- Tino Orsini: You know, I always modeled my style after yours.
- Mike Ribble: You'll always be a second-rater. Make your own style!
- Mike Ribble: Why do you think I've always wanted a two-act? Because one flies and one catches - and no one comes between.
- Mike Ribble: You think they'll pay more to see her in spangles than they would to see a triple? Well, you're wrong!
- Bouglione: I fill my circus in my way or I empty it in my way. In my circus there's room for *only* my way.
- Mike Ribble: [chugs a glass of beer] You'll never throw a triple! You know why? Because you drink too much!
- [grabs Tino's beer and drinks it]
- Tino Orsini: Mr. Bouglione, how'd you like my act?
- Bouglione: What act?
- Tino Orsini: Ribble and Orsini.
- Bouglione: You come here, do two flips on the bar, make one pass, right away you got an act. Congratulations. Wonderful. One of you runs before he can walk, the other a cripple!
- Mike Ribble: Are you happy with Chikki?
- Rosa O'Flynn: I'm not unhappy. Eat the soup.
- Mike Ribble: Stop mothering me.
- Rosa O'Flynn: Why? Isn't that what all loves come to?
- Mike Ribble: When circus was real, flying was a religion. Now what have you got? Pink lights, ballet girls, blue sawdust. A lot of hoopla!
- Mike Ribble: Boy, next time you try a double, get that time right. Their's a clock inside you, always knows what time it is. Keep it tickin' alongside of mine. We'll never get a triple until we keep the same time.
- Mike Ribble: Paul, a small bottle of brandy.
- Paul: Brandy?
- Mike Ribble: And a couple of cups.
- Paul: 400 francs.
- Mike Ribble: Shh. I'll pay you tomorrow.
- Paul: Maybe I'm dead tomorrow.
- Mike Ribble: I'll put the money in your coffin.
- Lola: How do you like my costume?
- Mike Ribble: That's an awful lot of spangles.
- Lola: It's for opening night. I wanted to make sure it wouldn't split. It would be terrible if something happened in front of all those people.
- Mike Ribble: [to Lola] Let's you and I drink to Ribble and Orsini, the first pure act in years.
- Bouglione: Let's hope the public like it. They never asked for purity before.
- Mike Ribble: You think we could work well together?
- Lola: I know we could.
- Mike Ribble: Can you stand heights?
- Lola: The higher the better.
- Mike Ribble: How are your wrists?
- Lola: Strong enough.
- Mike Ribble: Legs?
- Lola: I was always strong in the legs.
- Mike Ribble: How about your hocks?
- Lola: What?
- Mike Ribble: Here.
- [feels down on part of Lola's leg]
- Lola: Fine.
- Mike Ribble: You'll really fly high?
- Lola: Because I'm not afraid of - anything.
- Snake Charmer: Snakes are affectionate animals, especially girl snakes. They go - they all go together.
- Bouglione: Things have changed. Why stick to a two act? The people want color, light, sparkle, something pleasing to the eye. A bit of feminine beauty like Lola here. Think it over, Mike, while I go congratulate your boy. I have great hopes for this act.
- Mike Ribble: Our act's pretty dangerous.
- Lola: I don't care how dangerous, so long as I am with the best. With you, for example.
- Bouglione: I give you my word, the act will be improved.
- Mike Ribble: Improved? By a dame? I'm tryin' to give you a pure trapeze act...
- Bouglione: I know all about your act, its purity, its perfection. I also know what the public wants.
- Bouglione: Mike is too busy to speak. Your other, beautiful partner is with him. Leave him to her.
- Tino Orsini: Lola's with him?
- Bouglione: Sure she's with him. She can handle him. She can handle all of us.
- Chikki: Why should I waste my talent, my horse, and my life on such a woman?
- Rosa O'Flynn: Why should you?
- Chikki: I bring you a magnificent horse. He feels nothing. Not knives, not flames, nothing! And I find you with snakes.
- Rosa O'Flynn: Always you want me to do more. Now a new horse to break my back. I stay with the snakes.
- Max: America has everything so big, you must be short of dwarfs. Dwarf acts are well liked in America, eh, Mr. North?
- John Ringling North: Well, times change, you know: but, you're a born professional. That's what I like.
- Lola: My style is okay?
- Mike Ribble: On a rope there's nothing I can teach you.
- Lola: [seductively] I want to *learn* all I can.