The Last Picture Show quotes

View Quote Sam: Now you boys can get on outta here. I don't wanna have no more to do with ya. Scarin' an unfortunate creature like Billy, just so's you could have a few laughs. I've been around that trashy behavior all my life. I'm gettin' tired of puttin' up with it. And you can stay outta this poolhall, outta my cafe and my picture show too. I don't want no more of your business.
Sonny: We didn't mean for anything bad to happen, Sam. We...
Sam: You didn't even have the decency to wash his face.

View Quote [to Sonny] What am I doing apologizin' to you? Why am I always apologizin' to you, ya little bastard? Three months I been apologizing to you, without you even bein' here. I haven't done anything wrong - why can't I quit apologizin'? You're the one oughta be sorry. I wouldn't still be in my bathrobe if it hadn't been for you. I'da had my clothes on hours ago. You're the one made me quit carin' if I got dressed or not. I guess just because your friend got killed you want me to forget what you did and make it all right. I'm not sorry for you. You'd've left Billy, too, just like you left me. I bet you left him plenty a nights, whenever Jacy whistled. I wouldn't treat a dog that way. I guess you thought I was so old and ugly you didn't owe me any explanation. You didn't need to be careful of me. There wasn't anythin' I could do about you and her - why should you be careful of me? You didn't love me. Look at me. Can't you even look at me? [Sonny slowly turns and glances at her] Y'see? You shouldn't have come here. I'm around that corner now. You've ruined it and it's lost completely. Just your needing me won't make it come back.

View Quote Chicken-fry me a steak. And try to use meat this time.

View Quote Sonny: Nothin's really been right since Sam the Lion died.
Lois: No, no it hasn't. Oh God, I get sad if I think of Sam for long. Did you know he had beautiful hands?
Sonny: I guess you liked him, didn't you? Aw, I guess everybody did.
Lois: Well, I tell you, it was different with me, Sonny. I loved him. He loved me, too.
Sonny: Are you - are you the one he used to take swimmin'? Out at the tank?
Lois: He told you about that, huh? Yeah, I was the one. I guess if it wasn't for Sam, I'd just about have missed it, whatever it is. I'd have been one of them Amity types that thinks that playin' bridge is about the best thing that life has to offer. Old Sam the Lion. Sam the Lion - you know, nobody knows where he got that name. I gave it to him. One night, well, it just came to me. He was so pleased. I was 22 years old then. Can you imagine? I'll tell you, Sonny, it's terrible to only meet one man in your whole life who knows what you're worth. Just terrible. I've looked, too. You wouldn't believe how I've looked.
Sonny: Well, now I know why Sam liked you.
Lois: Loved me.
Sonny: Loved ya, I mean.
Lois: Do you? Well, I can kinda see what he saw in you, too. Nope, I'll just go on home. Go on, get out.
Sonny: Think I can - think I can learn to drink?
Lois: You might. You'd better keep on practicing.

View Quote [to Duane, after sex] Oh, quit prissin'. I don't think you did it right, anyway.

View Quote Sam: You wouldn't believe how this country's changed. First time I seen it, there wasn't a mesquite tree on it, or a prickly pear neither. I used to own this land, you know. First time I watered a horse at this tank was - more than forty years ago. I reckon the reason why I always drag you out here is probably I'm just as sentimental as the next fella when it comes to old times. Old times. I brought a young lady swimmin' out here once, more than 20 years ago. Was after my wife had lost her mind and my boys was dead. Me and this young lady was pretty wild, I guess. In pretty deep. We used to come out here on horseback and go swimmin' without no bathing suits. One day, she wanted to swim the horses across this tank. Kind of a crazy thing to do, but we done it anyway. She bet me a silver dollar she could beat me across. She did. This old horse I was ridin' didn't want to take the water. But she was always lookin' for somethin' to do like that. Somethin' wild. I'll bet she's still got that silver dollar.
Sonny: Whatever happened to her?
Sam: Oh, she growed up. She was just a girl then, really...
Sonny: Why didn't you ever marry her after your wife died?
Sam: She was already married. Her and her husband was young and miserable with one another like so many young married folks are. I thought they'd change with some age, but it didn't turn out that way.
Sonny: Bein' married always so miserable?
Sam: No, not really. About eighty percent of the time, I guess. We oughta go to a real fishin' tank next year. Aw, too late to think about things like that too much. If she was here, I'd probably be just as crazy now as I was then in about five minutes. Ain't that ridiculous? Naw, it ain't really. 'Cause bein' crazy 'bout a woman like her's always the right thing to do. Bein' a decrepit old bag of bones - that's what's ridiculous - gettin' old.

View Quote [to Duane and Sonny, as they are leaving for a weekend in Mexico] You'd better take some for some insurance. Take money below that border - it sorta melts sometimes...And try not to drink too much of that buggy water...You catch the clap - you'll wish you hadn't drunk nothin'. Oh well, we'll see ya.

View Quote [to Sonny] Never you mind, honey, never you mind.

View Quote [to Ruth, about Charlene] I guess we broke up because we didn't like each other much to begin with.

View Quote Ruth: [after sex] I'm sorry I cried. I was just so scared, I guess...I was scared I could never do this, I guess. I can't seem to do anything without crying about it - how could you like me?
Sonny: Oh, I like you.
Ruth: I'm glad. [He kisses her]

View Quote [to Sonny, about Duane enlisting in the army] Good place for him, too...That boy's always had meanness in him, 'cause Jacy's just the kinda girl that brings out the meanness in a man. She's just like her grandmother. I oughtn't to talk about 'em anyhow. We was all good friends once. Dan roughnecked with Gene Farrow. He and Lois - they used to live in this little one room place over the newspaper office. Lois couldn't afford a flour-sack, much less a mink. I've always had a soft spot for her, though. Yeah, I wondered a lotta times, you know, what would've happened if my Dan had made the strikes that Gene made. They offered that rig to him first, yep, but then Morgan never took a chance in his life.

View Quote One thing I know for sure - a person can't sneeze in this town without somebody offerin' him a handkerchief...it's an awful small town for any kinda carryin' on...And some people got a lotta guns.

View Quote Sonny: I guess you'll be glad when basketball season is over.
Ruth: Why?
Sonny: Well, Coach probably don't get to stay home much during football and basketball season.
Ruth: My God. You don't know a thing about it, do you?

View Quote [to Sonny] See you in a year or two, if I don't get shot.

View Quote Miss Mosey: Nobody wants to come to shows no more. Kids got baseball in the summer, television all the time. If Sam had lived, I believe we could've kept it goin'. But I just didn't have the know-how.
Duane: Won't be much to do in town with the picture show closed.
Sonny: Yeah.