The Blue Gardenia (1953)

Richard Conte: Casey Mayo

Photos 

Quotes 

• Casey Mayo : All right, now tell me just how you murdered Harry Prebble.

  Woman on telephone : You know how I killed him! Do you want to know why? Because I loved him. With a passion that was bigger than both of us!

  Casey Mayo : The size of the passion's important, lady. But tell me first, what size shoe do you wear?

  Woman on telephone : Shoe? 8 1/2 C. I could wear 8, it's just that 8 1/2 is more comfortable.

  Casey Mayo : Sorry, lady. But your feet's too big.

• Casey Mayo : [on the phone]  If you want your picture on the paper, you'll have to go out and kill somebody first.

• Casey Mayo : A Letter to an Unknown Murderess. Dear Blue Gardenia, Any day now, any hour... any minute, the police are going to catch up with you... But, all they want is a quick confession... I want to help you. When I say "I", that means my newspaper and me. To us you're a story... a big story! If we get it first we will go all out for you. You can trust me. And, I promise not to print a line without your permission. By now you must be frightened out of your wits. You don't know which way to turn, there's no place to hide, nowhere to run... except to me. So take my advice, Blue Gardenia. Go to the nearest phone booth and invest a dime on the rest of your life. Dial Madison 60025. And ask for, yours very earnestly, Casey Mayo.

• [first lines] 

  Casey Mayo : [friendly waking up Al in the backseat of his car]  Hey,

  [rustles his hair] 

  Casey Mayo : sleepy.

  Al : [wakes up slightly startled]  Where?

  [sign reads: West Coast Telephone Co] 

• Casey Mayo : [to an office boy who has just read Mayo's story about the murder]  Sudden death sells papers, son.

  Al : Lesson number one in modern journalism.

  Casey Mayo : Lesson number two - add the element of sex.

  [writes down on paper] 

  Casey Mayo : "Beautiful blonde defending her virtue..."

  Al : [in a demanding tone]  What makes you think she's a blonde?

  Casey Mayo : Chinese boy who showed her to Prebble's table.

  Al : To an Oriental all American women are beautiful blondes.

• Al : [presenting a cheesecake drawing]  If you want to improve your mind...

  Casey Mayo : I'll take mine in the flesh.

  Police Capt. Sam Haynes : That's how Prebble got his.

• Al : I don't dig your code system. What does three exclamation points after a girl's name mean?

  Casey Mayo : Hey! That's private stuff.

  Al : I can dream, can't I?

• Casey Mayo : [on the phone]  Sorry to keep you waiting, miss, but if you want your picture in the paper, you'll have to go out and kill somebody first.

• Casey Mayo : [after selecting 'Blue Gardenia' by Nat King Cole on the table top jukebox]  Pretty song. Too bad it was the background to murder.

• Norah Larkin : Now you know.

  Casey Mayo : [sits]  Yes. Now I know.