Original artwork, not a still
Now you listen to me, I’m an advertising man, not a red herring. I’ve got a job, a secretary, a mother, two ex-wives and several bartenders that depend upon me, and I don’t intend to disappoint them all by getting myself “slightly” killed.
— North by Northwest ‧ 1959
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The speaker insists they are an advertising professional with an ordinary life, not a decoy to be sacrificed. The list of people depending on them mixes family, work and drinking companions. Calling death slight only sharpens the absurdity of expecting them to accept such a risk.
Context reviewed
