James Mason Quotes

Norman Maine Do you ever go fishing?

Norman Maine Well, do you like prizefi--have you ever watched a great fighter?

Esther Blodgett I-I uh--

Norman Maine I'm trying to tell you how you sing.

Esther Blodgett Do you mean like a prizefighter or a fish?

Norman Maine Look...em--

Norman Maine There are certain pleasures that you get--

Norman Maine There are certain pleasures you get, little-little jabs of pleasure when a swordfish take a hook, or-or when you see a great fighter get in right for the kill, see?

Norman Maine You don't understand a word I'm saying, do you?

Esther Blodgett No, not yet. Why don't you try bullfights?

Ed Concannon I know how you feel. You don't believe me, but I do know. I'm going to tell you something that I learned when I was your age. I'd prepared a case and old man White said to me, "How did you do?" And, uh, I said, "Did my best." And he said, "You're not paid to do your best. You're paid to win." And that's what pays for this office... pays for the pro bono work that we do for the poor... pays for the type of law that you want to practice... pays for my whiskey... pays for your clothes... pays for the leisure we have to sit back and discuss philosophy as we're doing tonight. We're paid to win the case. You finished your marriage. You wanted to come back and practice the law. You wanted to come back to the world. Welcome back.

Vicki Lester Norman, don't you know how I feel about you?

Norman Maine Yes, yes I do.

Vicki Lester Well, then dear, don't you know that nothing about you could make any difference?

Norman Maine It's too late.

Vicki Lester No, it isn't.

Norman Maine It is, I tell you...Now listen to me. I destroy everything I touch. I always have. Forget me. I'm a bad loss.

Vicki Lester I don't believe that.

Norman Maine You've come too late.

Matt Libby Friends, my eye! Listen. I got you out of your jams because it was my job, not because I was your friend. I don't like you. I never did like you. And nothing made me happier than to see all those cute little pranks of yours catch up with you and land you on your celebrated face.

Norman Maine Pretty work, Libby. Always wait till they're down, then kick them.

Norman Maine You know, Oliver, I sometimes think I was born with a genius - an absolute genius - for doing the wrong thing.

Esther Blodgett You know as much about me as I do myself. But...you see how long it's taken me to get this far. Now, all I need is just a little luck.

Norman Maine What kind of luck?

Esther Blodgett Oh, the kind of luck that every girl singer with a band dreams of--one night a big talent scout from a big record company might come in and he'll let me make a record.

Norman Maine Yes, and then?

Esther Blodgett Well, the record will become number one on the Hit Parade, it'll be played on the jukeboxes all over the country...and I'll be made. End of dream.

Norman Maine There's only one thing wrong with that.

Esther Blodgett I know--it won't happen!

Norman Maine No, it might happen pretty easily--but the dream isn't big enough.

Mr. Jordan He's been drugged by those two downstairs. This is a murder. See how he's slowly sliding into the water?

Captain Nemo We are taking the Nautilus down for the last time.

Man We understand sir, and we're with you.

Ned Land Wait a minute. I don't understand. What's that gotta do with us?

Captain Nemo I'm dying, and the Nautilus is dying with me. Professor?

Professor Aronnax Yes.

Captain Nemo In a matter of minutes, an explosion, such as the world has never known, will destroy my island and all its works forever. That is why I have brought the Nautilus... here, to its last, deep resting place. Here at least, we will die in peace. Let every man go to his quarters and remain there.

Ned Land Why do you take us down with you?

Captain Nemo Lock them in their quarters.

Man Aye, sir. Take them out.

Conseil I don't want to die! Don't let him do it! I want no part of this!

Professor Aronnax Captain, you cannot do this. There is more at stake here than just our lives. Yours was a dream of the future come true. I beg you to reconsider.

Captain Nemo A power greater than mine makes that impossible. But there is hope for the future. When the world is ready for a new and better life, all this will someday come to pass... in God's good time.

Norman Maine I shall have to introduce myself all over again to a lot of people. They won't know me when I'm not drinking.

