Bill SmitrovichQuotes

Sheriff Joe Haller: [to the mob, lead by Andy Fairton] The law has a name for what you people are planning. It's called "private justice". And private justice is about a step and a half away from lynch mobs and hang ropes. Now I may be no J. Edgar Hoover, but I am the law in Tarker's Mills. I want all you people to go home.

Andy Fairton: Don't let this guy scare you! What's he done since this whole thing started but hang his face out? He ain't got so much as a fingerprint!

Owen Knopfler: Shut up, Andy.

Andy Fairton: No, don't tell me to shut up.

Herb Kincaid: Yes... Shut up. I just came from my boy's funeral.

Sheriff Joe Haller: Herb. Herb, I know how upset... how grief-stricken you must be.

Herb Kincaid: He was torn apart.

Sheriff Joe Haller: I know that. I...

Herb Kincaid: [shouts] Upset? Grief-stricken? You don't know what those words mean. My son was torn to pieces. Pieces! MY SON WAS TORN TO PIECES! You come in here and talk to these men about private justice? You dare to do that? Why don't you go out to Harmony Hill, Sheriff Haller, and dig up what's left of my boy Brady... and explain to him about private justice? Would you want to do that? As for me, I'm gonna go out and hunt up a little private justice.

Andy Fairton: [to the mob] You heard him. Let's go!

Air Force General: [After hearing the president ordering them to fire on Air Force One] My God! Is he saying what I think he's saying?

Vice-President Kathryn Bennett: If we're going to act, we have to act now.

Defense Secretary Walter Dean: It's too risky.

Bennett: The president is up there with a gun to his head!

General Northwood: [sulks in his chair] He's asking us to do that? To Air Force One?!

Bennett: [leans forward to the general] He's not asking. Your commander-in-chief has issued a direct order. Do it!

Frank: You had sexual intercourse on a pile of raw hamburger meat that we're supposed to sell to the public for their Fourth of July barbecues.

Ted: I banged her with a pack of Freedent Gum. Then I put it back on the shelf and a senior citizen bought it.

Frank: That took guts. We need guts. I'm naming the store after you.

Dean Acheson: What happened in there?

Gen. Maxwell Taylor: I thought he was going to give us his decision.

McGeorge Bundy: Look, I know them. They just need to make sure there's no other way. They'll get there.

Acheson: [[w:Joseph P. Kennedy|Kennedys' father; [w:Munich Agreement|Munich] Remember, the ] was one of the architects of ]. There's only one responsible choice here. So, let's hope appeasement doesn't run in families. I fear weakness does.

President Kennedy: Okay - let's have it.

NPIC Photo Interpreter: Gentlemen, as most of you now know, a U-2 over Cuba Sunday morning took a series of disturbing photographs. Our analysis at NPIC indicates that the Soviet Union has followed up its conventional weapons build-up in Cuba with the introduction of surface-to-surface, medium-range ballistic missiles, or MRBMs. Our official estimate at this time is that the missile system is the SS-4 Sandal'. We do not believe that the missiles are as yet operational. Iron Bark reports that the SS-4 can deliver a three-megaton nuclear weapon 1,000 miles. So far we've identified 32 missiles serviced by about 3,400 men, undoubtedly all Soviet personnel. Our cities and military installations in the southeast as far north as Washington, D.C., are in range of these weapons, and in the event of a launch would have only five minutes warning.

General Marshall Carter: Five minutes, gentlemen.

Gen. Maxwell Taylor: In those five minutes, they could kill 80 million Americans - and destroy a significant percentage of our bomber bases, degrading our retaliatory options. The Joint Chiefs consensus, Mr. President, is that this signals a major doctrinal shift in Soviet thinking - to a first-strike policy. It is a massively destabilizing move.

Robert Kennedy: How long until they're operational?

NPIC Photo Interpreter: General Taylor can answer that question better than I can.

Taylor: GMAC - Guided Missiles Intelligence Committee - estimates 10-14 days. A crash program could limit that time. However, I must stress that there may be more missiles...that we don't know about. We'll need more U-2 coverage.

President Kennedy: Gentlemen, I want first reactions here. Assuming for the moment that Khruschev has NOT gone off the deep end - and intends to start World War Three - what are we looking at?

Dean Rusk: Mr. President, I believe my team is in agreement. If we permit the introduction of nuclear missiles to a Soviet satellite nation in our hemisphere, the diplomatic consequences will be too terrible to contemplate. The Russians are trying to show the world they can do whatever they want, wherever they want, and we're powerless to stop them. If they succeed...

Robert Kennedy: [[w:Munich Agreement|Munich] It'll be ] all over again.

Rusk: Yes. Appeasement only makes the aggressor more aggressive. And the Soviets will be emboldened to push us even harder. Now we must remove the missiles one way or another. Now it seems to me the options are either some combination of international pressure & action on our part, until they give in, or...we hit them. An air strike.

Judge Herman Rothwax: Mr. Dent. You may call your next witness.

Mr. Dent: The state calls Gary Puddles. Bailiff, will you please Gary Puddles to the stand?

Arthur Fleck: [''To Gary walking ahead to stand''] Gary. Go get em.

