Sex and the Single Girl (1964)

Natalie Wood: Helen Brown

Photos 

Quotes 

• Helen Gurley Brown : You know, when you smile like that, you *do* look like Jack Lemmon!

• Helen Gurley Brown : Take me to Fiji!

  Rudy : Fiji?

  Helen Gurley Brown : Yes, Fiji! Where the women are women and the men are worms!

  Rudy : Well, if you're really serious, I'll wiggle along.

• Helen Gurley Brown : Does your husband Frank come home to you every night?

  Susan : [pretending to be Mrs. Broderick]  Well... I don't know.

  Helen Gurley Brown : You don't?

  Susan : No, because, you see, I don't go home every night.

• Helen Gurley Brown : I didn't ask them to write this, you know! Did you read what they called me?

  Dr. A.L. Chickering : [reading from STOP magazine]  "She should be ashamed and millions of women should be ashamed for bringing their intimate problems to someone with all the knowledge and personal experience of a 23 year old - "

  Helen Gurley Brown : Stop! Don't you say it. The nerve of them. The gall! To call me - Dr. Helen Gurley Brown - a 23 year old - virgin!

  Rudy : Traditionally, Helen, the term is considered a compliment.

  Helen Gurley Brown : Well, not by me!

• Helen Gurley Brown : Oh, no, no, no. Don't be frightened. Are you really so bashful with her?

  Bob Weston : [pretending to be Frank Broderick]  I'm even bashful with you.

  Helen Gurley Brown : Well, there's no need to be. See, we're holding hands and nothing is happening.

  Bob Weston : Something is happening.

  Helen Gurley Brown : You're gaining confidence and that's what's happening.

  Bob Weston : I'm gaining confidence and that's what's happening.

• Helen Gurley Brown : Rudy, stop! It's that magazine article! Before it was published, you never even thought of me as a girl.

  Rudy : That's right. I didn't. Merely as a colleague.

  Helen Gurley Brown : And now, all you want to do is bite me!

  Rudy : That's right, I do!

• Helen Gurley Brown : When I do get married, its not going to be for love or sex or romance. I can get all of those things outside of marriage - just as easily as you can.

  Rudy : Me? I'm having a terrible time!

  Helen Gurley Brown : And I shall insist on the right to have as many love affairs as I please. I'm certainly not going to sacrifice one iota of my freedom or dignity for any man.

• Sylvia Broderick : Tell me kid, why are you doing all this?

  Helen Gurley Brown : Why? Because I want to help Frank and I want to help you and - because my mother told me to.

• Helen Gurley Brown : Mrs. Broderick, your husband - is a very sick man.

  Sylvia Broderick : Yeah, he's about to pass away.

  Helen Gurley Brown : Mrs. Broderick, no! He must be handled with kid gloves.

  Sylvia Broderick : Oh, good idea! No fingerprints.

• Helen Gurley Brown : [holding a photo of Frank Broderick]  Mrs. Broderick, this is not the man you're married too!

  Sylvia Broderick : Well, he's the man who's been coming here to sleep for the last 10 years.

  Helen Gurley Brown : But, this is not the man who's been coming to my office! This man is ugly!

  Sylvia Broderick : Now, just a minute, Doctor! Do not talk that way about my Frank!

  Helen Gurley Brown : The "Frank Broderick" who's been coming to my office is young and handsome and charming! He looks like Jack Lemmon!

  Sylvia Broderick : Oh, well that's Bob Weston.

• Dr. Anderson : [reading from STOP magazine]  "A contemptible, lamentable hoax! Filling frustrated feminine minds with dirty delusions of grandeur." I don't like this. I don't like it at all!

  Helen Gurley Brown : Dr. Anderson, I hope you don't think that I'm happy about it! This filthy rag is using sex and me - for no better purpose than to make money!

• Helen Gurley Brown : We're getting more grants and cooperation than we we ever got before. And all because I wrote that bestseller.

  Rudy : But, it has no technical value and it will be of no help to anyone in my field or yours.

  Helen Gurley Brown : Well, I didn't write the book to help us! I wrote it to help the unmarried women in this country to stop being ashamed of sex or being single. I want them to stop behaving like mice and start behaving like men!

• Helen Gurley Brown : Mr. Broderick, when did all this jealousy start?

