If a Man Answers (1962)

Micheline Presle: Germaine Stacy

Photos 

Quotes 

• Germaine Stacy : Men develop appetites when they are twelve, muscles when they are sixteen, and principles only after they are married.

• Germaine Stacy : It's amusing. In France when the daughter is brought home early, *then* the father begins to worry.

  John Stacy : Whose she out there with tonight?

  Germaine Stacy : Richard. Darling, polite little Richard.

  John Stacy : Yes, he's polite in front of us. Too polite. Oh, I wish that girl would get married so I could get a good night's sleep. I keep seeing all of Charlotte's young men, swimming around.

  Germaine Stacy : Swimming?

  John Stacy : A regular salmon run up Beacon Hill.

  Germaine Stacy : Oh, don't worry love. The Stacy blood in your daughter's veins - we cool those little fishes.

• Chantal : [Cooking over the stove]  Oh, mama, what's the use? Whom am I ever gonna get a chance to cook *for*? Do you realize that nobody's asked me to marry him in a week?

  Germaine Stacy : Your fire is much too high. Let it simmer. You, Chantal, should simmer also.

• Germaine Stacy : Husbands often leave home. Pets never do. There must be a reason.

• Chantal : Don't you two ever sleep?

  John Stacy : Speaking for myself, I haven't had a decent night's sleep since you turned 15. Charlotte, haven't you ever thought of marriage?

  Chantal : Mmhm. It's fine, I guess, for older people.

  John Stacy : I see. Well, maybe you should continue your education, at some nice girls' school.

  Chantal : But father, I'm learning dentistry from Richard, law from Howard, and business administration from Tom. Keeping my dates talking, like Mama suggested, has given me quite a liberal education.

  Germaine Stacy : What did you learn tonight?

  Chantal : Mama, did you know that gingivitis...

  John Stacy : And why must you keep your dates talking?

  Chantal : So they won't make love to me all the time.

  John Stacy : In heaven's name, get married!

• Germaine Stacy : [Being kissed by her husband]  You never kissed me like *that* before dark.

• John Stacy : I got there just in time this afternoon. Imagine, our daughter, alone with that seedy, poverty-stricken sex maniac. And Charlotte dressed in... Dressed, huh... supporting a bit of lace here and a bit of lace there. Oh...

  Germaine Stacy : I remember a costume *I* had once. It was made of thin Chantilly lace. So delicate, so lovely, that past the third row you could not tell I was wearing anything at all. Such a waste.

  John Stacy : There's no comparison...

  Germaine Stacy : Then you saw me as the virgin bride of the Sea King. It looked like I was wearing shimmering tights, remember? When actually I was quite au naturel; it was all done with lights. Ah, the magic of the theater. How I loved it.

  John Stacy : That was Paris, a long, long time ago.

  Germaine Stacy : Still, I would like to parade down the runway tonight, if I could hide my extra pounds of contentment.

• Germaine Stacy : Your father came to Paris for one week to import antiques. He had one book of traveler's checks, two changes of pajamas. He used all the checks, none of the pajamas. And the only thing he imported was moi.

• Chantal : Oh, mama, I am so afraid.

  Germaine Stacy : Of love?

  Chantal : Of being disappointed in it.

  Germaine Stacy : Shoo-shoo, if you come to love and say to it "If you're so wonderful, please me, satisfy me, fulfill me", then you probably will be disappointed. It all depends on what you yourself bring to it. Don't you disappoint love.

• Germaine Stacy : You, however, Chantal, are not emotionally suited to be a mistress. So you'd better make the best of being a wife.

• Germaine Stacy : If you come to love and say please me, care for me, fulfill me. You will be disappointed. It is what YOU bring to love that matters. Dont you disappoint love!