Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) - Quotes

Murder Haunts an Innocent Man's Nightmare

Taglines: MURDER ...in a nightmare that comes TRUE ...to haunt an innocent man... Mystery thriller to baffle you.

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Pursuing a Silent Threat in the Shadows

Taglines: Trailing a "tiptoe" killer!

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Love and Despair in Unlikely Circumstances

Taglines: She loves a man..who almost dreams himself into the electric chair!

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Embracing Vulnerability in Conversation

Jane: I guess I'm just being silly.

Michael: It's becoming.

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The Nature of Violence and Humanity

Mike: [referring to Meng] Did you ever want to kill a man?

Martin: My son, there's murder in every intelligent man's heart.

Mike: He's no man. He's a worm - the kind you ought to jump on with heavy boots.

Martin: You'll have to do an awful lot of jumping. The Earth is covered with em.

Mike: [while absentmindedly gesturing with his dinner knife] It'd be a real pleasure to cut his throat.

Martin: Say, you're not kidding. Put down that knife!

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Jury's Responsibility to Stay Alert

The Judge: [noticing a sleeping juror] Juror number two! The jury will pay strict attention to the evidence.

Juror #2: [sheepishly] I'm sorry, your honor. I was up all night with a terrible toothache.

The Judge: Well, that's too bad. But it's your duty to stay awake. And try and follow the evidence with as much intelligence as you've got!

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Connection Between Two Murders Revealed

District Attorney: So now you believe both murders were committed by the same man, eh?

Mike: Yes, I do.

District Attorney: Um... maybe you're right. As you pointed out, there are certain similarities between the two crimes. But you missed one. Perhaps the most important. Both murders were discovered by the same man - you.

Mike: What are you driving at?

District Attorney: Tell me, has there ever been any insanity in your family?

Mike: Listen, I'm as sane as you are. And if you think I had anything to do with it, you're crazy.

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

Judgment on a Neighbor's Mental State

Martin: [noticing how Meng is eyeing the legs of a pretty young woman] Who is that citizen?

Mike: It's my next door neighbor.

Martin: He looks as though his mind could stand a little laundering.

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

Uncertainty About Captivity and Control

The Stranger: [suddenly grabs her arm] They send you to take me back?

Jane: [frightened] No. Who?

The Stranger: [cautiously looks over his shoulder] Don't you know? The people who lock you up.

Jane: Oh, no. Of course not.

The Stranger: How do I know I can trust you?

Jane: [nervously] Well, they... they, they wouldn't send a woman, would they?

The Stranger: [laughs; laughs, then continues dispassionately] No. No, they... they wouldn't send a woman. The only person who ever was kind to me was a woman. She's dead now.

Jane: Oh... Why? Why do they want to lock you up?

The Stranger: Oh, so they can hurt me. They... they put you in a shirt with, uh... long sleeves and... they pour ice water on you.