
- Peter Denver: How old are you?
- Nancy Ordway: Nineteen. No, that's not true. I'm 20. I just hate to admit it. 'Cause in the 20s you ought to have accomplished something.
- Peter Denver: I know. Mozart had written an opera by the time he was 12.
- Iris Denver: [Urging Peter to stop in at Carlotta's party] Just long enough for her to see that you're there.
- Peter Denver: If she'll look fast enough.
- Peter Denver: Would you like to go out on the terrace?
- Brian Mullen: Good heavens! You're not thinking of jumping, are you?
- Iris Denver: Lottie behaving herself?
- Peter Denver: Well, I think I'm the only one around the theater still speaking to her, but nobody's actually clobbered her yet.
- Peter Denver: Where on earth did you and Lottie meet all these people?
- Brian Mullen: Who's met 'em?
- Brian Mullen: [to the waiter.] Bring Mr. Denver a drink, will you?
- Party waiter: Yes, sir
- Brian Mullen: Yours is the first face I've recognized here tonight.
- Nancy Ordway: The editor said it was all right to write like Somerset Maugham and it was all right to write like Truman Capote, but not at the same time.
- Peter Denver: Why don't you do like everybody else and write like Hemingway?
- Nancy Ordway: I tried.
- Nancy Ordway: Would you mind saying just a word or two to me?
- Peter Denver: On what subject?
- Nancy Ordway: I don't think it really matters. It's just that my mother always told me that if a girl could be at a party for 30 minutes without getting a man to talk to her she might just as well go on home and shoot herself. I've already been here 25.
- Peter Denver: Well, in that case, I'll be very happy to save your life.
- Peter Denver: This baby eats too much. Do you know what that kid got away with for dinner? A whole mess of marinated herring, two big bowls of pea soup, steak about the size of a doormat, four vegetables and some tomatoes, a bucket of salad, some cheese and a chocolate nut sundae. No coffee.
- Nancy Ordway: That's it. That's the goal to try for: death and grandeur.
- Peter Denver: Well, you're right, of course. Always shoot for the moon.
- Peter Denver: I'm sure she loathes me.
- Detective Lt. C.A. Bruce: For any particular reason?
- Peter Denver: I'm her employer.
- Peter Denver: What's the reason for all this gumshoe work, dragging in all these people to blacken me in this case?
- Peter Denver: She's taken one stupid, foolish remark and built it into this impossible lie.
- Iris Denver: [sarcastically] Everybody's lying but you. Lucia, that other woman, Nanny Ordway - they're all lying but you!
- Peter Denver: But it's the truth, darling.
- Brian Mullen: You, uh, heard the girl was pregnant, didn't you?
- Peter Denver: No, I didn't.
- Brian Mullen: That cop told us this afternoon.
- [exits]
- Iris Denver: Anything else?
- Peter Denver: Nothing to top that.
- Peter Denver: Now what was it you were going to tell Iris for her own good, may I ask?
- Carlotta Marin: Can you really hear through the key hole of a Yale lock?
- Peter Denver: The organ tones of an old-fashioned actress, yes.