A Letter to Three Wives (1949)

Thelma Ritter: Sadie Dugan

Photos 

Quotes 

• Mrs. Finney : Can't we have peace in this house even on New Year's Eve?

  Sadie : You got it mixed up with Christmas. New Year's Eve is when people go back to killing each other.

• Lora Mae Hollingsway : [amused by Sadie's maid uniform]  Sadie Dugan, what are you supposed to be, Baby Snooks?

  Sadie : Hiya Lora Mae.

  Lora Mae Hollingsway : Get a load of that cap - I can't wait to tell Ma!

  Rita Phipps : Lora Mae, would you sit there please?

  Porter Hollingsway : Come on, sit down.

  Sadie : There's a couple of things I could tell your Ma about you too.

  Mrs. Manleigh : This great situation belongs in a true-to-life drama - are you two related?

  Lora Mae Hollingsway : No we just had the same governess.

  Sadie : [laughing]  Ya kill me!

• Lora Mae Hollingsway : [who has just finished dressing for a date]  How do I look?

  Sadie : If I was you, I'd show more o' what I got. Maybe wear somethin' with beads.

  Lora Mae Hollingsway : What I got don't need beads.

• Rita Phipps : [laying down the law to Sadie]  And lets get a couple of things straight. First, when you announce dinner...

  Sadie : I know, I'm not supposed to say "soup's on".

  Rita Phipps : How did I tell you?

  Sadie : I forgot.

  Rita Phipps : "Dinner is served"

  Sadie : [mockingly]  "Dinner is served"

  Rita Phipps : And you're not to say it as though the food were poisoned.

  Sadie : All this fancy schmanzy because two people from the city are gonna eat here.

  Rita Phipps : Mrs. Manley is a very important person; she has charge of a great many radio programs, including the one I write.

  Rita Phipps : You know what I like about your program? Even when I'm running the vacuum I can understand it.

  Rita Phipps : Thank you so much.

• Sadie : The cap's out. Makes me look like a lamb chop with pants on.

• Mrs. Finney : Of all the times to quit a job, just before Christmas with all the bills due and five months due on the icebox!

  Sadie : You got to make up your mind whether you want your kids happy or your icebox paid up.

• Sadie : Look, I don't teach you about teachin'. Don't teach me about ducks.

• Sadie : You oughtn't to run around like that. You'll get consumption.

• Leo : [delivering a package]  Sure smells good.

  Sadie Dugan : Wish I could say the same for you.