Dick Tracy Quotes
The comic strip detective finds his life vastly complicated when Breathless Mahoney makes advances towards him while he is trying to battle Big Boy Caprice's united mob.
Big Boy Caprice: Because I have a vision. A big boss must have a vision. We gotta town with thousands of small stores and businesses. People are working real hard. I think they should be working real hard. For us. Because we are for the people. "And if you ain't for the people, you can't buy the people." Lincoln.
Big Boy Caprice: Police brutality, boys. And this is the fifth time. Lucky for me I don't bruise easily.
Reporter: Mr. Caprice, do you intend to take legal action against the city for false arrest?
Big Boy Caprice: Why should I blame the city for something one man is doing? This Tracy character's unstable. The city should get rid of him.
Reporter: You mean if you don't get rid of him first.
Big Boy Caprice: Who said that?
Reporter: Mr. Caprice, do you intend to take legal action against the city for false arrest?
Big Boy Caprice: Why should I blame the city for something one man is doing? This Tracy character's unstable. The city should get rid of him.
Reporter: You mean if you don't get rid of him first.
Big Boy Caprice: Who said that?
Big Boy Caprice: You know, Dick - You mind if I call you "Dick"? My associates here would very much like to see you have a little accident. But I tell 'em, "No. I'll take care of Tracy myself," I tell 'em. You know why? I want you on my side!
[Itchy hands Big Boy a suitcase. Big Boy takes out of it a large wad of cash]
Big Boy Caprice: And let me tell you what my side is. My side is a lifetime of action and adventure with no clock to punch. It's treating that gal of yours 100%. She should be treated like a princess. Protected like a baby.
Dick Tracy: You gonna put *all* that money down there?
Big Boy Caprice: Fifteen thousand clams.
[Big Boy drops the money on the table. The Kid watches from the small window]
Big Boy Caprice: It's a deal.
[Big Boy pushes the money toward Tracy]
Itchy: Fifteen thousand clams.
[Tracy takes the money. The Kid gapes in disbelief, sad and disappointed to see his hero take the bribe. Itchy chuckles]
Big Boy Caprice: Welcome to new waters, Dick! We're gonna run one hell of a ship with you aboard. There's a big world out there, and it's up for sale. All of it. All we gotta do is make sure that the people know I'm the one big enough to run it.
Dick Tracy: [dryly] And that you are guilty of attempting to bribe an officer of the law.
[Tracy throws all the money back in Big Boy's face. The Kid smiles, realizing Tracy never meant to take the bribe money. The thugs grab hold of Tracy]
Itchy: Hey, hey!
Flattop: Not so fast, coppa.
Big Boy Caprice: [angrily] You dumb dick!
[Itchy hands Big Boy a suitcase. Big Boy takes out of it a large wad of cash]
Big Boy Caprice: And let me tell you what my side is. My side is a lifetime of action and adventure with no clock to punch. It's treating that gal of yours 100%. She should be treated like a princess. Protected like a baby.
Dick Tracy: You gonna put *all* that money down there?
Big Boy Caprice: Fifteen thousand clams.
[Big Boy drops the money on the table. The Kid watches from the small window]
Big Boy Caprice: It's a deal.
[Big Boy pushes the money toward Tracy]
Itchy: Fifteen thousand clams.
[Tracy takes the money. The Kid gapes in disbelief, sad and disappointed to see his hero take the bribe. Itchy chuckles]
Big Boy Caprice: Welcome to new waters, Dick! We're gonna run one hell of a ship with you aboard. There's a big world out there, and it's up for sale. All of it. All we gotta do is make sure that the people know I'm the one big enough to run it.
Dick Tracy: [dryly] And that you are guilty of attempting to bribe an officer of the law.
[Tracy throws all the money back in Big Boy's face. The Kid smiles, realizing Tracy never meant to take the bribe money. The thugs grab hold of Tracy]
Itchy: Hey, hey!
Flattop: Not so fast, coppa.
Big Boy Caprice: [angrily] You dumb dick!
Big Boy Caprice: All right, that's enough! I want 'em dead, both of 'em. I want this no-face character dead and I want Tracy dead. What's the matter, you bums forgot how to kill people? Doesn't your work mean anything to you anymore? Have you no sense of pride in what you do? No sense of DUTY, no sense of DESTINY? I'm looking for generals; what do I got? Foot soldiers! I WANT DICK TRACY DEAD!
Tess Trueheart: You'll get Big Boy.
Dick Tracy: Big Boy's on the street and they want to stick me behind a desk?
Tess Trueheart: They believe in you, Tracy. They think if you're chief of police, the city'll be safe.
Dick Tracy: Tess, there's about as much chance of me getting behind a desk as there is of me getting a new girlfriend.
Dick Tracy: Big Boy's on the street and they want to stick me behind a desk?
Tess Trueheart: They believe in you, Tracy. They think if you're chief of police, the city'll be safe.
Dick Tracy: Tess, there's about as much chance of me getting behind a desk as there is of me getting a new girlfriend.
[after 88 Keys told Big Boy about the Blank]
Breathless Mahoney: What was that all about?
88 Keys: My income tax.
Big Boy Caprice: [seeing this, gets upset] Hey!
[88 Keys turns and bolts out of the room]
Big Boy Caprice: [to Breathless] Come here!
Flattop: You want me to follow him?
Big Boy Caprice: [to Flattop] Where? To the piano?
[to Breathless]
Big Boy Caprice: That was none of your business. Come here.
[pulls her into his lap and slaps her face]
Big Boy Caprice: *I'm* you're business.
[slaps her face again]
Breathless Mahoney: What was that all about?
