James Dalton Pain don't hurt.
Played by Patrick Swayze 
Road House (1989) · 35 quotes
Road House (1989) · 35 quotes
Most-quoted character in Road House (1989): in 25 of its 35 quotes
Most scenes with: Brad Wesley (3), Doc (3), Jimmy (2)
If somebody gets in your face and calls you a ****, I want you to be nice. Ask him to walk. Be nice. If he won't walk, walk him. But be nice. If you can't walk him, one of the others will help you, and you'll both be nice. I want you to remember that it's a job. It's nothing personal.
More lines from James Dalton
4 quotes James Dalton James Dalton [after firing a drug-dealing waitress]
Anybody else here dealing? I'm telling you straight — it's my way or the highway. So, anybody wants to walk, do it now.
James Dalton Take the biggest guy in the world, smash his knee and he'll drop like stone.
James Dalton I want you to be nice until it's time to not be nice.
Scenes with James Dalton
20 scenes
Morgan [after being fired]
What am I supposed to do?
Dalton There's always barber college.
Emmett
It ain't the money ya understand, but if I don't charge ya somethin' the Presbyterians around here are likely to pray for my ruination. How does a hundred dollars a month strike ya?
Dalton Fine.
Emmett
Can ya afford that much?
Dalton If it keeps you in the good graces of the church.
Emmett
Ain't it peculiar how money seems to do that very thing?
Red How long are you gonna be in town?
Dalton Not very long.
Red That's what I said 25 years ago.
Dalton Really? What happened?
Red I got married to an ugly woman. Don't ever do that. It just takes the energy right out of you. She left me, though. Found somebody even uglier than she was. That's life. Who can explain it?
Dalton People who really want to have a good time won't come to a slaughterhouse. Now we've got entirely too many troublemakers here. Too many, uh, forty-year-old adolescents, felons, power drinkers, and trustees of modern chemistry. That's going to change.
Hank
Man, that sure sounds good. But a lot of the guys that come in here, we can't handle one-on-one. Even two-on-one.
Dalton Don't worry about it. All you have to do is follow three simple rules. One: Never underestimate your opponent. Expect the unexpected. Two: Take it outside. Never start anything inside the bar unless it's absolutely necessary. And three: Be nice.
. . .
Dalton You are the bouncers, I am the cooler. All you have to do is watch my back — and each others — and take out the trash.
Being called a **** isn't personal?
Dalton No. It's two nouns combined to elicit a prescribed response.
What if somebody calls my mama a whore?
Dalton Is she?
Do you always carry your medical record around with you?
Dalton Saves time.
Your file says you've got a degree from NYU. What in?
Dalton Philosophy.
Any particular discipline?
Dalton No. Not really. Man's search for faith. That sort of shit.
Come up with any answers?
Dalton Not too many.
How's a guy like you end up a bouncer?
Dalton Just lucky I guess.
Dalton You got quite a little enterprise going here.
Pat What?
Dalton [You're]
going through a bottle every 30 minutes, you're skimming the till for six shots a bottle, on drafts, one every ten.
Dalton [As Pat slams the register shut, Dalton turns to Tilghman.]
I figure he's costing you about a hundred and fifty a night.
Pat [grinning]
So?
Dalton So, consider it severance pay. Take the train.
Damn, boy. I thought you were good.
Dalton Go **** yourself.
Dalton Nobody ever wins a fight.
Dalton [walking in on Steve having sex with a girl in the supply closet]
Yo, Steve! You're history.
But I'm on my break!
Dalton Stay on it.
Ah, shit!
Carrie Ann [chuckling]
Oh, my god...
Dalton What is the joke?
Carrie Ann Well, there's no joke. I just think I'm looking at a dead man, though.
Dalton It seems everywhere I go, I hear that same joke.
Carrie Ann Yeah, well, something tells me you bring it on yourself.
Dalton Oh, you know — nothing I'm not used to. But it's amazing what you can get used to, huh?
