Arsenic and Old Lace Lines Flashcards
KLEIN: You can bet that anybody who comes here lookin’ for a room goes away with a good meal and probably a few dollars in their kick.
BROPHY: It’s just their way of digging up people to do some good to.
MARTHA: (enter) Well, now, isn’t this nice?
MARTHA: (enter) Well, now, isn’t this nice?
BROPHY: Good Afternoon, Miss Brewster.
MARTHA: How do you do, Mrs. Brophy? Dr. Harper. Ms. Klein.
MARTHA: How do you do, Mr. Brophy? Dr. Harper. Mr. Klein.
KLEIN: How are you, Miss Brewster? We dropped in to get the Christmas toys.
MARTHA: Oh, yes, Teddy’s Army and Navy. They wear out. They’re all packed.
MARTHA: Oh, yes, Teddy’s Army and Navy. They wear out. They’re all packed.
BROPHY: The Colonel’s upstairs after them– It seems the Cabinet has to OK it.
MARTHA: Yes, of course. I hope Mrs. Brophy’s better?
MARTHA: Yes, of course. I hope Mrs. Brophy’s better?
BROPHY: She’s doin’ fine ma’am. Your sister’s getting some soup for me to take to her.
MARTHA: Oh, yes, we made it this morning. I just took some to a poor man who broke ever so many bones.
MARTHA: Oh, yes, we made it this morning. I just took some to a poor man who broke ever so many bones.
ABBY: Oh, you’re back, Martha. How was Mr. Benitzky?
MARTHA: Well, dear, it’s pretty serious, I’m afraid. The doctor was there. He’s going to amputate in the morning.
MARTHA: Well, dear, it’s pretty serious, I’m afraid. The doctor was there. He’s going to amputate in the morning.
ABBY: Can we be present?
MARTHA: No, I asked him, but he says it’s against the rules of the hospital.
KLIEN: This is fine– it’ll make lots of kids happy. That O’Malley boy is nuts about soldiers.
TEDDY: That’s General Miles. I’ve retired him. What’s this? The Oregon!
MARTHA: Teddy, dear, put it back.
ABBY: Now, Teddy–
TEDDY: No, I’ve given my word to Fighting Bob Evans.
MARTHA: But, Teddy–
TEDDY: Charge! Charge the blockhouse!
HARPER: The blockhouse?
MARTHA: The stairs are always San Juan Hill.
HARPER: Have you ever tried to persuade him that he wasn’t Teddy Roosevelt?
ABBY: Oh, no!
MARTHA: He’s so happy being Teddy Roosevelt.
MARTHA: He’s so happy being Teddy Roosevelt.
ABBY: Once, a long time ago– remember, Martha? We thought if he would be George Washington it might be a change for him–
MARTHA: But he stayed under his bed for days and just wouldn’t be anybody.
ABBY: And we’d much rather he be Mr. Roosevelt than nobody.
HARPER: Well, if he’s happy– and what’s more important you’re happy– you’ll see that he signs these.
MARTHA: What are they?
MARTHA: What are they?
ABBY: Dr. Harper has made all the arrangements for Teddy to go to Happy Dale Sanitarium after we pass on.
MARTHA: But why should Teddy sign any papers now?
MARTHA: But why should Teddy sign any papers now?
HARPER: It’s better to have it all settled. If the Lord should take you away suddenly perhaps we couldn’t persuade Teddy to commit himself and that would mean an unpleasant legal procedure. Mrs. Witherspoon understands they’re to be filed away until the time comes to use them.
MARTHA: Mrs. Witherspoon? Who’s she?
HARPER: I’d better be running along or Elaine will be over here looking for me.
ABBY: Give our love to Elaine– and Dr. Harper, please don’t think harshly of Mortimer because he’s a dramatic critic. Somebody has to do those things.
(start cleaning tea)
MARTHA: Did you just have tea? Isn’t it rather late?
MARTHA: Did you just have tea? Isn’t it rather late?
ABBY: Yes– and dinner’s going to be late too.
MARTHA: So? Why?
ABBY: Teddy! Good news for you. You’re going to Panama and dig another lock of the canal!
TEDDY: Dee-lighted! That’s bully! Just bully! I shall prepare at once for the journey! CHARGEEE
MARTHA: Abby! While I was out?
MARTHA: Abby! While I was out?
ABBY: Yes, dear! I just couldn’t wait for you and I didn’t know when you’d be back and Dr. Harper was coming.
MARTHA: But all by yourself?
MARTHA: But all by yourself?
ABBY: Oh, I got along fine!
MARTHA: I’ll run right downstairs and see.
MARTHA: I’ll run right downstairs and see.
ABBY: Oh, no. There wasn’t time and I was all alone.
MARTHA: Well–
ABBY:…look in the window seat.
(all but skip to seat until interrupted by Elaine)
ELAINE: Good afternoon, Miss Abby. Good Afternoon Miss Martha. I thought Father was here.
MARTHA: He just this minute left. Didn’t you meet him?
ABBY: No, dear.
