Anthony Shaffer (writer)

Anthony Joshua Shaffer (15 May 1926 – 6 November 2001) was an English playwright, screenwriter, novelist, barrister, and advertising executive. He is best remembered for his Tony Award winning play Sleuth, and its acclaimed 1972 film adaptation. His screenplays included Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy and folk horror The Wicker Man.

Quotes

  • Celebrating Christmas without subscribing to Christianity is like watching the Super Bowl without having watched a single regular-season football game all year. Some people watch the Super Bowl exclusively for the commercials; others watch it for the halftime show.
  • Christmas sits like a black hole on the calendar, and the other holidays implied by "happy holidays"—Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, etc.—are powerless to be drawn in by its force.

Sleuth (1970)

Sleuth: Illustrated Edition (London: Marion Boyars, 1977)
  • Milo: You were disparaging my lover.
    Andrew: On the contrary, I was reminiscing about my wife.
    Milo: It comes to the same thing.
    Andrew: Things mostly do, you know.
    • act 1 (p. 10)
  • Andrew: You can take it from me that Tēa's an engaging little trollop, and she suits me mightily. Mind you, she takes a bit of keeping up with, it's a good thing I'm pretty much of an Olympic sexual athlete.
    Milo: I suppose these days you're concentrating on the sprints rather than on the long distance stuff.
    Andrew: Not so, dear boy. I'm in the pink of condition. I could copulate for England at any distance.
    Milo: Well, they do say in Olympic circles, that the point is to take part, rather than to win, so I suppose there's hope for us all.
    • act 1 (p. 13)
  • Milo: So she's used to luxury. Whose fault is that?
    Andrew: It's not a fault if you can afford it. But can you?
    • act 1 (p. 15)
  • Milo: You must be joking.
    Andrew: You would know it if I were.
    • act 1 (p. 16)
  • Andrew: Supposing someone saw you climbing in?
    Milo: Who? You're not overlooked.
    Andrew: Who knows? A dallying couple. A passing sheep rapist.
    • act 1 (p. 21)
  • Milo: You have to be serious if you want to be in love.
    Andrew: You have to be serious about crime if you want to afford to be in love.
    • act 1 (p. 31)
  • Doppler: You seem to regard marriage as a game, sir.
    Andrew: Not marriage, Inspector. Sex. Sex is the game with marriage the penalty.
    • act 2 (p. 53)
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