TV show quotes
[after Frank sings "That Old Black Magic"]
Surprise.
Where's Howard?
Ah, shut up.
[while their walking]
Are you showing me off, Francis?
Damn right. Give me a kiss.
No, everybody's looking.
You know why?
No.
Every cat in here wants to be me and every chick wants to be you. [kisses her on the cheek]
Nancy, don't you understand? It doesn't mean anything to me anymore. Nothing does.
Nothing?
Except being with her [Ava].
[tearfully] You son of a bitch. You come in here and you cry on my shoulder about her?
She's my whole life.
[shouts] You're my whole life! And you're children's!
I have to let go.
I can't.
Nancy, why do you want to hold on to me if I don't want to be here?
Because I love you. Frank, you've done this before and you've always come back.
Nancy, for God's sake. This is different.
You can always have me. When we're married.
[short pause] She's not gonna give me a divorce, Ava.
Why wouldn't she give you a divorce if you don't love her?
Because she's Italian. She's Catholic. Why don't you ask her?
You're not trying hard enough.
[sighs] What the hell do you know about it?
I know that if you really wanted a divorce you could get one. You've gotten everything else you wanted in life.
Ava, stop...
You just want it both ways, that's all this is.
No, I want it one way, with you and you alone. No billionaires, no band leaders, no bull fighters.
You can have me alone when I get you alone. And in the meantime, maybe the best way to get that if you just left me alone.
Are you crazy?
This is torture, Frank. It's wrecking my career. I just can't do this anymore!
Two minutes ago, we were happy. What was different then?
I was being a sap. I want you to go home and get a divorce.
[on the set of Mogambo in Africa]
[fixing Ava a drink] Probably just the heat.
Yeah... [hands her the drink]
Thanks. [sits down. Pause] It's not just the heat, Frank. Uh, I think maybe I'm pregnant.
Are you kidding? Baby, that's terrific.
Look, you can't tell anyone or I might be kicked off this film.
You're the star, they can't do that--
Frank.
Our baby is more important than any movie.
Listen. I know how much you want this kid, but it happens to come at the worst possible moment in my life.
I understand. [passively] You're a rising star, you're carrying the baby of a has-been.
[Ava hits him on the leg]
[pause] Sometimes I hate you.
That's great. Perfect. [gets up from his seat] You don't want our baby and you hate me.
Would you listen to me. It's a steam bath out there. There's ants, mosquitos and flies in my face! I have to puke every ten seconds! I'm up against a legendary actor! And this is supposed to be the performance of my life! Now, would you give up the role that you'd kill for, for a baby?
I don't have that role.
Right. If you did.
[Frank is on-set doing a screen test for From Here to Eternity, while director Fred Zinnemann watches]
Where's the dice?
Cut!
There's no dice!
Frank, we really have to move on.
No, wait a second! May I talk to you a moment. [walks over to Zinnemann] No, no, no, no, excuse me, Mr. Zinnemann. I respect that your a very busy man and I know that your not too thrilled that I'm here. But I've flown all the way from Africa to test for this part because I believe like I have never believed in anything else before that I understand this character Maggio. I grew up with a hundred Maggio's in my neighbourhood! I am Maggio! And all I ask for is a little respect that I might demonstrate this to you.
[pause]
Whenever you're ready.
[pause. Walks back to the set]
What are you doing?
It's New Year's Eve.
[grabs Ava's arm, angrily] You just wait a second and tell me what's going on?
I was pregnant, and now I'm not. And I'm glad. And I don't wanna talk about it.
You're not pregnant. [Ava walks to her dressing table, she puts on a necklace] You lost the baby? [pause, angrily] Talk to me!
[putting on her earrings] I'm not going to let you make me feel bad about this. We got no business having a baby. We don't even have time for each other.
I thought that having a baby would bring us closer.
Did having three babies bring you and Nancy closer together?
[short pause] I wish I never saw your face.
You used to say the most beautiful things to me.
You used to give me beautiful reasons to say em.
[Ava walks away]
Where are you going?
It's New Year's Eve, and I'm going out because come Monday I'll be right back in the jungle. Are you coming?
Stay with me. I need you.
And I need people! Lots and lots of noisy happy people!
You walk out that door, baby, you walk out of my life!
[Frank is visiting Sammy Davis Jr. in hospital, who has lost an eye in a car accident]
I talked to your old man and to the doc, they're gonna get you outta here pretty soon. Get you a private nurse. Whatever you need.