Captain Nemo Think of it: On the surface, there is hunger and fear. Men still exercise unjust laws. They fight and tear one another to pieces. A mere few feet beneath the waves, their reign ceases, their evil drowns. Here on the ocean floor is the only independence. Here, I am free. Imagine what would happen if they controlled machines such as this submarine boat. Far better that they think there's a monster and hunt me with harpoons...

Professor Aronnax What is in those sacks they are carrying?

Captain Nemo Nitrates and phosphate for ammunition. The seeds of war. They're loading a full cargo of death. And when that ship takes it home the world will die a little more. I was once one of those pitiful wretches you see down there. Look at it again, Professor, I don't want you to forget what you've seen here today.

Professor Aronnax I've seen enough.

Captain Nemo It's burned everlastingly in my memory.

General Count von Klugermann Otto, this is 1918. Things have changed. Unrestricted submarine warfare, bombing of civilians, poison gas. Ask your wife; she's a nurse. Ask Elfi about the ] casualties.

Otto Heidemann So you approve of this kind of ruthlessness!

von Klugermann We fight to win, Otto.

Captain Nemo There is hope for the future. When the world is ready for a new and better life, all this will someday come to pass... in God's good time.

Norman Maine You've got that little something extra that Ellen Terry talked about. Ellen Terry, a great actress long before you were born. She said that that was what star quality was - that little something extra. Well, you've got it.

Vicki Lester When something like this happens to you and I'm not going to lie to you and tell you I didn't keep hoping it would happen. All the speeches that you've made up in your bedroom or in the bathtub go out of your mind completely and you find that, out of all the words in the world, just two stick in your mind - thank you. And all I can do is say them to you from my heart and...

Norman Maine Congratulations, my dear. I made it just in time, didn't I? May I borrow the end of your speech to make a speech of my own? My method for gaining your attention may seem a little uncon-unconventional, but, uh, hard times call for harsh measures. My - I had my speech all prepared, but I - it's gone right out of my head. Let me see - why, it's silly to be so formal, isn't it? I-I know most of you sitting out there by your first names, don't I? I made a lot o money for you gentlemen in my time through the years, didn't I? Well, I need a job now. Yeah, that's it. That-that-that-that's the speech. That's the - I need a job. That's what I wanted to say. I - I need a job. It's as simple as that. I - I need a job, that's all. My talents, I may say, are not confined to dramatic parts. I can play comedy, too.

General Count von Klugermann Good, the people like soldiers to be shot in the right places.

Joe She love me, Mr. Jordan!

Mr. Jordan Joe, you must abide by what is written.

Captain Nemo The natives over there are cannibals. They eat liars with the same enthusiasm as they eat honest men.

Captain Nemo There's a fork on your left, Mr. Land, or aren't you accustomed to utensils?

Ned Land I'm indifferent to em.

Ed Concannon Why wasn't she getting oxygen?

Dr. Towler Well, many reasons, really...

Ed Concannon Tell me one.

Dr. Towler She'd aspirated vomitus into her mask.

Ed Concannon She threw up in her mask. Now cut the bullshit, please. Just say it: She threw up in her mask.

Norman Maine Listen to me, Esther, a career is a curious thing. Talent isn't always enough. You need a sense of timing - an eye for seeing the turning point or recognizing the big chance when it comes along and grabbing it. A career can rest on a trifle. Like - like us sitting here tonight. Or it can turn on somebody saying to you, You're better than that. You're better than you know. Don't settle for the little dream. Go on to the big one...Scared? Scared to take the plunge? Don't ever forget how good you are. And hang on to that. Because I'm right. I just want to take another look at you.

Esther Blodgett Hello, Mr. Maine. You turn up in the strangest places.

Norman Maine Don't I now?

Esther Blodgett And you're cold sober.

Norman Maine Well, you'd better make the most of it!

Mr. Jordan The likelihood of one individual being right increases in direct proportion to the intensity with which others are trying to prove him wrong.