Alan Ladd Quotes

The Blue Dahlia

Facing the Consequences of Choices

Johnny Morrison I'm sorry, but nothing seems funny to me tonight. It all blows up in your face sometimes.

Joyce Harwood What does?

Johnny Morrison Whatever you're doing, whereever you're going.

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The Blue Dahlia

The Challenge of Saying Goodbye

Joyce Harwood Well, don't you even say Good night'?

Johnny Morrison It's "good-bye", and it's tough to say good-bye.

Joyce Harwood Why is it? You've never seen me before tonight.

Johnny Morrison Every guy's seen you before somewhere. The trick is to find you.

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Shane

Confrontation and Realization in the Face of Danger

Joey Shane! I knew you could, Shane. I knew it. I knew it just as well as anything. Was that him? Was that Wilson?

[after the gun battle]

Shane That was him. That was Wilson alright. He was fast - fast on the draw. Joey, what are you doing here?

Joey I'm sorry, Shane.

Shane You don't have to be. You'd better run back.

Joey Can I ride home behind you?

Shane Afraid not, Joey.

Joey Please, why not?

Shane I gotta be goin on.

Joey Why, Shane?

Shane A man has to be what he is, Joey. You can't break the mold. I tried it and it didn't work for me.

Joey We want you, Shane.

Shane Joey, there's no living with, with a killing. There's no going back from it. Right or wrong, it's a brand, a brand that sticks. There's no going back. Now you run on home to your mother and tell her, tell her everything's alright, and there aren't any more guns in the valley.

Joey Shane, it's bloody. You're hurt.

Shane I'm alright, Joey. You go home to your mother and your father. And grow up to be strong and straight. And Joey, take care of them, both of them.

Joey Yes, Shane. He'd never have been able to shoot you - if you'd have seen him.

[Tears well up in Joey's eyes]

Shane Bye, little Joe.

Joey He never even would have cleared the holster, would he, Shane? Pa's got things for you to do, and Mother wants you. I know she does. Shane. Shane! Come back! Bye, Shane.

[calling after him]

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Shane

The Choice of Carrying a Sidearm

Joey Why don't you ever wear your six-shooter, Shane?

Shane Well, I guess I don't see as many bad men as you do.

Shane One, for instance, likes to have a shoulder holster. Another one puts it in his - the belt of his pants. And there are some who like two guns. But one's all you need if you can use it.

Joey Which is the best way?

Shane What I'm telling you is a good a way as any and better than most.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Shane

The Shift from Open Range to Homesteading

Joe These old-timers, they just can't see it yet, but runnin cattle on an open range just can't go on forever. It takes too much space for too little results. Those herds aren't any good. They're all horns and bone. Now, cattle that is bred for meat and fenced in and fed right - that's the thing. You gotta pick your spot, get your land, your own land. Now a homesteader, he can't run but a few beef. But he can sure grow grain and cut hay. And then what with his garden and the hogs and milk, well, he'll make out all right. We make out, don't we, Marion?

Marion Of course.

[pause]

Joe I wouldn't ask you where you're bound.

Shane One place or another. Some place I've never been.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

The Blue Dahlia

A Conversation About Law Enforcement Attention

Eddie Harwood Half the cops in L.A. are looking for you.

Johnny Morrison Only half?

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Shane

Defending Home and Family in Adversity

Joe Torrey was a pretty brave man, and I figure we'd be doin wrong if we wasn't the same...We can have a regular settlement here, we can have a town and churches and a school...We've just got to, that's all...We can't give up this valley and we ain't gonna do it. This is farmin country, a place where people can come and bring up their families. Who is Rufe Ryker or anyone else to run us away from our own homes? He only wants to grow his beef and what we want to grow up is families, to grow em good and grow em, grow em up strong, the way they was meant to be grown. God didn't make all this country just for one man like Ryker.

Lewis He's got it though and that's what counts.

Shane You know what he wants you to stay for? Something that means more to you than anything else - your families. Your wives and kids. Like you, Lewis, your girls; Shipstead with his boys. They've got a right to stay here and grow up and be happy. That's up to you people to have nerve enough to not give it up.

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Shane

The Nature of Tools and Responsibility

Marion Guns aren't going to be my boy's life.

Joey Why do you always have to spoil everything?

