The Palm Beach Story

Paramount (1942) B&W, 88 Min's

In this comedy starring Claudette Colbert and Joel McCrea , Mary Astor and Rudy Vallee, Colbert plays Gerry(short for Geraldine) and is married to Tom Jeffers(McCrea). They are behind in the rent, and all there others bills. There apartment is going to get rented out from under them. One day an older man and woman come to look over the apartment. The man is the "Weenie King", Gerry is in the apartment at the time and (without his knowing it) follows him around watching him. She finally comes out when he accidentally almost turns the shower on (on her). They get to talking and the humerus old man gives her some money to help get them out from under. Later that day Tom comes home, and after along conversation about money and the idea of an suspended airport, Tom has been trying to sell. Gerry starts thinking, and after reasoning with herself she decides to "runaway" to Florida. The idea being to "divorce" her husband, "marry" a tolerable millionare, and get her husband money for the airport development idea. Meeting a millionaire (by the name of Mr.John D. Hackensacker III's) halfway to Palm Beach, right around the time she lost all her luggage, is interesting. Then once she actually gets to Palm Beach(by way of Mr.John D. Hackensacker III's Yacht) its a whole other story, John's hallarious sister comes out to the yacht to meet him, and once she sees Gerry she imedialty wants to know all about her, (in a nice not nosey way). It gets really interesting when her husband is waiting for them when they get off the yacht. Once everyone gets into the picture and we are set in Palm Beach its gets really good.

Bottom picture in order from left to right: Tom, Princess Centimillia,  Director Preston Sturges, Gerry , John D. Hankensacker III.

Quotes, and lots of 'um:

Wienie King: I'm the Wienie King! Invented the Texas Wienie! Lay off 'em, you'll live longer.

Wienie King: Cold are the hands of time that creep along relentlessly, destroying slowly but without pity that which yesterday was young. Alone our memories resist this disintegration and grow more lovely with the passing years. Heh! That's hard to say with false teeth!

Tom Jeffers: Where'd you meet this Weenie King?
(Ms.)Gerry Jeffers: You'll die laughing!
Tom Jeffers: All right, convulse me.

(Ms.)Gerry Jeffers: Anyway, men don't get smarter as they get older. They just lose their hair.

(Ms.)Gerry Jeffers: Thank you for your chivalry.
Train Porter: Anytime from 8 to 12.

 

John D. Hackensacker III: Do you happen to remember how much tip I gave the taxi driver?
(Ms.)Gerry Jeffers: Well, I didn't see the coin, but from his face, I think it was ten cents.
John D. Hackensacker III: Tipping is un-American.

 

(Ms.)Gerry Jeffers: You're not a burglar, are you?
John D. Hackensacker III: Oh no, that was my grandfather. At least that's what they called him.

John D. Hackensacker III: No, I'm not my grandfather, of course. He's dead, anyway.

 

John D. Hackensacker III: Staterooms are un-American.

John D. Hackensacker III: [Referring to Gerry's husband, whom Gerry has claimed she is divorcing] There is a name for such reptiles, but I won't sully this sweet ocean breeze by mentioning it. I may not be exactly in the best of shape, but if ever I meet this Mr... "Jeffers," I'll thrash him within an inch of his life.
(Ms.)Gerry Jeffers: Oh, well then I hope you never meet him.
John D. Hackensacker III: I suppose he's large?
(Ms.)Gerry Jeffers: Well, he's not small...
John D. Hackensacker III: That's one of the tragedies of this life - that the men who are *most* in need of a beating up are ALWAYS enormous.

 

(Ms.)Gerry Jeffers: [Gerry has just found out that John is one of the richest men in the world] I would step on your face!
John D. Hackensacker III: That's quite all right, I rather enjoyed it.
(Ms.)Gerry Jeffers: Twice!
John D. Hackensacker III: You made quite an impression.

 

(Ms.)Gerry Jeffers: [Seeing Princess Centimilla and her male companion, Toto, for the first time] Is that the Prince?
John D. Hackensacker III: No. The Prince is all washed up. This is something new.
(Ms.)Gerry Jeffers: He might be a Duke.
John D. Hackensacker III: Might be her tailor, too. She goes out with anything

 

Princess Centimillia: Hello, Snoodles, where'd you get the pretty girl?

Princess Centimillia: We should have met sooner. If I'd seen you around, we would have!

Princess Centimillia: Of course, I'm crazy, I'll marry anybody.

Princess Centimillia: I'd marry Captain McGloo tomorrow, even with that name.
John D. Hackensacker III: And divorce him the next month.
Princess Centimillia: Nothing is permanent in this world - except for Roosevelt.

John D. Hackensacker III: You don't marry someone you just met the day before; at least I don't.
Princess Centimillia: But that's the only way, dear. If you get to know too much about them you'd never marry them.

 

Tom Jeffers: Where'd you get that dress?
(Ms.)Gerry Jeffers: Why, that's what I've been telling you about!
Tom Jeffers: What's that on your wrist?
(Ms.)Gerry Jeffers: It's just what you think it is, dear.
[He looks at the bracelet on her wrist]
Tom Jeffers: What kind of stones are those?
(Ms.)Gerry Jeffers: Just what they look like.
Tom Jeffers: Do you know what it feels like to be strangled by bare hands?

 

(Ms.)Gerry Jeffers: You have no idea what a long-legged woman can do without doing anything.

(Ms.)Gerry Jeffers: You're not being rude, dear, you're just being yourself.

Tom Jeffers: Why is your breath coming faster?
(Ms.)Gerry Jeffers: Because you're squeezing me!

 

Princess Centimillia: Why don't you go away someplace? There must be somebody else who can use a houseguest, I can't be the only sucker in the world. Why don't you go to Havana? That's a nice place, and I'd treat you to a nice one-way ticket.
Toto: Havanag? Youg, meg? Havanag?
Princess Centimillia: No-gh, Toto! You-gh Havana-gh, me-gh here!
Toto: Nitz.
Princess Centimillia: I was afraid of that.

Princess Centimillia: What's knittin', kittens?

 

Princess Centimillia: What's buzzin', cousins?

 

(Ms.)Gerry Jeffers: He's my husband.
Princess Centimillia: He's your husband?
(Ms.)Gerry Jeffers: That's right.
Princess Centimillia: Well, no wonder! I thought I was losing my grip.

 

Princess Centimillia: The who is McGlue?
(Ms.)Gerry Jeffers: There is no McGlue.
Princess Centimillia: Well, thank heavens for something. That name!

 

 

Tom Jeffers: That's my wife, you dumb cluck!