Dodsworth Page #8

Synopsis: A bittersweet tale of the increasing estrangement of a retired automobile tycoon and his wife. Increasingly obsessed with maintaining an appearance of youth, she falls in with a crowd of frivolous socialites during their "second honeymoon" European vacation. He, in turn, meets a woman who is everything she is not: self-assured, self-confident, and able to take care of herself.
Genre: Drama, Romance
Director(s): William Wyler
Production: Samuel Goldwyn Films
  Won 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 9 nominations.
 
IMDB:
8.1
Rotten Tomatoes:
88%
PASSED
Year:
1936
101 min
531 Views


I've gotten out of the way

of looking folks up.

- The education, how's that coming along?

- I gave it up.

I found myself learning things

I didn't want to learn.

Pardon me, sir.

Your car is ready.

Hold it, will you?

You're busy...

I've got nothing to do

but look at ruined temples.

They'll keep.

They've kept this long.

Come out to meet for lunch.

- When?

- Anytime.

- Today?

- Yes. Why not?

Even if it weren't you,

if it were darn near anybody...

I'd be so glad to have

someone to talk to.

There's a couple at my hotel,

one of those really married couples.

They sit at the table

next to me every night.

They never say one word

to each other through dinner.

After dinner,

they sit in the lounge till 10:00.

Every night at 10:00, the husband says

to his wife, "Mary, it's getting late."

Just those four words.

Except for waiters and taxi drivers...

and they don't count...

that's four more words than I've said

any night in the past three weeks.

I don't want to intrude,

but I'm sorry.

I never wore these before.

Never needed them until lately.

I guess it's

a pretty ordinary story.

My wife's younger than I am,

and livelier.

I oughtn't to confess in public.

I never did that before either.

You haven't said anything

you shouldn't have said.

Will you go on traveling now?

Yes. I've got to stay over

and be on hand for the divorce.

- Where?

- Vienna.

Well, come along. We'll use

your car to help me do my marketing.

It'll do you a lot more good

than ruined temples.

There's no argument there.

What would you like for lunch?

Let's have some good American dish.

How about some clam chowder?

Clam chowder.

You get the clams.

I'll make the chowder.

All right.

No, no Pastrum.

The fish market.

Pietro!

Hello, boy!

- What's his name?

- Jinx.

Come on, Jinx!

What a wonderful spot.

Hello, Jinx.

Come on!

This is marvelous,

simply wonderful.

I can't believe it.

I simply can't believe it.

- Fifty dollars a month for this?

- That's all.

- Furnished?

- No. I picked up a few things.

- Are you hungry?

- Starved.

- I'll fix the clam chowder.

- She can do it...

Yes, dress me up in my camp clothes,

and I'm a first-class chef.

How would you like to hire me?

I'm a good cook, a fine mechanic

and a darn good fisherman.

Could you let yourself

enjoy life for a while?

Show me how.

I wonder if you could.

None of this that's happened to me

was my idea.

Break away from your hotel.

Forget about Vienna.

Move out here to me.

- Out to you?

- Yes.

I can't make you as comfortable

as your hotel does.

When you want a bath, you'll have

to choose between the tin tub...

and the Mediterranean.

If you like swimming, fishing,

a willing listener...

That's very kind of you

and mighty friendly, but...

I don't see how I could.

- Why not?

- What'd your neighbors think?

Being Italians,

they think a great deal.

Exactly.

That doesn't mean

it would have to be so...

or that I'd have it so

even if you wanted it so.

How do you do, Baroness?

How nice of you.

You must speak English, Mother.

Fran doesn't yet

understand German well.

We shall, of course, speak English.

But I'm working very hard

at my German, Baroness.

Do sit over here in this chair.

I think you'll find it more comfortable.

Kurt darling,

will you light a fire?

It's a very cold morning, isn't it?

There is no need to light a fire

for me, Kurt.

I am not cold.

Do let me give you a cup of coffee.

I have coffee.

You see? Kurt has taught me

that much Viennese.

No, thank you.

No coffee?

Well, then, I won't either.

Kurt, do sit down.

You look so strained.

Really, it's I who should feel strained,

and I don't feel that way.

I love your mother,

and I hope she's going to love me.

My mother believes

we should postpone our marriage.

No, Kurt, I did not say "postpone."

I came from the country

only this morning.

We had not much time for speaking,

Kurt and I...

but I'd hoped I made myself

clear to him...

when he asked my permission

to marry you.

Kurt asked for permission

to marry me?

But of course.

And I'm so sorry...

I cannot give it.

You might've told me

you're not a free agent.

I wanted her to see you.

I knew when she saw you

she would think differently.

She doesn't seem to.

Now that you've got so far...

perhaps you'll tell me what it is

you've got against me.

I love your son,

and I'm really rather a nice person.

Your husband is living,

Mrs. Dodsworth.

You will be divorced.

That's not so serious, is it?

It's most serious to us.

I have every respect

for your feelings...

but with Kurt's happiness at stake,

and yours, too...

Perhaps it's not my place

to bring it up...

but it is an argument,

so you'll let me use it.

I'm a person of considerable means

in my own right.

Enough for the three of us.

So you see...

Yes, indeed I see.

I do not deny that we are poor

since the war...

and your influence and money

would be most helpful...

but even if there were not the...

religious question...

What else is there?

Will you leave us, Kurt?

There is the question

of children too.

Children?

Rich or poor,

Kurt should have children...

to carry on his name.

Can you give them to him?

What makes you think I couldn't?

I am so much older

than you are, my dear.

You will forgive

if I observe that you are...

older than Kurt.

Well, children or no children,

Kurt loves me and I love him.

So why shouldn't we marry anyway

and take our happiness?

I do not know

what power you have over Kurt...

but I should think

of my own happiness if I were you.

I am thinking of that.

Have you thought...

how little happiness there can be...

for the...

old wife of a young husband?

Your mother's leaving.

Yes. I do not think

there is more to say.

I am sorry if I have hurt you.

I will go now.

I will go home.

Good-bye, my dear.

I'm very glad to...

Good-bye.

I will just take her to a taxi.

Did she say something

to hurt you, Fran?

Please don't be angry.

Perhaps we had better postpone

our marriage for a year...

until we win her over.

What are you?

But I must consider my mother, Fran.

We can still be married.

I'm sure of that.

It isn't fair.

Fran darling, please try.

I do love you, Fran.

But my mother...

My mother is waiting.

I want to put in

a long-distance call.

To Naples, Italy.

Villa Cortright.

Posilipo.

I want to speak to Mr...

Here?

Choke. You know?

Choke. You know choke?

Hi there.

Well, I couldn't imagine

what had become of you.

Going fishing with Pietro again?

Yeah. I want to show him

a few tricks I know.

Have you been expecting

a long-distance call?

Here? Heavens no.

That phone has been ringing all morning.

It doesn't make any sense at all.

There's that horrible putt-putt motor.

It's been on all morning.

Yeah, he's got the hang of it now.

Sam, that's not my Pietro.

Pietro's crazy about that motor.

You didn't put it on his boat

with the beautiful sail.

I bought that sail.

It's got Santa Lucia painted on it.

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Sidney Howwords

Sidney Coe Howard (June 26, 1891 – August 23, 1939) was an American playwright and screenwriter. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1925 and a posthumous Academy Award in 1940 for the screenplay for Gone with the Wind. more…

All Sidney Howwords scripts | Sidney Howwords Scripts

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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