Walter Brennan Quotes

Alvin The way I figure, there ain't no use for a fellow going out looking for ]. It's well… it's just got to come to a fellow.

Pastor Rosier Pile It'll come my boy, you'll see. Maybe slow-like the way daylight comes, and maybe in flash like a bolt of ].

Alvin When?

Pastor Rosier Pile When you ain't even ] it.

Alvin Well, I ] so.

Hank Hanneman That Gehrig's the chump of all time. Falling for a gag like that.

Sam Blake Aw, he doesn't know about a gag.

Hank Hanneman Yeah? What does he know about, Mr. Bones?

Sam Blake Baseball.

Hank Hanneman He knows... I'll tell ya somethin'. A guy like that is a detriment to any sport. He's a boob with a batting eye. He wakes up, brushes his teeth, hikes out to the ballpark, hits the ball, hikes back to the hotel room, reads the funny papers, gargles and goes to bed. That's personality, hm?

Sam Blake The best.

Hank Hanneman A real hero.

Sam Blake Let me tell you about heroes, Hank. I've covered a lot of em, and I'm saying Gehrig is the best of em. No front-page scandals, no daffy excitements, no horn-piping in the spotlight...

Hank Hanneman No nothing.

Sam Blake ...but a guy who does his job and nothing else. He lives for his job. He gets a lot of fun out of it. And fifty million other people get a lot of fun out of him, watching him do something better than anybody else ever did it before.

Hank Hanneman You'd be right, Sam, if all baseball fans were as big boobs as Gehrig.

Sam Blake They are. The same kinda boobs as Gehrig. Only without a batting eye. That's why I'm putting my money on Gehrig.

Pastor Rosier Pile See that ], Alvin? You've been plowin around that rock a heap o years.

Alvin Sure have!

Pastor Rosier Pile Did you ever think when you start plowin yer furrows crooked, it's mighty hard to get em straight again?

Alvin I never thought on it much.

Pastor Rosier Pile It's that-a-way, I reckon, with other things sides plowin'. ]'s got ya by the shirt tail, Alvin!

The Colonel Sure, sometimes the world seems like it's been shaved by a drunken barber.

Doc T.R. Velie Jr. I was just wondering what all you people are worrying about...Not that I have the slightest idea...I hold no truck with silence. I've got nothing to hide...It's just that you worry about the stranger only if you look at him from a certain aspect. From my perspective, I look upon him with the innocence of a fresh-laid egg.

Luke Danby Why don't the three of us go over there together? I don't care if he is the fastest gun to ever hit anywhere.

Pa Danby Who says he's the fastest gun to ever hit anywhere?

Tom Danby Everyone. That's all they're talkin about, all over town!

Luke Danby Besides, what could he do against three of us?

Pa Danby He could kill two of us.

Tom Danby So who's gonna take care of him?

Luke Danby Well, who says anybody's gotta take care of him? Why don't we just run him outta town, like we did the last Sheriff?

Pa Danby Because this one won't go.

Tom Danby ... You ain't talkin like yourself, Pa.

Luke Danby Yeah, it was always you chargin in, and us two tryin to hold you back.

Tom Danby He didn't throw a scare into you, did he, Pa? I- I didn't mean that the way it sounded! I didn't mean, "did he throw a scare into you", I meant... well, what did he do to you, Pa?

Pa Danby He maybe made me more thoughtful. He maybe made me realize, that now that we've got a little money for the first time in our lives, and- and got a chance to get a whole lot more... this'd be a dumb time to find out who's the fastest with a gun, us or some show-off who might get lucky even if he... even if he weren't good!

Luke Danby So what are we gonna do about him?

Pa Danby Ah, there's always some tramp that's good with a gun that can be hired.

Luke Danby But you always say "the Danbys fight their own battles.

Pa Danby ... Well, maybe I was talking about another branch of the family. (Luke and Tom look confused) Now, I'm gonna take a little trip tomorrow, and I want you two to behave yourselves while I'm gone- I don't want no one to make no martyr out of that sheriff.

