A character in Clue (1985)

Mrs. White quotes from Clue (1985)

Madeline Kahn

Tied for most-quoted character in Clue (1985): in 13 of its 34 quotes
Most scenes with: Wadsworth (5), Mr. Green (5), Ms. Scarlet (5)

A line from Mrs. White [in an alternate ending]

I hated her... so... much, It--it..the f--, it--flame...flames...flames on the side of my face, breathing, breath... heaving, breaths... heaving...

More lines from Mrs. White

5 quotes
Mrs. White

Husbands should be like Kleenex: soft, strong, and disposable.

Mrs. White
[About her late husband]

It's a matter of life after death. Now that he's dead, I have a life.

Mrs. White

Life after death is as improbable as sex after marriage.

Mrs. White
[While Col. Mustard and Wadsworth are discussing whether or not there's anybody else in the house]

Please! Don't you think we should get that man out of the house before he finds out what's been going on here?

Mrs. White

He was always a rather stupidly optimistic man. I’m afraid it came as a great shock to him when he died.

Scenes with Mrs. White

7 scenes

Shouldn't we wait for the other guest?

I will keep something warm for him.

What did you have in mind, dear?

I prefer Kipling myself. "The female of the species is more deadly than the male." Do you like Kipling, Miss Scarlet?

Sure, I'll eat anything.

I'm merely a humble butler.

What exactly do you do?

I buttle, sir.

Professor Plum, you were once a professor of psychiatry specializing in helping paranoid and homicidal lunatics suffering from delusions of grandeur.

Yes, but now I work for the United Nations.

So your work has not changed.

Mrs. White

Are you a doctor?

I am, but I don't practice.

But practice makes perfect. Ha! I think most men need a little practice, don't you Mrs. Peacock?

The game's up, Scarlet. There are no more bullets left in that gun.

Oh, come on. You don't think I'm gonna fall for that old trick?

It's not a trick. There was one shot at Mr. Boddy in the study, two for the chandelier, two at the lounge door, and one for the singing telegram.

That's not six.

One plus two plus two plus one.

Un-uh, there was only one shot that got the chandelier, that's one plus two plus ONE plus one.

Even if you're right, that would be one plus one plus two plus one, not "one plus TWO plus one plus one."

Okay, fine. One plus two plus one... SHUT UP! The point is, there is one bullet left in this gun and guess who's gonna get it!
Note: FROM ONE OF THREE ALTERNATE ENDINGS

You lure men to their deaths, like a spider with flies!

Mrs. White

Flies are where men are most vulnerable.

Right!

Mr. Boddy threatened to send those pictures to my dear old mother; the shock would have killed her!

Mrs. White

Oh. Well, that would be quite an achievement, since you told us that she's dead already.

Mrs. White

Are you a cop?

No, I'm a plant.

A plant? I thought men like you were usually called a fruit.

Very funny.
Note: FROM ONE OF THREE ALTERNATE ENDINGS

Does the FBI make a habit of cleaning up after multiple murders?

Yes! Why do you think it's run by a man called Hoover?

Mrs. White

He was deranged, he was... lunatic. He didn't seem to like me very much. He had threatened to kill me in public.

Why would he want to kill you in public?

I think she meant he threatened, in public, to kill her.

Oh. And was that his final word on the matter?

Mrs. White

Being killed is pretty final, wouldn't you say?

But he was your second husband. Your first husband also disappeared!

Mrs. White

Well, that was his job. He was an illusionist.

But he never RE-appeared!

Mrs. White

He wasn't a very good illusionist.

Cop

This man is drunk. Dead drunk!

Dead right!

Cop

You're not going to drive home, are you?

He won't be driving home, officer, I promise you that!

Cop

Somebody will give him a lift, huh?

Oh, we'll...we'll...we'll get him a car!

A long black car!

[Elbows him in ribs.]

A limousine!

Cop

You all seem to be very anxious about something.

[Dismissively]

Ah yes, the chandelier. It fell down, almost killed us.

Well, ladies first.

No, no, no. You go first.

No, I insist.

No, I insist.

Well, what are you afraid of? A fate worse than death?

No, just death. Isn't that enough?

Go on. I'll be right behind you.

That's why I'm nervous.

