The Black Hole (1979)

Ernest Borgnine: Harry Booth

Photos 

Quotes 

• [Outside the Palimino's docking area, B.O.B. and V.I.N.CENT brief Charlie, Captain Holland and Harry about the real story regarding the Cygnus] 

  B.O.B. : The officer the men trusted most was Frank McCrae.

  Lieutenant Charles Pizer : Kate's father.

  B.O.B. : They turned to him when Dr. Reinhardt ignored the orders to return home. He tried to take control of the Cygnus. Reinhardt called it mutiny and killed Mr. McCrae.

  Captain Dan Holland : What became of the crew?

  B.O.B. : They were captured by the sentry robots and are still on board.

  Harry Booth : What?

  Lieutenant Charles Pizer : Where?

  B.O.B. : In the command tower, and the power center.

  V.I.N.CENT : *Robots*, Mr. Pizer. *Humanoid* robots!

  B.O.B. : The most valuable thing in the universe, intelligent life, means nothing to Dr. Reinhardt. Without their wills, the crew became things he could command.

  Captain Dan Holland : That explains the funeral.

  Lieutenant Charles Pizer : Right!

  Captain Dan Holland : [looks to Harry]  And the limping robot you spotted.

  Harry Booth : [turns B.O.B. around to face him]  Do you mean to tell me that there is actually a human *body* under that clothing?

  B.O.B. : Exactly, Mr. Booth.

  Captain Dan Holland : We can't just take off and leave these poor devils behind. Harry, looks like we're going to have to try your plan.

  Harry Booth : What? And end up just like the rest of the crew? Why, if they couldn't pull it off, what chance do *we* have?

  B.O.B. : Cap'n, the damage is irreversable. Death is their *only* release.

  Harry Booth : That's right! For God's sakes, Dan! We can't take on that mechanical army!

  V.I.N.CENT : Captain, I was forced to destroy two sentry robots. The others are searching *now*. If they're found...

  Captain Dan Holland : Gotcha, V.I.N.CENT. Charlie, start the countdown.

  Lieutenant Charles Pizer : Right!

  Captain Dan Holland : V.I.N.CENT, tell Kate I want her and Alex back here on the double!

  V.I.N.CENT : [the little robot turns to the camera. We see his eyballs glowing; he is communicating via ESP with Kate] 

• Kate McCrae : Alex, I will not have you throw your life away for this!

  Dr. Alex Durant : He can do it, Kate. I know he can.

  Kate McCrae : Oh, God, Alex!

  Dr. Alex Durant : There's an entirely different universe beyond that black hole. A point where time and space as we know it no longer exists. We will be the first to see it, to explore it, to experience it!

  [Inside the Palomino] 

  Harry Booth : Damn it all, Dan! If we wait for Alex, we may be too late! Don't you see? He's hypnotized by that man!

  Captain Dan Holland : V.I.N.CENT!

  V.I.N.CENT : Yes, Captain?

  Captain Dan Holland : Tell Kate I want her back here fast, with or without Alex. Tell her why.

• Harry Booth : If Reinhart has anti-gravity strong enough to hold us here, I figure he's got enough to pull away.

  Lieutenant Charles Pizer : So?

  Harry Booth : So? So why not take this ship and Reinhart back home?

  Captain Dan Holland : That's a long shot you're talking, Harry.

  Harry Booth : Oh, come on! You've got two scientific wizards here who could figure out the computers and possibly even reprogram the robots. And the three of us can handle Reinhart and that pet monster of his. I tell ya... we could all be heroes.

  Captain Dan Holland : We could also be dead.

• V.I.N.CENT. : [as the Palomino's crew approach the Cygnus command tower]  I don't mind telling you, I'm a bit concerned. Some of my fellow Labor Force robots were assigned to "Project Black Hole", programmed to send ESP messages back from Space Probes... A grand experiment, or so the scientists thought.

  Harry Booth : Also ancient history, V.I.N.CENT.

  V.I.N.CENT. : Not for me, Mr. Booth, and not this much up-close. The heat in there melts types like me rather quickly.

• Harry Booth : No sense leaving the story of a lifetime untold, Captain.

  Captain Dan Holland : I'm afraid there is, Harry.

  [pointing to the black hole] 

  Captain Dan Holland : And it's staring straight at us right now.

• Harry Booth : My God! Right out of Dante's Inferno.

  Dr. Alex Durant : Yes. A most destructive force - in the universe, Harry. Nothing can escape it, not even light.

  Kate McCrae : I had a professor who predicted that eventually black holes would devour the entire universe.

  Dr. Alex Durant : Why not? When you can see giant suns sucked in and disappear without a trace.

• Dr. Alex Durant : Did you ever meet Commander Reinhardt?

  Harry Booth : Collided with him would be a more accurate description.

  Dr. Alex Durant : He's a legend.

  Harry Booth : So he himself believed!

• Harry Booth : You never obeyed the order to return to earth.

  Dr. Hans Reinhardt : That's right. I refused this order. There were larger considerations. Other worlds yet to be explored. Life dreams unrealized.

  Harry Booth : The authorities would still consider that an act of piracy, Doctor.

  Dr. Hans Reinhardt : What would you have said, Mr. Booth, if the authorities would have called back Columbus just before he discovered the new world? You wouldn't even exist. I'm about to prove to you - that the end justify the means.

• Harry Booth : That Reinhardt sure loves to play God, doesn't he.

• Harry Booth : He's going to do it. He's going to do it! He's *really* going to do it!