Strange Interlude (1932)

Ralph Morgan: Charlie Marsden

Photos 

Quotes 

• Nina Leeds : [Inner thoughts]  You do love me, Ned.

  Dr. Ned Darrell : [Inner thoughts]  I don't love you.

  Charlie Marsden : [Inner thoughts]  Darrell and Nina. There's something unnatural here. Love and hate and lust! Where's Sam? Why isn't he here? I hate Nina! I must punish her!

• Charlie Marsden : [Inner thoughts]  Nina, here in my arms. How often I've dreamed of this. Dreams. That's the trouble. I'm only a dreamer. How she'd laugh if she could read my thoughts.

• Nina Leeds : Yes. It's all settled. You know, I feel so curiously calm. So at peace. You've done this Charlie. Without punishing me at all. You haven't punished me, you know. I don't feel as if you punished me hardly at all.

  Charlie Marsden : [Inner thoughts]  This is all my desire. I am this kind of lover. This is my love. My little girl, not woman.

• Charlie Marsden : You're the only genuinely modest person I know, Sam.

  Sam Evans : Who me? I'm the boob of the family. Except when it comes to business. I'll make the money, alright.

• Sam Evans : How 'bout the old scout?

  Charlie Marsden : Oh, he seemed fine, fellow. Yes, yes, he said he was having a gay time. When I saw him he was with a startling looking female. I gather he was quite involved.

• Dr. Ned Darrell : Hello, Marsden.

  Charlie Marsden : When did you get back from Europe?

  Dr. Ned Darrell : This morning, on the Olympic.

  [Inner thoughts] 

  Dr. Ned Darrell : Look out for this fellow. Always had it in for me. He's like a woman, smells out love.

• Charlie Marsden : Here, Madeline. Here is a rose for you. Here, your love. We who have died, salute you.

  Madeline : [Inner thoughts]  Queer creature. Something uncanny. Oh, what nonsense. Why, it's only poor old Charlie.

  [Spoken] 

  Madeline : Thank you, Uncle Charlie.

• Charlie Marsden : [With irony]  It's a wise father who knows his own son, you know.

• Charlie Marsden : This pleasant old town, doting. What memories it brings back.

  [Inner thoughts] 

  Charlie Marsden : Queer things, thoughts, our true selves. Spoken words are just a mask to disguise them.

• Dr. Ned Darrell : [Inner thoughts]  How much need I tell him? I can't tell him the raw truth about her. I have to tone it down.

  [Spoken] 

  Dr. Ned Darrell : Nina has been giving away more and more to a morbid longing for - martyrdom.

  Charlie Marsden : May I ask in what specific actions of hers this theory of yours is based?

  Dr. Ned Darrell : On her evident craving to make an exhibition of necking, spooning, in general, with any patient in the institution who got a case on her.

  [Inner thoughts] 

  Dr. Ned Darrell : Spooning - probably a mild word, but, strong enough for this ladylike soul.

• Charlie Marsden : You know what I'm inclined to suspect, Doctor? That you may be in love with Nina yourself.

  Dr. Ned Darrell : [Inner thoughts]  Oh, really, I wonder if I am? Forget it! No woman's going to tangle up my career!

  [Spoken] 

  Dr. Ned Darrell : No. In my mind she always belongs to Gordon. And I couldn't share a woman. Even with a ghost.

  Charlie Marsden : I can quite appreciate your feeling about Gordon. I wouldn't care to share with a ghost-lover myself. That species of dead is so invulnerably alive - even a Doctor couldn't kill one, eh?

• Nina Leeds : Oh, Charlie. If you only knew how I'd want to run home to you - confess everything.

  Charlie Marsden : Confess what, Nina?

  Nina Leeds : I've been bad, Charlie. Wicked. I need to be punished and you're the only one left to punish me.