Mrs. White

Oh no! Nobody can get into that position!

Sure they can, let me show you. [Climbs on top of her.]

Mrs. White

Get off me!

Mr. Boddy

What are they all doin' here?

Eating dinner.

Why is J. Edgar Hoover on your phone?

I don't know. He's on everybody else's, why shouldn't he be on mine?!

Cop

Let me out of here! Let me out, you have no right to shut me in! I'll book you for false arrest, and wrongful imprisonment, and obstructing an officer in the course of his duty...and MURDER!

[Opens door.]

What do you mean - murder?

Cop

I just said that so you would open the door.

Help yourself to a drink, if you like. Not the cognac, just in case.

Cop

Just in case of what?

[Col. Mustard looks into the study.]

Just checking.

Everything all right?

Yep, two corpses, everything's fine.

Mrs. White

Don't you think we should get that man out of the house before he finds out what's been going on here?!

How can we throw him outside in this weather?

If we let him stay in the house, he may get suspicious.

If we throw him out, he may get even more suspicious.

If I were him, I'd be suspicious already!

[hysterically]

Oh, who cares, that guy doesn't matter! Let him stay, locked up, for another half an hour! The police will be here by then, and there are TWO DEAD BODIES, IN THE STUDY!

All

Shhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Well, he couldn't have been dead.

He was! At least I thought he was. But, what difference does it make now?

Makes quite a difference to him!

Which room's this?

Search me.

Okay. [He proceeds to pat Miss Scarlet down like some kind of masher.]

Get your mitts off me!

I was going to expose you.

I know, so I choose to expose myself.

Please, there are ladies present!

Wadsworth, am I right in thinking that there is nobody else in this house?

No.

So there is someone else in the house?

No, sorry. I said 'no' meaning 'yes'.

No meaning yes? Look, I want a straight answer: is there someone else or isn't there, yes or no?

Um...no.

"No" there is? Or "no" there isn't?

Yes.

Well there is still some confusion as to whether or not there is anybody else in the house.

I told you there isn't.

There isn't any confusion, or there isn't anyone else?

Either! Or, both.

Look, would you just give me a clear answer?

Certainly! What was the question?

Is there anybody else in the house?!

All

NO!!!

Colonel Mustard

There's very little time left, so we'll split up into pairs.

Pairs?

Wait a minute! Suppose that one of us is the murderer. If we split up into pairs, whichever one of us is left with the killer might get killed!

Colonel Mustard

Then we will have discovered who the murderer is!

But the other half of the pair would be DEAD!

Colonel Mustard

This is war Peacock! Casualties are inevitable. You can not make an omelet without breaking eggs, every cook will tell you that!

But look what happened to the cook!

Well to be perfectly frank, I run a specialized hotel and a telephone service, which provide gentlemen with the company of a young lady for a short while.

Oh yeah? [Takes a pen and notepad from his pocket] What's the phone number?

Mr. Boddy
[from the third ending] [Mr. Green shoots Wadsworth, who reveals himself to be Mr. Boddy]

Good shot, Green!

Mr. Boddy
[Wadsworth slumps to the floor, checks his chest, revealing a bloody palm]

Oh, VERY good...
[Dies.] Note: FROM ONE OF THREE ALTERNATE ENDINGS

Yvette [upon being assigned to search the attic]: But it is dark upstairs and I am frightened of the dark, will anyone go with me?

Colonel Mustard

I will.

I will.

[turning away]

No thank you.

[from the third ending]

YOU'RE Mr. Boddy!

[Wadsworth chuckles]

Wait a minute! So who did I kill?

My butler.

Oh, shucks.

Who would want to kill the cook?

Dinner wasn't THAT bad.

Colonel Mustard

How can you make jokes at a time like this?

It's my defense mechanism.

Colonel Mustard

Some defense. If I was the killer, I would kill you next!

Colonel Mustard
[Everyone looks at accusingly Colonel Mustard]

I said IF! IF!

[The cop has just inspected the study and lounge, where the guests have disguised the bodies so it looks like they are making love. Wadsworth does not know this, and sees the cop exiting the lounge.]

Officer!

Cop

You're too late, I've seen it all.

You have? I can explain everything!

Cop

You don't have to.

I don't?

