Ray Milland Quotes

C.A. Swan Where's the nearest police station?

Tony Wendice Opposite the church, two minutes walk.

C.A. Swan Suppose I walk there now.

Tony Wendice What would you tell them?

C.A. Swan Everything.

Tony Wendice Everything? All about "Mr. Adams" and "Mr. Wilson"?

C.A. Swan I should simply tell them that you're trying to blackmail me into...

Tony Wendice Into?

C.A. Swan ...murdering your wife.

Tony Wendice I almost wish you would. When she heard that we'd have the biggest laugh of our lives.

C.A. Swan Aren't you forgetting something?

Tony Wendice Am I?

C.A. Swan You've told me quite a lot tonight.

Tony Wendice What of it?

C.A. Swan Suppose I tell them how you followed her to that studio in Chelsea and watched them cooking spaghetti and all that rubbish. Wouldn't that ring a bell?

Tony Wendice Oh, it certainly would. They'd assume you'd followed her there yourself.

C.A. Swan Me? Why should I?

Tony Wendice Why should you steal her handbag? Why should you write her all those blackmail notes? Can you prove you didn't? You certainly can't prove I did. It will be a straight case of your word against mine.

C.A. Swan That'd puzzle them, wouldn't it? What could you say?

Tony Wendice I should simply say that you came here tonight, half-drunk, and tried to borrow money on the strength that we were at college together. When I refused, you mentioned something about a letter belonging to my wife. As far as I could make out, you were trying to sell it to me. I gave you what money I had, and you gave me the letter. It has your fingerprints on it, remember? Then you said if I went to the police you'd tell some crazy story about my wanting you to murder my wife. Before you go any further, old boy, do consider the inconvenience. You see, I'm quite well known, and there'd be pictures of you as well. And sooner or later there'd be a deputation of landladies and lodgers who would step forward and testify as to your character. And someone is almost certain to have seen you with Miss Wallace. You were careful not to be seen around with her, I noticed. You usually met in out-of-the-way places where you wouldn't be recognized.

Tony Wendice I became curious to know you that I followed you. I followed you home that night And I've been following you ever since.

C.A. Swan Why?

Tony Wendice Well, I was hoping that sooner or later I might catch you at something and be able to, ah...

C.A. Swan Blackmail me?

Tony Wendice Influence you. After a few weeks, I got to know your routine. That that made it a lot easier.

C.A. Swan Wasn't that dull work? Following me around in your spare time?

Tony Wendice To begin with... yes. But you know how it is. It's like a hobby. Once you take up a hobby, the more interesting and fascinating it becomes. You became quite fascinating. They were time that I felt you almost belonged to me.

C.A. Swan That must have been interesting.

Stella Meredith You made that up?

Roderick Fitzgerald Yes.

Stella Meredith But you must be brilliant.

Roderick Fitzgerald Oh, dazzling. People have to wear sunglasses.

Tony Wendice By the way does Mrs. Van Dorn know about "Mr. Adams" or "Mr. Wilson" and Miss Wallace? You were planning to marry Mrs. Van Dorn, weren't you?

C.A. Swan Smart, aren't you?

Tony Wendice No, not really. I've just had time to think things out. Put myself in your position. That's why I know you're going to agree.

C.A. Swan What makes you think I'll agree?

Tony Wendice For the same reason that a donkey with a stick behind him and a carrot in front always goes forwards and not backwards.

C.A. Swan Tell me about the carrot.

Tony Wendice One thousand pounds in cash.

C.A. Swan For a murder?

Tony Wendice For a few minutes work, that's all it is. And no risk, I guarantee. That ought to appeal to you. You've been skating on pretty thin ice.

C.A. Swan I don't know what you're talking about.

Tony Wendice You ought to know. It's in all the papers. Middle aged woman found dead due to an overdose of something. Apparently, she'd been taking the stuff for quite some time, and nobody knows where she got it. But we know, don't we? Poor Miss Wallace.

C.A. Swan This thousand pounds. Where is it?

Tony Wendice It's in a small attaché case in a check room.

C.A. Swan Where?

Tony Wendice Somewhere in London. Of course we don't meet again. As soon as you've delivered the goods, I shall mail you the checkroom ticket and the key to the case. You take this hundred pounds on account.

Tony Wendice People don't commit murder on credit.

Tony Wendice How do you go about writing a detective story?

Mark Halliday Well, you forget detection and concentrate on crime. Crime's the thing. And then you imagine you're going to steal something or murder somebody.

Tony Wendice Oh, is that how you do it? It's interesting.

Mark Halliday Yes, I usually put myself in the criminal's shoes and then I keep asking myself, uh, what do I do next?

Margot Mary Wendice Do you really believe in the perfect murder?

Mark Halliday Mmm, yes, absolutely. On paper, that is. And I think I could, uh, plan one better than most people; but I doubt if I could carry it out.

Tony Wendice Oh? Why not?

Mark Halliday Well, because in stories things usually turn out the way the author wants them to; and in real life they don't... always. Hmm. I'm afraid my murders would be something like my bridge: I'd make some stupid mistake and never realize it until I found everybody was looking at me.

