"[to Rose] If I were you, I wouldn't commit myself one way or another...after all, we know very little about him. Why, we haven't even met his folks. Not a word of this to Papa. You know how he plagues the girls about their beaus."

"[to Mrs. Smith] Aren't you afraid to stay here alone with a criminal? That's what I'm being treated like."

"Just when was I voted out of this family?"

"[to Esther and Rose, who are singing "Meet Me in St. Louis"] For heaven's sakes, stop that screeching! That song. The fair won't open for seven months. That's all everybody sings about or talks about. I wish everybody would meet at the fair and leave me alone."

"Poor Margaretta!"

"[smashing her snowmen] Nobody's going to have them. Not everybody's going to New York. I'd rather kill them if we can't take them with us."

"[to Esther] Did he [Santa Claus] come yet? I've been waiting such a long time. And I haven't seen a thing. How will he know how to find us next year? He's so used to coming here."

"I'd rather be poor if we could only stay here. I'd rather go with the orphalins at the orphalins home."

"[learning that the family must move to New York] It'll take me at least a week to dig up all my dolls in the cemetery."

"[singing] I was drunk last night, dear Mother; I was drunk the night before. But if you forgive me Mother, I'll never get drunk anymore."

"[on having to live in an aprtment in New York] Rich people have houses. People like us live in flats, hundreds of flats in one building."

"My dear, when you get to be my age, you'll find out there are more important things in life than boys."

"New York is a wonderful town. Everybody dreams about going there. But we're luckier than lots of families because we're really going. Wait until you see the fine home we're going to have and the loads and loads of friends we'll make. Wonderful friends. But the main thing, Tootie, is that we're all going to be together just like we've always been. That's what really counts. We could be happy anywhere as long as we're together."

"[to her Grandpa] You're the first human being I've danced with all evening. It's our last dance in St. Louis. I feel like I'm going to cry."

"[after finding out that Tootie had lied about John Truett] You're the most deceitful, horrible, sinful creature I ever saw, and I don't ever want to have anything to do with you again."

"John Truett. I've come here to ask you something...What do you mean hitting a five-year-old child?...The next time you want to hit somebody, pick on somebody your own size. If there's anything I hate, loathe, despise, and abominate, it's a bully."

"[singing] Clang, clang, clang went the trolley, Ding, ding, ding went the bell. Zing, zing, zing went my heartstrings, As we started for Huntingdon dell."

"Well, I'll bet there isn't another girl in St. Louis who's had a Yale man call her long-distance just to inquire about her health."

"[to Mr. Smith, after he hangs up on a caller] You've just ruined Rose's chance to get married, that's all...That was Warren Sheffield calling long-distance to propose."

"[to Mr. Smith] Well, Papa, if losing a case depresses you so, why don't you quit practicing law and go into another line of business?"

"[singing] How can I ignore the Boy Next Door? I love him more than I can say. Doesn't try to please me, doesn't even tease me. And he never sees me glance his way. And though I'm heartsore, the Boy Next Door, Affection for me won't display. I just adore him, so I can't ignore him, The Boy Next Door."

"[singing] The moment I saw him smile I knew he was just my style. My only regret is we've never met, Though I dream of him all the while."

"Harold Russell - Homer Parrish"

"Hoagy Carmichael - Butch Engle"

"Cathy O'Donnell - Wilma Cameron"

"Virginia Mayo - Marie Derry"

"Teresa Wright - Peggy Stephenson"

"Dana Andrews - Fred Derry"

"Fredric March - Al Stephenson"

"Myrna Loy - Milly Stephenson"

"Samuel Goldwyn's greatest production"

"Three wonderful loves in the best picture of the year!"

"Filled with all the love and warmth and joy. . .the human heart can hold!"

"Pat Derry: [to his wife, reading Fred's citations] Headquarters, Eighth Air Force. Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross...Despite intense pain, shock, and loss of blood, with complete disregard of his personal safety, Captain Derry crawled back to his bombsight, guided his formation on a perfect run over the objective, and released his bombs with great accuracy. The heroism, devotion to duty, professional skill, and coolness under fire displayed by Captain Derry under the most difficult conditions reflect highest credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States of America. By command of Lieutenant General Doolittle."