  Bob Weston : [pretending to be Frank Broderick]  On our honeymoon. Even before our honeymoon, I guess. She knows I used to play around a lot before we were married.

  Helen Gurley Brown : How does she know?

  Bob Weston : She was the one I used to play around a lot with.

• Helen Gurley Brown : You're a very good looking man, Mr. Broderick.

  Bob Weston : [pretending to be Frank Broderick]  You're a very beautiful girl, Dr. Brown.

• Bob Weston : [pretending to be Frank Broderick]  Please, Doctor, don't misunderstand me. When I talk about you or any other girl, it's only as a customer. You see, I make ladies stockings and that's all I care about - is business. When I look at a woman's legs - may I see your legs, please? See, when I look at a woman's legs, I mean, beautiful.

  Helen Gurley Brown : Thank you.

  Bob Weston : But, when I look at a woman's legs, I look at them because I have to, not because I particularly want to, you know. I mean, what good is a casing without the sausage inside?

• Helen Gurley Brown : Are you attracted to me?

  Bob Weston : [pretending to be Frank Broderick]  Oh, yes, Dr. Brown. I am, I am, I am.

• Helen Gurley Brown : Rudy, what are you doing?

  Rudy : We call it play therapy.

• Helen Gurley Brown : Why did you become a psychiatrist?

  Rudy : Because I like to hear dirty stories.

• Helen Gurley Brown : I'm simply appalled at the double standard you men keep trying to impose on us women. Well, I for one, I'm simply not going to submit.

• Helen Gurley Brown : I hope you don't feel odd or anything because you're wearing a woman's robe.

  Bob Weston : [pretending to be Frank Broderick]  Oh, no! Not at all! In fact, I was thinking I look just like - eh - Jack Lemmon did in that movie where he dressed up like a girl. Remember?

• Helen Gurley Brown : Wasn't that a naughty thing you did?

• Bob Weston : [pretending to be Frank Broderick]  Sylvia never says nice things to me. Maybe that's why I don't have the confidence.

  Helen Gurley Brown : Well, I'm gonna give you the confidence.

• Helen Gurley Brown : Darkness will always help you succeed in making love to me.

• Helen Gurley Brown : Now, one of the many ways to control a woman is through the power of touch. Give me your hand. Holding a woman's - or a man's - hand, in a gentle, yet, firm and caressing way says many, many things.

  Bob Weston : [pretending to be Frank Broderick]  I can hear them now.

• Helen Gurley Brown : There are certain erogenous areas of the body. The back and sides of the neck, for example. Do not get discouraged if you get no response from me. My neck is a dead area. However, its very much alive in over 90% of all women. I've made a statistical study.

  Bob Weston : [pretending to be Frank Broderick]  You make many statistical studies, don't you, Doctor?

  Helen Gurley Brown : Oh, yes. Yes I do. Oh, yes! Kissing the ear is very helpful too. Oh, yes. I made up my mind very early that I was gonna learn all I could about love and marriage *before* I made my mistakes. Now, switch over to the other ear. By this time, in most cases, that other ear will just be begging for attention!

• Helen Gurley Brown : Mr. Broderick, bear in mind that it's not me you're touching, but...

  Bob Weston : [pretending to be Frank Broderick]  Sylvia.

  Bob Weston : Yes.

  Helen Gurley Brown : Now, get close to me and begin caressing me. And if I don't respond - if I don't respond, its because I have this - dead area and I never feel - Oh, it's awfully warm in here! Isn't it, Mr. Broderick?

  Bob Weston : No, it's very bright.

  Helen Gurley Brown : Bright? All the lights are out? Mmmm. Yes, that's - you're very good, Mr. Broderick. You're doing fine! Just doing - fine.

• Helen Gurley Brown : You're not talking like a shy stocking manufacturer now.

• Rudy : [Helen lightly slaps Bob]  Hot dog, what a sexy slap! What are you trying to do discourage him or satisfy yourself?

  Helen Gurley Brown : I won't be dominated by any man!

  Gretchen : [to Rudy]  I'd gladly be dominated by *any* man!

  Bob Weston : [to Helen]  Is that what you think I'm trying to do? Dominate you? Well, I never dug a chick like you anyway! Thanks for turning me down!

• Helen Gurley Brown : If I'm giving up my practice to become your wife and you've lost your job, then how will you support me after the honeymoon?

  Bob Weston : I've got a better job - with "Dirt" magazine!