The Song of Songs (1933)

Marlene Dietrich: Lily Czepanek

Photos 

Quotes 

• Lily Czepanek : I can't take my clothes off!

  Richard Waldow : Why? Why can't you?

  Lily Czepanek : Why, I'd, I'd be undressed!

• Lily Czepanek : My father was a good man. Every night - I read to him - from this Bible.

  Mrs. Rasmussen : The Lamentations of Job, no doubt.

  Lily Czepanek : No. The Song of Solomon. He loved it best.

  Mrs. Rasmussen : I don't remember the Song of Solomon. But, knowing your father I imagine there was something dirty in it.

  Lily Czepanek : A Song of Songs is beautiful.

• Lily Czepanek : "By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth. I will seek him - whom my soul loveth."

• Richard Waldow : Stand up, again. Stand up. I want to see you.

  Lily Czepanek : No! I will not.

  Richard Waldow : Oh, I see. You think I'm interested in your legs. Well, I'm not. At least not just as legs. My dear child, if you've seen as many legs as I have, you'd get more excited about a pair of crutches! I'm a sculptor, my dear. A sculptor. Oh, that is, I'm supposed to be. And there was something about you, as you stood there, that was almost - an idea.

• Richard Waldow : I tell you what, you come over and pose for me. Perhaps you'll bring me inspiration.

  Lily Czepanek : No, thank you.

  Richard Waldow : How about eight o'clock?

  Lily Czepanek : I wouldn't wait if I were you.

  Richard Waldow : Oh, no, no, no. You must come. You know, I believe I could get something really interesting. Oh, please come, please come.

• Richard Waldow : I've been making a sketch of you. You want to see yourself?

  Lily Czepanek : Oh, yes!

  [Richard shows her the sketch] 

  Lily Czepanek : Oh! I haven't any clothes on.

  Richard Waldow : Clothes? Do you think I model people with their clothes on?

  Lily Czepanek : But, how did you know I was like that?

  Richard Waldow : And just what does that mean?

  Lily Czepanek : I mean, it is me and it isn't me.

• Lily Czepanek : [looking at a sketch of herself]  It's wonderful! I mean, it's the way I want to be. It's me as I dream of me. It's the girl in the Song of Songs.

  Richard Waldow : Who?

  Lily Czepanek : The girl in the Song of Songs. She's in the Bible.

  Richard Waldow : The Bible?

  Lily Czepanek : She's the girl who feels in her heart that somewhere the perfect love is waiting for her. She says, "I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved saying, Open to me, my love, my undefiled."

  Richard Waldow : Mercy! Honest.

  Lily Czepanek : Oh, I know what she means. I know it! Because I feel it inside. I mean, "It is the voice of my beloved." That's what I mean.

• Richard Waldow : Oh, there you are. That's right. That's right. Come on. Step up there. You can drop the smock.

  Lily Czepanek : It's cold.

• Lily Czepanek : I don't understand how I ever got into this.

  Richard Waldow : Now, look here. Wait a minute. Wait a minute and take it easy. You don't have to do this, you know, if you don't want to. Well, all right. You put your clothes on and go home.

  Lily Czepanek : No. I said I'd do it - and I will do it.

  [drops the smock] 

  Richard Waldow : That's the way to talk. Good! Good!

• Mrs. Rasmussen : I says, she sometimes takes a little rum with her tea. And I said I see no harm if you care to send her some. And, it's the very best kind. It comes from Jamaica! I suppose you never heard of Jamaica.

  Lily Czepanek : No, Tante Rasmussen.

  Mrs. Rasmussen : It's a place in Asia Minor.

• Lily Czepanek : Oh, smell that.

  Richard Waldow : What?

  Lily Czepanek : The grass and the earth. Oh, smell the grass.

  Richard Waldow : I don't smell anything.

  Lily Czepanek : Oh, you're so funny darling. Look what he called grass. Now, you've got to bury your nose in it! You've got to get into the ground. You've just got to be grass.

  Richard Waldow : You've got Spring Fever.

• Lily Czepanek : When I put my hands on the earth, it's you I'm touching. The wind on my face, is your kisses. You are in everything I think and feel and do - and will be, until I die.

• Lily Czepanek : You will be rich and famous and I'll always pose for you.

• Lily Czepanek : Everyday, I'll love you twice as much, as I did the day before.

• Lily Czepanek : "Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm, for love - is strong as death."

• Mrs. Rasmussen : I warned you. I've appealed to your better nature. I've scolded you. I've - I've even beaten you. And all to no avail. Now there's nothing left, but to put you out.

  Lily Czepanek : Please, maybe I was wrong. But, if you let me explain...

  Mrs. Rasmussen : I'm not interested in the details of your sin.

  Lily Czepanek : Sin? Oh, it wasn't sin.

  Mrs. Rasmussen : Get out! Get out.

• Baron von Merzbach : No supper. No supper. But, a glass of champagne might be acceptable.

  [toast] 

  Baron von Merzbach : To our wedding night. Come, come. Drink up, drink up.

  Lily Czepanek : I'm not used to champagne. It will make me dizzy.

  Baron von Merzbach : All the better. All the better.

• Walter Von Prell : There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do for you.

  Lily Czepanek : Is this part of my riding lesson?

• Lily Czepanek : Are you making love to me?

• Baron von Merzbach : You'll play for Waldow after dinner, won't you, my dear?

  Lily Czepanek : If you like it.

  Baron von Merzbach : Ah! There's a wife for me!

• Call Girl : Don't tell me men are human, are they, Lily?

  Lily Czepanek : They're the only animals that have money and buy champagne.

• Lily Czepanek : [singing]  Johnny, when will your birthday be, Reserve that night for me, Just me and you. Johnny, we'll disconnect the phone, And when we're all alone, We'll have a lot - to do. Oh, Johnny, I've got to celebrate, And I can hardly wait, Until we do. Johnny, I hope you realize, That there's a big surprise, In store for you. Johnny, I need your sympathy, There's something wrong with me, I can't say no...

• Richard Waldow : A Song of Songs. Don't you remember? "I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved."

  Lily Czepanek : No. "I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. I called him, but he made no answer. The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me." They took away my veil from me.

  [cries]