13 quotes
A Journey Begins on the Road
John "Johnny" Strabler / Narrator
It begins here for me on this road. How the whole mess happened, I don't know. But I know it couldn't happen again in a million years. Maybe I coulda stopped it early. But once the trouble was on its way, I was just goin with it. Mostly, I remember the girl. I - I can't explain it. Sad chick like that. But somethin changed in me. She got to me. Well that's later, anyway. This is where it begins for me. Right on this road.
[voiceover]
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Intense Emotions Reach Boiling Point
Taglines
Hot feelings hit terrifying heights in a story that really boils over!
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Confrontation Between Kathie and Johnny
Kathie
He was afraid of making a mistake. He was afraid of losing his job. He's the town joke and I'm stuck with him. He doesn't got any business being a cop. No more than you have with that . He's a fake - like you. Well, you've impressed everybody now, big motorcycle racer. Why don't you take that back so they can give it to somebody who really won it?
[about her father; fake trophy]
Johnny
Say what? Who are you? Some girl who makes sandwiches or somethin'? Your father wears that hat that says he's a big important man and you start telling me what to do. Nobody tells me what to do. You keep needlin me, and if I want to, I'm gonna take this joint apart. And you're not gonna know what hit ya.
[irritated]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Invitation to Enjoy Life
Taglines
C'mon, baby, let's have a ball!
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Perceptions of Motorcyclists and Their Behavior
Police officer
Where'd that bunch from?
[about the Black Rebels Motorcycle Club]
Street cleaner
I don't know. I don't even think they know where they're goin'. Termites, nutty. 10 guys like that give people the idea that everybody who drives a motorcycle is crazy. What are they tryin to prove anyway?
Police officer
Beats me. Lookin for somebody to push em around, so they can get sore and show how tough they are.
Street cleaner
Yeah.
Police officer
They usually find it someplace, sooner or later.
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Rebellion and Its Unanswered Questions
Mildred
Hey, Johnny, what are you rebelling against?
Johnny
What've you got?
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Confrontation Between Authority and Youthful Defiance
Sheriff Singer
I don't get you. I don't get your act at all, and I don't think you do either. I don't think you know what you're trying to do or how to go about it. I think you're stupid, real stupid, and real lucky. Last night, you scraped by, just barely. But a man's dead on account of something you let get started, even though you didn't start it. I don't know if there's any good in you. I don't know if there's anything in you. But I'm gonna take a big fat chance and let you go. There'll be a hearing on this tire iron business. You'll get a summons and you'd better show up. Don't you want to say anything to these people? What's the matter? You been hit over the head so often you don't know when you're getting a break? You could at least say thank you.
[pause]
Kathie
It's all right. He doesn't know how.
Sheriff Singer
Every one of you monkeys is down in my book, and every stick of damage around here will be paid for. You've got ten minutes to clear out. Just stick your nose back in this county, any of ya, and you'll never see daylight again as long as you live. Now git.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Casual Conversation About Weekend Plans
Kathie
Where are you going when you leave here? Don't you know?
Johnny
Oh man, we just gonna go.
[scoffing]
Kathie
Just trying to make conversation. It means nothing to me.
Johnny
Well, on the weekends, we go out and have a ball.
Kathie
And what do you do? I mean, do you just ride around? Or do you go on some sort of a picnic or something?
Johnny
A picnic? Man, you are too square. I'll have to straighten you out. Now, listen, you don't go any one special place. That's cornball style. You just go. A bunch gets together after all week it builds up, you just...the idea is to have a ball. Now if you gonna stay cool, you got to wail. You got to put somethin down. You got to make some jive. Don't you know what I'm talkin about?
[He snaps his fingers.]
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The Impact of Modern Communication on Society
B. R. M. C. member
What do you hicks do around here for kicks?
Jimmy
The roses grow. People get married. Crazy as anyplace else.
B. R. M. C. member
What about TV? Do ya like TV?
Jimmy
Oh, pictures! No, no pictures. Everything these days is pictures. Pictures and a lot of noise. Nobody even knows how to talk. Just grunt at each other.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Conversation about motorcycles and local life
Johnny
Say, you live here all the time?
Kathie
All my life.
Johnny
We've been over to Carbonville at the meet.
Kathie
A bunch of motorcycles came through this way yesterday. They didn't stop. Is that what they give you in those races for killin yourself?
[She sees his trophy.]
Johnny
That's right. Want it?
Kathie
No.
Johnny
Well, go on, take it. Go ahead.
Kathie
No.
Johnny
Go on.
Kathie
You can't do that. You - You won it. You have to get your name engraved on it, or whatever you do. It's important to you. You don't - you don't give something like that away just like that, not unless you knew a girl real well and, well, and you liked her.
B. R. M. C. member
Hey, Johnny.
Johnny
Yo!
B. R. M. C. member
About this town. They got a doc here.
Other B. R. M. C. member
They're gonna rewire Crazy. Hey, what are we gonna do, sit around and scratch our self?
B. R. M. C. member
Yeah, we gonna wait for Crazy, or we gonna get outta this dump?
Johnny
We gonna wait for Crazy.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Embracing the Rhythm of Chaos
Taglines
Jazzed-up "beats" on a bust-up bing!
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Confrontation Between Johnny and Kathie
Kathie
I'm sorry. I-I can't fight back. Too tired. It would be better, wouldn't it? Then you could hit me.
[after Johnny forcefully kisses her]
Johnny
You think you're too good for me. Nobody's too good for me. Anybody thinks they're too good for me, I make sure I knock em over sometime. Right now, I can slap you around to show you how good you are. And tomorrow, I'm someplace else and I don't even know you or nothing.
Kathie
Do you want to?
Johnny
I wouldn't waste my time with a square like you. What do I want to knock myself out for? I'm gonna take you back and dump you. Come on, where're you going?
Kathie
Johnny.
[softly; She gently touches his arm.]
Johnny
Quit that.
Kathie
It's crazy, isn't it? You're afraid of me. I don't know why, but I'm not afraid of you now. You're afraid of me.
Johnny
I'm afraid of you? Are you cracked? Come on, get on.
Kathie
I wanted to touch you. I wanted to try anyway.
[walking closer toward him]
Johnny
Try what?
Kathie
I don't know. I wanted to make it the way I always thought it would be sometime - with somebody. The way I always thought it might be. You're still fighting, aren't you? You're always fighting. Why do you hate everybody? I've never ridden on a motorcycle before. It's fast, it scared me, but I forgot everything. It felt good. Is that what you do? You know what I used to think about? I used to think about it alot after my mother died - that somebody would come here and stop at Uncle Frank's place, and buy a cup of coffee or something, and he'd like me right away and take me with him. Johnny, you were going to give me that statue. Will you give it to me now?
[touching his motorcycle]
Johnny
Why?
Kathie
I don't know. I just wondered if you still wanted to give it to me, that's all. It's crazy.
Johnny
Where did you want this guy to take you - this guy who had a cup of coffee?
Kathie
I don't know. Wherever he was going, I guess. I'm shaky. I wish I was going someplace. I wish you were going someplace. We could go together.
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The Only Man for The Wild One
Taglines
] is the only man who can play The Wild One.
[[w:Marlon Brando|Marlon Brando]
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