Beauty and the Beast (1991)

David Ogden Stiers: Cogsworth, Narrator

Photos 

Quotes 

• [first lines] 

  Narrator : Once upon a time in a faraway land, a young prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. But then, one winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the castle and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the prince sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away. But she warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within. And when he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress. The prince tried to apologize, but it was too late, for she had seen that there was no love in his heart. And as punishment, she transformed him into a hideous beast and placed a powerful spell on the castle and all who lived there. Ashamed of his monstrous form, the beast concealed himself inside his castle, with a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world. The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom until his 21st year. If he could learn to love another, and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time. As the years passed, he fell into despair and lost all hope, for who could ever learn to love a beast?

• Beast : I want to do something for her, but what?

  Cogsworth : Well, there's the usual things. Flowers, chocolates, promises you don't intend to keep.

  Lumiere : Ah, no, no, it has to be something very special. Something that sparks her interest. Wait a minute!

• Cogsworth : Well, Your Highness, I must say everything is going just swimmingly. I knew you had it in you.

  Beast : [sadly]  I let her go.

  Cogsworth : Yes, yes, splen...

  [stops] 

  Cogsworth : You what? How could you do that?

  Beast : I had to.

  Cogsworth : Yes, but, but, but-- but why?

  Beast : Because I love her.

• Cogsworth : As you can see, the pseudo-façade was stripped away to reveal the minimalist rococo design. Note the unusual inverted vaulted ceilings.

  [as he, Lumiere, and Belle walk past the knights in armor, they turn their heads to follow them] 

  Cogsworth : This is yet another example of the late neoclassic Baroque period. And, as I always say, "If it's not Baroque, don't fix it."

  [laughs] 

  Cogsworth : Where was I?

  [laughs at his own joke, notices the knights with their heads turned] 

  Cogsworth : As you were!

  [the knights turn their heads back forward] 

  Cogsworth : Now, then, if I may draw your attention to the flying buttresses-- Uh, madmoiselle?

• Beast : [pounds on Belle's door yelling]  I thought I told you to come down to dinner!

  Belle : I'm not hungry.

  Beast : [yelling to Belle]  You'll come out or I'll-I'll-I'll break down the door!

  Lumiere : Master, I could be wrong, but that might not be the best way to win the girl's affections.

  Cogsworth : Please, attempt to be a gentlemen.

  Beast : But she's being so difficult.

  Mrs. Potts : Gently, gently.

  Beast : [calmly, dejected]  Will you come down to dinner?

  Belle : No!

  Beast : [points at door]  Hmm?

  Cogsworth : Suave, genteel.

  Beast : [suavely]  It would give me great pleasure...

  [tries to hold in his anger] 

  Beast : ...if you would join me for dinner.

  Cogsworth : [clears throat and mutters]  And we say please.

  Beast : [dejected]  Please.

  Belle : No, thank you.

  Beast : [yells]  You can't stay in there forever!

  Belle : Yes, I can.

  Beast : [yells]  Fine! Then go ahead and starve!

  [he turns to the objects] 

  Beast : If she doesn't eat with me, then she doesn't eat at all!

  [storms down through the hallway and slams the door behind him] 

  Mrs. Potts : Oh, dear. That didn't go very well at all, did it?

• Lumiere : [trying to prepare the Beast for his dinner with Belle]  Voilà! Oh, you look so-- so...

  Beast : [fur done up in curls and bows]  Stupid.

  Lumiere : Not quite the word I was looking for. Perhaps a little more off the top.

  Cogsworth : [clears throat, then bows and gestures to the door]  Your lady awaits.

• Cogsworth : [laughing nervously as a fork skitters by on its tines]  Enchanted!

  [laughs] 

  Cogsworth : Who said anything about the castle being enchanted?

  [laughs] 

  Cogsworth : [to Lumiere]  It was you, wasn't it?

• Cogsworth : Couldn't keep quiet, could we? Just had to invite him to stay, didn't we?

  [imitates Lumiere] 

  Cogsworth : Serve him tea, sit in the master's chair. Pet the pooch!

  Lumiere : I was trying to be hospitable.

• Cogsworth : [singing]  You know, perhaps there's something there that wasn't there before.

  Chip : What?

  Mrs. Potts : [singing]  There may be something there that wasn't there before.

  Chip : *What's* there, Mama?

  Mrs. Potts : Shh. I'll tell you when you're older.

  [kisses Chip] 

• Cogsworth : [shakes Lumiere's hand in truce]  Well, Lumiere, old friend. Shall we let bygones be bygones?

  Lumiere : Of course, mon ami. I told you she would break the spell.

  Cogsworth : I beg your pardon, old friend, uh, but I believe I told you.

  Lumiere : No, you didn't. I told you!

  Cogsworth : You most certainly did not, you pompous, paraffin-headed peabrain!

  Lumiere : En garde, you--you overgrown pocket watch!

• Cogsworth : [Maurice has opened his door to peek inside]  Sir, close that at once! Do you mind?

• Cogsworth : Uh, good evening.

  Beast : [growling]  Well, where is she?

  Cogsworth : Who? Oh! The girl. Yes, the, ah, girl. Well, actually, she's in the process of, ah, um, circumstances being what they are, ah...

  [his face falls] 

  Cogsworth : she's not coming.

  Beast : [roaring loudly]  What?

• Cogsworth : I knew it, I knew it was foolish to get our hopes up.

  Lumiere : Maybe it would have been better if she'd never come at all.

  [the footstool runs to the window and starts barking] 

  Lumiere : Could it be?

  Mrs. Potts : Is it she?

  [they look outside and see Gaston leading the mob to the castle doors] 

  Lumiere : Sacre bleu! Invaders!

  Cogsworth : Encroachers!

  Mrs. Potts : And they have the mirror!

  Cogsworth : Warn the master - if it's a fight they want, we'll be ready for them! Who's with me?

  [the doors close, he realizes he is alone] 

  Cogsworth : Aah!

• Cogsworth : [after routing the villagers from the castle]  And STAY out!

• Cogsworth , Mrs. Potts : [singing]  When we're human again/ Only human again/ When the world once more starts making sense...

  Cogsworth : I'll unwind for a change!

  Lumiere : Really? That'd be strange!

  Cogsworth : Can I help it if I'm t-t-tense? In a shack by the sea, I'll sit back sipping tea, let my early retirement commence! Far from fools made of wax, I'll get down to brass tacks...

  [Lumiere rat-tails him] 

  Cogsworth : And RELAX!

  Chorus : When I'm human again!

• Lumiere : Did you see that? It's a girl.

  Cogsworth : I know it's a girl.

  Lumiere : Don't you see? She's the one. The girl we have been waiting for. She has come to break the spell.

  Cogsworth : Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

• Cogsworth : [Beast has released Belle, meaning there's no-one to break the spell]  Now, it's too late.