The Murder Party (1934)

Ernest Thesiger: Chiddiatt

Quotes 

• Chiddiatt : Anna, Anna!

  Anna Chiddiatt : Yes darling.

  Chiddiatt : Your pad and pencil quickly! Quickly before I lose the inspiration.

  [Dictating his latest oeuvre] 

  Chiddiatt : The scent of the room drifted slowly upwards as she gave him a pear-shaped look.Significant vital almond-blossom falling on guitar strings in small Italian towns came to his mind as he bent. What was that? Sordid, time-shattering, comes tap, tap, tap, a knocking on the door.

• [last lines] 

  Chiddiatt : It's a great game, murder!

  [shoots himself] 

• Chiddiatt : Oh Dawson. I want you to go down to where the main switch is.

  Butler : Yes sir.

  Chiddiatt : And then, let me see, I'll strike the gong. You ought to hear that oughtn't you?

  Butler : Should do sir.

  Chiddiatt : Well, when you do, turn out all the lights in the house. Then after, let us see, about ten minutes, you turn them all up again. Get the idea?

  Butler : Yes sir. Is that all sir?

  Chiddiatt : Yes. That's all.

  Gen. Piddington : Does that mean we play this infernal game in the dark, ma'am?

  Princess Maria Amelia : All the nicest games are played in the dark, General.

• Sergeant : You cant go in there.

  Chiddiatt : Flat-footed oaf!

  Sir John Holland : Alright sergeant.

  Chiddiatt : Oh Holland.

  Sir John Holland : What do you want?

  Chiddiatt : Are you aware that I'm being victimised outrageously at the hands of your minions?

• Chiddiatt : Heaven knows where I went. The whole place was plunged in inspissated gloom.

  Miles : What gloom sir?

  Chiddiatt : Inspissated: .I-N-S-P-I-S-S-A-...

  Sergeant : Put down that it was very dark.