Lili (1953)

Mel Ferrer: Paul Berthalet

Quotes 

• [describing how his puppets' personalities are reflections of his own] 

  Paul Berthalet : I am Carrot Top: confident, clever, capable of running his life and yours, and everybody else's; and I'm Golo the Giant: cowardly, stupid, longing to be loved, clumsy and in need of comforting; and I'm Marguerite too: vain, jealous, obsessed with self, looking at my face in the mirror - are my teeth nice? Is my hair growing thin? And I'm Reynaldo: the thief, the opportunist, full of compromise and lies like any other man. I have in me all these things.

• Paul Berthalet : That child's an idiot.

  Jacquot : She's not an idiot. And she isn't a child any longer. She's beginning to realize the fact that there's cruelty in the world and she's starting to protect herself from it.

• Paul Berthalet : [whispering unseen from behind the puppet stage in his own voice]  And I care, Lili.

• Marc : I'm only being a Good Samaritan.

  Paul Berthalet : I've heard it called that before.

• Reynardo - Puppet : Well, hello baby!

• Marguerite - Puppet : Reynardo, behave yourself.

  Reynardo - Puppet : Uh-oh.

  Marguerite - Puppet : Don't listen to him, my dear, he is a seducer.

  Reynardo - Puppet : With a heart like a kitten. I don't know why nobody trust me.

  Marguerite - Puppet : I know why!

  Reynardo - Puppet : Well, keep it to yourself, you old hag.

• Marguerite - Puppet : He's a dreadful wolf!

  Lili Daurier : I thought he was a fox.

  Marguerite - Puppet : Ha! That's the worst kind of wolf! And as for you, I know your kind! So, innocent! Oh, yes, so innocent - while making goo-goo eyes at Reynardo! Really!

• Paul Berthalet : I love all people.

  Jacquot : You said you hated them?

  Paul Berthalet : It wasn't true. I love them. The helpless people who live on the earth, for all their comfort from it. Sometimes from each other.

• Paul Berthalet : What have we here? A girl in love.

• Paul Berthalet : It's a good thing to be in love, I'm told. I'm told it's a matter - not of what you love, but of how you love. Not a little of what you really want, is better than large quantities of what you don't. As for me, I want it all. Refusal to compromise! A sign of immaturity, you know.

• Jacquot : So, the awkward child is becoming an attractive dish. And you don't like it. Because, from now on there's gonna be competition.

  Paul Berthalet : I don't know what you're talking about.

  Jacquot : I think you do.

  Paul Berthalet : You talk too much, Jacquot.

• M. Corvier : Where'd you find the girl?

  M. Tonit : We can't make up our minds whether she's a superb actress or you're a Svengali.

  Paul Berthalet : No. She's like a little bell - that gives off a pure sound no matter how you strike it; because, she's, in herself, so good and true and pure.

• Paul Berthalet : Let's open a bottle.

  Jacquot : You've had enough.

  Paul Berthalet : What makes you think so?

  Jacquot : Go to bed. Tomorrow is another day.

  Paul Berthalet : Oh, now there's a profound statement! That's a gem. Tomorrow is another day. And tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow with the audience, that audience, those endless little faces, alike as mothballs. I hate 'em!

• Paul Berthalet : I've had too much to drink.

  Jacquot : I'll get you some coffee.

  Paul Berthalet : Why is that when a man goes to great effort and expense to get drunk, his friends, instead of respecting this endeavor, do everything they can to sober him up? Why?

• Carrot Top - Puppet : I know, we'll sing for ya!

  [singing] 

  Carrot Top - Puppet : A song of love is a gay song, hi-lili, hi-lili, hi-lo...