The Women (1939)

Rosalind Russell: Mrs. Howard Fowler (Sylvia)

Photos 

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Quotes 

• Exercise instructress : Mrs. Fowler you've hardly moved a muscle.

  Sylvia Fowler : Whose carcass is this, yours or mine?

  Exercise instructress : It's yours, but I'm paid to exercise it.

  Sylvia Fowler : You sound like a horse trainer.

  Exercise instructress : No, Mrs. Fowler, but you're getting warm.

• Exercise instructress : Arms flat. Crawl slowly up the wall...

  Sylvia Fowler : The way you say that makes me feel like vermin.

  Exercise instructress : That shouldn't be much effort. I mean, crawling up the wall.

• Sylvia Fowler : [Holding up a bottle of Summer Rain perfume]  A friend of ours, Mrs. Stephen Haines, simply dotes on this.

  Crystal Allen : Really!

  Sylvia Fowler : Her husband picked it out for her. Perhaps you sold it to him. Stephen Haines, the engineer?

  Crystal Allen : Oh, I'm afraid I don't remember. You see, we have so many men come in here.

  Sylvia Fowler : Awfully good-looking. Tall, fair, distinguished. I'm sure you wouldn't overlook him.

  Crystal Allen : I'm sorry, but when one's mind is on one's own business...

  Sylvia Fowler : Of course. And, as you say, you have so many men.

• Nancy Blake : You just can't bear Mary's happiness, can you, Sylvia? It gets you down.

  Sylvia Fowler : How ridiculous! Why should it?

  Nancy Blake : Because she's contented. Contented to be what she is.

  Sylvia Fowler : Which is what?

  Nancy Blake : A woman.

  Sylvia Fowler : Ah! And what are we?

  Nancy Blake : Females.

  Sylvia Fowler : Really. And what are you, pet?

  Nancy Blake : What nature abhors: I'm an old maid, a frozen asset.

• Sylvia Fowler : Mrs. Haines never listens to any of her friends...

  Exercise instructress : [under her breath]  How does she avoid it?

• Sylvia Fowler : Well, heaven be praised, I'm on to my husband, I wouldn't trust him on Alcatraz, the mouse.

  Peggy Day : Sylvia, you oughtn't talk about him like that! Why, I think it's disloyal!

  Sylvia Fowler : Oh now, listen Peggy, do we know how the men talk about us when we're not around?

  Nancy Blake : I've heard rumours.

  Sylvia Fowler : Exactly... And uh... While we're on the subject, have either of you wondered whether the master of this maison might not be straying?

  Nancy Blake : I haven't.

  Sylvia Fowler : Well, for all you know Mary Haines may be living in a fool's paradise.

  Nancy Blake : You're so resourceful darling. I ought to go to you for plots.

  Sylvia Fowler : You ought to go to *someone*.

• Miriam Aarons : [to Sylvia, about Sylvia's husband]  I made him pay for what he wanted... you made him pay for what he didn't want.

  Sylvia Fowler : [to Miriam]  Why you...!

• Crystal Allen : It will be out tomorrow, Mrs. Prowler.

  Sylvia Fowler : [Turns around and gives her the evils]  FOWLER!

  Crystal Allen : [Smiling sarcastically]  Oh I'm so sorry...

  [corrects herself] 

  Crystal Allen : Mrs. Fowler.

• Sylvia Fowler : Oh, you remember the awful things they said about what's-her-name before she jumped out the window? There. You see? I can't even remember her name so who cares?

• Mary Haines : [about Slyvia and the model arguing]  Oh it's just professional jealousy, they're really very good friends!

  Sylvia Fowler : Of course! She adores the Fowler family. Particularly my husband.

  Countess Tamara : Are you accusing me of flirting with Howard?

  Sylvia Fowler : No, my little pet, but of trying to! I'd like to see Howard bat an eye at another woman!

  Countess Tamara : Well I've seen him, and she's not bad either!

  Sylvia Fowler : Did you get her innuendo?

• Sylvia Fowler : You know I go to Sydney's for my hair. Oh, you ought to go, pet. I DESPISE whoever does yours.

• Edith Potter : [Wiping her hands on towel]  Oh, cheap Chinese embroidery! You know, I'll bet Peggy gave her these...

  Sylvia Fowler : It wouldn't be so bad if only Mary's friends knew; we could keep our mouths shut.

  Edith Potter : I know plenty I'd never breathe about my friend's husbands.

  Sylvia Fowler : Oh, so do I!

  [They both turn around and look at each other] 

  Edith Potter : Well, you know, I adore Mary!

  Sylvia Fowler : I worship her! We're not only cousins; she's my dearest friend in the world. After all, we were raised together!

  [Turns around quickly] 

  Sylvia Fowler : Oh Edith, I forgot to tell you...

  [Whispers to Edith] 

  Mary Haines : Break it up, girls! Break it up!

  Edith Potter : Darling!

  Mary Haines : Hello!

  Edith Potter : You're so slim, I could kill you.

  Mary Haines : You don't have to. The diet I'm on is pure poison.

• Sylvia Fowler : [Showing her nails to Mary]  Mary, how do you like that?

