Davis Quote by Ray Hagen
![“In typical [Joan] Blondell fashion she dreams of “being respectable, to live up there with those fine people, to be a civilized human being. I don’t want to be a gambling house gal all my life. I want to be quality folk.” But, again, she ultimately realizes she’s better than the snobs. “I’m Jenny…” quote by Ray Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c52/ray-hagen-36017_quote_in-typical-joan-blondell-fashion-she-dre_385034.jpg)
““In typical [Joan] Blondell fashion she dreams of “being respectable, to live up there with those fine people, to be a civilized human being. I don’t want to be a gambling house gal all my life. I want to be quality folk.” But, again, she ultimately realizes she’s better than the snobs. “I’m Jenny Blake,” she defiantly announces at the conclusion, with pride in her voice, “and no lady.” Few but Blondell (and Barbara Stanwyck) could make dialogue like that work.””
About This Quote
Source Film: The Women, 1939
A character seeks respectability but ultimately embraces her true identity, rejecting class pretensions.
In simple terms: She wants respect but chooses authenticity.
Key Takeaway
Embrace who you are.
Themes
identity
class
selfacceptance
Mood
defiant
proud
Type
dialogue
character
When to use this quote
- career ambition
- personal growth
- social expectations
Key Concepts
social mobility
selfdefinition
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you hide parts of yourself to fit in?
- What does “quality folk” mean to you?
A Different Perspective
She may still face judgment from higher classes.
![“Joan [Blondell] had always kept it real, always kept her priorities straight. “I wasn’t that ambitious. I enjoyed a home life more than a theatrical career. I just took what they gave me, because I wanted to get home quickly.” Joan, said one writer, personified everyone’s “good friend,” on- and…” quote by Ray Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b54/ray-hagen-36017_good-friend_joan-blondell-had-always-kept-it-real-al_2309407.jpg)
![“It’s a testament to [Joan Blondell]'s talent that she is so fondly remembered even though so few of her films were even adequate. Her Warners cohorts were given classics while Joan remained the reliable backup in unremarkable films badly needing her gifts.” quote by Eve Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9e5/eve-golden-25326_quote_it-s-a-testament-to-joan-blondell-s-tale_2355108.jpg)
![“The vocal credits for Singin’ in the Rain are interesting, and rather confusing. In the film, Debbie Reynolds has been hired to re-dub [Jean Hagen]’s dialogue and songs in the latter’s first talking picture. We see the process being done in a shot of Reynolds, back to camera, matching her dialogue…” quote by Ray Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9d8/ray-hagen-36017_quote_the-vocal-credits-for-singin-in-the-rain_1121280.jpg)
![“[Lucille Ball]'s such a TV icon it’s hard for some to separate the two Lucys—the gorgeous, snappy actress of film and the wacky, slapstick queen of television. On TV she was a middle-aged housewife, on film she was a dazzling beauty. The difficulty with her movie career wasn’t that she was bad or…” quote by Ray Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dd0/ray-hagen-36017_beauty_lucille-ball-s-such-a-tv-icon-it-s-hard_2062114.jpg){kind=icon}
![“A point often ignored in cinema history studies of [Bette] Davis,” wrote Jim Parish and Don Stanke years later of Housewife, “is that Ann Dvorak, who plays the film’s title role, was established as a strong dramatic actress long before Bette, and it was she who set the standard for battling with…” quote by Ray Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7b1/ray-hagen-36017_history_a-point-often-ignored-in-cinema-history_2356172.jpg)
