Heaven Can Wait (1943) Directed by Ernst Lubitsch
Don Ameche as Henry Van Cleve and Gene Tierney as Martha Strable
Henry: Martha, do you love me?
Martha: Well I hardly know you.
Henry: You don’t need to know anything when you love. Love needs no introduction. You love or you don’t love.
Martha: You’re mad. You don’t know what you’re saying. You must be out of your mind.
Henry: Do you love me or don’t you?
Martha: Trying to take away the fiancée of your own cousin. Causing a family scandal!
Henry: Do you love me?
Martha: …Yes.
(they kiss)
Martha: Oh. Oh, why did you ever come into my life?
Henry: To make you happy. To hold you in my arms forever.
Martha: I’ll never be able to look my father in the face. I’ll never be able to go back to Kansas again.
Henry: Isn’t it wonderful?
Filed under: Movie Quote of the Day
The last line of your extended dialogue sample pretty much describes this sparkling gem in the Lubitsch canon. It’s not one of the master’s very best films, but it’s solid and always a delight to watch again. Great screenplay of course.
It’s taken me a while to fully warm up to the charms of Gene Tierney, but I’m sold now.
It’s Don Ameche as Pepe le Pew.
Lubitsch made amazing movies. one of my favorites.