Tess Quotes in Dick Tracy vs. Cueball (1946)

[Tess objects to Junior reading about a gory murder in the newspaper]

Dick Tracy: Tess is right, Junior. Say, how would you like a lifetime job showing Junior what to read?

Tess: Why, Dick Tracy. Proposing so early in the morning?

Junior Tracy: Why don't ya just marry him so he can stop proposin'?

[Tess observes four beautiful women leave Dick Tracy's office]

Tess: I can see that police work might be *very* interesting.

Dick Tracy: Now, Tess, those were policewomen.

Vitamin Flintheart: Policewomen? Ha! A man is confronted with jeopardy from all sides.

Jane: You tell him the truth or I will.

Tess: No, you won't. You wouldn't hurt a fly and you definitely wouldn't hurt me, I'm your sister.

Jane: That was yesterday. Today you're just some bitch who broke my heart and cut up my mother's wedding dress.

Tess: [about their childhood dog] Not a day goes by that I don't think about that bag of fleas. Good old Tory.

George: Hey, Jane, how come you never mentioned Tory?

Jane: I don't know. I guess I repressed the memory of *Toby*.

Tess: Yeah, his name was Toby, but I called him Tory because I had a lisp.

Jane: A lisp that turned your B's to R's?

Tess: How could you let this happen to me?

[begins reading from newspaper article]

Tess: "If Jane is the prototypical accommodating bridesmaid, then her sister Tess is cast as the overbearing, overindulged bride-to-be who at any moment might start stomping around Manhattan, breathing fire, and swatting planes from the sky."

Jane: I had no idea he was writing an article about me.

Tess: You? He called me Bridezilla! In the New York freaking Journal! I could tear him apart limb from limb!

Tess: Hello, Dr. Coleman. Yes, Elizabeth. Yes, Elizabeth, I'll be at the appointment tomorrow. Ok, good. And Elizabeth, remember, you are a smart, strong, beautiful, independent woman and you don't need a man to complete you.

Butcher Woman: Thank you.

Tess: Goodbye.

[Anna and Tess read the fortunes they received from Pei-Pei's mother]

Anna, Tess: A journey soon begins...

Tess: ...its prize reflected in the other's eyes.

Anna: When what you see is what you lack...

Anna, Tess: ...then selfless love will change you back.

Anna: You couldn't last one day in my high school.

Tess: Actually I could, and I would do it without getting a detention.

[first lines]

Tess: Honey, wake up.

Anna: No.

Tess: Anna. Greet the day.

Ryan: What the hell just happened?

Tess: Trust me, you don't wanna know.

Tess: [Anna's bedroom door was just removed] Privacy is a privilege, Anna.

Anna: I'm going to get a little stud here Ok?

[holding top part of ear]

Tess: I don't want my maid of honor looking like a harlot.

Tess: He offered you parts in Cats? I thought you hated Cats. You said it was an all time low in a lifetime of theatre going. You said, "Aeschylus did not invent the theatre to have it end up a bunch of chorus kids in cat suits prancing around wondering which of them will go to kitty-cat heaven."

Tess: I will not be part of this conspiracy!

Flan: It's not a conspiracy, it's a family!

Colette: [introducing her mother to some kids] Kids... My manipulative mother, who thinks I won't be able to ignore her in front of you... who is wrong.

Tess: You're disturbing them. And on their special day. Now that's manipulative. That's how you do it.

Tess: ...because if you can disprove one thing a person in power says, people will question everything else they say.

Tess: Well, if I were twenty years younger and not in a committed polyamorous relationship with some people in Anchorage, I would... I'd fuck ya.

Leo Palamino: That is the nicest thing the mother of anyone I've loved has ever said.

Tess: [about her missing models in the woods] Great, we have a bunch of horny bears chasing bloody models

Danny: [referring to her relationship with Terry] Does he make you laugh?

Tess: [sincerely] He doesn't make me cry.

Tess: You know what your problem is?

Danny: [sarcastically] I only have one?

Danny: Now, they tell me I paid my debt to society.

Tess: [sarcastically] Funny, I never got a check.

Tess: [talking privately over dinner while Tess is waiting for Terry] You're a thief and a liar.

Danny: I only lied about being a thief, I don't do that anymore.

Tess: Steal?

Danny: Lie.

Tess: [referring to Terry] I'm with someone who doesn't have to make that kind of distinction.

Danny: [sarcastically, referring to Terry] No, he's very clear on both.

[last lines]

[Danny has just got out of jail]

Danny: Hi!

Tess: [in Rusty's car] Hi. We need to get Rusty a girl.

Rusty: [jokingly] There's a women's prison down the road.

Danny: [noticing Tess is wearing her wedding ring] You said that you sold this.

Tess: I said that.

Danny: Liar.

Tess: Thief.

[they kiss]

Tess: [was talking privately over dinner with Danny until Terry finally shows up] Danny was walking through the restaurant when he spotted me.

Terry: Is that right?

Danny: Yeah, imagine the odds.

Terry: [sarcastically, partially quoting one of Rick's line's from Casablanca] Of all the gin joints in all the world.

