Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969)

Petula Clark: Katherine Bridges

Photos 

Quotes 

• Katie : [looking at a carving]  What does that mean?

  Chips : Gnothe seauthon. Know yourself. The watchword of Apollo.

  Katie : The god of prophecy?

  Chips : Among other things...

  [Later at the close of the scene] 

  Katie : [contemplating the temple she has visited]  Know yourself. That's quite a watchword. Gnothe seauthon.

  Chips : You're most retentive.

  Katie : Give me a good line and I can remember it.

• Katie : Sorry, am I going too fast for you?

  Chips : My dear young lady, I could easily go just as fast as you if I cared to risk a broken ankle and be carried back on a stretcher. It's extremely foolish to leap around in a ruined circus like a mountain goat. Especially in those shoes. These stones are treacherous.

• Katie : Yes, well, you're very active for your age!

  Chips : Since you cannot conceivably know what my age is, your most flattering compliment must be based on a somewhat conjectural premise.

  Katie : [laughs]  You've done it again. Now that's three times you've made me laugh. And only this morning I thought I'd never laugh again. I suppose it's your being a schoolmaster.

  Chips : [insulted]  I fail to see what is so laughable about that.

  Katie : Well, no, it's not laughable. One doesn't laugh at people only because they're funny. Not some people. C'mon... there's so much to see before the sun goes down on us...

• Chips : We must go in, dear. The headmaster always goes in last, and the boys always receive him standing and in silence.

  Katie : Sounds like a dream entrance.

• Katie : The headmaster's a darling. His wife's a bitch.

  Chips : That's not a word we use here.

  Katie : You should I think.

• Katie : No, the allusion was to the stage which used to be my profession.

  Headmaster : Indeed.

  Headmaster's Wife : You're an actress, Mrs. Chipping?

  Katie : Well, not even my best friends would call me that.

  Headmaster's Wife : [snidely]  Aw, and what would they call you?

  Katie : A soubrette. That's the girl in musical comedy who sings the big number and, in the end, loses the man.

  [Chuckles] 

  Katie : In real life, they nearly always end up the wives of earls. I nearly did. But luckily... I met Chips.

• Chips : I refuse utterly to become the secret lover of a well-known actress.

  Katie : Who said lover?

  Chips : Well, friend, I would like to be.

  Katie : Who said friend?

  Chips : What is there between lover and friend?

  Katie : Husband?

• Katie : Ursula, darling, you must see the bell tower. And here's your guide (pointing to Herr Staefel).

  Ursula : The bell tower? (realizing Katie's unspoken intention) Oh, yes, of course... the bell tower! (Laughs) Later...

  Staefel : I hope you like early English perpendicular.

  Ursula : Darling, I revel in early English perpendicular!

• Katie : By the way, how do you know she isn't here?

  Calbury : She?

  Katie : The girl the Evening News said you were going to marry?

  Calbury : Oh, yes. I saw that. Me and Penelope Fitzdouglas. Isn't it ridiculous?

  Katie : [annoyed]  Sidesplitting.

• Katie : I'm going to ask Apollo a question.

  Chips : You mustn't ask a personal question, well, not a specific one like uh...

  Katie : Like "Will Bill Calbury come back to me?" No (sighs), I won't bore Apollo with that, I promise you.

• Katie : I'm so terribly sorry about being late. Chips says it's almost as bad as being off your number.

  Headmaster : I'm afraid I don't quite understand that allusion, Mrs. Chipping.

  Katie : Oh, Mrs. Chipping! I just love when I'm called that.

  Headmaster : And you are that, yes?

  Katie : Oh, yes! Well and truly! Well, unless Chips is a bigamist which I rather suspect. How else could he have escaped... until now?

• Chips : You are William C. Belfridge's ward. Miss Katherine Bridges.

  Katie : Now that's wrong, too. It's not my real name. My real name is... now you won't laugh, will you? It's Brisket.

  Chips : Charmingly Anglo-Saxon.