Shane A gun is a tool, Marion. No better and no worse than any other tool - an axe, a shovel, or anything. A gun is as good or as bad as the man using it. Remember that.

Marion We'd all be much better off if there wasn't a single gun left in this valley - including yours.

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The Black Cat

Confrontation Between Hubert and Richard

Hubert Smith Oh, then you're the guy that slugged me.

Richard Hartley Yeah, and I'll do it again any time you train down to my weight.

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Shane

A Decision Driven by Love and Loyalty

Marion You were through with gun-fighting?

Shane I changed my mind.

Marion Are you doing this just for me?

[softly]

Shane For you, Marion - for Joe - and little Joe.

Marion Then we'll never see you again?

Shane Never's a long time, ma'am. Tell him, tell him I was sorry.

Marion No need to tell him that.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Shane

The Value of Observation and Awareness

Shane You were watchin me down the trail for quite a spell, weren't you?

Joey Yes I was.

Shane You know, I... hoe de hohoho I like a man who watches things go on around. It means he'll make his mark someday.

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Shane

Superstitions Affecting Decision-Making Among Friends

Chris Well now, looky here what we got. That’s one of the new ones. We call him Sody-pop.

[to Pete]

Pete Deal me out.

Chris Why, what's the matter, Pete?

Pete Just say I'm superstitious.

Chris I guess you don’t hear very well, sodbuster. I told you that if you wanted to stay healthy you’d keep out of here. Look pig farmer, you’d better get back inside with the women and kids where it’s safe.... D’you hear me? Get goin’.

[to Shane]

Shane Don’t push it, Calloway.

Chris Did you think you were goin’ to come in here and drink with the men?

Chris You ain’t going to drink that in here.

Shane You guessed it.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

The Blue Dahlia

Memory of a Past Encounter

Johnny Morrison Last night when I made myself walk out on you, remember? I said every guy had seen you before. Somewhere.

Joyce Harwood I remember.

Johnny Morrison But the trick was to find you.

Joyce Harwood I remember that, too. Do you think I'd ever forget it?

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

The Blue Dahlia

Room Inquiry in San Francisco

Corelli You still want that room?

Johnny Morrison If you're sure nobody's dead in it?

[sarcastically]

Corelli Right back this way. You live in San Francisco?

Johnny Morrison Yeah, when I'm there.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Shane

Conflict Over a Beef Contract

Ryker Howdy Starrett.

Morgan specting trouble?

Ryker I don't want no trouble, Starrett. I came to inform ya. I got that beef contract for the reservation.

Joe Did it take this many of you to tell me that?

Ryker I mean business.

Joe Then you tend to your own.

Ryker That's just what I'm doing! I'm telling ya now, I'm gonna need all my range.

Joe Now that you've warned me, would you mind gettin off my place?

Ryker Your place! You're gonna have to get out before the snow flies.

Joe And supposin I don't?

Ryker You and the other squatters...

Joe Homesteaders, you mean, don't you?

Ryker I could blast you out of here right now, you and the others.

Joe Now you listen to me, the time for gun-blastin a man off of his own place is past. Why, they're building a penitentiary right now...

Marion Joe, that's enough.

[interrupting]

Morgan Who are you, stranger?

[to Shane]

Shane I'm a friend of Starrett's.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

The Blue Dahlia

Strangers and Choices in Unexpected Situations

Joyce Harwood Get in.

[offering Johnny a lift as it rains heavily]

Joyce Harwood Well, you could get wetter if you lie down in the gutter.

Johnny Morrison You oughta have more sense than to take chances with strangers like this.

Joyce Harwood Funny, but practically all the people I know were strangers when I met them. I'm going to Malibu. Is that any use to you?

Johnny Morrison What's in Malibu?

Joyce Harwood Houses, people. I have some friends there.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Shane

Confrontation Between Shane and Ryker

Shane I came to get your offer, Ryker.

Ryker I'm not dealing with you. Where's Starrett?

Shane You're dealing with me, Ryker.

Ryker I got no quarrel with you, Shane. You walk out now and no hard feelings.

Shane What's your offer, Ryker?

Ryker To you, not a thing.

Shane That's too bad.

Ryker Too bad?

Shane Yeah, you've lived too long. Your kind of days are over.

Ryker My days! What about yours, gunfighter?

Shane The difference is I know it.

