Look Back in Anger (1959)

Claire Bloom: Helena Charles

Photos 

Quotes 

• Jimmy Porter : Anyone who doesn't like jazz has no real feeling for music, or people.

  Helena Charles : Rubbish.

• Helena Charles : Never used to know whether he was joking or being serious.

  Cliff Lewis : He doesn't know himself half the time - if in doubt mark it down as an insult.

• Helena Charles : Does he drink?

  Alison Porter : He's not an alcoholic, if that's what you mean.

  Helena Charles : Oh, that trumpet! It's almost as if he wanted to kill someone and me in particular. I've never seen such hatred in someone's eyes before, it's horrifying... and slightly exciting.

• Helena Charles : Tell me, why did you...?

  Alison Porter : Marry him? Oh there must be about six different answers. I met him at a party. He'd come there on his bicycle and there was oil on his jacket. It had been such a lovely day. Everything about him seemed to burn: his face, the edges of his hair glistened. His eyes were so blue and full of sun.

  Helena Charles : So you took him on.

  Alison Porter : There never seemed to be any choice.

• Helena Charles : Did he love you?

  Alison Porter : A howl of outrage went up from my family.

  Helena Charles : Well, you can see their point.

  Alison Porter : And that made up his mind, he had to marry me.

• Helena Charles : I think you're a very tiresome young man.

  Jimmy Porter : Oh dear, oh dear, my wife's friends. Pass Lady Bracknell the cucumber sandwiches.

• Jimmy Porter : Well, what's the matter with you?

  Helena Charles : I just feel quite sick, that's all. Sick with contempt and loathing.

• Cliff Lewis : I love those two people very much and I pity all of us.

  Helena Charles : I don't understand you or him or any of it.

• Helena Charles : You're hurt because everything's changed and Jimmy's hurt because everything's stayed the same. Something's gone wrong somewhere, hasn't it?

• Helena Charles : If you'd stop thinking about yourself for just one moment, I'll tell you something I think you ought to know. You wife is going to have a baby!

  [pause] 

  Helena Charles : Well? Doesn't that mean anything? Even to you?

  Jimmy Porter : [pause]  If you'd permit me to interrupt your... female wisdom, there's something perhaps you ought to know. I don't care! I don't care if she's going to have a baby. I don't care if it has 2 heads!

  [pause] 

  Jimmy Porter : Well, do I disgust you? Go on, slap my face! I just came back from seeing somebody I love very much go through the sordid process of dying. And you expect me to be overcome with awe because some stupid, cruel girl is going to have a BABY?

  [pause] 

  Jimmy Porter : Now the performance is over. Now leave me alone - and get out, you evil-minded little virgin!

  [Helena slaps Jimmy] 

• Helena Charles : How was it?

  Jimmy Porter : It was a funeral. No flowers, no word, no sign...

  Helena Charles : What do you mean?

  Jimmy Porter : I mean Alison... The injustice of it is about perfect: the wrong people going hungry, the wrong people being loved, the wrong people dying.

• Helena Charles : Sorry he's gone.

  Jimmy Porter : So am I. He's sloppy and irritating, but he's got a good heart. You can forgive someone almost anything for that.

  Helena Charles : I love you.

  Jimmy Porter : Perhaps you do. Perhaps it means something to have your General lie back in your arms though he's heartily sick of the whole campaign, tired, hungry and dry.

• Helena Charles : God, Jimmy, what's going to become of us?

  Jimmy Porter : I don't know.

• Jimmy Porter : What do you say we get out of this place and start from scratch, what do you say?

  Helena Charles : I'd say that's wonderful.

  Jimmy Porter : Come on, we'll do that. We'll get pleasantly tiddly, then I'll take you home and make such love to you as you'll forget about anything at all.

  Helena Charles : Let's go and have a drink.

• Helena Charles : He doesn't know what love or anything else means.

• Jimmy Porter : Are you a good actress?

  Helena Charles : Oh really!

  Jimmy Porter : Since we're going to have you for 2 solid weeks I only hope its going to be worthwhile, that it adds to the sum of human happiness.

• Jimmy Porter : If you slap me, by God I'll lay you out.

  Helena Charles : You would, you're the type.

  Jimmy Porter : You bet I'm the type, the type that hates physical violence.

• Jimmy Porter : Going out, on a Sunday evening this time, where have you got to be?

  Helena Charles : She's coming with me to church.

  Jimmy Porter : You're doing what? When I think of what I did, what I had to endure!

• Helena Charles : Shut up - you've no right to talk about her mother like that.

  Jimmy Porter : I've every right haven't I. She's an old cow and she should be dead. Well, what's the matter, why don't you spring to her defense? If someone said that about me she'd react soon enough - she'd spring into a well-known lethargy and say nothing.

• Jimmy Porter : I want to be there when your face is rubbed in the mud. There's nothing else I can hope for any more, there's nothing else I want anymore.

  Helena Charles : There's a call for you downstairs.

  Jimmy Porter : Can't be anything good.

• Helena Charles : You know what Alison once said, you were born out of your time. I think I know what she means. Sometimes I think you feel you're still in the middle of the French Revolution. Oh Jimmy, can't you give up that sweet shop and do something else?

  Jimmy Porter : Such as?

  Helena Charles : I don't know, there are so many things that you could do.

  Jimmy Porter : Such as being a literary gent - Porter the lion of the pen club, laughing Porter the tv panelist, Lord Porter leaving Number 10. The personality of Porter, lets examine it, that glittering meteoric cause. While the rest of the world is being blown to bits around us what matters: me, me me.

• Helena Charles : Alison, it's all over.