- Millie Owens: When I graduate from college I'm going to New York, and write novels that'll shock people right out of their senses. I'm never gonna fall in love. Not me! I'm not gonna live in some jerkwater town and marry some ornery guy and raise some grimy kids. But just because I'm a dope doesn't mean you have to be.
- Madge Owens: Millie.
- Millie Owens: Go with him, Madge.
- Madge Owens: Millie?
- Millie Owens: For once in your life, do something right.
- Rosemary Sidney: Look at that sunset, Howard!
- Howard Bevans: A sunset's a beautiful thing, all right.
- Rosemary Sidney: It's like the daytime didn't want to end, isn't it? It's like the daytime was gonna put up a big scrap, set the world on fire to keep the night from creeping on.
- Hal Carter: What's the use, Baby? I'm a bum. She saw through me like an x-ray machine. There's no place in the world for a guy like me.
- Flo Owens: If she loses her chance when she's young, she might as well throw all her prettiness away.
- Madge Owens: I'm only 19.
- Flo Owens: And next summer you'll be 20, and then 21, and then 40.
- Madge Owens: You don't have to be morbid.
- Flo Owens: He's no good. He'll never be able to support you. And when he does have a job, he'll spend it all on drink. And after that they'll be other women. I know!
- Madge Owens: Mom, you don't love someone because he's perfect.
- Hal Carter: Now, don't you blow your top, ma'am. I'm leaving town.
- [Turning to Madge]
- Hal Carter: Aren't you gonna say good bye?
- Madge Owens: bye.
- Hal Carter: Are you mad at me?
- Madge Owens: no
- Hal Carter: I gotta know how you feel. Last night I thought you liked me.
- Madge Owens: I did like you. I liked you from the first time I saw you.
- Flo Owens: Madge, are you out of your senses?
- Hal Carter: Look. I, I've been thinking all night. I've never said this before, because it... It'd make me seem like such a freak, but...
- Madge Owens: What?
- Hal Carter: I love you, Madge. Do you hear?
- Flo Owens: Millie, I want you in the house this minute.
- Hal Carter: Do you love me? Do you?
- Flo Owens: I'm gonna call the police and have you put where you belong.
- Hal Carter: [Train horn sounds] If you please, ma'am. I'm catching that freight. Meet me baby. We'll get married. They'll give me a room in the hotel. It'll be ok until we find something better.
- Flo Owens: Oh, Madge, don't listen.
- Hal Carter: Look, baby. I got a chance with you. It won't be big time, but that isn't important, is it? :
- [Train horn sounds twice]
- Hal Carter: Come on.
- Madge Owens: oh, Hal, I can't.
- Hal Carter: Why?
- Madge Owens: Don't you see why? Don't you?
- [Train horn sounds several blasts]
- Hal Carter: Listen, baby, you're the only real thing I ever wanted, ever. You're mine. I gotta claim what's mine, or I'll be nothing as long as I live. You love me. You know it. You love me.
- [as train passes, Hal runs to jump a freighter, shouting]
- Hal Carter: You love me.
- [Hal turns as he runs for passing freight train]
- Hal Carter: You love me.
- Flo Owens: oh, Madge...
- [Madge runs up to her room and Flo walks to Mrs. Potts]
- Flo Owens: You liked him, didn't you Helen?
- Helen Potts: Yes, I did. I got so used to things as they were: Everything so prim, the geranium in the window, the smell of mama's medicines. And then he walked in, and it was different! He clomped through the place like he was still outdoors. There was a man in the place and it seemed good!
- Howard Bevans: [to Rosemary] If a woman's going to ask me to marry her, the least she could do is say "Please."
- Millie Owens: How do you talk to boys?
- Madge Owens: Why you just talk silly.
- Millie Owens: Well, but, how do you think of things to say?
- Madge Owens: You just say whatever comes into your head.
- Millie Owens: Supposing nothing ever comes into my head?
- Flo Owens: Where is everybody?
- Helen Potts: At a picnic everybody disappears. Don't you remember, Flo?
- Rosemary Sidney: [Giddily to her schoolteacher friends just prior to eloping] So long, girls! You know what you can tell the principal for me!
- Alan Benson: Where have you been all these years?
- Hal Carter: Oh, I was workin' back home - in the filling station. Then, I was in the Army.
- Alan Benson: Yeah? How long?
- Hal Carter: Until I got out.
- Madge Owens: Oh, Ma, what good is it just to be pretty?
- Flo Owens: What a question.
- Madge Owens: Maybe I get tired of only being looked at.
- Helen Potts: It'll be awful hot in that jacket. You better take it off.
- Hal Carter: My shirts awful dirty, ma'am.
- Helen Potts: I'll wash it for ya.
- Hal Carter: You'd think anybody'd mind?
- Helen Potts: Oh, of course not. You're a man! What's the difference?
- Millie Owens: The ones we love are always pretty, but the ones who are pretty to begin with... everyone loves them.
- Millie Owens: The way she primps and fusses, somebody'd think she was the Queen of Sheba.
