Noirvember Day 27: Sunday Words of Noir (Part 4)
It’s the last Sunday of Noirvember 2022, but don’t let that stop you from swimming in a sea of shadowy lines from the noir realm. For our final Sunday of memorable quotes, we’re hearing from the gents. Don’t get in over your head . . .
“All right, let’s play Twenty Questions. You answer them correctly, maybe I won’t knock your teeth out.” Mark Stevens in The Dark Corner (1946)
“Flossie had looks, brains, and all the accessories. She was better than a deck with six aces. But I regret to report that she also knew how to handle a gun. My gun.” John Hoyt in Brute Force (1947)
“You’re a beautiful dame . . . one of the best I’ve seen. And you treat me like it was Christmas Eve. But no thanks. I see through you like those silk dresses you wear.” Richard Conte in New York Confidential (1955)
“Is this what you folks do for amusement in the evenings? Sit around toasting marshmallows and calling each other names? Sure, if you’re so anxious for me to join in the game, I’d be glad to. I can think of a few names I’d like to be calling you myself.” Orson Welles in The Lady from Shanghai (1947)
“You like to shoot? So do I. So I’m warning you, don’t try anything smart with me.” William Talman in The Hitch-Hiker (1953)
“Every time I run into something worthwhile, it’s married.” Barry Sullivan in Suspense (1946)
“I don’t like gambling very much. I don’t like being at the mercy of those little white squares that roll around and decide whether you win or lose. I like to have the say-so myself.” Lawrence Tierney in Born to Kill (1947)
“The biggest mistake I made before was shooting for peanuts. Five years have taught me one thing: anytime you take a chance, you better be sure the rewards are worth the risk, ‘cause they can put you away just as fast for a ten dollar heist as they can for a million dollar job.” Sterling Hayden in The Killing (1956)
“A shrewd man never asks questions until he has gathered enough information to be able to distinguish between lies and truth.” George Macready in A Lady Without Passport (1950)
“You’re insane. You’re out of your mind. Me, too.” Kirk Douglas in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946)
Join me tomorrow for Day 28 of Noirvember!
shadowsandsatin 
What a fabulous compilation of Noir quotes — they get to the heart of the matter very quickly. Thanks for including John Hoyt’s quote from Brute Force which makes me smile every time I watch it. And let’s not forget how he sums up the whole experience: “I wonder who Flossie’s fleecing now?”
I second that emotion!
Oh, how I’ll miss Sunday Words of Noir posts!! I’ll have to bake an extra batch of molasses Christmas cookies as balm for the post-Noirvember pain.
I especially loved this muddy Valentine:
“Flossie had looks, brains, and all the accessories. She was better than a deck with six aces. But I regret to report that she also knew how to handle a gun. My gun.”
And I’m loving all the Richard Conte references!
Mmm, molasses cookies. You know I have to talk about Richard Conte whenever humanly possible. 🙂
Thank you, Wesley — I love that Hoyt quote, too — and the wrap-up! He seems so wryly good-natured about the whole thing.