The Killers Quotes

Jail ward doctor: [speaking about the fatally wounded Blinky] Beats me. I don't know what keeps him going.

Jim Reardon: Will he be able to talk anymore?

Jail ward doctor: He's dead now - except he's breathing!

Jim Reardon: How much time has he got?

Lieutenant Sam Lubinsky: He's behind schedule now.

[repeated lines]

Jim Reardon: Good morning, Stella.

Stella: Good morning, dream boy.

'Swede' Andersen: Why did you ever go back to him, Kitty?

Kitty Collins: Maybe because I hate him. I'm poison, Swede, to myself and everybody around me! I'd be afraid to go with anyone I love for the harm I do to them! I don't care harming him!

[last lines]

[after Reardon has wrapped up the investigation, Kenyon congratulates him]

R.S. Kenyon: Owing to your splendid efforts the basic rate of The Atlantic Casualty Company - as of 1947 - will probably drop one-tenth of a cent.

[he shakes Reardon's hand]

R.S. Kenyon: Congratulations, Mr. Reardon.

Jim Reardon: I'd rather have a night's sleep.

R.S. Kenyon: Why don't you take a good rest. I must say you've earned it.

[Reardon starts to leave]

R.S. Kenyon: This is Friday... don't come in 'til Monday.

Jim Reardon: Thanks.

George: What'll it be, gentlemen?

Max: I don't know. Whatta you want to eat, Al?

Al: I don't know what I want to eat.

Max: I'll have the roast pork tenderloin with apple sauce and mashed potatoes.

George: That's not ready yet.

Max: Then what's it on the card for?

George: Well, that's on the dinner. You can have that at six o'clock. That clock is ten minutes fast. The dinner isn't ready yet.

Max: Never mind the clock. What have you got to eat?

George: Well, I can give you any kind of sandwiches: bacon and eggs, liver and bacon, ham and eggs, steak...

Al: I'll have the chicken croquettes with the cream sauce and the green peas and the mashed potatoes.

George: That's on the dinner too.

Al: [with nasty edge to his voice] Everything we want's on the dinner. That's the way want's on the dinner - that's the way you work it, huh?

George: I can give you ham and eggs, bacon and eggs...

Al: I'll take ham and eggs.

Max: Give me bacon and eggs.

George: [through the service window into the kitchen] One ham and, bacon and.

Sam: [loudly] Comin' up!

Al: You got anything to drink?

George: I can give you soda, beer, ginger ale...

Al: I said, 'You got anything to drink?'

George: [intimidated] No.

Al: This is a hot town. Whatta ya call it?

George: Brentwood.

Al: Did you ever hear of Brentwood?

Max: [Max shakes his head, no]

Al: Whatta ya do here nights?

Max: [sarcastically] They eat the dinner. They all come here and eat the big dinner.

George: [showing fear] That's right.

Al: [condescendingly] You're a pretty bright boy, aren't you?

George: [intimidated] Sure.

Max: [contemptiously] Well you're NOT!

Max: [to Al] Is he Al?

Al: He's dumb!

Jim Reardon: How well did you know the Swede?

Charleston: Me? Mister, I guess me and the Swede were about as close as two guys can get. For nearly two years we weren't more than eight and a half feet apart. That's how big the cell was.

Jim Reardon: When was the last time you saw him?

Charleston: Mister, did you say 'when?'

Jim Reardon: Yes.

Charleston: Mister, when it comes to dates, 1492 is the only one I can remember.

Big Jim Colfax: [to Dum Dum] You can leave anytime you want, friend.

'Blinky' Franklin: [acting as peacemaker] Come on! Easy does it, fellas! Easy does it!

'Dum-Dum' Clarke: I don't like to be asked to come up here and then told I can go. Who do you think you're pushin' around?

Big Jim Colfax: A minute ago we were talkin' about reputations. Well, you've got quite a reputation yourself - you're supposed to be a troublemaker.

Big Jim Colfax: [deliberately taking the cigarette out of his mouth] Okay. Make some.

Max: I'll tell ya what's gonna happen. We're gonna kill the Swede. You know big Swede that works over at the filling station?