  Nancy Blake : Too, too adorable.

  Sylvia Fowler : Ah, you have no idea how it stays on... I get it at Sydney's. You should go, Mary. A wonderful new manicurist. Olga's her name; she's marvelous. Isn't that divine? Jungle Red!

  Nancy Blake : Looks like you've been tearing at somebody's throat!

  Sylvia Fowler : [Smacks her hand on the table]  I'll be darned, Nancy, if I'll let you ride me anymore!

  Mary Haines : Oh Sylvia, Nancy's only trying to be clever, too.

  Sylvia Fowler : Well, she takes a crack at everything about me... Even my nails!

  Mary Haines : Well, I like them, I really do. Sydney's, Olga's, Jungle Red... I'll remember.

• Sylvia Fowler : Is that anyway to talk to me, after all I've done for you?

  Crystal Allen : Aw, done what?

  Sylvia Fowler : You didn't know a soul when you married Steven. After all, it wasn't easy to put you over.

  Crystal Allen : And who said you put me over?

  Sylvia Fowler : I've gotten you into some of our very best homes.

  Crystal Allen : [in a Ritzy tone]  Yes, for some of their very best insults!

• Exercise instructress : [instructing Mrs. Fowler in her exercises]  Up, over. Up, down. Up, stretch! Up, together.

  Sylvia Fowler : No more up. This has got me down.

  Exercise instructress : Rest a moment and relax your diaphragm muscles.

  [under her breath] 

  Exercise instructress : If you can.

• Exercise instructress : Let's begin with posture. A lady always enters a room erect.

  Sylvia Fowler : Most of my friends exit horizontally.

• Sylvia Fowler : [At the place Crystal Allen works]  Well, here we are... Creeping up on her!

  Edith Potter : Darling do you think we ought to do this?

  Sylvia Fowler : Oh shut up!

  Edith Potter : [Spots lady]  That's little Crystal!

  Sylvia Fowler : None other...

  Ugly saleswoman : [Turns around]  May I serve you madam?

  Edith Potter : [Surprised]  No, thank you!

  Sylvia Fowler : [Surprised]  Just looking!

  [Walking away] 

  Sylvia Fowler : Oh from the neck up I'd say no...

  [Spots other woman] 

  Sylvia Fowler : Ah, how about baby?

  Edith Potter : Of course!

  [Walks over to her] 

  Edith Potter : Mmmm... Couldn't be anyone else!

  [Hears other lady call her "Pat"] 

  Sylvia Fowler : Pat?

  Edith Potter : I still don't know why he overlooked her.

  Sylvia Fowler : I do...

  [points to Crystal] 

  Sylvia Fowler : Pipe.

• Peggy Day : Oh, I wish I could make a little money writing the way you do!

  Nancy Blake : If you wrote the way I do, that's just what you'd make.

  Sylvia Fowler : You're not a very popular author, are you, dear?

  Nancy Blake : Not with you.

• Sylvia Fowler : [Last lines]  Mary Haines, don't you have any pride?

  Mary Haines : No pride at all. That's a luxury a woman in love can't afford.

• Sylvia Fowler : I'd die before I hurt Edith.

  Nancy Blake : [offering Sylvia a tray of nuts]  Nuts.

• Sylvia Fowler : I don't need to sit around and act glum. When I think of what I've sacrificed for Howard Fowler!

  Miriam Aarons : Such as what, Mrs. Fowler?

  Sylvia Fowler : [Looks at Miriam]  I gave him my youth!

• Mary Haines : [Introduces them]  This is the Countess DeLave... Mrs. Howard Fowler.

  Countess DeLave : [Same time]  How do you do?

  Sylvia Fowler : [Same time]  How do you do?

  Mary Haines : And Miriam Aarons.

  Miriam Aarons : How do you do?

  Sylvia Fowler : [Looks closely at Miriam's flat chest]  How do *you* do?

• Sylvia Fowler : What are you, pet?

  Nancy Blake : What nature abhors. I am an old maid, a frozen asset.

• Sylvia Fowler : Ohh... What I go through to keep my figure and do I see red when some fat, lazy, dinner partner says: "What do you do with yourself all day Mrs. Fowler?"

• Sylvia Fowler : Oh uh... is that umm... Crystal Allen across the hall?

  Saleswoman : Yes she's a new customer. Do you know her? Has she a lot of money?

  Sylvia Fowler : I think she knows where she can get a lot.

• Countess DeLave : [sitting on Sylvia Fowler]  Take it easy, Mrs. Fowler. I'm only trying to help in my own way.

  Sylvia Fowler : Oh, you big moose!

• Edith Potter : Weren't you going to Africa to shoot, Nancy?

  Nancy Blake : As soon as my book's out.

  Sylvia Fowler : I don't blame you. I'd rather face a tiger any day than the sort of things the critics said about your last book.

• Sylvia Fowler : I'm devoted to Edith Potter, but she DOES get me down...

• Sylvia Fowler : Why you sly little fox, you.

• Sylvia Fowler : Did you get her innuendo?

• Sylvia Fowler : The way you say that makes me feel like vermin.

  Exercise instructress : That's shouldn't be much effort. I mean crawling up the wall.