Tom Danby ... What's a martyr?

Pa Danby (sarcastically) Oh, I'm sorry- they didn't use words like that in the third grade, did they?

Tom Danby How would I know? I never got that far. You remember all them years I was stuck in the second grade.

Luke Danby Ah, shaddup!

Pa Danby Whattaya mean, you helped set in them bars?!

Joe Danby Well, I didn't have nothin else to do! And they was gonna set the bars in, whether I helped them out or not!

Pa Danby Yeah, well, they'll hang you, whether you help them out or not!

Joe Danby Oh, Pa, I don't think they're gonna hang me. I mean, they joke and they laugh about it, but I don't think they're really gonna do it!

Pa Danby Ah, you'll soon see whether they'll hang you or-

Jake Don't move! What's going on back here?

Pa Danby Well, that's all I need: some stable-bum orderin me around! Now, this is my saddle, and I'm takin it with me.

Jake I know it ain't mine, so go ahead.

Pa Danby In just a few days now, I'm gonna take care of you!

Jake What was he tryin to do- bust you out of here?

Joe Danby Yeah. And you know Pa. Got a heart as big as the whole outdoors... but he don't have one brain in his poor old head.

Pa Danby I believe you got one of my children in your jail here!

Jason McCullough How dare you walk into my office and pull a gun on me.

Pa Danby Get your finger outta the end of my gun!

Jason McCullough How dare you pull a gun on me!

Pa Danby I said, take your finger outta the end of my gun!

Jason McCullough Well, until I do, you better take your finger off that trigger, and let that hammer down real slow.

Pa Danby If that gun had gone off, it'd have blowed up right in my face!

Jason McCullough Yeah, well it wouldn't have done my finger a hell of a lot of good, either, would it? What can I do for you, Mr. Danby?

Pa Danby My son, Joe!

Jason McCullough Well, it seems Joe murdered a man this afternoon.

Pa Danby The way I heared it, he killed a man in a fair gunfight!

Jason McCullough I was standin right there...

Pa Danby You was standin right where?

Jason McCullough In the saloon, when Joe killed him.

Pa Danby Well now, that was real smart of him, weren't it?

Jason McCullough I've been around Joe all afternoon, and I haven't seen him do one smart thing yet. Anything else?

Pa Danby Can I see him?

Jason McCullough Now, why didn't you take that approach when you first came in? He's right back there.

Pa Danby I'm obliged to ye.

John Hey, stop worryin', Colonel, fifty bucks ain't gonna ruin me.

The Colonel I've seen plenty of fellas start out with fifty bucks and wind up with a bank account!

Beany Hey, what's wrong with a bank account, anyway?

The Colonel And let me tell you, Long John, when you become a guy with a bank account, they gotcha! Yes sir, they gotcha! When they got ya, you've got no more chance than a road rabbit.

Beany Who's got him?

The Colonel The helots!

Beany What's a helot?

The Colonel You've ever been broke, sonny?

Beany Sure, mostly often.

The Colonel All right. You're walking along, not a nickel in your jeans, your free as the wind, nobody bothers ya. Hundreds of people pass you by in every line of business: shoes, hats, automobiles, radios, everything, and there all nice lovable people and they lets you alone, is that right? Then you get a hold of some dough and what happens, all those nice sweet lovable people become helots, a lotta heels. They begin to creep up on ya, trying to sell ya something: they get long claws and they get a stranglehold on ya, and you squirm and you duck and you holler and you try to push them away but you haven't got the chance. They gots ya. First thing ya know you own things, a car for instance, now your whole life is messed up with alot more stuff: you get license fees and number plates and gas and oil and taxes and insurance and identification cards and letters and bills and flat tires and dents and traffic tickets and motorcycle cops and tickets and courtrooms and lawers and fines and... a million and one other things. What happens? You're not the free and happy guy you used to be. You need to have money to pay for all those things, so you go after what the other fellas got. There you are, you're a helot yourself.

