Candleshoe (1977)

Helen Hayes: Lady St. Edmund

Photos 

Quotes 

• [last lines] 

  Casey Brown : What if your real granddaughter comes back?

  Lady St. Edmund : Perhaps she has.

• Lady St. Edmund : So, after you left, we examined the fireplace. There was a loose stone...

  Casey Brown : You're kiddin'?

  Lady St. Edmund : And there was something hidden in the canopy behind it.

  [takes out a small, shiny box from behind her back] 

  Lady St. Edmund : Do you recognize this?

  Casey Brown : No.

  Lady St. Edmund : Look closer, dear. Are you sure you've never seen it? It's very important!

  Casey Brown : No. No. Although...

  [begins to whistle the first notes of a tune, then opens the box, which turns out to be a music box that completes the melody] 

  Casey Brown : Uh, I don't understand...

  Lady St. Edmund : Oh, my dear. Oh, my dear!... Welcome to Candleshoe!

  [embraces Casey, crying] 

• Lady St. Edmund : Please play the gramophone record, Priory, and you and I will waltz.

  Priory : Oh no, my lady, absolutely not.

  Lady St. Edmund : I insist.

  Priory : Oh no, my lady, it wouldn't be appropriate.

  Lady St. Edmund : Would it be appropriate if I were to dance with Col. Dennis? I'm sure he dances better than he rides.

  [pause] 

  Lady St. Edmund : You did him very well Priory.

  Priory : You knew?

  Lady St. Edmund : We were playing games with time, you and I. And I thank you for it.

  Priory : My lady, I'm terribly embarrassed.

  Lady St. Edmund : You needn't be. I'm very grateful. For your splendid talent, and even more for your compasssion. And now if you please, the gramophone record.

• Lady St. Edmund : I don't suppose your experience with family life has been a happy one.

  Casey Brown : What family life? Tell ya, the only thing i remember about family life is nothing. Zero. One foster dump to another. I mean who really cares about a kid you take in just for the welfare money and the food stamps? I mean who really cares? It's a racket, just like anything else. The whole world's a racket. First thing i ever learned. you get up out of bed in the morning with your dukes up. You got 'em up, first punch is yours.

  Lady St. Edmund : I see.

  Casey Brown : Yeah, well, maybe you do and maybe you don't.

  Lady St. Edmund : But you can't go through life alone.

  Casey Brown : I ain't alone. I got me. Listen, if you don't hand it out you don't have to worry about not getting it back.

• Casey Brown : [Casey has told everyone at Candleshoe the real reason for her arrival and what she has discovered thus far. They are all at the graveyard looking at the headstone]  ... And this was the last clue. He followed the Eclipse for riches and fame...

  Priory : And if ye would prosper, do ye the same. What does it mean?

  Lady St. Edmund : Why, it's very simple. The Eclipse was a ship. Captain Joshua's ship. There's a picture of it in the house, of Captain Joshua accepting the surrender of a Spanish vessel on the Spanish main. Dear Lord, well, that's the clue! Come on everyone! It's hanging in the hall!

  Priory : Um, my Lady!

  Lady St. Edmund : [remembers]  It's not hanging in the hall...

  Lady St. Edmund : [Lady St. Edmund has called an emergency meeting with Mr. Thresher]  You sold it, Mr. Thresher, you sold my painting?

  Mr. Thresher : Well, my lady, it was my painting. You sold to me, that is, well, Mr. Priory sold it to me, that is...

  Priory : Mr. Thresher, we certaintly have no quams with the sale, but we must get a look at it. So if you would, please tell us who you sold it to,and where is it now?

  Mr. Thresher : Ah, I sold it to an elderly woman only yesterday. She said, that Captain Joshua reminded her of her father...

  Lady St. Edmund : Another pirate, no doubt.

  Mr. Thresher : I packaged it up, myself. It's leaving on the 12:20 for London!

  Priory : 12:20. Thank you Mr. Thresher. Come along, everyone. We must get to the station!

  Casey Brown : But, it's 12:15 now!

  Priory : That train never leaves on time, if we hurry we should just make it.

• Lady St. Edmund : Priory!

  Lady St. Edmund : My Lady?

  Casey Brown : Gagh!

  [puts down the spoon] 

  Harry Bundage : Eat it!

