Syreena Quotes in Darktown Strutters (1975)

Syreena: Maid's day off?

Mellow: Come on sister Syreena, we're all alone, you don't have to come off like that. Your sisters aren't here.

[Syreena smacks him]

Mellow: Good thing they call me Mellow.

Syreena: Strut off!

Mellow: How would you like the time of your life with everything on it?

Syreena: I'll let you know.

Syreena: If you ever try to rape me again, I'm gonna break everything that hangs, dangles or swings!

Syreena: What are you into these days?

Flash: I thought you'd never ask. I'll show you.

[breaks through the door]

Syreena: Kung fu?

Flash: Mayhem!

Syreena: Still breaking through doors.

Syreena: Any word from Mom?

Flash: No, not yet.

Syreena: How long's it been?

Flash: Well, I bit the neighbor's dog on June 23rd.

Syreena: Got your letter.

Flash: Ain't that a bitch? Mama went to work one day and just disappeared, never came back.

Syreena: Well where's she work?

Flash: Cross foundation. I filed a missing person report, but the police arrested me for filing a false report, and they couldn't find her.

Mellow: Once around the police station, how 'bout that?

Syreena: What's the bet?

Mellow: My ass.

Syreena: What if I win?

Mellow: Your ass. How can you lose?

Syreena: I'll come up with something.

Syreena: [doing a wheelie on her motorcycle] Hi-ho Silver, away!

Syreena: I saw them out there!

Carmen: The Klan?

Miranda: Then it's true, they're riding again!

Syreena: [sees the inspector in a red dress putting on black face] Pardon me.

Inspector Fallow: Hold that. Everybody uptight because of a little getup.

Syreena: It's not the getup, Inspector, but I *was* expecting a straight.

Inspector Fallow: Don't be too sure I'm not. There's a white female rapist on the loose, and she preys on black male faggots.

Syreena: Well that outfit ought to drive her crazy.

Inspector Fallow: Mm-hmm, I sure hope so.

[feminine voice]

Inspector Fallow: I certainly hope so.

Inspector Fallow: Alright, what is it you want?

Syreena: I want to know why you haven't found my mother.

Inspector Fallow: Ah! Another missing person. What's her name?

Syreena: Cinderella.

Inspector Fallow: Cinderella?

[chuckles]

Inspector Fallow: You ain't the only one looking for her. Vice wants to talk to her about illegal operations.

Syreena: She's a spy? Golly gee!

Inspector Fallow: None of that street talk on me, huh? Anyway, Missing Persons is out of its head. Several prominent black males have been reported missing in the past two weeks.

Syreena: And these 'prominent black males' are far more important than missing women?

Philo Rasberry: Somebody's ripping off the cream of the ghetto, I've got to be careful myself because I live inside too.

Syreena: You could be next.

Philo Rasberry: You really think so?

Syreena: Sure, baby, but it's like rape, you got to ASK for it.

Bo: This is Mrs. Parasol.

Mrs. Parasol: Mrs. Charles Parasol.

Syreena: Hi, Charles!

Mrs. Parasol: What is that outfit?

Syreena: I don't know! I saw Miss Julie Eisenhower wearing one on television.

Mrs. Parasol: [about a can opener] I'll take that.

Syreena: I'll wrap it.

[rips Mrs. Parasol's skirt]

Mrs. Parasol: Oh! This is outrageous!

Syreena: Thanks! It's nice to be appreciated!

Syreena: [spitting wine in Philo Raspberry's face] Shit. That is the worst shit I have ever drank. What year is that? Do you get that from the toilet? No wonder it's private stock. Philo, you don't have to worry about getting kidnapped; not with taste like that!

[slaps him in the face]

Six Bits: What do you want, huh?

Syreena: Who's paying the bills at the runaway house?

Six Bits: Now why're you asking me that? I'm just the numbers man. Now you want to get something down?

[Flash shoves him to Mellow]

Syreena: Yeah, yeah, we gonna get you down and stomped on.

Six Bits: Now look, it's even money they got some kind of politician's money or something, why?

Mellow: Shut up!

[shoves Six Bits towards Flash]

Six Bits: Hey man! She's gonna kill me if I don't talk, and you gonna kill me if I do! Just show me how I get out of here!

[Syreena hits his foot with a wrench, Flash hits him in the back of the head]

Syreena: Once more!

Six Bits: The Cross Foundation! They put money into it!

Flash: How come they ain't kidnapped you, Six Bits? You big time.

Six Bits: How come they ain't kidnapped you?

Flash: Oh I'm deferred.

Syreena: Listen, my MAMA's been kidnapped.

Six Bits: 3 to 1 you'll never see her again.

Cinderella: Syreena? Remember when you were a little girl and you asked me why men get to keep their names when they got married, and women didn't?

Syreena: Oh yes!

Cinderella: You remember what I said?

Syreena: No.

Cinderella: I don't either, and it's bothering me.

Syreena: Lixie!

Lixie: Leave me ALONE!

Syreena: I'm a friend! I'm Cinderella's daughter, Syreena!

Lixie: Syreena? Yeah! She mentioned you! Did you find her yet?

Syreena: No girl, but the trail leads to you.

Lixie: They've been looking for me and I don't know why.

Syreena: Who is?

Lixie: I don't know.

Syreena: Well tell me how you got mixed up with my mama. What was happening?

Lixie: It's a loooooong story.

Syreena: It's a looooong winter, girl.

Syreena: I ought to burn this place down!

Cinderella: Noooooooo! Lord no. Do you realize that Cross has nearly perfected an artificial womb? That could be the answer to all our problems. Transplant unwanted births.

Flash: [rushes out the house with phone in hand] WHERE YOU BEEN? I've been calling all over for you!

Syreena: It's the Klan!

Flash: The Klan? I'll give emergency a buzz.

[Syreena rides off, on phone]

Flash: Emergency? Dear Abbey? Dear Abbey, I've got a problem!

Syreena: They are making whites black! I've found Cinderella. We're gonna need all the HELP we can get! GET ON!

Syreena: [riding by on her motorcycle] The Klan is coming! The Klan is coming! The Klan is coming!

Six Bits: Cash me in!

[tosses money and runs after her]

Syreena: [passes Stuff and Lixie] Follow me!

Lixie: We're with you, sista!

Syreena: I need to get me a shotgun and rip...

Cinderella: Child come here. Come here honey. Ain't you learned NOTHING from all them hippie children that got their heads beat in?

Syreena: Yeah, I learned that you beat them before they beat you, Mama, that's what I learned.

Cinderella: You're gonna go on forever fighting like that, you ain't NEVER gonna win. The enemy's in our heads.