Sally Aikens Quotes in That Uncertain Feeling (1941)

Sally Aikens: I was doing some secretarial work for Mr. Baker.

Mrs. Jill Baker: Oh, secretary's work on Saturday night?

Sally Aikens: Oh, well, eh, I-I'm a notary public too.

Mrs. Jill Baker: Oh, I see. And you brought your seal?

Sally Aikens: Oh, yes!

Mrs. Jill Baker: A-ha, a trained seal.

Jones: Miss Aikens, we want a woman's point of view on a certain situation. Now, Mr. Baker has a friend and he's in trouble...

Sally Aikens: Oh, Mr. Baker!

Jones: [Shushing Larry] Now, Mr. Baker has nothing whatever to do with it. Let's call the friend Mr. Brown. Now, Mr. Brown has a wife... Mr. & Mrs. Brown have been married for, uh, how long?

Larry Baker: Well, say six years. They live in Toledo.

Sally Aikens: Six years in Toledo. That's bad.

Jones: All right then, let's say New York. Now Mr. Brown is worried about his marriage. Things are not going along as well as they used to.

Sally Aikens: What kind of a man IS this Mr. Brown?

Larry Baker: Very nice...

Sally Aikens: Is he attractive?

Jones: Very attractive.

[to Larry]

Jones: Don't you think so?

Larry Baker: Yes.

Sally Aikens: And yet she's complaining.

Larry Baker: Well, she's drifting away from him.

Jones: Yes, and he wants to get things back on the old basis.

Sally Aikens: Who doesn't?

Jones: Yes.

[clears throat]

Jones: Now, Miss Aikens, as a woman, I'm asking you, what is the right approach?

Sally Aikens: Well, I should say a mink coat would do the trick.

Larry Baker: She has a mink coat.

Sally Aikens: Then what's she complaining about?

[the men are exasperated, and Jones dismisses Miss Aikens from the conversation]

Larry Baker: Just a moment. Now look here. Mrs. Brown is interested in another man.

Sally Aikens: Oh... If there aren't any witnesses she's going to deny it... But I'm afraid I'm not the right person to give you any advice. I probably have too much sympathy for Mr. Brown, and not enough patience with Mrs. Brown. We get cases like that every day. The wife is bored; marriage is just a habit. But on the other hand, she accepts everything her husband gives her. I think she ought to be kicked out. Do I sound old-fashioned?

Jones: No, we'll let you know, Miss Aikens.

Sally Aikens: Well anyway, I think Mr. Brown's a pretty swell guy. I've always thought so.

[Miss Aikens leaves the room]

Jones: ...She certainly had a couple of interesting angles.

Larry Baker: I didn't notice them.