  Casey Brown : I can't! I've had enough! Uh...

  [looks for a place to dump the rice pudding out] 

  Lady St. Edmund : Strawberries, shortbread, rice pudding? I must say, that was very unscrupulous of you, Priory.

  Priory : Quite right, My Lady. Most unscrupulous.

  Lady St. Edmund : We'll just let things take their course, shall we, Priory?

  Priory : [bows]  Very good.

• Lady St. Edmund : [Lady St. Edmund and Casey have gone into the garden to look for the gardener, Mr. Gidding]  Gidding? Gidding?

  [see the gardener bent over a rose bush, trimming it] 

  Lady St. Edmund : Mr. Gidding! I would have a word with you. I thought I made it quite clear that there were to be fresh roses on the landing every morning!

  Priory : [disguised as Mr. Gidding, the gardener]  Your orders? I don't give a hoot en hoot about your orders, the roses come first!

  Lady St. Edmund : Oh, do they indeed? You know, you used to be a good, pleasant gardener. But in recent years, you have become fairly tiresome and crotchety!

  Priory : Oh, that's the way, is it? Crotchety, am I? If I known we going to thoroughly examine my character, I would have washed my hands and put on my Sunday best!

  Lady St. Edmund : Gidding! We are discussing the roses!

  Priory : Now, that's enough of that! You two go off and toodle over the property and I'll take care of what I do best!

  Lady St. Edmund : Mr. Gidding!

  Priory : Here here! Now see here, I'll trim my roses as I see fit!

  Lady St. Edmund : Your roses? Very well. If that is your attitude, you are dismissed!

  [nods for effect, and her and Casey walk away] 

  Lady St. Edmund : Priory? Priory!

  Priory : [rushes back into the house through the back entrance. The kids are there waiting]  Quick, help!

  [the children help Priory to get out of his disguise and back into his butler uniform] 

  Priory : Get the boots, get the boots!

  Peter : [Priory has his butler uniform back on and is about to answer Lady St. Edmund]  Psst! Psst!

  [Priory looks back, Peter points to his eyebrows and mouths the word Eyebrows, meaning Priory still has the fake ones on] 

  Peter : .

  Priory : [Priory quickly takes them off and stuffs them in his pocket, then puts the stale bread bag on the tray he is carrying]  Yes, My Lady?

  Lady St. Edmund : [breathing heavily]  Oh Priory! I have dismissed Gidding. I wish him packed and out of here by this evening!

  Priory : I see. Do you think that decision might have been a little rash, My Lady?

  Lady St. Edmund : Certaintly not! He was impertanant!

  Priory : Oh, that's just his way, My Lady. And may I say, he would be very hard, for me to replace.

  Lady St. Edmund : He would?

  Priory : Very hard. And I would ensure that he had fresh roses on the landing, every morning.

  Lady St. Edmund : You would? Well, I suppose I, might give him one more chance. But you may tell him, that this is positively his last!

  Priory : Yes, My Lady. Oh, My Lady, the stale bread.

  [hands Lady St. Edmund the bag] 

  Lady St. Edmund : Oh, thank you, Priory.

• Bobby : Grandmother, now that your real granddaughter is here, does it mean that we'll be sent away?

  Lady St. Edmund : Good gracious! If I did that, whom would I find to slide up and down the great hall?

  [She kisses the top of his head. He smiles, then takes a running slide down the Great Hall] 

  Lady St. Edmund : Splendid!

• Lady St. Edmund : I don't mind in the least that you lied to me when you first came to Candleshoe. But I would be very hurt if you lied to me now. Do you really want to go back to Los Angeles?

  Casey Brown : [Casey begins to cry and is embarassed]  I've never cried in my life.

  Lady St. Edmund : Then I think it's time that you did. Come on, my dear. We're going home.

  [they leave the train station together] 

• Lady St. Edmund : Good afternoon, John Henry.

  Priory : [In disguise as the chauffeur, John Henry]  Good afternoon, m' lady.

  Lady St. Edmund : Oh, and how is your Uncle George?

  Priory : Ah, m' lady, I didn't think it necessary to trouble you with the news. But we finally had to measure him for his wooden overcoat.

  Lady St. Edmund : Wooden?

  Priory : Yeah, we buried him last week, m' lady.