Marie Antoinette (1938)

Robert Morley: King Louis XVI

Photos 

Quotes 

• King Louis XVI : I don't want to be king. People expect so much of a king. Nothing comes easily to me.

• King Louis XV : What's the meaning of this? Why are you here?

  King Louis XVI : I don't want her to be sent back!

  King Louis XV : Ha, ha! Indeed.

  Mme. du Barry : [Sharply to Louis XVI]  His majesty is not well!

  King Louis XVI : [Ignoring du Barry]  But it isn't her fault! Don't you understand?

  King Louis XV : [Looking up to Du Barry with confusion]  What? What's he talking about?

  Mme. du Barry : [Even more sharply to Louis XVI]  Will you go, please?

  King Louis XVI : No! You get out!

  [Then to the king & now pleading on his knees] 

  King Louis XVI : Listen, grandfather, it's going to be different now...

  King Louis XV : Get up you fool! Your argument is as unimpressive as your appearance. Your wife goes back to Austria! Your marriage will be annulled! I'll hear no more of it!

  [Looking frail & weak he starts coughing uncontrollably & waves him impatiently away] 

  King Louis XV : Get out! Get out!

  King Louis XVI : I'll get out, but I'll come back! I'll come back when your dead! I'll be king then!

  King Louis XV : Silence!

  King Louis XVI : [Ignoring the king he turns to du Barry]  And you! You know what will happen to you when I'm king? There are places for women like you in the Bastille!

  Mme. du Barry : Stop it!

  [to the king] 

  Mme. du Barry : Make him stop!

  King Louis XV : Silence!

  King Louis XVI : I'm going to have my wife back! I'm going to have children! I know!

  [he starts loosing his composure] 

  King Louis XVI : But you... your weak! Your not going to live long! I'll be sitting there and you'll be dead!

  King Louis XV : [Trembling with anger he starts to rise]  Be silent!

  King Louis XVI : [Roughly shoving the king down hard]  Sit down!

  [Then with shame he hangs his head as he leaves] 

  King Louis XVI : Forgive me, sire. I didn't mean to touch you. Forgive me.

• King Louis XVI : We should live as becomes the heirs to the throne of France. I want life to be rich and full and beautiful. It could be if we'd only stand together.

  King Louis XVI : I tell you I can't. I can't try to be anything but what I am. Why do you plague me? The king is the king.

  Marie Antoinette : And I am a princess of the House of Hapsburg. I'm an archduchess of Austria and a daughter of the Empress Maria Theresa. I'm sorry you don't see it my way, Louis. Because I mean to be the dauphine of France. Not in the way I might have been if we'd stood together. But at least, I'll be the brightest, highest figure in this court.

• King Louis XVI : I am not going to run! What do you say, brother?

  Comte de Provence : I say run and you'll lose your crown!

  Comte d'Artois : And I say stay and you'll lose your head!

  Comte de Provence : [to Artois]  You're on the wing, I suppose?

  Comte d'Artois : Your trunks are packed!

  Comte de Provence : Liar!

  King Louis XVI : Be quiet, be quiet, both of you! It was a grave mistake to dissolve the assembly...

  [He looks desparately up to Marie Antoinette] 

  King Louis XVI : My dear, what shall we do?

• King Louis XVI : [Looking glum]  I don't like that fellow.

  Marie Antoinette : Philippe?

  King Louis XVI : He smiles too much.

  Marie Antoinette : [Cheerfully]  Oh, but I like people to smile!