Charlie Chaplin Quotes

Henri Verdoux Business is a ruthless business, my dear.

Henri Verdoux It's the approach of death that terrifies.

The Girl I suppose, if the unborn knew of the approach of life, they'd be just as terrified.

The Girl You don't like women, do you?

Henri Verdoux On the contrary, I love women. But I don't admire them.

The Girl Why?

Henri Verdoux Women are of the earth. Realistic. Dominated by physical facts.

The Girl What nonsense!

Henri Verdoux Once a woman betrays a man, she despises him. In spite of his goodness and position, she will give him up for someone inferior. That someone is more, shall we say, "attractive.

The Girl How little you know about women!

Henri Verdoux You'd be surprised.

Terry I'd despise myself if I thought that.

Calvero That's the trouble, you do. That's the trouble with the world. We all despise ourselves.

Terry What a sad business, being funny.

Calvero Very sad if they won't laugh. But it's a thrill when they do. To look out there and see them all laughing, to hear that roar go up, waves of laughter coming at you.

Terry What is there to fight for?

Calvero Ah, you see, you admit it. What is there to fight for? Everything! Life itself, isn't that enough? To be lived, suffered, enjoyed! What is there to fight for? Life is a beautiful, magnificent thing, even to a jellyfish. Huh, what is there to fight for? Besides, you - you have your art, your dancing!

Terry I can't dance without legs!

Calvero I know a man without arms who can play a scherzo on a violin and does it all with his toes. The trouble is you won't fight! You've given in, continually dwelling on sickness and death. But - there's something just as inevitable as death, and that's life. Life, life, life! Think of the power that's in the universe, moving the earth, growing the trees. That's the same power within you if you only have courage and the will to use it!

Terry So few of us have the ability to really feel.

Calvero Or the opportunity.

Terry Worms can't smile!

Calvero Oh, how would you know, have you ever appealed to their sense of humour?

Henri Verdoux Wars, conflict - it's all business. One murder makes a villain; millions, a hero. Numbers sanctify, my good fellow!

Calvero I'm through clowning. Life isn't a gag anymore. I can't see the joke. From now on, I'm a retired humorist.

Calvero I want to forget the public.

Terry Never. You love them too much.

Calvero I'm not so sure. Maybe I love them, but I don't admire them.

Terry I think you do.

Calvero As individuals, yes. There's greatness in everyone. But as a crowd, they're like a monster without a head that never knows which way it's going to turn. It can be prodded in any direction.

Terry I'm sorry.

Calvero You should be. A young girl like you wanting to throw your life away. Heh! When you are my age you want to hang onto it.

Calvero As a man gets on in years he wants to live deeply. A feeling of sad dignity comes upon him, and that's fatal for a comic. It affected my work. I lost contact with the audience, couldn't warm up to them.

Reporter You'll have to admit, crime doesn't pay, does it?

Henri Verdoux No, sir. Not in a small way.

Reporter What do you mean?

Henri Verdoux To be successful in anything, one must be well-organized.

Reporter You're not leaving the world with that cynical remark?

Henri Verdoux To be idealistic in this moment would be incongruous, don't you think?

Reporter What's all this talk about good and evil?

Henri Verdoux Arbitrary forces, my good fellow. Too much of either will destroy us all.

Reporter We can never have too much good in the world.

Henri Verdoux Trouble is, we've never had enough. We don't know.

Reporter Listen, Verdoux, I've been your friend all through the trial. Now, give me a break, a story with a moral to it! You, the tragic example of a life of crime.

Henri Verdoux I don't see how anyone can be an example in these criminal times.

Calvero At this stage of the game life gets to be a habit.

Terry A hopeless one.

Calvero Then live without hope. Live for the moment. There are still - there are still - there are still wonderful moments.

The Girl It's nice seeing you again, You'll never realise what your kindness meant to me.

Henri Verdoux Kindness is a convenient thing at times, my dear.

Calvero What do you want meaning for? Life is a desire, not a meaning. Desire is the theme of all life! It makes a rose want to be a rose and want to grow like that. And a rock want to contain itself and remain like that.

Terry If all else fails, there's always that little home in the country.

Calvero My home is the theater.

Terry I thought you hated the theater.

Calvero I also hate the sight of blood, but it's in my veins.

Henri Verdoux I shall see you ALL soon - very soon.

Henri Verdoux Ah, Father. And what can I do for you?

Priest Nothing, my son. I want to help you, if I can. I've come to ask you to make your peace with God.

Henri Verdoux I am at peace with God. My conflict is with Man.

Priest Have you no remorse for your sin?

Henri Verdoux Who knows what sin is? Born as it was from God's fallen angel. Who knows the ultimate destiny it serves? After all, what would you be doing without sin?

Priest Exactly what I'm doing now, my son: trying to help a lost soul in distress. They're coming. Let me pray for you.

Henri Verdoux As you wish. But I don't think these gentlemen want to be kept waiting.

Priest May the Lord have mercy on your soul.

Henri Verdoux Why not? After all, it belongs to Him.

Calvero Life can be wonderful if you're not afraid of it. All it needs is courage, imagination... and a little dough.

Henri Verdoux Nothing is permanent in this wicked world, not even our troubles.

Calvero There's something about working the streets I like. It's the tramp in me I suppose.

The Prosecutor Never, never in the history of jurisprudence have such terrifying deeds been brought to light. Gentlemen of the jury, you have before you a cruel and cynical monster. Look at him! Observe him, gentlemen. This man, who has brains, if he had decent instincts, could have made an honest living. And yet, he preferred to rob and murder unsuspecting women. In fact, he made a business of it. I do not ask for vengeance, but for the protection of society. For this mass killer, I demand the extreme penalty: that he be put to death on the guillotine. The State rests its case.

Judge Monsieur Verdoux, you have been found guilty. Have you anything to say before sentence is passed upon you?

Henri Verdoux Oui, monsieur, I have. However remiss the prosecutor has been in complimenting me, he at least admits that I have brains. Thank you, Monsieur, I have. And for 35 years I used them honestly. After that, nobody wanted them. So I was forced to go into business for myself. As for being a mass killer, does not the world encourage it? Is it not building weapons of destruction for the sole purpose of mass killing? Has it not blown unsuspecting women and little children to pieces? And done it very scientifically? As a mass killer, I am an amateur by comparison. However, I do not wish to lose my temper, because very shortly, I shall lose my head. Nevertheless, upon leaving this spark of earthly existence, I have this to say: I shall see you all...very soon...very soon.

Calvero Time is the great author. Always writes the perfect ending.

Henri Verdoux Despair is a narcotic. It lulls the mind into indifference.

Calvero That's all any of us are: amateurs. We don't live long enough to be anything else.