88 Keys: My income tax.
Big Boy Caprice: [seeing this, gets upset] Hey!
[88 Keys turns and bolts out of the room]
Big Boy Caprice: [to Breathless] Come here!
Flattop: You want me to follow him?
Big Boy Caprice: [to Flattop] Where? To the piano?
[to Breathless]
Big Boy Caprice: That was none of your business. Come here.
[pulls her into his lap and slaps her face]
Big Boy Caprice: *I'm* you're business.
[slaps her face again]
[first lines]
Radio Announcer: Gangland enforcers broke the arms of an elderly newsdealer this afternoon when he refused to share his week's receipts with them. Stacks of newspapers were tossed in the gutter as the thugs wrecked the business and made their getaway. Lunchtime crowds were paralyzed by the suddenness of the crime. Not a hand was raised in protest.
Radio Announcer: Gangland enforcers broke the arms of an elderly newsdealer this afternoon when he refused to share his week's receipts with them. Stacks of newspapers were tossed in the gutter as the thugs wrecked the business and made their getaway. Lunchtime crowds were paralyzed by the suddenness of the crime. Not a hand was raised in protest.
Dick Tracy: Hello, gentlemen. Where's Lips Manlis?
Flattop: Who's Lips Manlis?
Itchy: Yeah, who's Lips Manlis? We get to make one phone call. That's the law.
Dick Tracy: Yeah?
Itchy: Yeah. Gimme the phone.
Dick Tracy: Here's the phone. Be my guest.
[Itchy throws the phone - its line cord removed by Tracy already]
Dick Tracy: Make a note, Pat. They waived their right to a phone call.
Pat Patton: Right, Tracy.
Flattop: Hey, coppa. Maybe you wanna look before you leap, huh? We got rights.
Dick Tracy: Take the bad men away. They scare me.
Flattop: Who's Lips Manlis?
Itchy: Yeah, who's Lips Manlis? We get to make one phone call. That's the law.
Dick Tracy: Yeah?
Itchy: Yeah. Gimme the phone.
Dick Tracy: Here's the phone. Be my guest.
[Itchy throws the phone - its line cord removed by Tracy already]
Dick Tracy: Make a note, Pat. They waived their right to a phone call.
Pat Patton: Right, Tracy.
Flattop: Hey, coppa. Maybe you wanna look before you leap, huh? We got rights.
Dick Tracy: Take the bad men away. They scare me.
[last lines]
Tess Trueheart: Well, what are you waitin' for? A nice, safe desk?
Dick Tracy: Tess?
[Tracy tosses her a wedding ring]
Dick Tracy: You're one in a million.
'Kid': This is amazing, Tracy! What are you waitin' for? Come on, let's go! Come on, Metropolitan Bank! Come on, step on it! You know somethin', Tracy? I kind of like that dame.
Tess Trueheart: Well, what are you waitin' for? A nice, safe desk?
Dick Tracy: Tess?
[Tracy tosses her a wedding ring]
Dick Tracy: You're one in a million.
'Kid': This is amazing, Tracy! What are you waitin' for? Come on, let's go! Come on, Metropolitan Bank! Come on, step on it! You know somethin', Tracy? I kind of like that dame.
Big Boy Caprice: Don't tell me about my boys messin' up the Tracy rub-out. They were being tested, they flunked. Now they're just flunkies, like you! I don't care if Tracy puts one and one together, don't matter to me. You're still workin' for me. You're on my side. You're not out! You're *not* out! When you are dead, then you are out! You are mine, I own you!
[Big Boy can't see where Tracy is in gear house]
Big Boy Caprice: [panicking] Come on. Just lemme see ya. I just wanna see your face. I just wann- I just wanna talk some sense in- I wanna-
[angry]
Big Boy Caprice: I just wanna take your head and I wanna crush it like an egg!
[panics]
Big Boy Caprice: No, no! I didn't mean that!
Big Boy Caprice: [panicking] Come on. Just lemme see ya. I just wanna see your face. I just wann- I just wanna talk some sense in- I wanna-
[angry]
Big Boy Caprice: I just wanna take your head and I wanna crush it like an egg!
[panics]
Big Boy Caprice: No, no! I didn't mean that!
[after a horrible rehearsal, 88 Keys and the singers complain that it's 2 am]
Big Boy Caprice: It's 2 a.m.? I'm about to turn this *dump* into the best place of a new era in entertainment, you're telling me it's 2 a.m.?
[smashes 88 Keys' fingers on the piano keys]
Big Boy Caprice: [yelling] Play the piano!
Breathless Mahoney: Hey! That was a silly thing to do. He's the best piano player in town.
Big Boy Caprice: Shut up! Come here.
[88 Keys starts playing again]
Big Boy Caprice: Next time, I take his fingers and I turn them into pretzels. I just might do the same thing to your face.
[slaps her]
Big Boy Caprice: [88 Keys seems to play smoother]
Big Boy Caprice: See? He's playing better already.
Big Boy Caprice: It's 2 a.m.? I'm about to turn this *dump* into the best place of a new era in entertainment, you're telling me it's 2 a.m.?
[smashes 88 Keys' fingers on the piano keys]
Big Boy Caprice: [yelling] Play the piano!
Breathless Mahoney: Hey! That was a silly thing to do. He's the best piano player in town.
Big Boy Caprice: Shut up! Come here.
[88 Keys starts playing again]
Big Boy Caprice: Next time, I take his fingers and I turn them into pretzels. I just might do the same thing to your face.
[slaps her]
Big Boy Caprice: [88 Keys seems to play smoother]
Big Boy Caprice: See? He's playing better already.