"Peggy Stephenson: [to Milly, about Fred] He said he's sorry for what happened but it was just one of those things. He said it wouldn't be fair to his wife for us to see each other anymore because I'm obviously the kind of girl that takes these things too seriously. Then he said goodbye very politely and hung up. Well, I guess you and Dad don't have to worry about me anymore. That's the end of my career as a homewrecker. Mom, I know you feel sorry for me. You think my poor little heart is broken, but you can save your sympathy. I can see things clearer now. I made a fool of myself. I'm getting some sense hammered into me now. I'm glad I'm out of that mess. I'm glad I'll never see him again."

"Homer Parrish: [to neighborhood kids] You want to see how the hooks work? Do you want to see the freak? All right, I'll show ya! [He smashes his two hook-fists through the window] Take a good look."

"Mr. Milton: [to Al] There's considerable uncertainty in the business picture. Strikes, taxes still ruinous...Oh, things will readjust themselves in time. We want you back here in the saddle. You're the man for it...Your war experience will prove invaluable to us here. See, we have many new problems. This GI Bill of Rights, for instance. It involves us in consideration of all kinds of loans to ex-servicemen. We need a man who understands the soldier's problems. And at the same time, who's well grounded in the fundamental principles of sound banking. In other words, you."

"Milly Stephenson: [to Al] All right Sergeant. Gosh, you got tough."

"Marie Derry: [To Peggy] Never mind the romantic part of it. That takes care of itself. And I'm speaking from experience. They'll tell you money isn't everything. Well, maybe it isn't, but boy how it helps! Do you know that while Fred was away, I was drawing over five hundred dollars a month, I mean, from his Army pay and the job I had. Now the two of us got to live on what Fred gets from being a drugstore cowboy - thirty two fifty a week. Poor Fred. I guess you think he's an awful sourpuss. He didn't used to be that way, though. The Army's had an awful effect on him - knocked all the life out of him...You can't have happy marriages on that kind of dough."

"Marie Derry: [to Fred] Oh, you're marvelous. All those ribbons. You gotta tell me what they all mean."

"You know what it'll be, don't you, Peggy? It may take us years to get anywhere. We'll have no money, no decent place to live. We'll have to work - get kicked around."

"[to Homer, about Wilma] Take her in your arms, and kiss her. Ask her to marry you. Then marry her. Tomorrow if you can get a license that fast. If you want anybody to stand up for you at your wedding..."

"[to Marie] I don't want to be right back where we started. We can never be back there again. We never want to be back there."

"[to Peggy] I think they ought to put you in mass production."

"I'm sure you'll all agree with me if I said that now is the time for all of us to stop all this nonsense, face facts, get down to brass tacks, forget about the war and go fishing. But I'm not gonna say it. I'm just going to sum the whole thing up in one word. [Milly coughs loudly] My wife doesn't think I'd better sum it up in that one word. I want to tell you all that the reason for my success as a Sergeant is due primarily to my previous training in the Cornbelt Loan and Trust Company. The knowledge I acquired in the good ol' bank I applied to my problems in the infantry. For instance, one day in Okinawa, a Major comes up to me and he says, 'Stephenson, you see that hill?' 'Yes sir, I see it.' 'All right,' he said. 'You and your platoon will attack said hill and take it.' So I said to the Major, 'but that operation involves considerable risk. We haven't sufficient collateral.' 'I'm aware of that,' said the Major, 'but the fact remains that there's the hill and you are the guys that are going to take it.' So I said to him, 'I'm sorry Major, no collateral, no hill.' So we didn't take the hill and we lost the war.' I think that little story has considerable significance, but I seem to have forgotten what it is. And now in conclusion, I'd like to tell you a humorous anecdote. I know several humorous anecdotes, but I can't think of any way to clean them up, so I'll only say this much. I love the Cornbelt Loan and Trust Company. There are some who say that the old bank is suffering from hardening of the arteries and of the heart. I refuse to listen to such radical talk. I say that our bank is alive, it's generous, it's human, and we're going to have such a line of customers seeking and getting small loans that people will think we're gambling with the depositors' money. And we will be. We will be gambling on the future of this country. I thank you."