Tony Wendice As you said Mark, it might work out on paper, but... Congratulations, Inspector. Oh, by the way... How about you, Margot?

Margot Mary Wendice Yes, I could do with something.

Tony Wendice Mark?

Mark Halliday So could I.

Tony Wendice I suppose you're still on duty, Inspector.

Pickett Smith Frogs attacking windows, Snakes in chandeliers. Those aren't exactly normal things, Mr. Crockett.

Jason Crockett I don't think there's much to worry about. I'm sure I can get the state to spray some pesticides.

Pickett Smith Yes, sir, I'm sure you can. You can kill a hell of a lot of other things too.

Jason Crockett Mr. Smith, that is where you and I part company. I still believe man is master of the world.

Pickett Smith Does that mean he can't live in harmony with the rest of it?

Jason Crockett You call that horrible racket out there harmonious?

Pickett Smith Mr. Crockett, I know it sounds strange as hell, but... what if nature were trying to get back at us?

Jason Crockett Nonsense.

Pickett Smith Then how do you explain it?

Jason Crockett We just sit and wait.

Don Birnam It shrinks my liver, doesn't it, Nat? It pickles my kidneys, yes. But what does it do to my mind? It tosses the sandbags overboard so the balloon can soar. Suddenly, I'm above the ordinary. I'm competent, supremely competent. I'm walking a tightrope over Niagara Falls. I'm one of the great ones. I'm Michelangelo, molding the beard of Moses. I'm Van Gogh, painting pure sunlight. I'm Horowitz, playing the Emperor Concerto. I'm John Barrymore before the movies got him by the throat. I'm Jesse James and his two brothers — all three of em. I'm W. Shakespeare. And out there it's not Third Avenue any longer: it's the Nile, Nat, the Nile — and down it moves the barge of Cleopatra.

Jason Crockett Karen... and everybody... this conversation is ended!

Pickett Smith No, it isn't. Look, with Grover and Kenneth dead, I don't know what's going on around here... or if it is happening anywhere else... but we are a bunch of damn fools if we don't face the fact that we are in a hell of a lot of trouble! And we are gonna have to get together to fight it!

Maybelle Keep on talking Mr. Pickett, cause you are the only man around here who's saying anything!

Pickett Smith First of all, we're gonna have to try to find Iris, Stuart and Michael. To be very honest with you... I don't think we will. Not alive anyway. But whether we find them or not, we gotta get off this damn island! All of us, now! We'll take the power boat. If we have to, we'll tow the canoe.

Jason Crockett And leave this house empty? Deserted?

Pickett Smith I don't think there's gonna be anybody around here to worry about today. Maybe if you didn't notice, but there hasn't been one boat out on that lake all day!

Clint Crockett Do you think this is happening everywhere, Mr. Smith?

Pickett Smith Well if it is, we'd better all get out of here together.

Jason Crockett Well, I forbid it! I control these people, not you!

Maybelle Nobody controls me, Mr. Crockett! Now I'm asking for your permission to get off this island, alone or with someone else, I just want to go!

Jason Crockett You can leave whenever you feel like it.

Charles Mr. Crockett, begging your pardon, I do believe Mr. Smith made good sense. We must all go together.

Jason Crockett What are you saying? Are you contradicting me? Just because of one small crisis, you want to run?

Bella Mr. Crockett. Really, it's not a small crisis. You got to see that.

Jason Crockett I see who's loyal and who isn't. That's what I see. Now, if you wanna go, both of you, well, go. Do you?

Maybelle Maybe you haven't heard about it, stuck out here in vacationland, but five score and seven years ago, they just started letting people make up their own mind.

Charles Mr. Crockett, I wish you'd change your mind, for your own safety. Mr. Crockett--

Jason Crockett Do you want to leave? Then leave. Get out! All three of you, go on! Clint?

Clint Crockett Yes, sir?

Jason Crockett Take em across the lake and leave em. Take a good look around. Then get right back here!

Clint Crockett I can take care of that, sir. Ladies, gentlemen, you have about five minutes. Thank you.

Maybelle Thank you so much for your hospitality. I'll write you my thank-you note when I get back to civilization.

Pickett Smith You're in for one hell of a battle, Mr. Crockett. You better get ready for it.

Tony Wendice It's funny to think that just a year ago, I sat in that Knightsbridge Pub actually planning to murder her. And I might have done it, if I hadn't seen something that changed my mind.

C.A. Swan Well? What did you see?

Tony Wendice I saw you.

Guy Carrell Can you possibly conceive it. The unendurable oppression of the lungs, the stifling fumes of the Earth, the rigid embrace of the coffin, the blackness of absolute night and the silence, like an overwhelming sea.

C.A. Swan When would this take place?

Tony Wendice Tomorrow night.

C.A. Swan Tomorrow! Not a chance! I've got to think this over.

Tony Wendice It has to be tomorrow. I've arranged things that way.

C.A. Swan Where?

Tony Wendice Approximately where you're standing now.