Pastor Rosier Pile War's way to the other side of the ocean, Alvin. Lots of things can happen before you get there. You put your trust in the Lord, and He'll look out for you.

Alvin I done forgot the Lord! I ain't never gonna forget him again!

Pa Danby All right, now he's done it!

Luke Danby Who?

Pa Danby That sheriff!

Tom Danby What's he done?

Pa Danby He's pushed me too far this time, that's what he's done! I've been bendin over backwards up til now! But that's all finished! You know I've been bendin over backwards!

Luke Danby Well, you sure ain't let him push you into no corner, where you could be provoked into losin your temper.

Pa Danby Right! But from now on, I'm tired of bein a nice fella!

Tom Danby Pa...you been touchin up your hair again?

Pa Danby Whattaya mean, "again"?!

Tom Danby Nothin'! Just, it looks better in spots, that's all!

Pa Danby Whattaya mean, "spots"?!

Pa Danby That's a lousy jail you got back there.

Jason McCullough Oh, we're just getting started.

Pa Danby What's he supposed to be?

Jason McCullough Oh, that's my deputy.

Pa Danby Why, just last week he was shovelin horse- he was workin around the stables!

Jason McCullough Well, he's been promoted.

Pa Danby ...I'm gonna find out what's happenin to this town!

Jake ... What'd Danby want?

Jason McCullough Oh, he came in, we talked a little while, he went in to see Joe, he came back out, we talked a bit more, then he left. You know... he strikes me as bein a lonely man.

Jake Lonely? Danby?! Why, he's a mean, low-down no-good bushwhacker!

Jason McCullough There, you see? No wonder he's lonely.

Joe Danby Hi, Pa!

Pa Danby What is this? No bars in the window, no bars in the cell... no bars nowhere! What's keepin you in here?!

Joe Danby That guy out there! He won't let me move two inches, without jumpin down my throat! Besides, he lies to me about whether or not my gun is loaded.

Pa Danby He does WHAT?!

Joe Danby Are you gonna get me outta here or not?

Pa Danby ...Never mind that! Who was it ye killed?

Joe Danby I don't know his name, he was some bum in the saloon! Besides, he drew first! What, are you gonna believe me, or are you gonna believe that liar out there?!

Pa Danby Why don't you shut up?!

Joe Danby Pa, it wasn't anybody that we know! Pa, you always told me there wasn't a jail been built that could hold a Danby.

Pa Danby Well, now they built one! You'll have to stay here for a couple of days.

Joe Danby But we run this town!

Pa Danby I gotta throw-in with that sheriff that you don't exactly dazzle nobody with your intelligence!

Doc T.R. Velie Jr. Four years ago, something terrible happened here. We did nothing about it. Nothing! The whole town fell into a sort of settled melancholy, and all the people in it closed their eyes, and held their tongues, and failed the test with a whimper. And now something terrible's going to happen again. And, in a way, we're lucky because we've been given a second chance.

Pa Danby NOW HE'S REALLY DONE IT!

Tom Danby Who?

Pa Danby THAT SHERIFF!

Joe Danby I coulda told y'all that it wasn't gonna work!

Pa Danby Why not?

Joe Danby Because they set these bars in too solid!

Pa Danby Whatta you know about anything?!

Joe Danby I'm the one that helped set em in!

Eddie Say, was you ever bit by a dead bee?

Beauclerc I have no memory of ever being bit by any kind of bee.

Slim Were you?

Eddie You're alright, lady. You and Harry's the only one that ever...

Morgan Don't forget Frenchie.

Eddie That's right. You and Harry and Frenchie. You know, you got to be careful of dead bees if you're goin around barefooted, cause if you step on them they can sting you just as bad as if they was alive, especially if they was kind of mad when they got killed. I bet I been bit a hundred times that way.

Slim You have? Why don't you bite them back?

Eddie That's what Harry always says. But I ain't got no stinger.