Barbary Coast (1935)

Miriam Hopkins: Mary 'Swan' Rutledge

Photos 

Quotes 

• Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : I see a lot of fog and a few lights. I like when life's hidden. Gives you a chance to imagine nice things. Nicer than they are.

• Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : Men of vision! Oh, I love the fine names men give each other to hide their greed and lust for adventure. I'm amazed at your idealism, Colonel Cobb.

  Col. Marcus Aurelius Cobb : Newspaper men are either drunkards or idealist, Miss Rutledge. I'm afraid I'm both. However soiled his hands the journalist goes staggering through life with the beacon raised.

• Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : I like the fog. I like this new world. I like the noise of something happening. No, San Francisco is no place for a bad loser, man or woman. Dan Morgan was a bad loser. I'm not. I'm staying. I'm tired of dreaming, Colonel Cobb. I'm staying. I'm staying and holding out my hands for gold. Bright yellow gold.

• Jim Carmichael : Aren't I ever gonna see you again?

  Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : Please, I'd like to remember it just like this: the rain, the fog, and a poet from Gramercy Park, with his bags of gold. Let's just leave it that way.

  Jim Carmichael : It's awfully hard to live poetry.

• Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : So, with a bag of gold, the prodigal returns to Gramercy Park. Licked!

  Jim Carmichael : Well, there won't be any bands to play, if that's what you mean, Ma'am.

  Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : Or any poems to write?

  Jim Carmichael : No, I guess not. I won't have much time for writin' poetry. Anyhow, I kinda run out of subject matter.

  Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : Write about a harpy who smiled at you and cheated you. Write about that!

• Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : Just one thing more, Mr. Chamalis. I suggest you get used to knocking on doors.

  Chamalis : All right, Swan.

• Townsman 1 : Lookout, here comes some more Chinamen.

  [Frightened Chinese man runs past being chased down the street] 

  Townsman 1 : Oh, he's just havin' fun, Miss. They're tryin' to cut off their pigtails.

  Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : Why?

  Townsman 2 : Well, if you cut off a Chinaman's pigtail, he can't go to heaven, according to their religion.

• Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : It can speak, Colonel. Let it speak the language of the town. Lies! Hypocrisy! And more lies!

• Chamalis : You haven't thanked me yet for letting the Colonel have his paper.

  Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : Thank you? You seemed almost human for a moment.

  Chamalis : Well, then, how about you being human for a change, huh?

  Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : I'd like another drink, please.

  Chamalis : Swan, why don't you ever kiss me of your own accord, huh? Why don't you ever put your arms around me and kiss me like you meant it?

  Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : Wait'll I have my drink.

• Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : Look at me Louie. Look in my eyes. What do you see? It isn't pretty, is it? Well, I'm just what you see there. Oh, take what you can get and let it go at that. Let's enjoy our mud puddle!

• Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : What's the matter?

  Jim Carmichael : I can't get over it.

  Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : Over what?

  Jim Carmichael : How beautiful a woman is. I'd almost forgotten, so help me.

• Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : You're the most peculiar desert rat I've seen yet.

  Jim Carmichael : Would you mind very much if I looked at you if I promise not to faint. Say, you're pretty wet, Ma'am. Don't you think you ought to hang those clothes of yours in front of the fire to dry?

  Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : Well...

• Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : I don't think you know me. I was raised under a bell jar with forget-me-nots in my hair.

• Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : Oh, you're leaving the West?

  Jim Carmichael : Yes. Shipping out like Sinbad with his loot. Here it is. You know, I've been pokin' around for this silly stuff for about two years. I keep expecting it to vanish like the figments of a dream. But, its safe now. That is, if I can get by the harpies of San Francisco.

  Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : The harpies?

  Jim Carmichael : Yes, Ma'am. Although, some people call them by other names.

• Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : What does a harpy look like?

  Jim Carmichael : Oh, they got snakes in their hair and cat's eyes and no hearts at all. You can always tell 'em, easy.

• Chamalis : I found this under your pillow. Who gave it to ya? It's about love! Poems! Who gave it to ya?

  Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : Do you want me to take the little wheel tonight?

• Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : You stupid fool! Nobody's touched me! Nobody's going to.

  Chamalis : Cause he kissed you.

  Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : You and nobody else.

  Chamalis : He kissed you.

  Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : Nobody! You understand?

  Chamalis : And you kissed him back - like you never done to me. Throwing yourself free - at some rat!

  Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : I wish I had! I wish I could tell you something that could make you howl and shoot!

  Chamalis : I'll do the shooting. But, somebody else is gonna do the howling.

• Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : Go on, go away, thinking that I stole your money and that I'm sending you back - licked and broke.

• Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : You'll write something about the fog, won't you? About how people forget - where they are and - who they are.

• Jim Carmichael : Ma'am I don't know quite what to say.

  Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : Well, say it to somebody else! Not me. I've seen quite enough of you for one day or for one lifetime!

• Jim Carmichael : Listen to me. There's something inside of people that can't be touched. They can stand in mud up to their necks, but, that thing inside stays bright and shiny.

  Mary 'Swan' Rutledge : Oh, I want to believe you!

  Jim Carmichael : Oh, you must believe me, because it's true. Loving wipes everything else! All this never existed. You'll see.