Cop

Don't worry! There's nothing illegal about any of this!

Are you sure??

Cop

Of course! This is America!

I see...

Cop

It's a free country! Don't you know that?

I didn't know it was THAT free.

[Miss Scarlet and Colonel Mustard have entered the lounge through the secret passage. The secret passage has closed behind them, the lounge door is locked from the outside, and Wadsworth has lost the key to the lounge door]

LET US IN! LET US IN!

Miss Scarlet and Colonel Mustard

LET US OUT! LET US OUT!

[Looking at negatives]

Very pretty. Would you like to see these, Yvette? They might shock you!

Non, merci. I am a lay-dee.

Oh, how do you know what kind of pictures they are if you're such a "lay-dee"?

What sort of pictures are they?

They are MY pictures and I'd like them back, please.

Why would anyone want to kill him twice?

It seems so unnecessary.

That's what we call overkill.

That's what we call psychotic.

Colonel Mustard

Looks like a secret passage.

Shall we see where it goes?

Colonel Mustard

What the hell. I'll go first... I've had a good life.

Why has the car stopped?

Professor Plum

It’s frightened.

So what does your husband do?

Mrs. White

Nothing.

Nothing?

Mrs. White

Well, he just lies around on his back all day.

Sounds like hard work to me.

Mrs. White

I am willing to believe you. I too am being blackmailed for something I didn’t do.

Me, too.

And me.

Not me.

You’re not being blackmailed?

Oh I’m being blackmailed all right. But I did what I’m being blackmailed for.

And Colonel, you drive a very expensive car for someone who lives on a colonel’s pay.

I don’t. I came into money during the war when I lost my mommy and daddy.

...and to make a long story short...

Everybody else

Too late!

[In the third ending]

You were jealous that your husband was schtupping Yvette. That's why you killed him, too.

Mrs. White

Yes. Yes, I did it. I killed Yvette. I hated her, so much...it flames, flames on the side of my face, breathing, heaving breaths, heaving...

Professor Plum

It must've been Mr. Green who shot the singing telegram!

I didn't do it!

Well, there's nobody else left!

But I didn't do it! The gun is missing! Whoever's got the gun shot the girl!

[Wadsworth draws the gun]

I shot her.
Col. Mustard, Mrs. Peacock, Mrs. White, Ms. Scarlet, Prof. Plum: You?!

So it was you. I was going to expose you.

I know. So I choose to expose myself.

Please! There are ladies present.

You thought Mr. Boddy was dead, but why? None of you even met him until tonight.

You're Mr. Boddy!

[Wadsworth grins and laughs]

Wait a minute! So who did I kill?

My butler.

Oh, shucks.

He was expendable, like all of you. I'm grateful to you all for disposing of my network of spies and informers. Saved me a lot of trouble. Now there's no evidence against me.

Mrs. White

This all has nothing to do with my disappearing nuclear physicist husband or Colonel Mustard's work on the new top secret fusion bomb?

No. Communism is just a red herring.

But the police will be here any minute. You'll never get away with this, any of you.

Why should the police come? Nobody's called them.

You mean-- Oh, my God! Of course!

So why shouldn't we get away with it? We'll stack the bodies in the cellar, lock it, leave quietly one at a time, and forget that any of this ever happened.

And you'll just- just go on blackmailing us all.

Of course. Why not?

Well, I'll tell you why not.

[he draws a revolver, and shoots Wadsworth; Wadsworth drops his gun]

Oh, good shot, Green! [slumps to the floor, reaches a hand inside his coat, and looks at the blood on his fingers] And very good. [He dies]

Mrs. White

Are you a cop?

No, I'm a plant.

A plant? I thought men like you were usually called a fruit.

Very funny. [displays a badge in his wallet] FBI. That call from J. Edgar Hoover was for me. [heads to the front door] I told you I didn't do it!

Chief
[he opens the front door and the police rush in]

All right, who done it?

[Mustard, White, Scarlet, Peacock and Plum all start arguing.]

They all did it! But if you wanna know who killed Mr. Boddy, I did, in the hall, with the revolver. Okay, Chief, take 'em away. I'm gonna go home and sleep with my wife.

Other characters in Clue

More Madeline Kahn characters

All Madeline Kahn quotes →