Ryker All right. So we'll all turn in our six-guns to the bartender. We'll all start hoeing spuds. Is that it?

Shane Not quite yet. We haven't heard from your friend here.

[to Wilson]

Wilson I wouldn't push too far if I were you. Our fight ain't with you.

Shane It ain't with me, Wilson?

Wilson No it ain't, Shane.

Ryker I wouldn't pull on Wilson, Shane. Will, you're a witness to this.

[to Will Atkey]

Shane So you're Jack Wilson.

Wilson What's that mean to you, Shane?

Shane I've heard about you.

Wilson And what've you heard, Shane?

Shane I've heard that you're a low-down Yankee liar.

Wilson Prove it.

The Black Cat

Accusations and Insults Between Brothers

Montague Hartley This is on a par with your other stupid accusations!

[talking to Gil]

Richard Hartley Yes, two more brains and he'd be a half-wit.

The Blue Dahlia

Motel Recommendations and Flea Concerns

Man Recommending a Motel Clean sheets every day they tell me.

[walking into the cheap motel]

Johnny Morrison How often do they change the fleas?

The Blue Dahlia

Questioning Manners and Perception

Johnny Morrison Seems I've lost my manners or would anyone here know the difference?

[to the partygoers]

Shane

Unexpected Visitors at the Starrett Homestead

Morgan Alright. Alright. I'll open the gate for ya.

[greeting Starrett's wagon]

Joe Who goes there?

Morgan Brother Rufe's come to pay you a little visit.

Ryker Howdy, Starrett. Evening, Ma'am. I had something I wanted to talk over with you Starrett.

Joe Whatever business you and I got we can say it right here.

Ryker I'll just lay it on the barrel-head then. How'd you like to work for me?

Joe I work for myself. I've done enough working for others.

Ryker Wait till I tell ya. I'll pay ya top wages, more than you can make on this patch of ground.

Joe Nope. I'm not interested.

Ryker I haven't said it all. You can run your cattle with mine. What's more I'll buy your homestead. Set a price you think is reasonable, you'll find me reasonable. Is that fair?

Joe You've made things pretty hard for us, Ryker, and us in the right all the time.

Ryker Right? You in the right! Look, Starrett. When I come to this country, you weren't much older than your boy there. We had rough times, me and other men that are mostly dead now. I got a bad shoulder yet from a Cheyenne arrowhead. We made this country. Found it and we made it. We worked with blood and empty bellies. The cattle we brought in were hazed off by Indians and rustlers. They don't bother you much anymore because we handled em. We made a safe range out of this. Some of us died doin it but we made it. And then people move in who've never had to rawhide it through the old days. They fence off my range, and fence me off from water. Some of em like you plow ditches, take out irrigation water. And so the creek runs dry sometimes and I've got to move my stock because of it. And you say we have no right to the range. The men that did the work and ran the risks have no rights? I take you for a fair man, Starrett.

Joe I'm not belittlin what you and the others did. At the same time, you didn't find this country. There was trappers here and Indian traders long before you showed up and they tamed this country more than you did.

Ryker They weren't ranchers.

Joe You talk about rights. You think you've got the right to say that nobody else has got any. Well, that ain't the way the government looks at it.

Ryker I didn't come to argue. I made you a fair proposition.

Joe What about the others?

Ryker Shane already knows he can work for me anytime.

Joe The other homesteaders.

Ryker Look, be reasonable! After all, there's only so many hands in a deck of cards.

Joe Then I've got to say no.

Ryker You don't give a man much choice do you, Starrett? How do you feel about it, son? Wouldn't you like to go partners with me? I don't want trouble with your father. We don't want anyone to get hurt, do we?

[to Joey]

Joe Joey ain't quite of age, Ryker.

Ryker What d'you say, son?.

Marion Come up here, Joey.

Ryker I don't want you to be sorry, Starrett. I'll see ya. .

[he leaves]

Joe What do you make of him?

[to Shane, watching the retreating Wilson]

Shane He's no cowpuncher.

Joe: No. He don't look the part sure enough.

The Blue Dahlia

Mistaken Identity in The Blue Dahlia

Johnny Morrison You've got the wrong lipstick on, Mister.

[discovering his wife in close proximity to Eddie Harwood]

Memorable Quotes from Alan Ladd