A fellow will remember a lot of things you wouldn't think he'd remember. You take me. One day, back in 1896, I was crossing over to Jersey on the ferry, and as we pulled out, there was another ferry pulling in, and on it there was a girl waiting to get off. A white dress she had on. She was carrying a white parasol. I only saw her for one second. She didn't see me at all, but I'll bet a month hasn't gone by since that I haven't thought of that girl.
--Citizen Kane, Screenplay by Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles
You're a romantic, Kirk! I like it when you show that side of yourself.
ReplyDeleteAt first I thought that these were your words Kirk and that you'd incorrectly typed the date.
ReplyDeleteAs Les suggests, it/you is/are romantic. Great quote.
Fantastic quote. I remember reading a book by Roger Ebert years ago where he also pointed out that quote from the movie as being one of his absolute favorites.
ReplyDeletei'm wondering if we don't all have an ephemeral figure like that drifting in our memory, keeping possibility alive in the present
ReplyDeleteI'm going to respond to these comments a little out of order.
ReplyDelete@Lemmy--Citizen Kane is celebrated for its' fantastic visuals, and rightfully so, but it also had some great dialogue. That's my favorite quote in that movie, and one of my favorite quotes in any movie. Actually, I probably not doing it justice by merely repeating it. You have to listen to that actor (I'm going to have to look up his name) say that line in that nasally New Yawk accent. I think that adds even more charm to it.
@standing--I think we all have a memories like that. I know I do.
@Elisabeth--I glad you brought up the year that was mentioned, because it gives a chance to expound. Citizen Kane was made in 1941. When you get past the different style of clothing, the overall design of things, and the fact that there are no computers or cell phones, the 1940s really don't seem all that different from the era we're living in now. Yet the last decade of the 19th century was a close to people living then as the 1960s are to us. I find that amazing.
@Limes and Elisabeth--Yeah, well, you're next chance to view my romantic side will be a good 10 or 20 years from now; ]
OK, just looked it up. Everett Sloan said that line. In addition to Kane, old movie fans may remember him from The Lady From Shanghai, also directed by and starring Orson Welles. He played the guy with the cane who shoots it out with Rita Hayworth in a house of mirrors.
ReplyDeleteI just found out the actor committed suicide in 1965 an the age of 55. Now I'm depressed. I shouldn't have looked him up.
kirk, i'm willing to bet cash money that we'll see your romantic side again sooner than that!
ReplyDeleteWe seem to remember awkward things, especially the ones where we were left with the feeling that something was supposed to happen but it didn’t...
ReplyDelete"It was one of those perfect English autumnal days which occur more frequently in memory than in life." ~P.D. James
Thanks, Gabriela, both for your comment and the P.D. James quote.
ReplyDeletesometimes i wish life would just slow down so i could remember the vivid little scenes that grab my attention. sadly, they seem to slip away as fast as they arrive.
ReplyDelete@standing on my head--I just re-read your first comment. I like what you wrote about keeping possibility alive in the present.
ReplyDelete@Dreamfarm Girl--I hear you. It's not enough that our own aging processes make time go by at an ever accelerating rate, we have to exacerbate the situation with clocks, calenders, schedules, etc.