Play It Again Sam

Allan: That's quite a lovely Jackson Pollack, isn't it?

Museum Girl: Yes, it is.

Allan: What does it say to you?

Museum Girl: It restates the negativeness of the universe. The hideous lonely emptiness of existence. Nothingness. The predicament of Man forced to live in a barren, Godless eternity like a tiny flame flickering in an immense void with nothing but waste, horror and degradation, forming a useless bleak straitjacket in a black absurd cosmos.

Allan: What are you doing Saturday night?

Museum Girl: Committing suicide.

Allan: What about Friday night?





We've been watching a lot of movies.
Sitting in our chair. With our ottoman now in position.
We've been watching a lot of movies that we already know.




Philip Henslowe: Mr. Fennyman, allow me to explain about the theatre business. The natural condition is one of insurmountable obstacles on the road to imminent disaster.

Hugh Fennyman:: So what do we do?

Philip Henslowe: Nothing. Strangely enough, it all turns out well.


Hugh Fennyman: How?


Philip Henslowe: I don't know. It's a mystery.




And, finally, one line which has made it into our everyday lexicon -
Whenever someone around us proclaims that they are shocked regarding some turn of events, one of us says, strongly and firmly: I'M SHOCKED, SHOCKED TO FIND THAT GAMBLING IS GOING ON HERE...


As in:




Rick: How can you close me up? On what grounds?

Captain Renault: I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!
[a croupier hands Renault a pile of money]


Croupier: Your winnings, sir.


Captain Renault: [sotto voce] Oh, thank you very much.


Captain Renault:[aloud] Everybody out at once!



There is small, strange comfort in knowing exactly what will happen next, on the screen, when one may not be so convinced things 'will all turn out right in the end' in real life.


After all...

Philip Henslowe :[aloud] The show must... you know...


William Shakespeare: [prompting him] Go on!