Hands Across the Table (1935)

Carole Lombard: Regi Allen

Photos 

Quotes 

• [Ted suggests temporarily becoming Regi's platonic roommate] 

  Regi Allen : Well, I'm not *that* unconventional.

  Theodore Drew III : Aw, don't be old-fashioned. What are conventions anyway? Just a bunch of salesmen sitting around and telling stories.

• Theodore Drew III : Oh, father's living abroad. He has an amazing ability for borrowing money from practically total strangers. Unfortunately, that ability isn't hereditary.

  Regi Allen : How could the Drews be broke?

  Theodore Drew III : Well, do you remember that thing called the Crash?

  Regi Allen : Yes.

  Theodore Drew III : Well, that was us.

• Laura : Yeah, and maybe here's that ten million dollars you've been dreaming about.

  Regi Allen : The way I feel today, I'd settle for a million.

• Regi Allen : Do you dream?

  Theodore Drew III : No.

  Regi Allen : You should - you'd meet a better class of people.

• Theodore Drew III : [bumping into Regi while playing hopscotch]  I'm sorry. I didn't know the lights were against me.

  Regi Allen : It's alright.

  [Regi looks at him puzzled] 

  Theodore Drew III : Hopscotch.

  Regi Allen : Hopscotch?

  Theodore Drew III : Mhmm. Indoor hopscotch. Not up to field and turf hopscotch, but hopscotch never the less.

  [Ted hops more] 

  Theodore Drew III : Get the idea?

  Regi Allen : Yes, I get the idea.

  Theodore Drew III : Want to play?

  Regi Allen : No thanks.

  [Regi walks toward the elevator] 

  Theodore Drew III : Well, every man to his own sport.

  [Ted keeps hopping, then stops and walks back toward the elevator too] 

  Theodore Drew III : You'll be sorry when I am champion!

• Regi Allen : You can't blame me for wanting the things I do. Every woman wants them. Only I say I do.

• Theodore Drew III : Mother says I'm a throwback to my great-grandfather. He was a pirate.

  Regi Allen : Honest?

  Theodore Drew III : No, a pirate.

• Theodore Drew III : You know, you'd be very beautiful with blonde hair.

  Regi Allen : I have blonde hair.

• Theodore Drew III : You're almost as good at this as my mother was.

  Regi Allen : Was there anything else your mother did?

  Theodore Drew III : Mm-hmm... Before she turned out the lights, she always used to kiss me good night.

  Regi Allen : I'm only *almost* as good as your mother was.

• Allen Macklyn : Would you care for a drink Miss Allen?

  Regi Allen : Oh, no. The day's just starting.

  Allen Macklyn : What a fresh point of view. To me, the night's just ended.

• Allen Macklyn : I'm still rather embarrassed about meeting people.

  Regi Allen : Why?

  Allen Macklyn : Well, frankly, I'm always afraid they'll feel sorry for me.

  Regi Allen : What? When you have all this? You just try getting up every morning at seven, then jammed in the subway, then poking at people's cuticles all day, then jammed back in the subway again at night. I don't feel sorry for you, Mister.

• Allen Macklyn : You think a lot about money, don't you Regi.

  Regi Allen : You've got it. You don't have to think about it.

• Regi Allen : I know what love can get you into. I know what it got my mother into. She was young and pretty once. I saw her count pennies and wash and struggle, until she was old and ugly. I heard her nagging my father until he hated to come home. You couldn't blame him. You couldn't blame anything but poverty.

  Allen Macklyn : I see.

  Regi Allen : Oh, I didn't mean to let my back hair down so far.

• Regi Allen : Is he rich?

  Laura : Not only rich, but young and handsome.

  Regi Allen : Well, what do you talk about to a guy like that? What is, what is he like?

  Laura : Blondes, probably.

• Regi Allen : Go on back to your pineapple queen.

  Theodore Drew III : She's not my pineapple queen. I gave her away. I gave her back to the Hawaiians.

  Regi Allen : What's the matter? Did you find somebody with more pineapples?

• Laura : 1502's been phoning for a manicure since 8:30.

  Regi Allen : 1502? Up where the rich live. Who is it?

  Laura : A Mr. Macklyn.

  Regi Allen : Married?

  Laura : That makes two things I forgot to ask him on the phone - what he had for breakfast and whether he's married or not.

• Regi Allen : It was lovely of you, but taking taxis when you haven't any money is a little foolish, isn't it?

  Theodore Drew III : Foolish? Why, I had to take a taxi. I couldn't go out in this pouring rain and get my only suit all wet, could I?

  Regi Allen : Where's your overcoat?

  Theodore Drew III : Ohhh, spending a little time in the pawnshop...

  Regi Allen : Well, why did you pawn your overcoat?

  Theodore Drew III : Why, to pay for the taxi, of course. Dope!

• Regi Allen : We're exactly alike.

  Theodore Drew III : No, ha ha, oh no, your hair is much prettier than...