Danny: [talking privately over dinner while Tess is waiting for Terry] Tess, you're doing a great job curating the museum, the Vermeer is quite good, simple, vibrant, but his work definitely fell off as he got older.

Tess: [implying Danny has similarities with Vermeer] Remind you of anyone?

Danny: And I always confuse Monet and Manet. Now which one married his mistress?

Tess: Monet.

Danny: Right, and then Manet had syphilis.

Tess: [sarcastically] They also painted occasionally.

Tess: You of all people should know Terry, in your hotel, there's always someone watching.

Danny: [talking privately over dinner while Tess is waiting for Terry] You remember the day I went out for cigarettes and didn't come back? You must have noticed.

[goes to sit down]

Tess: I don't smoke. Don't sit!

Danny: I'm not joking, Tess.

Tess: I'm not laughing, Danny.

Tess: [talking privately over dinner while she's waiting for Terry] Do you remember what I said when we met?

Danny: You said I'd better know what I'm doing.

Tess: And do you? Because you should walk out that door if you don't.

Danny: I know what I'm doing.

Terry: [finally shows up] What are you doing?

Tess: [waiting to have a romantic dinner with Terry] You're thirty seconds late, I was going to send out a search...

[looks up and surprised to see Danny]

[last lines before epilogue]

[the crew has just pulled off the heist. Danny is in handcuffs being escorted to a police car. Tess runs outside of the casino to find him]

Tess: Wait! Wait! Wait. Wait, that's my husband. That's my husband.

[to Danny knowingly]

Tess: Danny...

Danny: [Smiling] Tess, I told you... I knew what I was doing.

Tess: [Tearing up] I didn't.

[pause]

Tess: How long will you be?

Danny: ...Three to six months, I guess.

[Danny is placed into the police car. Through the window he smiles at Tess reassuringly. Through teary eyes, Tess smiles back]

Tess: [upon seeing a nauseous Georgia emerge from the bathroom stall] Oh, God, Georgia. Tell me you don't have the flu.

[Georgia shakes her head and starts crying]

Tess: Oh no... please have the flu!

Sean: [talking about the money Tess needs to save the club] It's just money. It's just a number.

Tess: I know, but... do you think I could do it?

[Sean shakes his head]

Tess: Tell me a lie.

Sean: I need your expert sewing skills.

Tess: Tell me a *new* lie.

Sean: I don't love you.

Tess: They'll come to hear HER sing.

Vince: I may not be "Mr. Tess" anymore, but I still own half this place.

Tess: Mr. Tess?

[pause]

Tess: That is *so* hot.

Vince: Nice. But it won't pay the bills.

Vince: Have you read this letter from the bank?

Tess: Vincent. How many times have I told you? No business during business hours.

Tess: You didn't tell me you could sing like that!

Tess: [Ali is auditioning] Hey Dave, cut it.

Ali Rose: H-hold on a second, I can do this!

Tess: And I think that it's sweet that you think that you can.

Sean: [talking about Ali's audition] Well, I couldn't keep my eyes off her.

Tess: Try harder.

Tess: He didn't even look me in the eye! He just sat there playing with his wooden thingy on his desk.

Sean: What thingy?

Tess: The long wooden block thingy.

Sean: The nameplate?

Tess: Yeah. Nameplate.

Vince: This isn't going away. You won't talk to me before the show, you won't talk to me after the show. It's like you're avoiding me.

Tess: Well, I didn't divorce you to spend more time with you.

Tess: And don't ever go behind my back again.

Ali Rose: Yes, ma'am.

Tess: And don't ever call me ma'am again.

Ali Rose: Yes, sir. Errr... I mean, ma'am... I mean, Tess.

Tess: Get on the floor.

[to Sean]

Tess: "Ma'am"? What am I, my mother?

Sean: Yes, ma'am.

Tess: Up yours.

Marcus: You know, not that I give a shit, but why is it that you want my club so badly?

Marcus: I like it. When I see something I like, I have to have it. Been that way since I was a kid.

Tess: That must have made you very popular in the sandbox.

Marcus: [grins] I did okay.

Vince: Do you know what you could do with that money, Tess?

Tess: Do you know what *you* could do with that money, Vince?

Vince: Not now...

Tess: Don't "not now" me.

Marcus: Remember, you got that balloon payment due on the first.

Tess: [annoyed, to Vince] Did you also tell him I have a tattoo on my ass?

Vince: [earnestly] No... it's business.

Marcus: I don't think you're gonna get another opportunity like this. So take it.

Tess: [after some contemplation, then firmly] No.

Vince: [quickly, to Marcus] She means not now.

Tess: No, no. "Not now" means not now, Vince. "No" means no. Marcus, I don't care what you're offering. My club is not for sale.

[last lines]

Angel Clare: She's sleeping. Just a little longer?

Tess: Have they come for me?

Angel Clare: Yes.

Tess: Oh, I am ready.

Tess: Stuperstitious old man!

[goes to the fireplace to put out the peat-fire]

Tess: I rake this fire as the pure Christ rakes us all... with Mary at the foot and Brigid at the head. And may the eight brightest angels from the City of Grace preserve this house and all its people till the coming of the day.

[Crosses herself]

Tess: [to Fiona and Grandfather] The sea is a sickness and you two will come to grieve for it!