McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)

Julie Christie: Constance Miller

Photos 

Quotes 

• John McCabe : Ma'am, is there something I can do for you?

  Constance Miller : Do you have anythin' to eat? I'm bloody starvin'. It took six hours to get up here in that flippin' contraption.

  John McCabe : Well, you'll have to forgive me, my kitchen ain't in operation yet; but, I could take you up to the restaurant up there if you're hungry enough.

  Constance Miller : I'm hungry enough I could eat a bloody 'orse.

  John McCabe : Well, at Sheehan's place you probably will.

  Constance Miller : Ah, the frontier wit, I see.

• Constance Miller : Listen, Mr. McCabe. I'm a whore, and I know a awful lot about whorehouses. And I know that if you had a house up here, you'd stand to make a lot of money. Now, this is all you've got to do: put out the money for the house. I'll do *all* the rest. I'll look after the girls, the business, the expenses, the running, the furnishing, everything. And I'll pay you back any money you put in the house, so's you won't lose nothin'. And we'll make it fifty-fifty.

  John McCabe : Excuse me, you know I already got a whorehouse operating here.

  Constance Miller : You can't call crib cows whores. I'm talkin' about a proper sportin' house, with class girls and clean linen - and proper hygiene.

  John McCabe : Well, I don't think you're going to find my clientele up here - too interested in that sort of thing.

  Constance Miller : They will be, once they get a taste of it.

• Constance Miller : See, the thing is, it don't mean nothing. You never know, you might even get to like it. I mean, you managed it with Bart, didn't you? Eh?

  [fitting a Ida with some new underwear] 

  Constance Miller : You really are small, aren't you. Just like me. I'll get a few pins.

  Ida : But with him I had to. It was my duty.

  Constance Miller : Turn around. It weren't your duty, lda. You did it to pay for your bed and board. And you do this to pay for your bed and board, too! Only, you get to keep a little extra for yourself and you don't have to ask nobody for nothing. Just more honest in my mind.

• Constance Miller : They couldn't make a deal if you wanted. They get paid for killing. Nothing else!

• Constance Miller : What do you do when one girl fancies another? How do you know when a girl really has her monthly or is just taking days off? What about when they don't get their monthlies? Cause they don't. What do you do then? I suppose you know all about seeing to that? An what about the customers? Who's gonna skin 'em back and inspect 'em? You gonna to do that? If you don't, this town will be clapped up inside of two weeks, if it's not already. What about when business is slow? You just gonna let the girls sit around on their bums? I'll tell you something, Mr. McCabe, when a good whore gets time to sit around and think, four out of five times she'll turn to religion 'cause that's what they was born with. And when that happens, you find yourself fillin' the bloody church down there, instead of your own pockets. Now, I haven't got a lot of time to sit around and talk to a man who's too dumb to see a good proposition when it's put to him. Do we make a deal or don't we? Well?

• Constance Miller : You're John McCabe?

  John McCabe : Yeah.

  Constance Miller : Mrs. Miller. I came from Bearpaw to see you.

• Constance Miller : If you want to make out like you're such a fancy dude, you ought to wear something besides cheap Jockey Club cologne.

• John McCabe : What do you got for supper, Sheehan?

  Sheehan : Alfie, get the tablecloth. Got some nice tripe. Mrs. Dunn is just puttin' the stew on the fire.

  John McCabe : Got any more of them mountain oysters?

  Sheehan : Nah, eh, got some nice deer meat.

  Constance Miller : Got any eggs? Fresh eggs?

  Sheehan : Yeah, fresh eggs.

  Constance Miller : I'll have four eggs, fried. Some stew. And I want some strong tea.

  Sheehan : Strong tea. Fine. McCabe?

  John McCabe : I'll just have my double whiskey and a raw egg.

• Constance Miller : Why are you always in such a lousy temper?

  John McCabe : Because, my dear Mrs. Miller, I not only built you your gooseberry ranch, I've paid for a bathhouse I don't need. I've paid for transportation. I've paid for towels, and linens, and enema bags. I've paid for things them chippies of yours don't even know how to use. But I have not sold a full bottle of whiskey in here today, and that's a fact!

  Constance Miller : And that, my dear Mr. McCabe, is because every geezer in this town was takin' a bath in your bathhouse or havin' it off with a girl in your whorehouse.

• Constance Miller : Don't think you can fool me with that bay rum again, because it won't work. You had a bath?

  John McCabe : Madam, I've been in the God damn water so long my ass is wrinkled up. Now open the door.

• Ida : Well, It just hurts so much. I guess maybe I'm - small?

  Constance Miller : No, you've just got to learn to relax, that's all.

  [fitting Ida with some new underwear] 

  Constance Miller : I think that maybe this will do. Stand up, take your top off. You've got to take your mind off it, think of something else. Yeah? Look at a wall. Count the roses in the wallpaper.

• John McCabe : I know what I'm doing. I know what I'm doing.

  Constance Miller : What's he carrying around that bloody blunderbuss with him for?

  John McCabe : I don't know. Maybe he come up here to hunt possum.

• Customer #1 : How much is that Chinese girl?

  Kate : A dollar-fifty.

  Customer #2 : A dollar-fifty. Does that go for Mrs. Miller too?

  Kate : She's five dollars.

  Customer #2 : Five dollars? Is that right, Mrs. Miller?

  Constance Miller : What's that?

  Customer #2 : Five dollars?

  Constance Miller : That's right.

  Customer #1 : Jesus Christ, that's a lot of money.

  Customer #2 : Shit. All right, then. Let's go!