George: You mean Pete Lunn?

Max: If that's what he calls himself. Comes in every night at six o'clock, don't he?

George: Yes, if he comes.

Al: We know all about that.

George: What are you gonna kill him for? What did Pete Lunn ever do to you?

Max: He never had a chance to do anything to us. He never even seen us.

Al: He's only gonna see us once.

George: What you gonna kill him for?

Max: We're killin' him for a friend...

Max: What are you laughing at?

George: Nothing.

Max: You see something funny?

George: No.

Max: Then don't laugh.

Lieutenant Sam Lubinsky: Ole and I ran around together when we were kids. I joined the department. He started fightin'. We always kept in touch.

Jim Reardon: And you put the pinch on him?

Lieutenant Sam Lubinsky: When you're a copper, you're a copper.

'Swede' Andersen: What am I going to do if I quit fightin'?

Lt. Sam Lubinsky: Well, there's always the department.

'Swede' Andersen: No, I wouldn't want to be a copper.

Lt. Sam Lubinsky: It's not a bad life, Ole. Twenty years and you've got a pension. And it's $2,200 a year to start.

'Swede' Andersen: $2,200 a year. You know something? Some months I made that much in one month. Some months.

R.S. Kenyon: Mr. Reardon is investigating his death.

Packy Robinson - Ole's Manager: He was a good boy. No one had any call to kill him.

R.S. Kenyon: Lilly knew Ole too. The three of us were together a good part of the time. She was always in love with him.

Packy Robinson - Ole's Manager: Sam!

R.S. Kenyon: And I was always in love with her.

Jim Reardon: Who's Big Jim?

Lt. Sam Lubinsky: Colfax? A thief with a touch of class.

Charleston: Charleston don't talk, see. Even if he's worked over head to foot by experts.

[takes a drink]

Charleston: Charleston never talks.

Jim Reardon: Good enough. You know what happened to the Swede?

Charleston: I know plenty, mister. Plenty. Only I ain't tellin'.

[takes a drink]

Charleston: Old Charleston's the little monkey with his hands over his mouth.

'Dum-Dum' Clarke: You twitch a lot, friend. Nervous, huh? Carrying the monkey on your back, ain't you?

'Blinky' Franklin: I was. I'm not anymore.

Charleston: If it's as big as you claim, it's not going to be any easy pickins. Nothing that big ever is. And that's what I want from here on in. Easy pickins.

'Dum-Dum' Clarke: It'd go just as hard with you if you were taken for stickin' up a shine parlor.

Charleston: Yes, that's right, but the chances of being taken aren't as many. I don't know. Maybe - Maybe I'm just gettin' old. It's like you were saying before the Swede come in. I've done a lot of time. I've spent almost half my life in stir, and I don't intend to spend any more.

Kitty Collins: What's the matter with you?

Big Jim Colfax: What do you mean, what's the matter?

Kitty Collins: You're nervous. You're all in a sweat.

Big Jim Colfax: You keep your mouth shut - if you don't want it slapped shut. You been askin' for it lately!

'Swede' Andersen: Hey!

Big Jim Colfax: Any objections?

'Swede' Andersen: Yeah!

'Dum-Dum' Clarke: Keep out of this, Swede. She's his girl.

Kitty Collins: Mind your own business, Swede. I can take care of myself. You touch me and you won't live till morning!

Kitty Collins: Glass of milk, hot. I haven't eaten all day.

Jim Reardon: Steak sandwich, rare, and a glass of beer.

Jim Reardon: We might still be able to do business - if you put a prize in with the CrackerJacks.

Kitty Collins: What do you mean?

Jim Reardon: I want a fall guy for the law.

Kitty Collins: Who would that be?

Jim Reardon: Colfax.

Kitty Collins: Even the old Kitty Collins never sang, Mr. Reardon.

Kitty Collins: I'm nervous.

Jim Reardon: Where do you want to go?

Kitty Collins: It doesn't matter. Take me back to your hotel with you. I'll powder my nose.

Jim Reardon: I'll wait for you.

Kitty Collins: Don't go away.