Karl Malden Quotes

Father Barry You'd better get rid of that gun, unless you haven't got the guts. And if you don't, you'd better hang on to it!

Father Barry Some people think the Crucifixion only took place on Calvary. They better wise up! Taking Joey Doyle's life to stop him from testifying is a crucifixion. And dropping a sling on Kayo Dugan because he was ready to spill his guts tomorrow, that's a crucifixion. And every time the Mob puts the pressure on a good man, tries to stop him from doing his duty as a citizen, it's a crucifixion. And anybody who sits around and lets it happen, keeps silent about something he knows that happened, shares the guilt of it just as much as the Roman soldier who pierced the flesh of our Lord to see if he was dead...Boys, this is my church! And if you don't think Christ is down here on the waterfront, you've got another guess coming!

Shooter Melba, why do you do that?

Melba So it'll fit, stupid.

Shooter No, I'm not talking about that. What I'm asking is... do you, uh, have to cheat at everything?

Melba At everything?

Shooter Yes. At... solitaire. I've yet to see you play one game of solitaire without cheating.

Melba So what?

Shooter Look, you're just cheating yourself, don't you understand? You'll be the loser, no one else but yourself!... You've ruined the puzzle, now, that doesn't go in there.

Melba Does now.

Father Barry Isn't it simple as one, two, three? One, the working conditions are bad. Two, they're bad because the mob does the hiring. And three, the only way we can break the mob is to stop letting them get away with murder.

Father Barry There's one thing we've got in this country and that's ways of fightin back. Gettin the facts to the public. Testifyin for what you know is right against what you know is wrong. Now what's ratting to them is telling the truth for you. Now can't you see that? Can't you see that?

Father Barry Every morning when the hiring boss blows his whistle, Jesus stands alongside you in the shape-up. He sees why some of you get picked and some of you get passed over. He sees the family men worrying about getting the rent and getting food in the house for the wife and the kids. He sees you selling your souls to the mob for a day's pay...And what does Christ think of the easy-money boys who do none of the work and take all of the gravy? And how does he feel about the fellows who wear hundred-and-fifty dollar suits and diamond rings, on your union dues and your kickback money? And how does He, who spoke up without fear against every evil, feel about your silence? You want to know what's wrong with our waterfront? It's the love of a lousy buck. It's making the love of the lousy buck - the cushy job - more important than the love of man! It's forgettin that every fellow down here is your brother in Christ! But remember, Christ is always with you - Christ is in the shape up. He's in the hatch. He's in the union hall. He's kneeling right here beside Dugan. And He's saying with all of you, if you do it to the least of mine, you do it to me! And what they did to Joey, and what they did to Dugan, they're doing to you. And you. You. ALL OF YOU. And only you, only you with God's help, have the power to knock em out for good.

Dr. Marais These days inspector everything is Freud or it is nothing, Freud and the labido, anything new, especialy from zoologists like myself...

Prof. Paul Dupin ...At least has a reception here. Dr. Marais maintains that in all forms of life, from the mico to man, the killer instinct lies latent.

Dr. Marais Held in check for most of us, but for others igniting under certain hatred, or passion, or a crowning frustration, or a total collapse of one's beliefs...

Shooter Hey, why are you doing this? It can't be for money.

Slade Yes, for my kind of money, gut money. I wanta to see that smug old bastard gutted. Gutted!

Shooter Like he gutted you.

Slade Yes, that's right, that's right!

Terry Malloy If I spill, my life ain't worth a nickel.

Father Barry And how much is your soul worth if you don't?

Dock workers How about Terry? He don't work, we don't work.

Johnny Friendly Work! He can't even walk!

Longshoreman If Terry walks in, we walk in with him. They're waitin for him to walk in.

Father Barry Do you hear that, Terry?...You lost a battle, but you have a chance to win the war....Can you walk?...Just finish what you started. You can!

Terry Malloy Get me on my feet.

Father Barry How're you doing?

Terry Malloy Am I on my feet?

Johnny Friendly Where you guys going? Wait a minute! I'll remember this! I'll remember every one of you! I'll be back! Don't you forget that! I'll be back!

Slade Six stacks, is that right, Shooter?

Shooter Six.

Slade Well, we've been playing 30 hours... uh, that rate, six thousand, that makes roughly, uh, $200 an hour. Thank you for the entertainment, gentlemen. I am particularly grateful to Lancey, here; it's been a rewarding experience to watch a great artist at work. Thank you for the privilege, sir.

Lancey Howard Well now, you're quite welcome, son. It's a pleasure to meet someone who understands that to the true gambler, money is never an end in itself, it's simply a tool, as a language is to thought. Good evening, uh... Mr. Slade.

Slade Good evening, Mr. Howard.

Parson Alec Harvey The laddie's health the reason you're heading west?

Zebulon Prescott Partly, only partly. Mostly our trouble east was rocks. I had me a farm where some years I'd raise a hundred bushels of rocks to the acre.

Rebecca Prescott Now, Zebulon, you hadn't oughta lie to the man like that.

Zebulon Prescott Wife, I'm a god fearin soul and I tell the truth as I see it. Now I never used a plow, I'd blast out the furrows with gunpowder. And then one morning, I hauled the bucket up from out of the well and so help me the bucket was full of rocks. Rocks! I just stood there, right still, tryin not to blaspheme, and I said to myself, "You've got a son that's ailin, you've got a twenty year old daughter what won't take to herself a husband, there she sits over there, moonin as usual, and you've got another daughter who just don't seem quite right in the head". Lilith! Now, I remind you sir, I'm still standin there, holding a bucket full of rocks, and starin into a bleak old age. So I made me a vow right then and there, I said, "If I can find a man with five hundred dollars, who likes rocks, then there's going to be another fool ownin this farm. Well sir, the Lord provided such a man, and here I am.

Rebecca Prescott He ain't told you one word of truth, Mr. Harvey. We had the best farm in the township.

Zebulon Prescott Yeah, Rockville Township it was. Stone County.

Zebulon Prescott O Lord, without consulting with Thee, we have sent thy way some souls whose evil ways passeth all understanding. We ask Thee humbly to receive them... whether you want them or not! Amen.