Candleshoe (1977)
David Niven: Priory
Photos
Quotes
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Lady St. Edmund : Please play the gramophone record, Priory, and you and I will waltz.
Priory : Oh no, my lady, absolutely not.
Lady St. Edmund : I insist.
Priory : Oh no, my lady, it wouldn't be appropriate.
Lady St. Edmund : Would it be appropriate if I were to dance with Col. Dennis? I'm sure he dances better than he rides.
[pause]
Lady St. Edmund : You did him very well Priory.
Priory : You knew?
Lady St. Edmund : We were playing games with time, you and I. And I thank you for it.
Priory : My lady, I'm terribly embarrassed.
Lady St. Edmund : You needn't be. I'm very grateful. For your splendid talent, and even more for your compasssion. And now if you please, the gramophone record.
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Casey Brown : [Casey has told everyone at Candleshoe the real reason for her arrival and what she has discovered thus far. They are all at the graveyard looking at the headstone] ... And this was the last clue. He followed the Eclipse for riches and fame...
Priory : And if ye would prosper, do ye the same. What does it mean?
Lady St. Edmund : Why, it's very simple. The Eclipse was a ship. Captain Joshua's ship. There's a picture of it in the house, of Captain Joshua accepting the surrender of a Spanish vessel on the Spanish main. Dear Lord, well, that's the clue! Come on everyone! It's hanging in the hall!
Priory : Um, my Lady!
Lady St. Edmund : [remembers] It's not hanging in the hall...
Lady St. Edmund : [Lady St. Edmund has called an emergency meeting with Mr. Thresher] You sold it, Mr. Thresher, you sold my painting?
Mr. Thresher : Well, my lady, it was my painting. You sold to me, that is, well, Mr. Priory sold it to me, that is...
Priory : Mr. Thresher, we certaintly have no quams with the sale, but we must get a look at it. So if you would, please tell us who you sold it to,and where is it now?
Mr. Thresher : Ah, I sold it to an elderly woman only yesterday. She said, that Captain Joshua reminded her of her father...
Lady St. Edmund : Another pirate, no doubt.
Mr. Thresher : I packaged it up, myself. It's leaving on the 12:20 for London!
Priory : 12:20. Thank you Mr. Thresher. Come along, everyone. We must get to the station!
Casey Brown : But, it's 12:15 now!
Priory : That train never leaves on time, if we hurry we should just make it.
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Lady St. Edmund : Priory!
Lady St. Edmund : My Lady?
Casey Brown : Gagh!
[puts down the spoon]
Harry Bundage : Eat it!
Casey Brown : I can't! I've had enough! Uh...
[looks for a place to dump the rice pudding out]
Lady St. Edmund : Strawberries, shortbread, rice pudding? I must say, that was very unscrupulous of you, Priory.
Priory : Quite right, My Lady. Most unscrupulous.
Lady St. Edmund : We'll just let things take their course, shall we, Priory?
Priory : [bows] Very good.
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Lady St. Edmund : [Lady St. Edmund and Casey have gone into the garden to look for the gardener, Mr. Gidding] Gidding? Gidding?
[see the gardener bent over a rose bush, trimming it]
Lady St. Edmund : Mr. Gidding! I would have a word with you. I thought I made it quite clear that there were to be fresh roses on the landing every morning!
Priory : [disguised as Mr. Gidding, the gardener] Your orders? I don't give a hoot en hoot about your orders, the roses come first!
Lady St. Edmund : Oh, do they indeed? You know, you used to be a good, pleasant gardener. But in recent years, you have become fairly tiresome and crotchety!
Priory : Oh, that's the way, is it? Crotchety, am I? If I known we going to thoroughly examine my character, I would have washed my hands and put on my Sunday best!
Lady St. Edmund : Gidding! We are discussing the roses!
Priory : Now, that's enough of that! You two go off and toodle over the property and I'll take care of what I do best!
Lady St. Edmund : Mr. Gidding!
Priory : Here here! Now see here, I'll trim my roses as I see fit!
Lady St. Edmund : Your roses? Very well. If that is your attitude, you are dismissed!
[nods for effect, and her and Casey walk away]
Lady St. Edmund : Priory? Priory!
Priory : [rushes back into the house through the back entrance. The kids are there waiting] Quick, help!
[the children help Priory to get out of his disguise and back into his butler uniform]
Priory : Get the boots, get the boots!
Peter : [Priory has his butler uniform back on and is about to answer Lady St. Edmund] Psst! Psst!
[Priory looks back, Peter points to his eyebrows and mouths the word Eyebrows, meaning Priory still has the fake ones on]
Peter : .
Priory : [Priory quickly takes them off and stuffs them in his pocket, then puts the stale bread bag on the tray he is carrying] Yes, My Lady?
Lady St. Edmund : [breathing heavily] Oh Priory! I have dismissed Gidding. I wish him packed and out of here by this evening!
Priory : I see. Do you think that decision might have been a little rash, My Lady?
Lady St. Edmund : Certaintly not! He was impertanant!
Priory : Oh, that's just his way, My Lady. And may I say, he would be very hard, for me to replace.
Lady St. Edmund : He would?
Priory : Very hard. And I would ensure that he had fresh roses on the landing, every morning.
Lady St. Edmund : You would? Well, I suppose I, might give him one more chance. But you may tell him, that this is positively his last!
Priory : Yes, My Lady. Oh, My Lady, the stale bread.
[hands Lady St. Edmund the bag]
Lady St. Edmund : Oh, thank you, Priory.
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Priory : Mind the axe, my lady.
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Priory : Now Cluny you've already met.
Casey Brown : Yeah, right, I met Cluny.
Priory : Over here, struggling with the churn, is Peter.
Casey Brown : Hi.
Peter : Hello, welcome to Candleshoe.
Priory : This is Anna.
Bobby : [From above] Hey, somebody catch!
[He tosses a jar. Casey catches it]
Peter : Hey, well held!
Priory : [Bobby slides down the column into the kitchen] The acrobatic member of the family is Bobby.
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Lady St. Edmund : Good afternoon, John Henry.
Priory : [In disguise as the chauffeur, John Henry] Good afternoon, m' lady.
Lady St. Edmund : Oh, and how is your Uncle George?
Priory : Ah, m' lady, I didn't think it necessary to trouble you with the news. But we finally had to measure him for his wooden overcoat.
Lady St. Edmund : Wooden?
Priory : Yeah, we buried him last week, m' lady.