The Trouble with Harry (1955)

John Forsythe: Sam Marlowe

Photos 

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Quotes 

• Miss Graveley : How old do you think I am young man?

  Sam Marlowe : Hmm... fifty. How old do you think you are?

  Miss Graveley : Forty-two! I can show you my birth certificate.

  Sam Marlowe : I'm afraid you're going to have to show more than your birth certificate to convince a man of that.

• Sam Marlowe : When I saw him, he was dead.

  Jennifer Rogers : He looked exactly the same when he was alive, only he was vertical.

• Capt. Wiles : Coming home from Madagascar once we had a fireman on board who hit his head on a brick wall and died two days later.

  Sam Marlowe : Where did he find a brick wall on board a ship?

  Capt. Wiles : Mmmm... that's what we always wondered.

• Arnie : How do rabbits get born?

  Sam Marlowe : Same way elephants do.

• Sam Marlowe : I think, Captain Wiles, we're tangled up in a murder.

  Capt. Wiles : Murder. If it's murder who dunnit?

  Sam Marlowe : Who did it?

  Capt. Wiles : That's what I say, whodunnit?

• [Discussing Jennifer's recently deceased husband Harry] 

  Jennifer Rogers : You can stuff him, for all I care. Stuff him and put him in a glass case, only I'd suggest frosted glass.

  Sam Marlowe : What did he do to you? Besides marry you.

• Sam Marlowe : You're not supposed to bury bodies whenever you find them. It makes people suspicious.

• Sam Marlowe : Perharps I'll come back tomorrow.

  Arnie : When's that?

  Sam Marlowe : The day after today.

  Arnie : That's yesterday. Today's tomorrow.

  Sam Marlowe : It was.

  Arnie : When was tomorrow yesterday?

  Sam Marlowe : Today.

  Arnie : Oh, sure. Yesterday.

• Capt. Wiles : I fired three bullets. Three! One for the hunting sign, one for the tin can...

  Sam Marlowe : ...and one for the little man who's lying in the grave.

• Sam Marlowe : Didn't know you had such a pretty mother, Arnie.

  Arnie : You think she's pretty, you should see my slingshot.

• Sam Marlowe : Let's get Harry and pop him in.

  Capt. Wiles : With hasty reverence.

• Capt. Wiles : She was downright hysterical with delight.

  Sam Marlowe : What was she like?

  Capt. Wiles : Pretty as a rainbow. Wish I was two years younger.

• Arnie : How come you never came over to visit me before?

  Sam Marlowe : I didn't know you had such a pretty mother, Arnie.

  Arnie : You think she's pretty, you should see my slingshot.

• Capt. Wiles : [about Miss Gravely]  She's a well-preserved woman.

  Sam Marlowe : I envy you.

  Capt. Wiles : Yes, very well preserved. And preserves have to be opened, some day.

• Sam Marlowe : All right. If I had my choice, I'd rather be thought a murderer than proved one.

• Deputy Sheriff Calvin Wiggs : Bullets and guns are dangerous. They kill things.

  Sam Marlowe : No one around here could hit a freight car with a cannon.

• Sam Marlowe : You're beautiful. Wonderful! You're the most wonderful, beautiful thing I've ever seen. I'd like to paint you.

  Jennifer Rogers : Was there something else you wanted, Mr. - Marlow, isn't it?

  Sam Marlowe : You certainly are a lovely woman. I'd like to paint you nude.

  Jennifer Rogers : Some other time, Mr. Marlow. I was about to make Arnie some lemonade.

• Sam Marlowe : Perhaps I've come at an awkward moment.

  Jennifer Rogers : If you want to undress me, you have.

• Jennifer Rogers : He was too good to live.

  Sam Marlowe : From his looks, he didn't appear to be the kind that was "too good."

  Jennifer Rogers : Well, he was. Horribly good.

• Capt. Wiles : What are you thinking, Sammy?

  Sam Marlowe : I think, Captain Wiles, we're tangled up in a murder.