  Regi Allen : We are! We're both trying to do the same thing: marry for money.

  Theodore Drew III : Is that what you want to do?

  Regi Allen : Mm-hmm.

  Theodore Drew III : Oh, no, you're too nice for that.

  Regi Allen : Well, I don't want to spend the rest of my life working in a barber shop.

  Theodore Drew III : Well, but to go out in cold blood and deliberately marry somebody for money, that's no good.

  Regi Allen : Well, what are you doing?

  Theodore Drew III : Well... Well, it's different for me: I'm a heel!

  Regi Allen : Well, did I ever say I wasn't one?

• Regi Allen : You must have a lot of friends that could give you a job.

  Theodore Drew III : That'd be a fine friend who'd give you a job. No friend of mine had better try anything like that on me.

• Regi Allen : I'm gunna tell my mother on you!

  Theodore Drew III : Go on; I'll tell my father on you!

• Regi Allen : I wonder what the poor people are doing on a day like this.

• Nona : Why, Regi, this is a lucky day!

  Regi Allen : What did you do? Find a horse shoe in the subway?

  Nona : Oh, now how are you gonna get a horse in a subway?

• Peter : Thank you, Miss. It's a long time since I heard Mr. Macklyn laugh.

  Regi Allen : He's got a few laughs coming to him.

  Peter : I think so too.

  [hands Regi a bill to pay for Mr. Maclyn's manicure] 

  Regi Allen : Oh, I haven't any change for that.

  Peter : You're not supposed to have.

  Regi Allen : Well, that's a ten dollar bill?

  Peter : I think Mr. Macklyn can afford it.

• Regi Allen : Honestly, I can't do a thing to those nails.

  Allen Macklyn : Well, how 'bout my 40 minutes?

  Regi Allen : Well, what can I do?

  Allen Macklyn : Well, you might try doing nothing. Pretend to be one of the idle rich and see how you like it.

• Regi Allen : You know, I feel like a chiseler when I take your money. Funny, isn't it? I guess it's because you're the only real friend I've got.

• Regi Allen : If when you get back, you care to call me up, I could give you my number. I mean I, I mean I could write it down for you, in case you've forgotten it.

  Theodore Drew III : [drunkenly]  Yes, do that. I would love to call you. You see, I get back on the eleventh. I can see you the twelfth. Oh, no, no, no. I'm getting married the twelfth. I can see you the next day, though. Aw, I suppose she'd want a honeymoon. They all want honeymoons. Slaves of fashion, that's what we are. The whole business is a vicious, a vicious, a vicious...

• Regi Allen : What's the news?

  Allen Macklyn : Oh, nothing much. Oh, yes, up till now they've never been able to tell a male from a female oyster. Now, they know.

  Regi Allen : Well, somebody better tell the oysters right away. There's trouble ahead.

• Theodore Drew III : Holy smoke! I'm in Bermuda.

  Regi Allen : Good. I'm in Greenland.

• Theodore Drew III : I can't sleep on a narrow bed.

  Regi Allen : Oh, you can't?

  Theodore Drew III : When I was home I always used to sleep on a great, big double bed.

  Regi Allen : Well, what would you suggest?

  Theodore Drew III : Well, I could suggest something; but, well, you won't get mad now, will ya?

  Regi Allen : Well, what is it?

  Theodore Drew III : Well, would you tuck me in?

• Theodore Drew III : You're almost as good at this as my mother was.

  Regi Allen : Was there anything else, your mother did?

  Theodore Drew III : Before she turned out the lights, she always used to kiss me good night.

  Regi Allen : I'm only almost as good as your mother was.

• Regi Allen : Will you tell me something about your profession? Why is it that all men attempt to dine with a manicurist the minute they sit down? Is it because they are holding hands, more or less?

  Vivian Snowden : I think that's a little exaggerated.

  Regi Allen : Oh, not from what I hear. Every man I know who has an evening on his hands, says, "I think I'll get a manicure."

• Regi Allen : Allen! Oh, Allen, you're so right. It is love that counts.

• Regi Allen : Well, I'm not going all over town looking for goulash.

• Theodore Drew III : [on the phone]  Helro, please.

  Regi Allen : Hello? Isn't this University - 4 - 2 - 2 - 5 - 9?

  Theodore Drew III : A yes, but, eh, Missa Regi, eh, not being at home, please. Coming again, please? Oh, this is Missa Regi's Japanese boy.

  Regi Allen : Well, isn't that just dandy. And when did Miss Allen get a Japanese boy?

  Theodore Drew III : Eh, she, eh, winning him last evening in a very fine crap game.

• Snowflake : Good evenin', Miss Regi. I-I shore had a time gettin' this thing up here. Miss Laura, she said its gotta be back in the mornin'.

  Regi Allen : All right, Snowflake. You can pick it up on your way to work tomorrow.

  Snowflake : Yes 'em.