- Ace Lamont: Great town, St. Louis. You were born here?
- Ruby Carter: Yes.
- Ace Lamont: What part?
- Ruby Carter: Why, all of me.
- Ace Lamont: You and I could go a long way together. With your beauty and my business ability, we could make a fortune. You know why I brought you down here, don't you?
- Ruby Carter: I had a rough idea.
- Ace Lamont: You're the kind of woman I dreamed about... always desired. I'm wild about you.
- Ruby Carter: Some of the wildest men make the best pets...
- Ace Lamont: Ruby, I must have you - your golden hair, your fascinating eyes, your alluring smile, and lovely arms. Your form divine...
- Ruby Carter: Wait a minute, wait a minute. Is this a proposal or are yuh takin' inventory?
- Wardrobe lady to Ruby Carter: I've never known a woman who had so many gentleman friends. You certainly know the way to a man's heart.
- Ruby Carter: Ah, funny, too, because I don't know how to cook.
- Jasmine: All my life I've been looking for a man that is big and handsome and's got plenty of money.
- Ruby Carter: What you've been looking for is three men.
- Tiger Kid: Look honey, after this next fight, you and me are gonna have a grand time.
- Ruby Carter: Why wait?
- Tiger Kid: Well, maybe you won't have to work no more then.
- Ruby Carter: Oh, you mean you want me to give up my art?
- Tiger Kid: Well you will if you love me enough.
- Ruby Carter: [chuckles] If I love you enough, I'll have to.
- Molly Brant: So you're Ruby Carter.
- Ruby Carter: The only thing my mother ever told me. Everything else, I found out for myself.
- [last lines]
- Best Man at Wedding: [after Ruby is wished good luck following wedding] And I want to wish you the same. I'm the best man.
- Ruby Carter: You're the best man, huh? Hehe. That's what *you* think.
- Kirby: You ain't going to make a monkey out of this boy.
- Ruby Carter: Who wants that? I like him the way he is.
- Wardrobe lady to Ruby Carter: You know, honey, when I did my act and had a figure like yours, every man in town was at my feet.
- Ruby Carter: At your feet? I'd rather have them around my neck.
- Kirby: Tiger, just what I thought, up to your old tricks again, eh? You two think you're pretty smart, don't you? Now listen, Tiger, am I your manager or not?
- Ruby Carter: I wish you'd manage to leave us alone.
- Kirby: Now listen, Tiger, I know she's a swell gal, but all she thinks about is having a good time.
- Ruby Carter: Listen, I don't only think about it.
- Tiger Kid: Absence does make the heart grow fonder, doesn't it?
- Ruby Carter: Well, if you don't stay away too long.
- Ace Lamont: It won't be all work. You'll have moments of your own.
- Ruby Carter: Well, I do have my moments.
- Ace Lamont: You have?
- Ruby Carter: Yeah, but they're all weak ones.
- Ruby Carter: Listen, Ace, I like you and all that, but I ain't stepping into another dame's shoes. I never took a man away from another woman yet. Not unless she done me dirt.
- Ruby Carter: [singing] Bring on those fancy-loving Papas you got in New Orleans, 'Cause I just came from Missouri, I guess you know what that means..
- Ace Lamont: I trust you'll find I've left nothing undone to make you comfortable. I want you to enjoy every minute here. Of course, I'll be right here in the house all the time.
- Ruby Carter: Well, a man in the house is worth two on the street.
- Ruby Carter: [singing] Some like short men, Some like them tall, I'm funny that way, 'Cause I like them all...
- Ruby Carter: [singing] Now, he was her man but he came to see me sometimes, I said, he was her man, but he came to see me sometimes, I lived six flights up and he sure was willing to climb, When it came to romancing my man, he sure knew how...
- Ace Lamont: I don't know what you see in that inexperienced young blade.
- Ruby Carter: Experience isn't always necessary.
- Ruby Carter: [singing] Never will forget the tune that they call the Memphis blues, Oh, those blues, They've got a fiddler up there who always slickens his hair, And, boy, he sure do pull some bow, And when the big bassoon seconds to the trombone's croon, Oh, yeah, No one can make it like that piano man, They got a hot cornet that you could never forget, Oh, play it, boy...
- Ace Lamont: You and I should make a habit of it.
- Ruby Carter: I guess one bad habit is good as another.
- Ruby Carter: I shouldn't have taken 'em in the first place. When it comes to refusing jewelry, I got about as much willpower as a flea - that's weak.
- Ruby Carter: Tryin' to outsmart me, what a laugh that is. Foolin' with one of the smartest dames he ever put his arms around.
- Ruby Carter: From now on, you're gonna be my special problem. And I ain't gonna neglect you.
- Tiger Kid: That's what I wanna hear you say. When are you gonna let me see you again?
- Ruby Carter: Anytime.
- Jasmine: I sees you and Mr. Tiger's together again.
- Ruby Carter: Well, if you think we're together, you're a bad judge of distance. Why, if he was the last man on earth, I wouldn't - I wouldn't...
- Jasmine: The last man?
- Ruby Carter: Well, maybe I am taking in a little too much territory.
- Ruby Carter: People get reputations from people talkin' about people when they don't even know the people.
- Jasmine: He may cheat on dice, but he won't cheat on me.
- Ruby Carter: Oh, you want him to be a good man.
- Jasmine: He is a good man.
- Ruby Carter: Oh, you mean he's a *good* man.
- Jasmine: That's it! Yes, ma'am!
- Ruby Carter: I'm getting even with two guys that are so low, they could walk under the door without taking their hats off.
- Ruby Carter: The guy's no good. He never was any good, never will be. He was born that way. His mother should've thrown him away and kept the stork.
- Jasmine: What kind of husband does you think I should get?
- Ruby Carter: Why don't you take a single man? Leave the husbands alone. And that's one to remember.
- Jasmine: Yessum.
- Ruby Carter: Let me tell you something. Don't let a man put anything over on you - outside of an umbrella.