Pollyanna (1960)

Karl Malden: Reverend Paul Ford

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Quotes 

• Reverend Paul Ford : We looked for the good in them, and we found it, didn't we?

• Aunt Polly : I'm your Aunt Polly.

  Pollyanna : How do you do?

  Aunt Polly : This is the pastor of our church, Reverend Ford.

  Reverend Paul Ford : How do you do? I can see there's a family resemblance.

  Aunt Polly : She looks very much like her mother.

  Pollyanna : Mother always used to say I looked like you!

  Aunt Polly : Would you be good enough to stand erect and in a proper manner, please? And where in the world did you get that dress?

  Pollyanna : It came in the missionary barrels.

  Reverend Paul Ford : Missionary barrels?

  Aunt Polly : Yes, her father was a minister. As a matter of fact, he was a missionary in the British West Indies.

• Mrs. Paul Ford : [finding Reverend Ford, head bowed, on his knees in prayer]  Paul? Are you alright?

  Reverend Paul Ford : Nobody owns a church, no one.

• Reverend Paul Ford : [reading Pollyanna's locket]  When you look for the bad in mankind, expecting to find it, you surely will. - Abraham Lincoln.

  Pollyanna : He was President.

  Reverend Paul Ford : Yes, I know... but I've never heard *that* before.

• Reverend Paul Ford : [after reading note from Polly]  Oh my God, what have I done? What have I done?

• Reverend Paul Ford : Apocrypha Ecclesiasticus 30, Paragraph 22: 'Gladness of the heart is the light of Man.' Now, this is one of the 'rejoicing,' or 'happy' texts. A young member of our parish informed me that there are 800 such happy texts in the Bible. Well, she was wrong. There are, to be exact, 826. I know, because I stayed up most of last night counting them. I intend to read one every week. And that should take us, by my calculations, through sixteen years... if I'm around here that long. But I can promise you this, if I am here: our visits with God on Sunday are going to be happier, and more rejoicing too. What I have to say now is very difficult for me, but must be said. I look out to you now, and realize, after four years in this congregation, I don't even know you. I look out to you now, not as my congregation, but as people. And I say to myself, how sad it is to have missed those four years... four years when we could have been friends. I should have been looking for the good in you, and I... I failed you... and I apologize for this. God is forgiving, but it's not God's forgiveness I beg, it is yours. I'm not going to speak about this any more now. It's a lovely day outside. So let's go out and enjoy this Sunday for a change. And while you're out appreciating the sunlight, just give a little thought to who's sending it down to you.

• Reverend Paul Ford : God works in ways mysterious to man...

  Aunt Polly : Don't speak to me about God! Say what you think! I can see it in your eyes. They blame me, don't they?

  Reverend Paul Ford : No, no. Nobody's blaming you.

  Aunt Polly : But it's true, isn't it? I could have been the least bit understanding. That child lies up there because of me.

  Reverend Paul Ford : Polly, the mercy of God is forgiving...

  Aunt Polly : Oh, what kind of a merciful God could allow a thing like this to happen to a child? And if He were merciful, why did He let her come to our town?

  Reverend Paul Ford : Let me tell you something, Polly Harrington. Sunday a miracle happened in this town.

  Aunt Polly : Oh, this town!

  Reverend Paul Ford : Yes, this town. Right out there in that street the people are smiling at one another. Go on, take a look for yourself. It's very contagious. Just think, Polly. If she had never come to this town! We ought to get down on our knees and thank God for sending her to us.

• Pollyanna : [She has gone to Reverend Ford with a message from Aunt Polly, and finds him a little way from his wife in an outdoor setting where they are picnicking, practicing an angry, scolding sermon. She give him the note, and he starts opening it]  Would you like someone to practice your sermon on?

  Reverend Paul Ford : [distracted, trying to read Aunt Polly's note]  No. No thank you, child.

  Pollyanna : Mother and I used to be an audience to my father when he was practicing his sermons.

  [He ignores her] 

  Pollyanna : He was a minister too, you know.

  Reverend Paul Ford : [still distracted]  Yes yes, so he was.

  Pollyanna : Do you like being a minister?

  Reverend Paul Ford : [somewhat stunned]  Do I like being a-

  [defensive, slightly hostile] 

  Reverend Paul Ford : Now, why would you ask a thing like that?

  Pollyanna : Oh... the way you looked just then. Reminded me of my father. Once I saw him sort of sad like that, and I asked him.

  Reverend Paul Ford : [suddenly interested]  And what did he say?

  Pollyanna : Hmm, said he was glad he was. But it made him sad sometimes. He just couldn't seem to get through to his congregation.