Bailiff: [''Hands out bible and Gary places hand on it''] Raise your right hand. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you're about to give is the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

Gary Puddles: I do.

Mr. Dent: Good morning, Mr. Puddles. Thank you for being here. The person who you saw stab Randall Kleinmanhoffer to death, are they in the courtroom today?

Gary Puddles: Yes.

Mr. Dent: Can you point him out here to all of us? And... describe his clothing?

Gary Puddles: [''Points to Arthur Fleck''] He's sitting right here at this table. Wearing a red suit and clown make-up.

Mr. Dent: May the record reflect the identification of the accused Your Honor?

Judge Herman Rothwax: Yes, it will.

Mr. Dent: Nothing further, Your Honor.

Judge Herman Rothwax: Your witness, Mr. Fleck.

Arthur Fleck: [''Gets up and starts walking''] Mr. Puddles. Gary Puddles? Tell me, sir, is that your God-given name?

Gary Puddles: Yes.

Arthur Fleck: [''Chortles''] Really? Really? Your last name is Puddles? Why, it sounds like a... a joke!

Gary Puddles: Well, it's not.

Arthur Fleck: You expect us to believe that your last name is Puddles? Puddles?!

Judge Herman Rothwax: Mr. Fleck. Where is this going? As I said, I'm not going to let you turn my courtroom into a circus.

Arthur Fleck: Okay. But with all due respect, Your Honor, don't you think it's a little late for that?

Judge Herman Rothwax: Don't try my patience.

Arthur Fleck: Okay, okay. Mr. Puddles, earlier this afternoon you testified that you saw me stab Mr. Kliman Manhoff in the neck a couple of times, correct?

Gary Puddles: Kleimanhoffer. Yes, I saw you.

Arthur Fleck: And what else did you see that day?

Gary Puddles: You stabbing him in the eye, and bashing his head into the wall, many, many times.

Arthur Fleck: Yes, but Randall was a bit of a bully, wasn't he?

Gary Puddles: He didn't deserve to die.

Arthur Fleck: I don't know. Never mind. Gary, did you catch my act on the Murray Franklin Show later that night?

Gary Puddles: No, I didn't.

Arthur Fleck: No? May I remind you that you are under oath?

Gary Puddles: I was locked up at the police station. In an interview room. Cause they thought you might come and kill me. I was the only witness. They kept me there all night.

Arthur Fleck: [''Pinches and pulls out jacket''] Isn't that convenient, Mr. Puddles? That you didn't see the show, you didn't see anything I had to say, I can't believe it!

Judge Herman Rothwax: Mr. Fleck.

Arthur Fleck: [''Walks up to Gary and rest arms on witness box''] Okay. When you were in my mama's apartment, God rest her soul, when as you say you saw me bash Mr. Klannonmen- whatever's- head into the wall, many, many times, did I seem crazy to you? Did I seem like a different person? Or was I the same old Joker that I always been?

Gary Puddles: Arthur, don't do this to your self, it isn't you.

Arthur Fleck: It isn't me? So you don't think this is me? Well, maybe... maybe... you don't know who I was really was.

Gary Puddles: I never saw that side of you.

Arthur Fleck: [''Turns around''; ''Gestures to spectators''] Well, maybe you weren't looking. Maybe no one was. Because nobody knew I existed! But look around, look at all these people! Everyone outside! These cameras! Who do you think they see, Mr. Puddles?!

Gary Puddles: Joker.

Arthur Fleck: [''Turns to Gary and walks to him''; ''Scene cuts to Arkham guard Jackie watching on TV''; ''Raises both fists in air''; ''Spectators applaud and cheer''] Oh, sweet child, what you have proven here today, is that you are no different that any of those people that underestimated me. From Franklin Murray to those goddamn fat, stupid guards at Arkham. They think that they can treat me like trash. But I will no longer allow you, or you, or you, or any of you to keep me down. I am free!

Gary Puddles: Why are you doing this to me, Arthur?

Arthur Fleck: What? Gary, I like you! I told you I wouldn't hurt and I didn't!

Gary Puddles: Not hurt me? I couldn't go back to work. I still can't sleep and I'm scared all the time. I never used to be scared. I'm scared right now, here. With you in front of me. I couldn't do anything that day. I felt so small. I was reminded how powerless I really am.

Arthur Fleck: You got a flair for the dramatic. You are really tugging at my heart strings, little Gary. No more questions, Your Honor.

Gary Puddles: Do you know what that feels like, Arthur?

Arthur Fleck: Fuck!

Gary Puddles: You were the only one at work who never made fun of me! You were the only one that was nice to me!

Arthur Fleck: I said, no more questions, Your Honor!

Judge Herman Rothwax: Very well, Mr. Puddles. The court thanks you for your testimony. Please step down, you're excused.

Judge Herman Rothwax: [''To Joker bringing up and sitting on a stool chair before the jury''] A word of caution. This is not a comedy club.

Judge Herman Rothwax: [''To courtroom spectators''] I realize there's a lot going on. But this is still a court if law. And and all outbursts will not be tolerated. And that applies to everyone in the courtroom.