ELAINE: Oh? He asked me to meet him here. Do you mind if I wait?
MARTHA: Not at all.
MARTHA: Not at all.
ABBY: Why don’t you sit down, dear?
MARTHA: But we really must speak to Mortimer about doing this to you.
MARTHA: But we really must speak to Mortimer about doing this to you.
ELAINE: Doing what?
MARTHA: Well, he was brought up to know better. When a gentlemen is taking a young lady out, he should call for her at her house.
ABBY: He does this too often– we’re going to speak to him.
ELAINE: Oh, please don’t. After young men whose idea of night life was to take me to prayer meetings, it’s wonderful to go to the theatre almost every night of my life.
MARTHA: It’s comforting for us too, because if Mortimer has to see some of those plays he has to see– at least he’s sitting next to a minister’s daughter.
MARTHA: It’s comforting for us too, because if Mortimer has to see some of those plays he has to see– at least he’s sitting next to a minister’s daughter.
ABBY: My goodness, Elaine, what you must think of us– not having tea cleared away by this time.
MARTHA: Now, don’t bother with anything in the kitchen until Mortimer comes, and then I’ll help you. Mortimer should be here any time now.
MARTHA: Now, don’t bother with anything in the kitchen until Mortimer comes, and then I’ll help you. Mortimer should be here any time now.
ELAINE: Yes. Father must have been surprised not to find me at home. I’d better run over and say good night to him.
MARTHA: It’s a shame you missed him, dear.
ELAINE: Hello, Mort!
MORTIMER: Hello, Elaine. Hello, Aunt Martha.
MARTHA: Abby, Mortimer’s here!
MORTIMER: All right. And you look well. You haven’t changed much since yesterday.
ABBY: Oh, my goodness, it was yesterday, wasn’t it? We’re seeing a great deal of you lately. Well, come, sit down. Sit down.
(Abby is interrupting Mort and Elaine, give her a nudge)
MARTHA: Abby– haven’t we something to do in the kitchen?
MARTHA: Abby– haven’t we something to do in the kitchen?
ABBY: Huh?
MARTHA: You know– The tea things.
MARTHA: You know– The tea things.
ABBY: Oh, yes! Yes! The tea things– Well– you two just make yourselves at home. Just–
MARTHA: –Make yourselves at home.
ABBY: Martha, Martha! (enter) Come right in here. I’ve got the most wonderful news for you– Mortimer and Elaine are going to be married.
MARTHA: Married? Oh, Mortimer!
MARTHA: Married? Oh, Mortimer!
ABBY: We hoped it would happen just like this.
MARTHA: Well, Elaine must be the happiest girl in the world.
MARTHA: Well, Elaine must be the happiest girl in the world.
MORTIMER: Happy! Just look at her leaping over those gravestones. Say! What’s that?
MARTHA: What’s what, dear?
MARTHA: What’s what, dear?
MORTIMER: See that statue there. That’s a horundinida carnina.
MARTHA: Oh, no dear– that’s Emma B. Stout ascending to heaven.
MORTIMER: It’s a vanishing species. Thoreau was very fond of them. By the way, I left a large envelope around last week. It was one of the chapters of my book on Thoreau. Have you seen it?
MARTHA: Well, if you left it here, it must be here somewhere.
ABBY: What are your plans? There must be something more you can tell us about Elaine.
MORTIMER: Elaine? Oh, yes, Elaine thought it was brilliant.
MARTHA: What was, dear?
MORTIMER: My chapter on Thoreau
ABBY: Well, when Elaine comes back I think we ought to have a little celebration. We must drink to your happiness. Martha, isn’t there some of that Lady Baltimore cake left?
MARTHA: Oh, yes!
MARTHA: Oh, yes!
ABBY: And I’ll open a bottle of wine.
MARTHA: Oh, and to think it happened in this room!
ABBY: That’s what Dr. Harper thinks. Then there won’t be any legal difficulties after we pass on.
MORTIMER: He’s got to sign them this minute! He’s down in the cellar– get him up here right away.
MARTHA: There’s no such hurry as that.
ABBY: No. When Teddy starts working on the canal, you can’t get his mind on anything else.
MORTIMER: Teddy’s got to go to Happy Dale now– tonight.
MARTHA: Oh, no, dear, that’s not until after we’re gone.
MORTIMER: Listen, darlings, I’m frightfully sorry, but I’ve got some shocking news for you. Now we’ve all got to try and keep our heads. You know we’ve sort of humored Teddy because we thought he was harmless.
MARTHA: Why he is harmless!
Mortimer: You’ve got to know sometime. It might as well be now. Teddy’s– killed a man.
MARTHA: Nonsense, dear.
ABBY: Yes, dear, we know.
MORTIMER: You know?
MARTHA: Of course, dear, but it has nothing to do with Teddy.
MORTIMER: That’s all you know about him? Well, what’s he doing here? What happened to him?
MARTHA: He died.
MORTIMER: How did the poison get in the wine?
MARTHA: Well, we put it in the wine because it’s less noticeable– when it’s in tea it has a distinct odor.
