The Right of Way (1930)

Conrad Nagel: Charley 'Beauty' Steele

Quotes 

• Charley 'Beauty' Steele : I'm very grateful for your invitation, Kathleen, even though shadows should never be invited. And, I am a shadow! Am I not? That has fallen across the serene sunshine of your life.

  Kathleen : A very beautiful speech. You're undoubtedly drunk again.

  Charley 'Beauty' Steele : No, on the contrary, I'm quite sober. But, I don't blame you for not recognizing it. You so seldom see me in that condition.

  Kathleen : I so seldom see you in any condition. And I'd prefer not to talk about that.

  Charley 'Beauty' Steele : That's very generous and Christian of you, my dear.

• Charley 'Beauty' Steele : I didn't know the lady. I never saw her until that moment. My whisper to her was not at all amorous. Nor, did it ask for a rendezvous. You see, your conclusions were based on what we legally term: circumstantial evidence. May I be permitted to point out that my whisper, into that pearly ear, merely said, "There is a run in your stocking, madam."

• Kathleen : Look what you've made of yourself! You know what they say about you? Go to any street corner and ask. Beauty Steele the drunkard. Beauty Steele the fop! Beauty Steele - and his women.

  Charley 'Beauty' Steele : I'm a shadow, Kathleen. I said so. But, a very neat and tidy shadow - who hates ashes on his vest. That at least is a virtue - isn't it?

• Kathleen : Oh, that monocle! A blind window that hides your soul. Oh, how I've tried to look through it these five years. What have you under that mask of yours? Is there a man? Or, are you really - a devil!

  Charley 'Beauty' Steele : You spoil me with compliments, my dear.

• Charley 'Beauty' Steele : I'm not going up.

  Suzette : Oh. But, you are going up?

  Charley 'Beauty' Steele : What extraordinary eyesight. Yes, Suzette, I am going up. But, merely as an object lesson to you that you should never trust men. They're all such liars.

• Charley 'Beauty' Steele : My wife has soft hair, Suzette. It glistens against her white shoulders. And she has soft, round arms, my wife. They were made for embraces. And her warm lips for kisses. But, they never come - because, she's a lady. You're a rag Suzette. But, you're a woman! And my wife - she's a dame.

• Joseph Portugais : The past - she is gone.

  Charley 'Beauty' Steele : The past is present, you fool!

• Charley 'Beauty' Steele : My dear Suzette, to put it in my poetic way: You set my blood on fire. You're like, how shall I say, like a dream.

• Suzette : Why do you always not believe me?

  Charley 'Beauty' Steele : Object lesson number two, Suzette: When a woman says no as expertly as you do, she generally means yes.

• Rouge : Ah! So, dis for why you *come* here.

  Charley 'Beauty' Steele : Frankly, yes! May I have my money - now?

  Rouge : How you like I *kill* you now?

• Charley 'Beauty' Steele : How funny this is. I'm like a little child going to school.

  Rosalie Evantural : Yes. And I am the teacher.

  Charley 'Beauty' Steele : It's as though you are teaching things that - well, that never existed until now. Showing me a new world.

• Billy Wantage : I'll go and shoot myself!

  Charley 'Beauty' Steele : You loathsome, spineless, young cub! You haven't got the courage to shoot yourself. You haven't the courage to do anything but whine,

• Charley 'Beauty' Steele : If this is to be my grave - ha! - let it be a gay one.