Memorable Quotes from Vic Morrow

5 quotes

Blackboard Jungle

Confrontation Among Classmates in Blackboard Jungle

Artie West All you gotta do is take it. Come on take it.

Richard Dadier That's just what I'm gonna do, big shot.

Richard Dadier Come on, West. Come on... come on... Where you going, boy? Come on.

[West strikes at Dadier and cuts him in the hand]

Artie West Belazi!... Morales!... Stoker!

[starts backing up from Dadier and calling for help from his gang, but none get involved]

Gregory W. Miller You wanna gang fight? You wanna start a rumble? Come on, boy, just make a move.

[challenges Stoker]

Artie West All right, you guys. Bascillo, Rock, move, both!

Richard Dadier What's the matter, West? You need help? Come on. You're holding the handle of that knife. Come on, you're the leader. You're the tough guy. You can't cut alone, huh, West? You're not so tough without a gang, but you were tough that night in the alley, weren't you? Seven to two. That's about your odds, isn't it?

Artie West This time you get cut up!

Richard Dadier Yeah, the gang-up didn't work. You went to the principal with a story about race prejudice. You couldn't get rid of me that way. Then you started sending those foul letters to my wife. Didn't you? Didn't you, West? End of the line boy!

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

Blackboard Jungle

Importance of Name Pronunciation in English

Richard Dadier The name is Dadier. Mr. Dadier. Pronunciation is very important in English. I would hate to fail anyone who couldn't pronounce my name.

Artie West Me too, teach?

Richard Dadier Mr. Dadier.

Artie West Yeah, sure.

Richard Dadier Say it. And take your hat off in this classroom.

Artie West You ever try to fight 35 guys at one time, teach?

Richard Dadier Take your hat off, boy, before I knock it off.

[approaches West and West stands up to challenge him]

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

Blackboard Jungle

Morning Routines and Frustrations Among Friends

Pete V. Morales I get up at 7:30, go wash. But my stinking sister, she's still in the bathroom, so I can't get in.

[talking into a recorder in front of the class]

Richard Dadier That's fine, boy. keep on talking.

Pete V. Morales So then I go to the stinking bathroom. I wash my stinking face. Then I eat some stinking sausages.

Artie West Louder, come on!

Emmanuel Stoker We can't hear you in the balcony.

Pete V. Morales So then I go down the stinking street with my stinking books, and then I meet this stink-face who lives near me. And he says: "You go to school, Pete?" I say, "You stinking right, boy!" So we walked to the stinking El, and wait for the stinking train. What do you think? The stinking train is late. So I gotta get into the stinking crowd. And that's why I'm stinking late to school, teach. How was I? Okay?

De Lica You sure stunk up that record, boy!

Richard Dadier That'll be enough for the day.

Artie West You gonna play it?

Richard Dadier No. Thanks for picking Morales. I'm sure you're his "friend".

Gregory W. Miller Sure enough, chief. Too bad you can't say the same.

Richard Dadier And just what does that mean?

Artie West Morales is a spic, that's what it means. Maybe you don't like spics.

Richard Dadier That will be enough of that, West.

Pete V. Morales What did I do, anyhow?

Artie West All right, sit down... spic.

Belazi You heard him, greaseball.

Pete V. Morales At least I'm no Irish Mick!

Richard Dadier I said, that will be enough! Now, you pick up that magazine, Belazi. Pick it up! I wanna get one thing very clear in this classroom.There's not gonna be any name calling here. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever. Now you understand that? All of ya!

Pete V. Morales I was just kidding.

Richard Dadier Yeah, I know you're just kidding. That's how things start. Like a street fight. Somebody pushes somebody in fun. Somebody pushes back, and soon you got a street fight with no kidding. That's the same way with name-calling. All right, West, look. You're of Irish descent. So is Murphy over there. You call him a Mick. He calls you a Mick. Suppose Miller called you a Mick. Is that all right? Then you call him a nigger.

Pete V. Morales I was just kidding.

Richard Dadier Well, stop kidding!

Artie West Sure, sure. Come on, Morales. Tell me all about your stinking sister!

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

Blackboard Jungle

The Importance of Learning Abbreviations

Richard Dadier Now, pretty soon, you're gonna be reading in the newspapers want ads for jobs, apartments, something to buy. Advertising space is expensive so abbreviations are used. Now, write out the complete words to all the abbreviations in these problem ads. All right, get started.

Richard Dadier Belazi. Let's keep your eyes on your paper.

Belazi Me?

Richard Dadier Cheating won't help you learn those abbreviations, you know.

Artie West He won't look for no job. His old man owns a store.

Belazi Yeah, and I'm not gonna buy me me no Cadillac either.

Artie West No, It's cheaper to steal one. That's arithmetic for ya, teach.

Richard Dadier All right, Belazi. Bring me your paper up here.

Belazi Five points off. What for?

Richard Dadier For having loose eyes. West!

[notices that West is cheating also]

Artie West You talking to me, teach?

Richard Dadier Bring your paper up here West.

Artie West What for?

Richard Dadier I said bring your paper up here.

Artie West And I said , what for?

Gregory W. Miller Come on, Artie. Bring him the paper.

Artie West Now, look, you keep your rotten mouth out of this, black boy.

Richard Dadier Miller!... Hold it... All right. All right, Miller. It's all right. Now, bring your paper up here, West.

Richard Dadier All right, we're going down to see the principal.

Artie West We are? You gonna make me, Daddy-O? How'd you like to go to hell?

Belazi What's the matter, Daddy-O?

Artie West Yeah, how about it, teach? You got a big mouth. Tell me to do this, do that. Are you big enough to take me to the principal's office? Because that's what you're gonna have to do. Take me. So, come on! Take me! Come on!

Artie West Come on. For a bright boy, you didn't learn nothing. Well, take me down. Come on. Step right up and taste a little of this , Daddy-O.

Richard Dadier Give me that knife, West.

Artie West Where do you want it? You want it in the belly? Or how about in the face, huh? Here it is. All you gotta do is take it. Come on, take it! Come on!

Gregory W. Miller Take it easy, chief. He's crazy, he's high, he's floating on Sneaky Pete wine.

Pete V. Morales He's gonna kill him.

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

Blackboard Jungle

Classroom Dynamics and Student Interaction

Richard Dadier There will be no calling out. You have any questions to ask, just raise your hand. You hear that, Miller?

Gregory W. Miller Sure, teach. You coming in strong. I can't tune you out.

Artie West His name ain't "teach".

Belazi It's "Daddy-O!

Artie West Hey, don't you know his name, jerk?

Belazi Excuse me, Mr. Jerk.

Richard Dadier All right, West, since you're so cooperative, suppose you stay after class and help me out.

Artie West I'm busy.

Belazi Oh, go on, Artie. Help him out.

Emmanuel Stoker Then you could be together, "alone".

Pete V. Morales Oh, "Daddy-O!

[in a effeminate manner]

Richard Dadier All right, all right, fine. We had a few laughs. In a minute, the bell's gonna ring out there. That means you go to your civics class. Tomorrow morning when you come into this class...

Artie West Hey, teach, you're coming back here tomorrow?

[interrupts Dadier]

Richard Dadier Sure, I'm coming back tomorrow.You know why? Because I'll "miss" you, West.