ABBY: Well, not at tea– that wouldn’t have been very nice. Now, Mortimer, you know the whole thing, just forget about it. I do think Martha and I have the right to our own little secrets.
(that should not be heard by Elaine, anyways.)
MARTHA: And don’t you tell Elaine! Oh, Abby, while I was out I dropped in on Mrs. Schultz. She’s much better but she would like us to take Junior to the movies again.
MARTHA: And don’t you tell Elaine! Oh, Abby, while I was out I dropped in on Mrs. Schultz. She’s much better but she would like us to take Junior to the movies again.
ABBY: Well, we must do that tomorrow or the next day.
MARTHA: Yes, but this time we’ll go where we want to go. Junior’s not going to drag me into another one of those scary pictures. (leave)
MORTIMER: Aunt Abby! Aunt Martha! Come in here! What are we going to do? What are we going to do?
MARTHA: What are we going to do about what, dear?
MORTIMER: Well, good heavens, I can’t turn you over to the police! But what am I going to do?
MARTHA: Well, for one thing, dear, stop being so excited.
MORTIMER: Well, whatever his name is, you can’t leave him there.
MARTHA: We don’t intend to, dear.
MORTIMER: You mean you’re going to bury Mr. Hotchkiss in the cellar?
MARTHA: Oh, yes, dear,– That’s what we did with the others.
MORTIMER: When you say others– do you mean– others? More than one others?
MARTHA: Oh, yes, dear. Let me see, this is eleven. Isn’t it Abby?
ABBY: No, dear, this makes twelve.
MARTHA: Oh, I think you’re wrong, Abby. This is only eleven.
ABBY: No, dear, because I remember when Mr. Hoskins first came in, it occurred to me that he would make an even dozen.
MARTHA: Well, you really shouldn’t count the first one.
MORTIMER: Now, let’s see, where were we? TWELVE!
MARTHA: Yes, Abby thinks we ought to count the first one at that makes twelve.
MORT: Alright, who was the first one?
ABBY: Mr. Midgely. He was a Baptist.
MARTHA: Of course, I still think we can’t claim full credit for him because he just died.
ABBY: Martha means without any help from us. You see, Mr. Midgely came here looking for a room–
MARTHA: It was right after you moved to New York.
MARTHA: It was right after you moved to New York.
ABBY: –And it didn’t seem right for that lovely room to be going to waste when there were so many people who needed it–
MARTHA: –He was such a lonely old man…
MARTHA: –He was such a lonely old man…
ABBY: All his kith and kin were dead and it left him so forlorn and unhappy–
MARTHA: –We felt so sorry for him.
MORTIMER: He dropped dead right in that chair! How awful for you!
MARTHA: Oh, no, dear. Why, it was rather like old times. Your grandfather always used to have a cadaver or two around the house. You see, Teddy had been digging in Panama and he thought Mr. Midgely was a Yellow Fever victim.
MARTHA: Oh, no, dear. Why, it was rather like old times. Your grandfather always used to have a cadaver or two around the house. You see, Teddy had been digging in Panama and he thought Mr. Midgely was a Yellow Fever victim.
ABBY: That meant he had to be buried immediately.
MARTHA: So we all took him down to Panama and put him in the lock. Now that’s why we told you not to worry about it because we know exactly what’s to be done.
MORTIMER: And that’s how this all started– that man walking in here and dropping dead.
ABBY: Of course, we realized we couldn’t depend on that happening again, so–
MARTHA: You remember those jars of poison that had been up on the shelves in Grandfather’s laboratory all those years–?
ABBY: You know your Aunt Martha’s knack for mixing things. You’ve eaten enough of her piccalilli.
MARTHA: Well, dear, for a gallon of elderberry wine I take one teaspoonful of arsenic, then add a half teaspoonful of strychnine, and then just a pinch of cyanide.
ABBY: Yes! As a matter of fact one of our gentlemen found time to say “How delicious!”
(like the food martha makes :))
MARTHA: Well, I’ll have to get things started in the kitchen.
MARTHA: Well, I’ll have to get things started in the kitchen.
ABBY: I wish you could stay for dinner.
MARTHA: I’m trying out a new recipe.
GIBBS: May I see the room?
MARTHA: Why don’t you sit down a minute and let’s get acquainted.
MORTIMER: Hello. City Desk.
MARTHA: Are your family Brooklyn people?
MORTIMER: Hello, Al? Mort. We got cut off. Al, I can’t cover the play tonight– that’s all there is too it, I can’t!
MARTHA: What church do you go to? There’s an Episcopal church practically next door.
GIBBS: Is there always this much noise?
MARTHA: Oh, he doesn’t live with us.
GIBBS: Never touch it.
MARTHA: We make it ourselves. It’s elderberry wine.
GIBBS: Do you have your own elderberry bushes?
MARTHA: No, but the cemetery is full of them.
ABBY: We might, but first just see whether you like our wine.
(Mortimer goes to sippy wine)
MARTHA: Mortimer! Eh eh eh eh! (pause) Eh eh eh eh!