James Whale Quotes in Gods and Monsters (1998)

James Whale: My life is a game of strip poker. Want to play?

[on meeting Princess Margaret]

James Whale: This is my gardener Clayton Boone. He's never met a princess before, only queens.

James Whale: [while sketching Boone] Oh, that shirt, Mr. Boone.

Clayton Boone: Hmm?

James Whale: Yes, I-I am sorry. It's just too white. It's too distracting. Would it be asking you too much to take it off?

Clayton Boone: [nervous] Well, I'm not wearing an undershirt today.

James Whale: Oh, pish posh, I'm not your Aunt Tillie.

James Whale: Bells of hell go ting-a-ling-a-ling, for you but not for me. O death, where is thy sting-a-ling-a-ling? Grave, where thy victory?

James Whale: One likes to live simply.

James Whale: And we're quite informal around here - no need to worry about a bathing suit.

James Whale: It is kind of you to indulge your elders in their vices. Just as I indulge the young in theirs.

James Whale: Take off your shirt, and I'll tell you all about it.

James Whale: Making movies is the most wonderful thing in the world. Working with friends - entertaining people - yes, I suppose I miss it.

David Lewis: You only embarrass yourself.

James Whale: Oh dear, I'll never work in this town again.

James Whale: Who is this new yardman?

Hannah: Mr. Bugen... something B... I don't know. He came cheap!

James Whale: There are no Monsters here...

James Whale: [about the Frankenstein monster] He's noble. Noble and misunderstood.

Edmund Kay: You're a dirty old man.

James Whale: Oh.

James Whale: I have no interest in your body, Mr. Boone.

James Whale: Am I right in assuming, Mr. Kay, that it's not me that you're interested in, but only my horror pictures?

Edmund Kay: No, but it's the horror movies you'll be remembered for.

James Whale: I'm not dead yet, Mr. Kay.

[Hannah is disturbed by the image of Boris Karloff as Frankenstein's Monster]

Hannah: Oh, that monster. How could you be working with him?

James Whale: Don't be daft. He's a very proper actor... and the dullest fellow imaginable.

Ernest Thesiger: [speaking to Colin Clive about the implications behind the Bride of Frankenstein's dress and hair] I gather we not only did her hair, but dressed her. What a couple of queens we are, Colin.

James Whale: Yes, that's right, a couple of flaming queens. Pretorius is a little bit in love with Dr. Frankenstein, you know.

Clayton Boone: Well, um, w-what were some of your movies?

James Whale: Oh, this and that. The only ones that you may have heard of are the Frankenstein movies.

Clayton Boone: Frankenstein? And, um, uh, Bride of Frankenstein? And the Son of? And the other ones too?

James Whale: Uh, no, I-I just directed the first two. The others were done by hacks.

Clayton Boone: No, I don't have a girlfriend.

James Whale: Why not?

Clayton Boone: You have to kiss some ass to get a piece of it.

James Whale: He's never met a princess - only queens.

James Whale: Oh, shut up. All we did was talk.

James Whale: Oh, don't be daft.

James Whale: I suppose you'd like the top down?

Clayton Boone: If that's all right with you.

James Whale: Nothing would please me more.

James Whale: There was a time when this place was full of pricks. Big, hard, arrogant pricks.

Clayton Boone: Enough already. Isn't it bad enough that you tell me you're a fucking homo? You have to rub it in my face?

James Whale: Hatred was the only thing that kept my soul alive. And amongst the men I hated... was my dear old dumb father, who put me in that hell in the first place.

Clayton Boone: What was that all about?

[referring to conversation between Whale and Cuckor]

James Whale: Oh, don't worry. Nothing of any importance. Just two old men slapping each other with lilies.

James Whale: I've spent much of my life outrunning the past, and now it floods all over me.