  Reverend Paul Ford : [a little more friendly]  Sounds familiar. I suppose every minister of God faces the same problem.

  Pollyanna : Mmm, I suppose.

  Reverend Paul Ford : [keenly interested]  Tell me, did your father ever solve the problem?

  Pollyanna : Well, he read something one day that he said helped him.

  Reverend Paul Ford : In The Bible?

  Pollyanna : No. Just something he read someplace. He had it put on this chain. He wore it always. It's all I have of his.

  [She opens the locket around her neck, and tries to read the inscription, but it's too close] 

  Pollyanna : "When you look for the bad... " Ooh! It always makes me cross-eyed.

  Reverend Paul Ford : May I?

  Pollyanna : [agreeing]  Mm!

  Reverend Paul Ford : [reading]  "When you look for the bad in mankind, expecting to find it, you surely will."-Abraham Lincoln.

  Pollyanna : He was the President.

  Reverend Paul Ford : Yes. Yes, I know. But I never heard that before.

  Pollyanna : Neither had my father. Anyway, he said it started him thinking. And from then on, he was going to look for the good in people. That's when we both started searching The Bible for the texts.

  Reverend Paul Ford : [confused]  The texts?

  Pollyanna : Yes. You know. My father called them the glad passages.

  [He still looks confused] 

  Pollyanna : You know! The happy ones, like, mmm, "Shout for joy!" or "Be glad in the Lord." You know, like that. There are eight hundred happy texts, did you know that?

  Reverend Paul Ford : I didn't know that.

  Pollyanna : Yes, well there are. And, you know, my father said, if God took the trouble to tell us eight hundred times to be happy and rejoice, he MUST have wanted us to do it.

  [remembering the time] 

  Pollyanna : Oh, I'd better be going now. I'm sorry to have interrupted your practice. I'll see you later. Goodbye, Reverend Ford.

  [She leaves] 

  Reverend Paul Ford : [reading Aunt Polly's note aloud]  ''Dear Reverend, I've taken the liberty of Jotting down a few thoughts, and some text from Matthew, which I thought you might want to use in your sermon tom-''

  [to himself] 

  Reverend Paul Ford : Oh, my God. What have I done? What have I done?

• Aunt Polly : Now, about the sermon, Reverend.

  Reverend Paul Ford : Yes. The transity of life. That fleeting vapor. It appeareth, and it vanisheth. James, the New Testament. You want me to weave a theme of this into my ser...

  Aunt Polly : Well, let me tell you what my father said to Reverend Moffat.

  Reverend Paul Ford : Yes, what did he say?

  Aunt Polly : He said you only have the congregation for one short hour a week. And there are six long days of mischief for them before you get them again.

  Reverend Paul Ford : Ah! I see your point. Strike hard on Sunday the excessiveness of God's wrath and hope they carry it with them a few days into the week!

  Aunt Polly : Exactly what I mean.

• Reverend Paul Ford : If we could all just be a little more quiet, cooperative, orderly, please. If we could all just stop shouting and cooperate, I'm sure...

  Aunt Polly : There is nothing wrong with that building! All it needs is new plumbing.

  Mayor Karl Warren : Today the plumbing, tomorrow the roof, and the Lord knows what - excuse me, Reverend - and who knows what's going to happen next!

  Aunt Polly : You were very happy when my father donated the building to the town.

  Mayor Karl Warren : Oh, for Pete's sake, Polly Harrington, listen to reason! It's a dilapidated old relic! The dining hall, the dispensary. Even my nephew Dr. Chilton there, he noticed that. Ed, tell them what you said.

  Dr. Edmond Chilton : I don't think I ought to say anything.

  Mayor Karl Warren : No, no, now, tell them what you said. I want them to hear it.

  Dr. Edmond Chilton : Well, I got a pretty good look at the dispensary when I fixed Mr. Geary's arm, and I mentioned it seemed a little inadequate for thirty-two children.

  Mayor Karl Warren : There, now you've heard it.

  Aunt Polly : We all thank you for your interest, Edmond, but it's an equipment problem. We're talking about Harrington House, which is a landmark in this town, and I intend to see that it stays that way.

  Mayor Karl Warren : It would cost more to fix that dilapidated old wreck than it would to put up a new one!

  Aunt Polly : It won't cost this town one cent! My father donated the building to the town, and I will stand the cost of the pipes or the plumbing or whatever it is that's necessary. It's my duty, and I will not shirk it.

  Mayor Karl Warren : And I suppose there's not one person here who has the gumption to stand up and say what you think? Is there? What about you, Reverend?

  Reverend Paul Ford : No, no, I never take sides in these matters.

• Reverend Paul Ford : Death comes unexpectedly!