Original artwork, not a still
You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and blow.
— To Have and Have Not · 1944
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It is a woman telling a movie star exactly how easy this will be, in a voice that leaves him no clever reply. The line made Bacall's name and became shorthand for the confident come-on, lifted by countless films since. The word 'whistle' is the hook: the invitation is so casual it is almost an insult, and that is the charm.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for To Have and Have NotShow the scene
In To Have and Have Not (1944), directed by Howard Hawks from a script by Jules Furthman and William Faulkner, loosely based on Ernest Hemingway's novel, fishing-boat captain Harry 'Steve' Morgan is stuck on Martinique, where he meets the lounge singer Marie 'Slim' Browning (Lauren Bacall). In the scene that gave the film its best-known line, Slim finishes a talk with him in his room, tells him he needn't act or say anything, and opens the door to leave. She pauses and tells him how to call her. The American Film Institute ranks it among the top 100 movie quotes.
Sources (1)
- Wikiquote: To Have and Have Not (film)Header and Slim and Morgan dialogueReference checked
Context reviewed