Love Me or Leave Me (1955)

James Cagney: Martin Snyder

Photos 

18 more photos

Quotes 

• Martin Snyder : [to Ruth Etting when she visits him in jail]  Tell 'em you seen me in the pokey and I looked great! Tell 'em I like it! Makes me feel like a kid again!

• Martin Snyder : Now look here, you stupid little broad.

  Ruth Etting : Don't you talk to me like that.

  Martin Snyder : I'll talk to you any way I like. Do you know who I am? Do you think I let dames get away with anything?

• Martin Snyder : [to reporters about Ruth]  The girl can sing... About that I was never wrong.

• Martin Snyder : I like to help a girl when I can. And you've got a very excellent personality, I can see that. All I got to do is write something on one of my card and they'll put you to work. Oh, I must have left them out in my car. Meet me outside, and I'll... Now what's the matter?

  Ruth Etting : I'm not getting into any car with you.

• Martin Snyder : Shut up! What're you butting in for? I can't talk?

• Martin Snyder : You wanna know what's your trouble, girlie? You ain't got no faith in human nature.

• Martin Snyder : Come on, Claire.

  Claire : What?

  Martin Snyder : Get out. Here, buy yourself a horse and buggy. Only beat it.

  Claire : Well Marty, what's the matter? You invite me out for a pleasant evening. I wait who knows how long...

  Martin Snyder : So I changed my mind. Go on, blow.

  [pats Claire's behind, she leaves, to his assistant] 

  Martin Snyder : Getting awful beat up, that Claire. Been around too long.

• Martin Snyder : [to his Georgie]  So, what're you sitting? Maybe we can catch up with Claire. So she's got a lot of mileage on her.

• Claire : Can she sing?

  Martin Snyder : What is she, a dummy? Anybody can sing. Put them on a stage. Tell the public they're singers. And they're singers. What does the public know?

• Martin Snyder : What are you doing? What are you doing?

  Ruth Etting : I'm leaving. All I wanted was a chance to sing. And I'll get it! You don't have to do a thing. I'll get it for myself!

• Ruth Etting : All right. I'll go with you.

  Martin Snyder : Now you're talking, baby!

  Ruth Etting : And then you'll never see me again.

  Martin Snyder : Why?

  Ruth Etting : Because that makes me a tramp and I'm not a tramp, no matter what you think.

• Ruth Etting : I'm ready.

  Martin Snyder : Come on, it's time. Get out there and do your stuff. And don't make me out a horse's neck. I got the place packed with biggies.

• Ruth Etting : You'll never be sorry.

  Martin Snyder : What do you mean? I'm sorry already.

• Ruth Etting : All I heard was New York, and naturally I was excited.

  Martin Snyder : New York's crawling with dames that can sing. You know when you're going to go to New York? After I make their tongues hang out for you. I've got plans so big, you wouldn't even understand them, a hick like you.

  Ruth Etting : What plans?

  Martin Snyder : Aha. Look whose tongue is hanging out now.

• Martin Snyder : Listen, Georgie, I wanna put her on the radio. Find out who the top man is at every station. Then ask around, which one we can put the squeeze on. You know what I mean?

• Martin Snyder : Chiselers. Leeches. You got somethin' good. Everybody wants a piece.

• Martin Snyder : Wise guy, you know everything. You don't know nothin'!

• Ruth Etting : You can't tell me what to do!

  Martin Snyder : In a pig's eye, I can!

  Ruth Etting : Do you think you own me?

  Martin Snyder : You're right I own you. That's exactly right!

• Martin Snyder : What's the sense of half of Chicago? She's gonna have all of New York.

• Martin Snyder : One more crack out of you and I'll take you apart.

  Ruth Etting : Marty!

  Fred Taylor : Ah, go away. Why don't you go play cops and robbers where they're scared of you? This isn't Chicago!

• Martin Snyder : Don't use your ritzy Ziegfeld voice on me. Make like you're back in the 10 cents-a-dance joint!

  Ruth Etting : But I'm not, Marty. That's the whole point. I'm right where I wanna be.

• Martin Snyder : You know something, Ruthie? You ought to lay off that stuff. You're gettin' to look like an old bag.

  Ruth Etting : Ha-ha.

• Martin Snyder : Look at you. The puss on you.

• Martin Snyder : You know, what most people don't appreciate - it's a tough business, show business. You gotta have somebody tough on your side.

• Martin Snyder : All right, come on, girls. Come on.

  [8 girls show their legs] 

  Martin Snyder : Oh, come on, get them up. All right, you, you, and you. The rest of you can blow. Now, you three, I want you to remember something. This is strictly legit. You ain't sellin' nothin' but cigarettes.

• Martin Snyder : What are you sitting there like a wooden Indian? Go on, beat it!