Jason Robards movie quotes

“- Mr. Dark: It's a thousand years to Christmas, Mr. Holloway.
- Charles Halloway: You're wrong. It's here, in this library tonight, and can't be spoiled.
- Mr. Dark: Did Will and Jim bring it with them on the soles of their shoes? Then, we shall have to scrape them.”

Jonathan Pryce - Mr. Dark
Jason Robards - Charles Halloway

“The theatre has kept me alive, and it's allowed me to work at my craft.”
Jason Robards

“- Joe Huxley: We are holding fast at just a hair under 50 rads per hour. I thought that it would have diminished by now. I guess that means we're picking up fallout from... Titan missile bases in Wichita... wherever else out west. That's the way the wind blows - straight toward St. Louis.
- Dr. Russell Oakes: When will it be safe to move people...” (continue)(continue reading)
John Lithgow - Joe Huxley
Jason Robards - Dr. Russell Oakes

“- Grandfather: You think you can just drop her into my life then take her away again? I won't allow it! She can't stay here.
- Dete: She's got to, she's your granddaughter.
- Grandfather: No! I don't have a granddaughter, not anymore.”

Jason Robards - Grandfather
Jane Hazlegrove - Dete

“- Michael McPhee: Can you make money from philosophy?
- Max Dugan: Yeah, if you have the right one.”
Matthew Broderick - Michael McPhee
Jason Robards - Max Dugan

“- Dr. Russell Oakes: You know what's going to happen next around here, don't you?
- Nurse Nancy Bauer: I've been trying not to think about it.
- Dr. Russell Oakes: We may be the only hospital operating within 100 miles. Everyone half-alive or dying will find their way here.”
Jason Robards - Dr. Russell Oakes
JoBeth Williams - Nurse Nancy Bauer

- Helen Oakes: My God. It's 1962 all over again. The Cuban Missile Crisis. Do you remember Kennedy on television, telling Khrushchev to turn his boats around?
- Dr. Russell Oakes: "Full retaliatory response". He didn't bat an eye.
- Helen Oakes: We were in New York, in bed... just like this, remember? 118th street.
- Dr. Russell Oakes: Meatball... (continue)(continue reading)
Georgann Johnson - Helen Oakes
Jason Robards - Dr. Russell Oakes

“- Max Dugan: How do you know I'm Max Dugan?
- Nora McPhee: You told me you were.
- Max Dugan: I told you a lot of things, but so far you haven't liked any of them, so I'll keep on telling new ones until you pick out one you like.”
Jason Robards - Max Dugan
Marsha Mason - Nora McPhee

“The only thing I ever learned in jail was that it was a terrific place to stay out of.”
Jason Robards - Max Dugan

“- Frank: It's like your Aunt Edna's ass. It goes on forever and it's just as frightening.
- Gil: That's true.
- Frank: There is no end zone. You never cross the goal line, spike the ball and do your touchdown dance. Never.”

Jason Robards - Frank
Steve Martin - Gil

“- Dr. Sam Hachiya: You come from Kansas City. What did you see?
- Dr. Russell Oakes: I was on the freeway, about 30 miles away. I'm not sure... it was high in the air, directly above downtown. Like the sun... exploding.”

Calvin Jung - Dr. Sam Hachiya
Jason Robards - Dr. Russell Oakes

“I loved her so. And she knew what I did. She knew all the fucking stupid things I'd done. But the love... was stronger than anything you can think of. The goddamn regret. The goddamn regret! Oh, and I'll die. Now I'll die, and I'll tell you what... the biggest regret of my life... I let my love go.”
Jason Robards - Earl Partridge

“- President Ulysses S. Grant: What happened to all the buffalo?
- Buffalo Bill Cody: I shot 'em.”

Jason Robards - President Ulysses S. Grant
Ted Flicker - Buffalo Bill Cody

“I would much rather be on the stage. I do films, but I've really been on stage most of my life. It's not only more of an emotional experience, but it's also a communication. It's the satisfaction of saying something about the human condition through the author, with the actors acting as the instrument, and then hearing the audience response.”
Jason Robards

“Sometimes you do junk just to keep alive. You know it's junk when you go in. You just hope you will do the best you can, and that the film will be entertaining. Many times, it isn't, but you just do those things to pay the bills.”
Jason Robards

All I know is, I don't do a lot of analysis. I know those words have to move me. I rely on the author. I don't want actors reasoning with me about 'motivation' and all that bull. All I want 'em to do is learn the goddamn lines and don't bump into each other.”
Jason Robards

“I've always played disintegrated characters. I don't know much about acting, but I can play those kinds of characters.”
Jason Robards

“- Chief Rotzinger: Listen, I've had just about enough of your comedy, clown. We're coming in through the plate glass.
- Grimm: Alright, I gotta hang-up now, because I gotta go kill everybody.”
Jason Robards - Chief Rotzinger
Bill Murray - Grimm

“- Charles Halloway: I know who you are. You are the autumn people. Where do you come from? The dust. Where do you go to? The grave.
- Mr. Dark: Yes. We are the hungry ones. Your torments call us like dogs in the night. And we do feed, and feed well.
- Charles Halloway: To stuff yourselves on other people's nightmares.”
Jason Robards - Charles Halloway
Jonathan Pryce - Mr. Dark

“- Mr. Dark: All that time spent living only through other men's lives. Dreaming only other men's dreams. What a waste.
- Charles Halloway: Sometimes a man can learn more from other men's dreams than he can from his own.”
Jonathan Pryce - Mr. Dark
Jason Robards - Charles Halloway

“- Frank: You know, when you were two years old, we thought you had polio. Did you know that?
- Gil: Yeah, Mom said... something about it a couple of years ago.
- Frank: Yeah, well, for a week we didn't know. I hated you for that. I did. I hated having to care, having to go through the pain, the hurt, the suffering. It's not for me.”

Jason Robards - Frank
Steve Martin - Gil

“- Gunther Beckdorff: I heard you were a simple man, Giff, who came to Caboblanco and found contentment. Why should you care for a girl who had no passport?
- Gifford Hoyt: Because she's being held here against her will! Why? Do you have use for her? Then what happens? Does she leave Caboblanco alive?”
Jason Robards - Gunther Beckdorff
Charles Bronson - Gifford Hoyt

“- Charles Halloway: A father should be able to play baseball with his son.
- Mrs. Halloway: Baseball's not necessary, not with a heart like yours, he'll forgive you that.”

Jason Robards - Charles Halloway
Ellen Geer - Mrs. Halloway

“- Nora McPhee: How do I know you have six months to live?
- Max Dugan: We could sit here and wait.”
Marsha Mason - Nora McPhee
Jason Robards - Max Dugan

“- President Ulysses S. Grant: How can I thank you?
- Tonto: You can thank me by honoring your treaties with my people.
- President Ulysses S. Grant: Yes, we will try, you have my word.”

Jason Robards - President Ulysses S. Grant
Michael Horse - Tonto