Yeah, tell me about it. This place has a sign hangin' over the urinal that says, "Don't eat the big white mint".
Dalton You play pretty good for a blind boy.
Cody And I thought you'd be bigger.
Tell me — if I owned a bar, and wanted to clean it up, how much would it take to get you to come work for me?
Dalton There's no amount of money.
Dalton Sorry, we're closed.
Ketchum
Then what are all these people doing here?
Dalton Drinking and having a good time.
Ketchum
That's why we're here.
Dalton You're too stupid to have a good time.
Prepare to die.
Dalton You are such an asshole.
Frank Tilghman (showing blueprints)
This... This is the new Double Deuce; I've put a lot of money and time in this, and to protect my investment I hired the best damn cooler in the business. From now on he's in charge of all bar business...what he says goes! Dalton...
James Dalton (Dalton comes down smiling)
Morgan you're out of here
Morgan What is that supposed to mean?
James Dalton You don't have the right temperament for the trade
Morgan You a**hole! What am I supposed to do?!
James Dalton There's always Barber College!
Morgan (snickers from everyone) (he takes his last payment from Mr. Tilghman)
To Dalton You're a dead man!
James Dalton (Pointing to a waitress)
You're out too...We're selling booze here not drugs
Waitress
(Sarcastically after taking her last payment also)
Thank you.
James Dalton Anybody else here dealing? I'm telling you straight... It's my way or the highway, so if anybody wants to walk do it now (Nobody moves) Ok; people who want to have a good time won't come to a slaughterhouse, and we've got entirely too many troublemakers here..Too many uhh, 40 year old adolescents, felons, power drinkers, and trustees of modern chemistry...It's going to change.
Bouncer Yeah, that sure sound great...but a lot of the guys who come in here we can't handle one-on-one, even two-on-one.
James Dalton Don't worry about it; all you have to do is follow 3 simple rules: One, never underestimate your opponent..expect the unexpected; Two, take it outside, never start anything inside the bar unless it's absolutley necessary; and Three...be nice.
Fat bouncer
(Incredulously)
Come on!!
James Dalton If somebody gets in your face and calls you a c**ksucker I want you to be nice
Fat Bouncer
(With resignation)
Ok
James Dalton Ask him to walk, be nice, if he won't walk, walk him, but be nice, If you can't walk him, one of the others will help you and you will both be nice...I want you to remember, that it's the job, it's nothing personal.
Bouncer Steve
Being called a c**ksucker isn't personal?
James Dalton No, it's two nouns combined to elicit a prescribed response
Bouncer Steve
What if somebody calls my Mama a whore?
James Dalton Is she?
James Dalton (everybody snickers)
I want you to be nice.. until it's time..to not be nice
Bouncer 2
So, uh, how are we supposed to know when that is?
James Dalton You won't..I'll let you know...You are the bouncers I am the Cooler; All you have to do is watch my back and each others....and take out the trash!
Dalton Looks like an important man.
He was an asshole. But you, you're a smart boy, aren't you, Dalton? You're just not too realistic. Christ, I'm just like you. I came up the hard way, from the streets of Chicago. You know, when I came to this town after Korea there was nothing. I brought the mall here. I got the 7-Eleven. I got the Fotomat here. Christ, JC Penney is coming here because of me. You ask anybody, they'll tell you.
Dalton You've gotten rich off of the people in this town.
[laughs]
You bet your ass I have. And I'm gonna get richer. I believe we all have a purpose on this earth. A destiny. I have a faith in that destiny. It tells me to gather unto me what is mine. But, Christ, you get paid for beating people up. Tell me you don't love it. Of course you do. You wouldn't be human if you didn't.
Dalton, I have a cousin in Memphis. Tells me you killed a man down there. Tells me you said it was self-defense at the trial. But you and I know that isn't so, don't we?
[Dalton stands up and starts to get mad]
Relax. Relax. Tell me, if I owned a bar and I wanted to clean it up, how much would it take to get you to come work for me?
Dalton There's no amount of money.
