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Terry: You know, I seen you a lot of times before. Remember parochial school out on Paluski Street? Seven, eight years ago. Your hair, you had your hair uh...
Edie: Braids.
Terry: Looked like a hunk of rope. And you had wires on your teeth and glasses and everything. You was really a mess.
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Father Barry: Some people think the Crucifixion only took place on Calvary. Well, they better wise up!
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Father Barry: You want to know what's wrong with our waterfront? It's the love of a lousy buck. It's making love of a buck - -the cushy job - -more important than the love of man!
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Edie: Isn't everybody a part of everybody else?
Terry: Boy, what a fruitcake you are!
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Edie: Which side are you with?
Terry: Me? I'm with me, Terry.
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Edie: But Pop, I've seen things that I know are so wrong. Now how can I go back to school and keep my mind on... on things that are just in books, that-that-that aren't people living?
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Terry: If I spill, my life ain't worth a nickel.
Father Barry: And how much is your soul worth if you don't?
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Father Barry: Isn't it simple as one, two, three? One: The working conditions are bad. Two: They're bad because the mob does the hiring. And three: The only way we can break the mob is to stop letting them get away with murder.
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Big Mac: The only arithmetic he ever got was hearing the referee count up to ten.
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Terry: Hey, you wanna hear my philosophy of life? Do it to him before he does it to you.
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Charlie: Look, kid, I - how much you weigh, son? When you weighed one hundred and sixty-eight pounds you were beautiful. You coulda been another Billy Conn, and that skunk we got you for a manager, he brought you along too fast.
Terry: It wasn't him, Charley, it was you. Remember that night in the Garden you came down to my dressing room and you said, "Kid, this ain't your night. We're going for the price on Wilson." You remember that? "This ain't your night"! My night! I coulda taken Wilson apart! So what happens? He gets the title shot outdoors on the ballpark and what do I get? A one-way ticket to Palooka-ville! You was my brother, Charley, you shoulda looked out for me a little bit. You shoulda taken care of me just a little bit so I wouldn't have to take them dives for the short-end money.
Charlie: Oh I had some bets down for you. You saw some money.
Terry: You don't understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it. It was you, Charley.
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[after being badly beaten by Johnny Friendly and his goons]
Terry: Get me on my feet.
[Father Barry and Edie help Terry stand up]
Father Barry: How're you doing?
Terry: Am I on my feet?
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Terry: You think you're God Almighty, but you know what you are? You're a cheap, lousy, dirty, stinkin' mug! And I'm glad what I done to you, ya hear that? I'm glad what I done!
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Terry: You know you're not too funny today, fat man.
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[Terry returns to Johnny Friendly's bar after setting up Joey Doyle]
Charlie: So, how'd it go?
Terry: He up on the roof.
Charlie: The "pigeon"?
Terry: Uh, yeah, it worked.
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Terry: You know this city's full of hawks? That's a fact. They hang around on the top of the big hotels. And they spot a pigeon in the park. Right down on him.
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Father Barry: You'd better get rid of that gun, unless you haven't got the guts, and if you don't, you'd better hang on to it!
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[last lines]
Johnny: Where you guys going? Wait a minute! I'll remember this! I'll remember every one of you! I'll be back! Don't you forget that! I'll be back!
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Edie: I want you to stay away from me.
Terry: Edie, you love me... I want you to say it to me.
Edie: I didn't say I didn't love you. I said, "Stay away from me."
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Terry: Quite a nose, huh? Some people just have a face that sticks in your mind.
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Terry: Yeah his racket, everybody's got a racket.
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Terry: Conscience... that stuff can drive you nuts!
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Edie: What kind of saint hides in a church?
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Edie: I've never met anyone like you. There's not a spark of sentiment or romance or human kindness in your whole body.
Terry: What good does it do you but get you in trouble?
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Charlie: You're getting on. You're pushing 30. You know, it's time to think about getting some ambition.
Terry: I always figured I'd live a bit longer without it.
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Father Barry: Some people think the Crucifixion only took place on Calvary. They better wise up! Taking Joey Doyle's life to stop him from testifying is a crucifixion. And dropping a sling on Kayo Dugan because he was ready to spill his guts tomorrow, that's a crucifixion. And every time the Mob puts the pressure on a good man, tries to stop him from doing his duty as a citizen, it's a crucifixion. And anybody who sits around and lets it happen, keeps silent about something he knows that happened, shares the guilt of it just as much as the Roman soldier who pierced the flesh of our Lord to see if he was dead.
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Father Barry: Boys, this is my church! And if you don't think Christ is down here on the waterfront you've got another guess coming!
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[repeated line]
Truck: Definitely.
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Kid: [crying] A pigeon for a pigeon!
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[first lines]
Johnny: [to Terry] You take it from here, Slugger.
On the Waterfront Quotes
Extended Reading