[wearing a cover over his eyes] I appreciate it, man, but you can't help me outta this one.
Ah, quit whining. You're gonna be great. [passes Sammy his cigarette] Here take a drag. [Sammy takes a drag]
What am I gonna do now? I can't dance with one eye.
What do you mean you can't dance with one eye? You can't dance with one foot.
You know the audience will be whispering "Look there's the cat with the glass eye."
Nah, they won't. They'll be saying "There goes the funny looking coloured midget with a glass eye." [they both laugh]
[short pause] You know, butter, if I can't dance. I don't wanna live.
Yeah, well, we all hit bottom sometimes, smoky. It passes. [short pause] Hey, look at that.
What?
Oh my God!
What, Frank?!
[jokingly] It's a naked nurse.
[Sammy laughs. Frank smiles]
I got plans for us, kid.
[at the Sands Hotel and Casino]
[on his eye patch] Oh man, I can't even walk straight with this thing.
C'mon, you couldn't walk straight before.
You know, two years ago they wouldn't even let me in this joint. And now because of you, I'm in the steam room.
Maybe another twenty if it lets you in the pool. [they laugh]
Uh, listen, butter, you think you might be available sometime around Christmas? I'm uh, thinking of postponing this marriage thing.
[short pause] They got to you.
No, no, no, no, nothing like that. It's just that uh, all the good rabbi's are gonna be in convention in Miami in June.
What does May think about it?
[short pause] Haven't told her yet. She ain't gonna love it.
[pause] She's gonna love you, baby. She'd be crazy not to.
[they embrace]
Well, apparently the Secret Service looked the place over. They're uh, worried about access, they think it'll be a security risk. They hope you understand.
[stressed, holding the red telephone] Where's he staying?
Crosby offered his place.
Bing? He's a Republican.
They think he'll be safer there.
Safer? Peter, don't give me this safer crap. Just tell me what the real reason is?!
[sits down] It's what they tell me, Frank.
[angrily] If you can accept that, then screw you. Screw all of ya! Tell me the real reason? [pause, stands up] You've been my friend for twenty years, Peter. You got no loyalty! You got no guts! You wanna be a Kennedy more then my friend?! [shoves the red telephone at Peter] Fine!
Frank, I'm married to them. What do you want me to do?
[short pause] Get out. Get the hell outta here! [pause] GET OUT!
You're just grumpy because you don't want me to get this part.
[bitterly] Mia, I don't care.
I'll see you weekends.
Right. You'll be in New York. I'll be in Vegas and LA.
I'll make time.
You gotta show me that trick.
I'm sorry. But you don't really want me to end my career, do you?
I wanted you in my life so that we could be together. I sorta dig having you around.
Yeah, and I get stuck with the girls and you drink with the guys, and you call that being around me. I want us to be closer. [sighs] I still feel like your girl and I want to feel like your wife. I want to have your baby.
[pause] I never gave the kids I had enough time. They grew up thinking the telephone was their father. Look, we got a project we're both interested in, why don't we do it? We can be together and we can work together.
[pause] But this is such a good part. We can do our movie right after this one.
[pause] Sounds like old times to me. [switches off the bedroom table light]
Hey. I'm not Ava.
[to Marty, who is dying] Pop, I'm thinking of leaving the business.
Why do you wanna do that for?
I'm tired. Tired of being in the spotlight. Music business changes so fast they can't keep up with the next guy anymore. Maybe I should stop trying. [pause] You always told me, "Fighters gotta know when to quit. Stay too long, they remember you as the guy on the canvas." [pause] Pop?
... What?
Is it hard to quit?
Not if you had a guy on the mat...
You used to call me a quitter, remember? [pause] Remember what a pain in the ass I was when I was starting out? I had to sing, I had to be the best. I always knew that I could do it, pop. I wanted you to know I could do it.
[pause] All those years... the guys at the fire house... they treated me like... a champ... Because of you.
Yeah.
... You're no quitter, son.
[pause]
Thank you, pop. [stands up, kisses his father on his forehead] Goodnight. I love you, pop.
Frank... don't go... Just stay awhile.
[sits down] Sure, pop.
[Marty slowly closes his eyes. Frank takes his father's hand, he kisses it]
[pause] Goodnight, champ.
[fade to black]
[cut to six years later at Madison Square Garden, New York City, 1974, where Frank, now 58, is on stage performing "That's Life"] [Last scene of the film]
These quotes come from Wikiquote's Sinatra pages and are available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
