Born Yesterday (1950)

Broderick Crawford: Harry Brock

Photos 

Quotes 

• Billie : Would you do me a favor, Harry?

  Harry Brock : What?

  Billie : Drop dead!

• Harry Brock : Shut up! You ain't gonna be tellin' nobody nothin' pretty soon!

  Billie : DOUBLE NEGATIVE! Right?

  Paul : Right.

• Harry Brock : What's a peninsula?

  Billie : Shhhh.

  Harry Brock : Don't gimme that "shush." You think you're so smart, huh - what's a peninsula?

  Paul : It's a...

  Harry Brock : Not you, her.

  Billie : It's that new medicine...

• Harry Brock : Don't you feel good? You want a aspirin?

  Jim Devery : No, no, I'm fine. In fact, considering I've been dead for sixteen years I'm in remarkable health.

• Harry Brock : How d'ya like that! He could've had a hundred grand. She could've had me. Both wind up with nothin'... Dumb chump!... Crazy broad!

  Jim Devery : [raises a glass as a toast]  To all the dumb chumps and all the crazy broads, past, present, and future, who thirst for knowledge and search for truth... who fight for justice and civilize each other... and make it so tough for crooks like you...

  [Harry stares at him angrily] 

  Jim Devery : ...*and* me.

• Harry Brock : Alright, let's get down to it... what'll ya take, Paul?

  Paul : I'll take a drink, please, if I may.

  Harry Brock : Don't get fancy with me! I ain't met a guy yet didn't have his price.

  Paul : I have.

  Harry Brock : I'm talkin' about big numbers!

  Billie : You an' your big numbers, you don' watch out, you'll be wearing one across yer chest!

• Harry Brock : Why, you double-crossin' little...

  Billie : I don't see it like that! If there's a fire and I call the engine, so who am I double-crossin'? The fire?

• Harry Brock : I love that broad. Hey, you think we could find somebody to make her dumb again?

• Billie : You don't own me. Nobody can own anybody. There's a law that says.

  Harry Brock : What do I care what the law says. If I was scared of the law, I wouldn't be where I am!

• Paul : Who are you to get mad, you big baboon? You ought to be grateful you're allowed to walk around free.

  Harry Brock : You don't know me good enough for that kind of talk.

  Paul : I know ya. A kick in the keister, a crooked play, and your problems are all solved. Bigger problems, bigger kicks. Who's next? The government? The nation?

• Harry Brock : I'm top man in my racket. Been in it over 25 years. The same racket.

  Paul : Steel.

  Harry Brock : Junk! Not steel, junk. Now, look, don't butter me up. I'm a junk man. I ain't ashamed to admit it.

• Sanborn : Sorry I missed your arrival, Mr. Brock. Welcome to the Washington Statler. I've been inspecting your wing and...

  Harry Brock : You mean I ain't got a whole floor?

  Sanborn : You've got an entire wing, Mr. Brock! An entire wing.

  Harry Brock : When I say I want the whole floor, I don't want one wing, don't want two wings, I want the whole bird!

• Billie : Drips.

  Harry Brock : What?

  Billie : I said they're drips.

  Harry Brock : Who are you to say?

  Billie : I'm myself, that's who.

  Harry Brock : Well, nobody asked you. Shut up.

  Billie : Pardon me for livin'.

• Harry Brock : What are you learnin' her about dead people for? All I want you to teach her how to act with live people.

• Harry Brock : You're doin' all right, ain't ya? Somethin' you want you ain't got, maybe?

  Billie : Yeah.

  Harry Brock : What?

  Billie : I want to be like the happy peasant.

  Harry Brock : All right, I'll buy it for you. Now, will you quit crabbin'!

• Billie : That cheap perfume you put on yourself.

  Harry Brock : Cheap? I don't own nothin' cheap, except you!

• Harry Brock : Don't make me split a gut. It's gonna be some fine day when a 100-a-week hick and a dumb broad can stop me.

• Harry Brock : He taught her too much. You know what she called me before... a Fascist. That don't make sense. I was born in Plainfield, New Jersey... she knows that

• Harry Brock : WHAT'S GOIN' ON AROUND HERE?

  Jim Devery : A revolution.

• Jim Devery : Anyway you've been engaged for seven years, I've never understood why you waited this long.

  Harry Brock : I didn't wanna to be rushed. Look, this way I give her somethin', I'm a swell fella. We get married, she's got it coming, she thinks.

