Jack Lemmon: Mel Edison
Photos
Quotes
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Edna : We've been robbed.
Mel : What do you mean, "robbed"?
Edna : Robbed. Robbed! What does "rob" mean? They come in, they take things out. You had 'em, now they got 'em. They used to be yours, now they're theirs. We've been robbed!
Mel : Uh, I don't understand... You mean someone walked in here and robbed us?
Edna : What do you think, they called up and made an appointment? We've been ROBBED!
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Mel : Sons of bitches! Dirty rotten bastards! You heard me.
[gesture's middle finger]
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Mel : If you're a human being, then you reserve the right to complain, to protest. If you give up that right then you cease to exist.
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Mel : I don't know either where I am or who I am. I'm disappearing, Edna. I don't need an analyst, I need Lost & Found!
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Edna : Mel, who's behind the plot? Is it the kids? The addicts? The Army? The Navy? The Book-of-the-month Club? Who?
Mel : It is the human race. The deterioration of the spirit of Man. Man undermining himself, causing a self-willed, self-imposed, self-evident self-destruction! That's what it is. That's who it is.
Edna : The human race, Mel?
Mel : Yes.
Edna : The human race is responsible for the unemployment?
Mel : You're surprised, aren't you?
Edna : I never would've guessed. All this time, I kept thinking it was somebody else.
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Mel : I haven't had a real piece of bread in thirty years. If I'd known I would have saved some rolls when I was a kid.
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Mel : I've been here for three hours Harry... so far I got poison ivy, got chewed up by gnats, laid down in manuare, and your dog piddled all over my car... so I haven't really had a lot of time for rural ecstasy.
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Mel : Could we turn all of these off, it looks like a night game at Shea Stadium!
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Mel : Oh am I gonna get that guy Jacoby! I know exactly what time he comes home.
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Mel : Drunk on what? They took the liquor!
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Mel : The vice president in charge of my department used the same paper clip for six months. *Nobody* ever came to work late anymore. They were all afraid if you didn't show up, somebody'd sell your desk!
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Mel : And as sure as you are sitting here in this room, there is a plot going on in this country today.
Edna : Against whom?
Mel : Against me!
Edna : The whole country?
Mel : Well, not against me personally. But they're after you, our kids, my family, every one of our friends. They're after the cops, hippies, the government, women's lib, the blacks, the fags, the whole military complex and even more.
Edna : Who? You mentioned everybody, there's no one left.
Mel : Oh, baby, there's someone left, all right.
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Mel : They can take your clothes, your Chivas Regal, your television, your job... but they can't take your brains. And that's my secret weapon: my brains!
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Mel : Respect my ass!
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Edna : Come on, Mel. I haven't seen you since breakfast yesterday, and I'm gonna' be fast asleep in 15 minutes. Talk to me. What did you do today?
Mel : [with sarcasm in his tone] I took a *walk*!
Edna : Good. Where?
Mel : From the bedroom into the living room.
Edna : That's all?
Mel : Mm mm. Then I walked back into the bedroom... and once I went into the kitchen for a glass of water. I'd say that was my "high peak" of the day.
