Dinner at Eight (1933)

Lionel Barrymore: Oliver Jordan

Photos 

Quotes 

• Oliver Jordan : International star returns to stage...

  Carlotta Vance : Never! I'll have my double chins in privacy.

• Carlotta Vance : Oliver! Duckie! Oh, I'm never so glad to see anyone in all my life.

  Oliver Jordan : Carlotta, this is a surprise! Why, you look marvelous.

  Carlotta Vance : Do I? I do, don't I?

  Oliver Jordan : Divine!

  Carlotta Vance : Oh, Oliver, actually, you're looking handsomer than ever. Oh, Oliver.

  [runs her hand down through Oliver's hair] 

  Carlotta Vance : Oliver.

  Oliver Jordan : A little gray.

  Carlotta Vance : Gray? Nonsense. Distinguished!

• Millicent Jordan : [First lines]  Darling, I've got Lord and Lady Ferncliffe! They'll come to dinner next Friday. I just had a radio from them on the boat! Wasn't that brilliant of me, getting the Ferncliffes?

  Oliver Jordan : [underwhelmed]  Yes, that was very brilliant of you - if you want the Ferncliffes.

  Millicent Jordan : But I *do*! You remember them darling, they entertained us in London.

  Oliver Jordan : [sarcastically]  I remember them well, and very dull it was too - Australian mutton; and a lot of people who had been buried for years, and got up just to eat that mutton.

  Millicent Jordan : You don't realize how important this is Oliver. *Everybody* will be after them. I thought you and Ferncliffe had lots in common. Isn't he interested in shipping too?

  Oliver Jordan : [reluctantly willing]  Uh-huh, Mr. Oliver Jordan accepts.

  Millicent Jordan : Of course it's terribly short notice.

• Oliver Jordan : The thing that's troubling me the most, Millie, is that - well, I'm afraid the Jordan line is gone.

  Millicent Jordan : Gone?

  Oliver Jordan : We're broke.

  Millicent Jordan : Oh. Well, everybodies broke, darling! Don't let that worry you.

• Oliver Jordan : [Millicent is reaching her boiling point with stress]  Millicent, darling, would you mind awfully if I didn't go to the theatre tonight? I'm feeling pretty rotten. If I could just go to bed...

  Millicent Jordan : [voice shaking in disbelief]  What's that you're saying?

  Oliver Jordan : I said I'm feeling pretty rotten. I'm up against a business thing...

  Paula Jordan : Oh, daddy...

  Millicent Jordan : [explodes]  Oh, a business thing! At a time like this, you talk to me about a business thing, and feeling rotten! This is a NICE TIME to say you're feeling rotten! You come to me with your--

  [to Paula] 

  Millicent Jordan : And YOU, whimpering about Ernest; some little lovers' quarrel! I'm expected to listen to Ernest, and business and headaches, when I'm half out of my mind! Do you know what's happened to me? I've had the most ghastly day anybody ever had. No aspic for dinner, and Ricky in jail, and Gustave dying, for all I know! And a new butler tonight, and that Vance woman coming in, and having to send for crabmeat. Crabmeat! And now, on top of everything else... the Ferncliffes aren't coming for dinner! They call up at this hour, the miserable cockneys. They call up to say they've gone to Florida. FLORIDA! And who can I get at this hour? Nobody! I've got eight people for dinner; eight people isn't a dinner! Who can I get?

  [to Oliver] 

  Millicent Jordan : And you come to me with your idiotic little-- *I'M* the one who ought to be in bed, *I'M* the one who's in trouble! You don't know what trouble is, either of you!

  [Millicent storms off] 

• Oliver Jordan : Of course, this Depression isn't going to last forever. But, if it takes a little longer, than we figure, I want to know if you and your associates would be in a position to sort of tide us over?