MovieChat Forums > Caged (1950) Discussion > What's Your Favorite Line From 'Caged'?

What's Your Favorite Line From 'Caged'?

posted 18 years ago by nneprevilo
42 replies | jump to latest

Gertrude Hoffman, who played Millie, the old lifer, had a lot of good ones in CAGED. When matron, Faye Emerson draws back her hand to slap Millie, she catches the old woman's gaze. Millie stares at her and spits out, "Hit me - and I'll put your LIGHTS out!"

Also, after giving Eleanor Parker some advice about doing time and recognizing the fact that Parker will be getting out, while she, Millie, would be in the pokey for life, Millie sighs and utters, "Ah heck. What I'd do for a sink full of dirty dishes."

Miss Hoffman's biggest fame came when she co-starred in the TV comedy series, "My Little Margie," starring Gale Storm. I bought three box sets of the series and Hoffman is a riot as a hip old lady. She says the most outrageous things.

One more thing, I saw the stage version based on the movie, "Women Behind Bars" with drag queen, Divine as the vile matron. It played for over a year in a theatre located just around the corner from me. That, too, was a riot.

[–] jmorris236 18 years ago

The precise line is, "Don't touch me, or I'll put your lights out. I'm a lifer, and one more like you is just so much velvet".

I haven't seen the film in 40 years, but I will always remember that line!

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] AlternativeReality 18 years ago

The evil matron was played by Hope Emerson, not Faye Emerson. This great female character actor does the flip side of another crusty, been-there-done-that lady and plays the sweet but salty mail-order bride Patience Hawley in the 1952 film, "Westward the Women." Ms. Emerson was another one of those solid Hollywood character actors who never got the recognition she truly deserved.

No one favorite line from this one...just the whole film, and great performances from this ensemble cast, from start to finish.

[–] creightonhale 18 years ago

"You stay in here too long, you won't think about guys at all. You'll just get out of the habit."

"That was a good movie. You should have been in that movie."

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] LadyJaneGrey 18 years ago

It has to be any line that includes the phrase "stir bugs," as in "Before you leave can you tell Ms. Benton to look at June? She's acting stir bugs." Is that not the best phrase ever? I plan to work it into as many conversations as I can: "Will you please stop your dog from barking? It's driving me stir bugs." "Honey, if you don't fix the garage door, I'm going to go stir bugs."

This movie was quite a trip, with all the strong female presence and character parts. Eleanor Parker was impressive too, starting out the innocent who should never have gone to jail anyway and ending up the hardened con tossing off the bunkhouse lingo and smoking up a storm. Speaking of smoking, what a culture shock to see warden Agnes Moorehead lighting the cigarette of the pregnant Parker! Obviously, this woman's never heard of DARE!!

Nora Charles: What's that man doing in my drawers?

[–] bess654 18 years ago

"LINE UP YOU TRAMPS"!TCM ran the movie last night and I tried my best to stay up and watch it but I was bushed.No matter.I've seen it a dozen times over the years.Eleanor Parker was at her best,but likewise for the other ladies,also.

[–] moochia 18 years ago

Related to that, and chosen for it's special holiday flavor, I love: "OK you tramps. Line up for Christmas."

I've gotta remember that one come December. It's be a great way to start the holiday!

[–] OhmsLaw 18 years ago

I thought the lines Ellen Corby had at the beginning were hysterical,especially (paraphrasing)-"Ain't it funny? You have a baby with a man and 20 years later you finish him off."

[–] Fred_Rap 18 years ago

Least favorite line: "Kindly omit flowers." Too sophisticated a zinger for the simple likes of Marie.

[–] topat-3 18 years ago

Kitty: "If you stay in here too long you don't think of guys at all - you just get out of the habit." This line definitely says "lesbianism", and there's no doubt left regarding activities of the inmates. CAGED was many years ahead of it's time and should be considered one of the best films of the 1950's due to it's eye-opening subject matter.

[–] mel2000 13 years ago

Kitty: "If you stay in here too long you don't think of guys at all - you just get out of the habit."

Wasn't that line said by Millie. the lifer?

[–] Shearer_Goddard_Russell 18 years ago

<<Speaking of smoking, what a culture shock to see warden Agnes Moorehead lighting the cigarette of the pregnant Parker! Obviously, this woman's never heard of DARE!!>>

Sad, isn't it? I was shocked as well; it's sad they weren't as well informed in those days.
Anyway, I think my favorite line is right before Eleanor Parker gets her hair shaved off (I was totally trauamtized); when she picks up the dead cat and whispers, "All I wanted was the kitten..." OMG it's so sad.
Eleanor Parker was amazing!

"Just close your eyes...but keep your mind wide open."

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] Shearer_Goddard_Russell 18 years ago

Wow, that was completely uncalled for. I was just saying I was initially surprised because in our day and age I'm not accustomed to seeing pregnant women smoke.
<<people smoke in prison and the last thing an incarcerated woman cared about in the 1950s was the health of her fetus>>

First of all, DUH people smoke in prison, that's not what I was saying. Secondly, they didn't know it was unhealthy, so I think she was still concerned about the health of her baby. I don't know, maybe you're right, maybe she didn't care at all about the baby and that's why she got hysterical when her mother wouldn't take it.

"Just close your eyes...but keep your mind wide open."

[–] gloomman96 18 years ago

Katy Cassidy: "Sunday. Nothin' for me to do except think about the next ten years."

Claire Devlin: "Here today, here tomorrow."

The entire SCRIPT is my favorite line. "Caged" is awesome. One can appreciate it for (albeit rather twisted) camp value, but that doesnt change the fact that it is a very strong, grim film.

[–] LadyJaneGrey 18 years ago

Yes, uncalled for. I find it a sweeping generalization to state that "the last thing an incarcerated woman cared about in the 1950s was the health of her fetus." Really? Perhaps in the movies!

You obviously didn't get the point of the post. People did not know the dangers of smoking in the 50s, they lit up like mad - pregnant women included. Prison movies are *obviously* going to have people smoking - pregnant women included. It's a culture shock to see it so blatantly, when in our more enlightened age, smoking is increasingly seen as not only bad for you but bad for those around you and seemingly inches away from being made illegal outright.

In movies of yore, you see doctors stepping out of surgery and lighting up, people eating and smoking, holding a baby and smoking, smoking as a social activity and even a focal point ("Three On A Match.") The pervasiveness of smoking in old movies was my point.

Talk about dumb and dumber!

Nora Charles: What's that man doing in my drawers?

[–] justaudrey 14 years ago

Not to mention the fact that at six months pregnant she didn't even have a little baby bump.