Three Days of the Condor quotes

View Quote Fowler: Somebody took out one of your sections.
Wicks: What?
Fowler: 9/17.
Wicks: That's New York. Somebody got mugged maybe.
Fowler: They were hit.
Wicks: They're bookworms.

View Quote Turner: Listen, I'll be going in the morning.
Kathy: Where? Was it all right?
Turner: All right?
Kathy: Outside-- Was it safe? Wherever you went.
Turner: Oh. I'm not sure.
Kathy: Oh, God. I wish I knew more. About you, yesterday, today…
Turner: I don't remember yesterday. Today it rained.

View Quote Joubert: Would you move from the window, please?
Janice: Pardon me? ...I won't scream.
Joubert: I know.

View Quote Kathy: You're not entitled to personal questions! That gun gives you the right to rough me up; it doesn't give you the right to ask me...
Turner: Wh- wh- Rough you up? Have I roughed you up?
Kathy: Yes! What are you doing in my house?
Turner: Have I? Have I?
Kathy: Going through all my stuff? Force...
Turner: Have I raped you?
Kathy: The night is young.
Turner: You don't believe anything I've said.
Kathy: I believe you're in trouble...danger...but I don't know what kind, and I'm not sure how much of it is made up. Real, but, uh...
Turner: Doesn't make any difference--doesn't matter.
Kathy: Wait a minute. Will you--
Turner: Forget it.
Kathy: I'm trying to understand!

View Quote Kathy: Ow! You're hurting me. Wait a minute. You-- Oh! You bully! Don't tie me up! Come on, please! This is... unfair!
Turner: I know.

View Quote Kathy: What did you do to those people?
Turner: What people? I don't know who they are. I file a report. A guy in Washington reads it. He's supposed to-- He's my section chief. He comes to New York to shoot me.
Kathy: Did you know him?
Turner: No.
Kathy: Did you know the mailman?
Turner: No, but the guy in Washington did.
Kathy: You won't know the next one.
Turner: I'm not waiting for the next one.

View Quote Mr. Wabash: Has he gone double or dirty?
Higgins: I don't know, sir.
Mr. Wabash: You think he's still in New York City?
Higgins: I wouldn't be.

View Quote [Turner stops at a deli to pick up lunch for the office.]
Jimmy: Hey, Shakespeare! How's it going?
Turner: Terrific. I'm building up a great collection of rejection slips.
Jimmy: Yeah, I know the feeling. I always wanted to be Escoffier.
Turner: Well, maybe it's not too late. You know, Van Gogh was thirty before he started to paint.
Jimmy: No kiddin'?
Turner: There's no mayonnaise on Dr. Lappe's. On the other hand, Mozart was three when he started to play the piano, and he was composing at six.
Jimmy: Fast starter. 'S probably better.
Turner: Well, I don't know. Van Gogh never sold a painting in a whole lifetime. Mozart died a pauper.
Customer: Where am I, the public library?
Jimmy: That's a very bright man.
Customer: It's educational. That's why I come in here.
Turner: You come in here to get sick like everybody else.
Jimmy: Come on.
Turner: No butter on Ray's sandwich. He gets panicky about butter.

View Quote Turner: What does Operations care about a bunch of goddamn books? A book in Dutch. A book out of Venezuela. Mystery stories in Arabic.
Atwood: Wait!
Turner: What the hell is so important about…
[He stops as he sees the connection.]
Turner: Oil fields. Oil. That's it, isn't it? This whole damn thing was about oil! Wasn't it? Wasn't it?
Atwood: Yes, it was.
Joubert: Don't turn for a moment. Put your thumb in front of the hammer. Release it slowly. Set down the gun on the desk. And don't move. Back up. You were quite good, Condor, until this. This move was predictable.
[Joubert shoots Atwood]

View Quote [to Higgins] Looks good, but, um, I have this friend, and he asked me to give you a message. Quote-- "Dear Mr. Higgins, This will introduce a friend of mine, Sparrow Hawk. Please accompany her to the Nassau Street exit of this place. Now." Personally, I'd do it, because he has this huge gun, and he's looking at us right now. I'll save this for you. Shall we?

View Quote [Turner and Higgins stop in front of The New York Times.]
Turner: They've got all of it.
Higgins: What? What did you do?
Turner: I told them a story. I told 'em a story. You play games; I told 'em a story.
Higgins: Oh, you… you poor, dumb son of a bitch. You've done more damage than you know.
Turner: I hope so.
Higgins: You're about to be a very lonely man. It didn't have to end this way.
Turner: Of course it did.
Higgins: Hey Turner! How do you know they'll print it? You can take a walk… but how far if they don't print it?
Turner: They'll print it.
Higgins: How do you know?

View Quote Let's not expect too many mistakes from this man. He does seem rather more interesting than just another of our reader/researchers. For example, has he gone into business for himself? Was he turned around? Does someone operate him? Homosexual? Broke? Vulnerable? Could he be a soldier of fortune? Did he arrange the hit? Is that why he's still in flight? Still, he...may be an innocent. But then, why didn't he come in gently with Mr. Wicks?

View Quote Conclude the Condor episode; and without any more noise. We're already visible. Let's not become conspicuous. If company agents aren't enough, use freelance. Use whatever it requires, but end it.

View Quote Turner: Are you sure about this ideogram?
Janice: Look at this face. Could I be wrong about an ideogram?
[Turner laughs.]
Turner: It's a great face. But it's never been to China.

View Quote Turner: This is no goddamned book! Somebody or something is rotten in the Company!
Higgins: You never complained 'til yesterday.
Turner: You didn't start killing my friends 'til yesterday!