A Letter to Three Wives (1949)

Paul Douglas: Porter Hollingsway

Photos 

Quotes 

• Porter Hollingsway : OK. OK, you win. I'll marry you. How about it?

  Lora Mae Hollingsway : Thanks... for nothing.

  Porter Hollingsway : Now what kind of an answer is that?

  Lora Mae Hollingsway : I don't know. I just felt like it. That's all.

  Porter Hollingsway : We'll do all right, kid. We're starting out where it takes most marriages years to get, out in the open. No jokers. You'll see. You've made a good deal, Lora Mae.

  Mrs. Finney : [walking into the room]  Lora Mae, honey, if you want me I'll be over at the Callahans' playing...

  Lora Mae Hollingsway : Happy new year, Ma. We're gonna get married.

  Mrs. Finney : ...Bingo!

  [She faints] 

• Lora Mae Hollingsway : [amused by Sadie's maid uniform]  Sadie Dugan, what are you supposed to be, Baby Snooks?

  Sadie : Hiya Lora Mae.

  Lora Mae Hollingsway : Get a load of that cap - I can't wait to tell Ma!

  Rita Phipps : Lora Mae, would you sit there please?

  Porter Hollingsway : Come on, sit down.

  Sadie : There's a couple of things I could tell your Ma about you too.

  Mrs. Manleigh : This great situation belongs in a true-to-life drama - are you two related?

  Lora Mae Hollingsway : No we just had the same governess.

  Sadie : [laughing]  Ya kill me!

• Lora Mae Hollingsway : I've been a good wife. The best wife your money could buy.

  Porter Hollingsway : Strictly cash and carry.

  Lora Mae Hollingsway : Isn't that what you wanted? Isn't that what you told me? "Out in the open. You made a good deal, kid." Did you every stop to think, Porter, that in over 3 years there's one word we've never said to each other, even in fun?

  Porter Hollingsway : To you, I'm a cash register. You can't love a cash register.

  Lora Mae Hollingsway : And I'm part of your inventory. You can't love that, either.

  Porter Hollingsway : I asked you to marry me because I was crazy about you.

  Lora Mae Hollingsway : You didn't even ask me!

  Porter Hollingsway : I've been a good husband. You got everything you want.

  Lora Mae Hollingsway : If you'd only asked me, if you'd only made me feel like a woman instead of a piece of merchandise!

  Porter Hollingsway : Did you give me a chance to? All you ever showed me was your price tag.

• Deborah Bishop : [drunk]  Who is Mister Ross?

  Lora Mae Hollingsway : [sardonically]  Mister Ross took a powder about five years ago.

  Porter Hollingsway : No such thing, she gave him the heave-ho.

  Lora Mae Hollingsway : [arguing]  He went out for a paper one night and never came back!

  Deborah Bishop : Porter says Addie Ross has got class.

  Lora Mae Hollingsway : And he knows class like I know navigation!

• Porter Hollingsway : Like my wife. Comes from an old Spanish family named Finney.

• Porter Hollingsway : What do you want me to do about it - build you a personal broadcasting system?

  Lora Mae Hollingsway : You don't need a station. Just yell a little louder.

• Lora Mae Hollingsway : I've got very definite ideas.

  Porter Hollingsway : Like what?

  Lora Mae Hollingsway : There's never been anybody in particular. Nobody special.

  Porter Hollingsway : Plenty that wanted to, I'll bet.

  Lora Mae Hollingsway : What do you think?

  Porter Hollingsway : That you've been waiting for that one guy to come along.

  Lora Mae Hollingsway : I got very definite ideas.

  Porter Hollingsway : What's he got to be like, this one guy?

  Lora Mae Hollingsway : Someone who wants to marry me more than anything else in the world.

  Porter Hollingsway : You sure got wrong ideas about things.

  Lora Mae Hollingsway : They may be wrong, but they're definite.

• Deborah Bishop : Have you any idea how much Lora Mae is in love with you?

  Porter Hollingsway : [scornfully]  No! How much?

  Deborah Bishop : So much she's afraid to tell you, afraid you'd laugh at her.

  Porter Hollingsway : Me laugh? She couldn't say it with a straight face. Lora Mae in love with me? It's all she can do to wait it out.

  Deborah Bishop : Wait it out?

  Porter Hollingsway : Yeah, like an annuity till it matures. Like a slot machine till it pays off. That's what she's waiting for. A chance to call it off, to collect. "The end of the line. Fares, please." Don't tell me about love and Lora Mae.

• Porter Hollingsway : It's a man's world. Yeah! See something you want, go after it and get it! That's nature. It's why we're made strong and women weak. Strong conquer and provide for the weak. That's what a man's for! Teach our kids that, there'd be more men!

• Lora Mae Hollingsway : It's late. I'd better be going home.

  Porter Hollingsway : OK if I call you a cab?

  Lora Mae Hollingsway : Beats walking in the snow.