• Harry Brock : She's a good kid; but, to tell you the truth, she's a little on the stupid side. Now, it's not her fault, mind you. I got her out of the chorus. Now, for the chorus she was smart enough. I'm afraid she's gonna be unhappy around this town. Never been around with such kind of people. You know what I mean?

  Paul Verrall : No, I don't.

• Harry Brock : Listen, cutie, don't get nervous just 'cause you read a book. You're as dumb as you ever were.

• Harry Brock : I picked you up out of the gutter! I can throw you back! You never had a decent meal until you met me!

  Billie : Yeah, but, I haven't had one with you! You eat terrible! You got no manners! Taking your shoes off all the time, and that's another thing, picking your teeth. You're just not couth!

  Harry Brock : I'm as couth as you are!

• Harry Brock : Get off that high horse, you dumb little putt!

  Billie : You - menace!

• Harry Brock : How can you not wanna marry me?

  Billie : Well, for one thing, you're too dumb. I just got a different kind of life in mind, Harry, entirely. I'm sorry, but you just wouldn't fit in.

• Harry Brock : I don't like the way things are goin' around here, you stewed all the time, and that broad out of line. And some fine congressman you bought me.

  Jim Devery : I think he's cute.

  Harry Brock : Yeah, well, I've got to trade him in. No kiddin'.

  Jim Devery : On what, for instance?

  Harry Brock : For instance, on a senator!

• Harry Brock : All right, now go on. Blow!

• Harry Brock : Make up your mind. There's two ways we can do business. One, you play ball, and I'll make it worth your while. Two, you better start watching your step, 'cause there's no place you can walk, no place you can live, if you monkey wrench me.

• Harry Brock : Let me give you a little advice, sonny boy. Never bull a bull artist. I can sling it with the best of 'em.

• Harry Brock : I went to work when I was 12 years old. I been workin' ever since. I'll tell you my first job. It was a paper route. I bought another kid out with a swift kick in the keister.

• Harry Brock : We'll make it good.

  Paul : Who's we?

  Harry Brock : "We" is me, that's who.

• Harry Brock : There's a way to get this thing done. That's all I know and it's up to you and Jim to find out how.

  Congressman Norval Hedges : Yes, the Hedges/Keller Amendment, for example, guarantees government support of scrap iron price levels, foreign or domestic. We're trying to get it through quickly.

  Harry Brock : Well, see that you do. That's why I'm here - to see that I get what I paid for.

• Harry Brock : So far I've been nice to ya. Don't pump me.

• Harry Brock : She couldn't play gin till I learned her. Now she beats my brains out.

• Jim Devery : Billie's not like that.

  Harry Brock : A broad's a broad!

• Jim Devery : Send her home.

  Harry Brock : No!

  Jim Devery : Why not?

  Harry Brock : I'm nuts about her.

  Jim Devery : Can't have your cake and eat it.

  Harry Brock : What?

  Jim Devery : Just a saying.

  Harry Brock : That don't make any sense.

  Jim Devery : All right.

  Harry Brock : What's cakes got to do with it?

  Jim Devery : Nothing, Harry.

• Harry Brock : She's gonna louse me up all the way down the line. Dumb broad.

• Harry Brock : We still got to do somethin' about her! Every time she opened her kisser tonight, somthin' wrong come out.

• Billie : What's this business we're in down here? Could you tell me?

  Harry Brock : What do you mean, "we"?

  Billie : Oh, I figure I'm a sort of a partner in a way.

  Harry Brock : A silent partner.

  Billie : So?

  Harry Brock : So, shut up!

• Harry Brock : You know, the more I see of you, I don't like you as much. For a chump who got no place, you're awful fresh. Now, you better watch out. I got my eye on you.

• Harry Brock : Remind me to fire that - that - that four-eyed Verrall skunk.

• Harry Brock : They always hook you in the end, them broads. This whole trouble is on account of a dame reads a book.

• Harry Brock : So go on, blow! Sit on a park bench and learn how to behave.

• Harry Brock : Who are you to say no if I tell ya?

  Billie : Don't knock yourself out. You got a lot of surprises comin'.

• Harry Brock : Listen, Billie, I don't understand what's happenin' around here.

  Billie : I do.

• Paul : Get it to the people.

  Harry Brock : What people?

  Paul : *The* people.

  Harry Brock : I never heard of 'em.

• Harry Brock : What are you standing around like a deaf and dummy? What do I pay you for?