  Capt. Wiles : Murder? If it's murder, who done it?

  Sam Marlowe : Who "did" it?

  Capt. Wiles : That's what I say, who done it?

• Mrs. Wiggs : Oh. Mr. Marlow, it's wonderful.

  Sam Marlowe : [turns his abstract painting, that Mrs. Wiggs is holding, downside up]  I've been in a tortured mood lately.

  Mrs. Wiggs : What is it?

  Sam Marlowe : Good old Wiggy, my sternest critic.

• Mrs. Wiggs : I don't understand your work. I think it's beautiful. So does Mrs. Rogers.

  Sam Marlowe : Oh! You talk about me? She's the pretty woman with the little boy, isn't she?

  Mrs. Wiggs : Mmm-hmm. I only brought up your name once when we were talking about strange people.

  Sam Marlowe : Huh?

  Mrs. Wiggs : That is, strangers. People she hadn't met yet.

• Sam Marlowe : Stands to reason they can't touch you for it.

  Capt. Wiles : Nothing these days stands to reason.

• Jennifer Rogers : Harry the handsome hero. Harry the saint. Harry the good.

  Sam Marlowe : I didn't catch his last name.

  Jennifer Rogers : Harry Worp.

• Jennifer Rogers : This is what happened. I was in the hotel room alone. I put on my best nightie. You understand?

  Sam Marlowe : Perfectly.

  Jennifer Rogers : Although I had no true feeling for Harry, I had worked myself into a certain enthusiasm because I thought he loved me.

  Sam Marlowe : Must have been hard work.

  Jennifer Rogers : There was a full moon, and I sat by the window because I thought it would show off my new nightie to advantage.

  Sam Marlowe : Naturally.

  Jennifer Rogers : I don't know why I'm telling you all this.

• Sam Marlowe : Whether you killed him or not, you've incriminated yourself. You'll have much more of a job explaining a body you didn't kill and buried than a body that you killed accidentally and buried.

• Sam Marlowe : You're not supposed to bury bodies whenever you find them. It makes people suspicious. Supposed to tell the police or advertise or something.

• Jennifer Rogers : You've got an artistic mind. You can see the finer things.

  Sam Marlowe : When I'm lucky.

• Capt. Wiles : I don't want to talk about your affairs. I've got affairs of my own.

  Sam Marlowe : You mean my protégée?

  Capt. Wiles : Come again?

  Sam Marlowe : Miss Gravely. The lady that I renovated down at Mrs. Wiggs' this afternoon. A most remarkable reversion to femininity.

• Jennifer Rogers : It's funny, but, I feel awful comfortable with you, Sam.

  Sam Marlowe : You know, I feel the same way, too. It's a good feeling, feeling comfortable with someone who feels that way, too.

• Sam Marlowe : You think we'd do any better on Fifth Avenue?

  Mrs. Wiggs : If there's more people there.

  Sam Marlowe : Oh, lots of people. Hundreds and thousands and billions of people.

  Mrs. Wiggs : Well, might be better then.

  Sam Marlowe : But what sort of people, Wiggy? What breed? I'll tell you. They're little people. Little people - with hats on.

• Sam Marlowe : Your conscience is quite clear. You got nothing to worry about.

  Capt. Wiles : Sammy, I haven't got a conscience and it's not heaven that's worrying me 'cause I don't expect I'll ever have to face it. And it's none of those noble things you were talking about, no. Nothing like that.

  Sam Marlowe : Then what is it?

  Capt. Wiles : It's me. It's me that's worrying me. Me and my future life.

• Capt. Wiles : There's nothing like finding yourself in love. No, it adds zest to your work. Zest. Zest.

  Sam Marlowe : I think I've had enough zest for a while. Let's sit down and rest, huh?

• Capt. Wiles : She's a very nice lady, Sam. Very nice.

  Sam Marlowe : We're all nice! I don't see how anyone could help but like us.