- [reading steamy love letters belonging to a murdered producer]
- Dick Hamilton: Beats "Lady Chatterley's Lover".
- Michael Shayne: How would you know?
- Michael Shayne: My name is Mike Shayne. I'd like to talk to you a minute.
- Miss Dover: People don't talk to me - they just dictate... and it costs them money.
- Michael Shayne: Oh, just a little information.
- Miss Dover: The public library is two blocks down and one block over.
- Collier Davis: You make the past sound like a dirty word, Howard, but I can tell you this. It was the era before the words "love, beauty and strength" became synonyms for sex... realism... violence. The flavor of your era, Mr. Howard - I want no part of it.
- [referring to Collier Davis]
- Markov: Beautiful the way that man speaks, huh? And such a great director he was.
- Hazel Courtney: He still is!
- Markov: Not for today's market. Taste he has; talent he has - but not for what sells tickets at the box office.
- Howard: Dimitry, I'm doing this picture not because of the box office. It's because it's got something to say - it's got guts, it's got beauty, it's got artisty.
- Markov: Why don't you shut up! You take yourself so seriously. You fool yourself. You make this junk and you think it's art because a bunch of critics with big words and small circulations tell you it is. I know what it is. It's dirt - but I'm going to keep on making it because it's box office.
- [Shayne thinks he knows where a missing shell casing can be found]
- Police Lt. Gentry: It's a 10,000 to one shot, Mike.
- Michael Shayne: When your behind, stay with the long shots.