The Big Sleep (1946)

Lauren Bacall: Vivian Rutledge

Photos 

Quotes 

• Vivian : I don't like your manners!

  Marlowe : I'm not crazy about yours. I didn't ask to see you. I don't mind if you don't like my manners. I don't like 'em myself. They are pretty bad. I grieve over them long winter evenings, and I don't mind your ritzing me, or drinking your lunch out of a bottle. But don't waste your time trying to cross-examine me.

• Vivian : You go too far, Marlowe.

  Marlowe : Those are harsh words to throw at a man, especially when he's walking out of your bedroom.

• Vivian : Speaking of horses, I like to play them myself. But I like to see them workout a little first, see if they're front runners or come from behind, find out what their hole card is, what makes them run.

  Marlowe : Find out mine?

  Vivian : I think so.

  Marlowe : Go ahead.

  Vivian : I'd say you don't like to be rated. You like to get out in front, open up a little lead, take a little breather in the backstretch, and then come home free.

  Marlowe : You don't like to be rated yourself.

  Vivian : I haven't met anyone yet that can do it. Any suggestions?

  Marlowe : Well, I can't tell till I've seen you over a distance of ground. You've got a touch of class, but I don't know how, how far you can go.

  Vivian : A lot depends on who's in the saddle.

• Vivian : So you do get up, I was beginning to think you worked in bed like Marcel Proust.

  Marlowe : Who's he?

  Vivian : You wouldn't know him, a French writer.

  Marlowe : Come into my boudoir.

• Vivian : Why did you have to go on?

  Marlowe : Too many people told me to stop.

• [last lines] 

  Vivian : You've forgotten one thing: me.

  Philip Marlowe : What's wrong with you?

  Vivian : Nothing you can't fix.

• [after a kiss] 

  Vivian : I liked that. I'd like more.

• Vivian : What will your first step be?

  Philip Marlowe : The usual one.

  Vivian : I didn't know there was a usual one.

  Philip Marlowe : Well, sure there is. It comes complete with diagrams, on page 47 of 'How to be a Detective in 10 Easy Lessons,' correspondence school text-book and, uh, your father offered me a drink.

  Vivian : You must've read another one on how to be a comedian.

• Vivian : So you're a private detective? I didn't know they existed, except in books, or else they were greasy little men snooping around hotel corridors. My, you're a mess, aren't you?

  Philip Marlowe : I'm not very tall either. Next time I'll come on stilts, wear a white tie and carry a tennis racket.

  Vivian : I doubt if even that would help.

• Vivian : [Vivian is leaving Mr. Marlowe's office]  Goodbye, Mr. Marlowe.

  Philip Marlowe : [When Vivian tries to open the door the deadbolt is locked]  Well, it wasn't intentional.

  Vivian : [Vivian unlocks the deadbolt, turns and smiles]  Try it sometime.

  [Vivian leaves and closes the door behind her] 

• Vivian : How did you find her?

  Marlowe : I didn't find her.

  Vivian : Well then how did you...

  Marlowe : I haven't been here, you haven't seen me, and she hasn't been out of the house all evening.

• Vivian : Do you always think you can handle people like, uh, trained seals?

  Philip Marlowe : Uh-huh. I usually get away with it too.

  Vivian : How nice for you.

• Philip Marlowe : You wanna tell me now?

  Vivian : Tell you what?

  Philip Marlowe : What it is you're trying to find out. You know, it's a funny thing. You're trying to find out what your father hired me to find out, and I'm trying to find out why you want to find out.

  Vivian : You could go on forever, couldn't you? Anyway it'll give us something to talk about next time we meet.

  Philip Marlowe : Among other things.

• Philip Marlowe : How'd you happen to pick out this place?

  Vivian : Maybe I wanted to hold your hand.

  Philip Marlowe : Oh, that can be arranged.

• Vivian : I'll have a scotch, messy, please.

  Max - Head Waiter : Yes, ma'am.

  Philip Marlowe : Scotch and plain water.

  Max - Head Waiter : Yes, sir.