Lady Sings the Blues (1972)

Richard Pryor: Piano Man

Photos 

Quotes 

• Piano Man : What she don't pick up from the top, she can pick up from the bottom.

  Billie Holiday : I hope that works both ways!

• Jerry : Schmuck. Me and my big heart, and you and your friends. Who does she think she is?

  Piano Man : A lady. With a hell of a voice.

  Jerry : We ain't gonna end up with a quarter tonight.

  Piano Man : Shit, you ain't paid me in two weeks. What you bullshitting about a quarter?

• Piano Man : We're in Hollywood, baby. We're gonna be in the movies. That's right. We're gonna be famous. You're gonna be a star, right? We'll team up. We'll be great together. I'll be like Valentino. You be like... We be like Valentino and What's-her-name. You know? Me and you, baby.

• Piano Man : He is jive. You understand?

• Billie Holiday : You got your own harmonica.

  Piano Man : I got my own harmonica.

  Billie Holiday : I got my own high, too.

  Piano Man : I knew you were trying to hog the horse.

• Piano Man : Jimmy, this is Lady. Jimmy's the man. Hey, man, this is Lady, Lady Day. This is Billie Holiday! You know what I mean? The star!

• Piano Man : Don't worry about it. It's gonna be cool. I know it's gonna work out. You know why I know it's gonna work out? Because it's gonna work out.

• Billie Holiday : Hey, you know what?

  Piano Man : Chicken butt.

  Billie Holiday : [singing]  Them that's got shall get, Them that's not shall lose...

• Piano Man : You were beautiful. Just pretty.

  Billie Holiday : Thank you. I really was scared, I'll tell you that.

  Piano Man : You should have been scared. Them niggers is dangerous!

• Piano Man : You got a great thing going in here. Leave that nigger alone. He is dangerous! You understand? He pulls that bit on everybody, got a room full of girls at home. You just gonna be another one. You wanna be that? You got too much going!

• Piano Man : Come on, you don't need this gutter-pusher's shit, I'm telling you.

  Billie Holiday : Look, I don't wanna talk to you.

  Piano Man : He cuts his shit. You don't know what he cuts it with. He don't care what he cuts it with. Goddamn, you gonna take a chance on a hotshot on this nigger's reference?

  The Hawk : Hotshot?

• Piano Man : When're you coming back? Because we miss you, honest to God. I don't care, rich or poor, we miss you. But we're poor, we need you.

  The Singer : Yeah, right.

  Billie Holiday : Well, I ain't gonna be coming back. Unless you can get this piano and the club into my kitchen, because I'm gonna be cooking for that pretty nigger over there.