Tender Comrade (1943)

Kim Hunter: Doris Dumbrowski

Photos 

Quotes 

• Barbara Thomas : Maybe I'm not so dumb as you think I am. This whole thing would never have happened in the first place if we'd been minding our own business! We wouldn't have to get a government stamp out every time we wanted to buy a piece of butter if they weren't shipping it all to a lot of foreigners! Why, they're rationing gas right here in California where they got more of the stuff than they can haul away! Even the government doesn't know what its going to do tomorrow! They're going to ration this. They're going to ration that. They are. They aren't. Blow hot. Blow cold. He's up. He's down. What kind of business is that, anyway? While we're being pushed around at home, our guys are out fighting in countries they never even heard of! Where a lot of foreigners will turn on us like a pack of wolves the minute its over!

  Doris Dumbrowski : Barbara!

  Barbara Thomas : Well its the truth and you know it!

  Jo Jones : You ought to be ashamed of yourself! Do you know where that kind of talk comes from? It comes straight from Berlin! Every time you say, every time you even THINK IT your double-crossing your own husband!

  Barbara Thomas : No!

  Jo Jones : How can we go on minding our own business when somebody blackjacks us in an alley and you've got Pearl Harbor on your hands! And who wants to get slick and fat when half the people in the world are starving to death for things that we can do without! Mistakes? Sure, we make mistakes! Plenty of them. Do you want a country where they won't stand for a mistake? Go to Germany. Go to Japan. And the first time you open your trap, like you have tonight, you'll find a gun in your stomach! You're the kind of people Hitler counted on when he started this war. Talk! Talk! Talk! And never THINK! And that's the biggest mistake any guy ever thought of making. Because there are NOT enough of you and there are plenty of us and by Judas Priest if it takes...

  [Doorbell rings] 

  Barbara Thomas : That's my date.

  Jo Jones : Saved by the bell!

• Barbara Thomas : Hey! Didn't anyone hear what I said?

  Jo Jones : What's the trouble?

  Barbara Thomas : I think there's another family living in the attic.

  Helen Stacey : It's only mice.

  Jo Jones : They were here before we were!

  Barbara Thomas : Well, why don't they pay their share of the rent?

  Doris Dumbrowski : Why don't you guys go to sleep?

  Barbara Thomas : Okay. Meow. Me-oww. That'll fix 'em.

• Jo Jones : Look, why don't we all get together and throw a party for the new bride. Initiate her into war widows local number 37.

  Barbara Thomas : In what? Nobodies got a room big enough to hold four people without using a shoe horn.

  Doris Dumbrowski : Maybe we could have it at my new place! That is, I'm hunting for a new one now. Just in case Mike gets a furlough or something. You know, a bedroom and a living room.

  Jo Jones : How much are you planning to pay?

  Doris Dumbrowski : Oh, I'm paying twenty now. I thought maybe for a thirty-five, I could get something that would be nice.

  Barbara Thomas : For thirty-five you'll still have a rabbit hutch.

  Jo Jones : You know, all of us together, we put out a lot of money each month for rent. What do you pay, Helen?

  Helen Stacey : Twenty-two Fifty.

  Jo Jones : I pay Eighteen. What about you Barbara?

  Barbara Thomas : Thirty-two Fifty. You see, I like gaudy things.

  Jo Jones : Zero. Five. Ten. One to carry. Eight. Nine. Eleven. Thirteen. Three. One. Four. Five. Seven. Nine... Ninety-three bucks! How do you like that! Ninety-three bucks for a bunch of rat holes! Well, for that kind of dough we could have a real house! With a dining room and a kitchen and a living room and a bedroom a piece! And furnished!

• Jo Jones : Gee, aren't men fools.

  Doris Dumbrowski : Yes. But, aren't they sweet.

  Jo Jones : Um-hmm.

• Doris Dumbrowski : I just don't think we ought to start anything like that.

  Barbara Thomas : Like what?

  Doris Dumbrowski : Like - like having a bunch of smelly old men hanging around the house all the time.

  Barbara Thomas : How do you know he smells? And he's not old either - 42! That's not even Indian summer.

• Doris Dumbrowski : You know, I think there's something I'm going to have to tell.

  Barbara Thomas : I bet this is gonna be really wicked!

  Doris Dumbrowski : I'm not sure, but - I think I'm a hoarder.

• Barbara Thomas : This joint's getting so moral, we're all afraid to take a deep breathe.

  Doris Dumbrowski : That's a funny thing to say.

  Barbara Thomas : You know what I mean. Bacon. Men. Lipsticks. Gab, gab, gab. Moral, moral, moral. You'd think we were running a home for - a home.

• Barbara Thomas : If you want the truth, I think this rationing and everything that goes with it, is just a pain in the neck.

  Doris Dumbrowski : Barbara! You sound like a Fifth Columnist.

• Barbara Thomas : And if you want the truth, I think this rationing and everything that goes with it is just a pain in the neck.

  Doris Dumbrowski : Barbara! You sound like a... fifth columnist.

  Barbara Thomas : Look, you two jumped on me first. The minute I came in the door you started Psalm-singing. Well, now I'm gonna' tell you something. I've been listening to this gabble about how we gotta' do this and we gotta' do that for 3 weeks, and sisters, I'm plenty sick of it. Rationing? Sure, I'll hold still for it because I've got to, but I'm not gonna' run around like a moon-faced Pollyanna saying I like it.

  Barbara Thomas : [continues]  Maybe I'm not so dumb as you think I am. This whole thing would never have happened in the first place if we'd been minding our own business. We wouldn't have to get a government stamp out every time we wanted to buy a piece of butter if they weren't shipping it all to a lot of foreigners. Why, they're rationing gas right here in California, where they got more of the stuff than they can haul away. Even the government doesn't know what it's gonna' do tomorrow. They're gonna' ration this, they're gonna' ration that. They are, they aren't. Blow hot, blow cold. He's up, he's down. What kind of business is that, anyway? And while we're being pushed around at home, our guys are out fightin' in countries they never even heard of, for a lot of foreigners who'll turn on us like a pack of wolves the minute it's over.

  Doris Dumbrowski : Barbara!

  Barbara Thomas : Well, it's the truth, and you know it.

  Jo Jones : You oughta' be ashamed of yourself! Do you know where that kind of talk comes from? It comes straight from Berlin. Every time you say it, every time you even think it, you're double-crossing your own husband.

  Jo Jones : [continues]  How can we go on minding our own business when somebody blackjacks us in an alley and you got Pearl Harbor on your hands? And who wants to get slick and fat when half the people in the world are starving to death for things that we can do without? Mistakes? Sure, we make mistakes, plenty of them. You want a country where they won't stand for a mistake? Go to Germany. Go to Japan. And the first time you open your trap like you have tonight, you'll find a gun in your stomach! You're the kinda' people Hitler counted on when he started this war. Talk, talk, talk, and *never* think. And that's the biggest mistake any guy ever thought of makin', because there're not enough of you and there're plenty of us and by Judas Priest if it takes...

  [she's interrupted by the doorbell ringing. Barbara's date has arrived at the house] 

  Barbara Thomas : That's my date.

  Jo Jones : [snidely]  Saved by the bell!