- Madge Owens: Well, if you fussed with yourself a little, maybe you'd have a date for the Picnic today.
- Millie Owens: I don't want any of these crazy boys in town take me anywhere.
- Madge Owens: [singing] Beggars can't be choosers
- Hal Carter: Then I said, "Okay, girls, party's over. Let's get goin'." And one of 'em sticks a gun right in my back and she says, "This party's goin' on until *we* say it's over, Buck!" You'd 've thought she was Humphrey Bogart.
- Alan Benson: Now, wait a minute, now, then what?
- Hal Carter: Well, so finally, I passed out. And when I woke up the dames were gone and so was my 200 bucks. I went to the police and they wouldn't believe me! They said my story was wishful thinkin'. How do you like that? I'm tellin' ya, Benson, women are gettin' desperate.
- Alan Benson: I heard you went to Hollywood to become a big movie hero.
- Hal Carter: I was gonna have a big career. They were gonna call me: Brush Carter.
- Alan Benson: What babe?
- Hal Carter: The babe that got me the screen test. She wasn't exactly a babe. She was kinda beat up. But, eh, not bad.
- Madge Owens: Bomber was right. You are a goon!
- Millie Owens: Madge, you slut, you take that back or I'll kill you! Take it back, Madge! Take it back!
- Hal Carter: What I was hopin' was that, you and your old man, between ya, might be able to fix me up with a job.
- Alan Benson: Sure! These companies can always use me. I'll talk to Dad. I'm sure he can do something.
- Hal Carter: Maybe, somethin' in a nice office where I can wear a tie and have a sweet little secretary. And talk over the telephone about - enterprises and things.
- Alan Benson: Before you get to be President of the company, you'll have to be - a little patient.
- Hal Carter: Yeah, that's somethin' I gotta learn Patience!
- Flo Owens: Madge, does Alan ever make love?
- Madge Owens: Sometimes we park the car by the river.
- Flo Owens: Do - do you let him kiss you? Well, after all, you've been going together all summer.
- Madge Owens: Of course, I let him.
- Flo Owens: Does he ever want to go beyond kissing?
- Madge Owens: Oh, Mom!
- Flo Owens: Well, I'm your mother, for heaven's sake, these things *have* to be talked about.
- Hal Carter: I learned something today and it's that, well, there comes a time in a man's life when he's got to quit rolling around like a pinball. Maybe a little town like this is a place to settle down where people are easy-goin' and sincere.
- Howard Bevans: A young man comin' to town has *got* to be a good mixer.
- Helen Potts: Wouldn't it be nice if he could join the Country Club and play golf.
- Alan Benson: Oh, he won't be able to afford that.
- Rosemary Sidney: The bowling team's a rowdy gang.
- Helen Potts: There's a young mens bible class at the Baptist Church.
- Hal Carter: He said, "Son, there'll be times when the only thing you got to be proud of is the fact that you're a man. So, wear you're boots so people know you're coming and keep your fists doubled up so they know you mean business when you get there." My old man, he was a corker.
- Howard Bevans: Mighty pretty legs.
- Rosemary Sidney: Ah, that's just like you men, can't talk about anything but women's legs.
- Howard Bevans: I just noticed they had a nice shape.
- Rosemary Sidney: People? What will people say if I thumb my nose at 'em? What will people say if I walked down the street and showed them my pink panties? What do I care what people say?
- Flo Owens: It would be awfully nice to be married to Alan, Madge. Better get busy.
- Madge Owens: Busy?
- Flo Owens: A pretty girl doesn't have long. Just a few years.
- Flo Owens: Mrs. Owens, this is Christine Schoenwalder. She's taking Mabel Freemont's place this year.
- Christine Schoenwalder: In Feminine Hygiene.
- Rosemary Sidney: You remind me of one of those old statues, one of those Roman gladiators, all they had on was shield... My those ancient people were depraved.
- Howard Bevans: You don't have to tell me. I understand. All we need is a drink. You got your troubles and I got mine.
- Madge Owens: I'm going to Tulsa, Mom.
- Flo Owens: You don't know what you're doing. You can't.
- Madge Owens: I'm going Mom.
- Hal Carter: I stole another guy's motorcycle. I stole it because I wanted to get so far away, so fast, nobody'd ever catch up with me.
- Rosemary Sidney: You'll end your life in the *gutter* and it'll serve you right. Cause the *gutter's* where you came from and the gutter's where you belong!
- Madge Owens: You're a wonderful dancer.
- Hal Carter: Thanks.
- Madge Owens: Oh, I can tell a lot about a man by dancing with him. You know, some boys, well, when they take a girl in their arms to dance they - well, they make her feel uncomfortable. But, with you, I - I had they feeling you knew exactly what you were doing. And I could follow you every step of the way.
- Rosemary Sidney: Each year I keep tellin' myself this is the last. Somethin' will happen. Nothin' ever does. Except I get a little crazier all the time.
- Rosemary Sidney: Its his turn to dance with me. I may be an old maid schoolteacher; but, I can keep up with ya. Come on now. Ride 'em cowboy!