Quotes

Other

Psychiatrist: Human fish, swimming at the bottom of the great ocean of atmosphere, develop psychic injuries as they collide with one another. Most mortal of all are those gotten from the parent fish. Secretary of Defense: Since no great naval power menaces the free world today, the Navy's overwhelming preponderance of surface ships seems to be superfluous, hence the cuts in budget. Bartender: [overheard by Raymond, who had just primed himself to receive a command by dealing the Queen of Diamonds] Why don't you go and take yourself a cab and go up to Central Park and go jump in the lake? Rosie: [To Ben] ...You were a pretty solid type yourself, according to Washington - with whom they had apparently checked. So I figured if they were willing to go to all the trouble to get a comment on you out of George Washington, why - you must be somebody very important indeed. And I must say it was rather sweet of the General with you only a Major. I didn't even know you knew him. If they were the t

Dialogue

Mrs. Whittaker: Tell me Raymond, have you ever killed anyone? Raymond: No, ma'am. Mrs. Whittaker: Not even in combat? Raymond: In combat? Yes, ma'am, I think so. Yen Lo: Of course you have, Raymond. Raymond has been a crack shot since childhood - Mrs. Whittaker: A marvelous outlet for his aggressions.

Dialogue

Rosie: Maryland's a beautiful state. Ben: [Looking away] This is Delaware. Rosie: I know. I was one of the original Chinese workmen who laid the track on this stretch. But nonetheless, Maryland is a beautiful state. So is Ohio, for that matter. [Lights her own cigarette.] Ben: I guess so. Columbus is a tremendous football town. You in the railroad business? Rosie: Not anymore. However, if you will permit me to point out, when you ask that question you really should say, 'Are you in the railroad line?' Where's your home? Ben: I'm in the Army. I'm a major. I've been in the Army most of my life. We move a good deal. I was born in New Hampshire. Rosie: I went to a girls' camp once on Lake Francis. Ben: That's pretty far north. Rosie: Yeah. Ben: What's your name? Rosie: Eugenie. Ben: [Finally looks at her] Pardon? Rosie: No kidding, I really mean it. Crazy French pronunciation and all. Ben: [Looks away] It's pretty. Rosie: Well, thank you. Ben: I guess your friends call you Jenny. Rosie: No

Dialogue

Sen. Iselin: I mean, the way you keep changing the figures on me all the time. It makes me look like some kind of a nut, like an idiot. Mrs. Iselin: Well, you're going to look like an even bigger idiot if you don't get in there and do exactly what you're told...Who are they writing about all over this country and what are they saying? Are they saying: "Are there any Communists in the Defense Department?" No, of course not, they're saying: "How many Communists are there in the Defense Department?" So just stop talking like an expert all of a sudden and get out there and say what you're supposed to say.

Dialogue

Mrs. Iselin: Would it really make it easier for you if we settled on just one number? Sen. Iselin: Yeah. Just one, real, simple number that'd be easy for me to remember. Sen. Iselin: There are exactly 57 card-carrying members of the Communist Party in the Department of Defense at this time!

Dialogue

Ben: All right, let's start unlocking a few doors. Let's begin with the patrol. You didn't save our lives and take out an enemy company or anything like that, did you Raymond, did you? Raymond: No. Ben: What happened? Raymond: The patrol was taken by a Russian Airborne Unit and flown by helicopter across the Manchurian border to a place called Tomwa. We were worked on for three days by a team of specialists from the Pavlov Institute in Moscow. They developed a technique for descent into the unconscious mind, part light-induced, part drug— Ben: Never mind all that. Not now. Tell me what else happened at Tomwa. Raymond: We were drilled for three days. We were made to memorize the details of the imaginary action... And I strangled Ed Mavole and shot Bobby Lembeck. Ben: One red Queen works pretty good. Let's see what we get with two of 'em. Keep playing. Raymond: Then I killed Mr. Gaines. It was just a test. It didn't matter who I killed. They picked him to see if all the linkages st

Dialogue

General: Congratulations, son. How do you feel? Raymond: Like Captain Idiot in Astounding Science comics.

Dialogue

Chairlady: You will notice that I have told them they may smoke. I've allowed my people to have a little fun in the selection of bizarre tobacco substitutes... Are you enjoying your cigarette, Ed? Ed Movole: Yes ma'am. Dr. Yen Lo: Yak dung!... hope tastes good - like a cigarette should!

Dialogue

Jocie: Darling. Raymond: What? Jocie: Nothing, Just... Darling.

Dialogue

Col. Milt: [Gesturing towards a pile of books] You read them all? Ben: Yeah, they also make great insulation against an enemy attack! But the, uh, truth of the matter is that I'm just interested, you know, in, uh, Principles of Modern Banking and, History of Piracy. [Picking up books] Paintings of Orozco. Modern French Theater. The... Jurisprudential Factor of Mafia Administration. Diseases of Horses and novels of Joyce Cary and... Ethnic Choices of the Arabs. Things like that.

Dialogue

Dr. Yen Lo: Attractive plant you have here. Zilkov: Thank you, doctor. It's actually a rest home for wealthy alcoholics. We were able to purchase it three years ago. Except for this floor and the floor above it, which is sealed off for security purposes, the rest functions quite normally. In fact it's one of the few Soviet operations in America that actually showed a profit at the end of the last fiscal year. Dr. Yen Lo: Profit? Fiscal year? Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! Beware, my dear Zilkov, fires of capitalism are highly infectious. Soon you'll be lending money out at interest. [Chuckles] You must try, Comrade Zilkov, to cultivate a sense of humor. There's nothing like a good laugh now and then to lighten the burdens of the day. [To Raymond] Tell me, Raymond, do you remember murdering Mavole and Lembeck?