The Tin Man [saying goodbye to Dorothy]
Now I know I have a heart... 'cause it's breaking.
Played by Jack Haley 
The Wizard of Oz (1939) · 89 quotes
The Wizard of Oz (1939) · 89 quotes
4th most-quoted character in The Wizard of Oz (1939): in 17 of its 89 quotes
Most scenes with: The Scarecrow (13), Dorothy Gale (12), The Cowardly Lion (10)
When a man's an empty kettle,
He should be on his mettle
And yet I'm torn apart.
Just because I'm presumin'
That I could be kinda human,
If I only had a heart.
I'd be tender — I'd be gentle
And awful sentimental
Regarding Love and Art
I'd be friends with sparrows
And the boy who shoots the arrows
If I only had a heart.
More lines from The Tin Man
1 quote The Tin Man Scenes with The Tin Man
15 scenes
Why, it's a man. A man made out of tin!
Tin Man [squeaking]
Did you say something?
Tin Man [squeaking]
He said "oil can."
Oil can what?
...
Tin Man No, it feels wonderful. I've held that axe up for ages.
How did you ever get like this?
Tin Man Well, about a year ago, I was chopping that tree, when suddenly it began to rain. And right in the middle of a chop, I rusted solid. Been that way ever since.
Well, you're perfect now.
Tin Man Perfect? Bang on my chest if you think I'm perfect. Go ahead, bang on it.
Tin Man It's empty. The tinsmith forgot to give me a heart.
Tin Man No heart. All hollow.
You know, we were just wondering why you couldn't come with us to the Emerald City to ask the wizard for a heart.
Tin Man But suppose the wizard wouldn't give me one once we got there?
Oh, but he will. He must. We've come such a long way already.
[the Wicked Witch appears on the rooftop of the Woodsman's cabin and cackles loudly]
You call that long?! Why, you've just begun! Helping the little lady along are you, my fine gentlemen? Well, stay away from her, [pointing to the Scarecrow] or I'll stuff a mattress with you! [toward the Tin Man] And you - I'll use you for a beehive. Here Scarecrow, want to play ball? [she hurls a ball of fire at the Scarecrow, who draws back in terror from the flames burning on the ground near him]
[The Tin Man quickly beats out the flames, as the witch disappears]
I'm not afraid of her. I'll see you get safely to the Wizard now whether I get a brain or not. Stuff a mattress with me, eh? [tries to snap his fingers defiantly, but his gloved fingers produce no sound]
Tin Man I'll see you reach the Wizard, whether I get a heart or not. Beehive! Bah! Let her try and make a beehive out of me! [snaps his fingers, making a harsh "clank" sound]
Oh, you're the best friends anybody ever had! And it's funny, but I feel as if I've known you all the time. But I couldn't have, could I?
...
Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man
[singing in unison]
We're off to see the Wizard, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
I don't like this forest. It's dark and creepy!
Of course I don't know, but I think it'll get darker before it gets lighter.
Do you suppose we'll meet any wild animals?
Tin Man We might.
Tin Man Well, some, but mostly lions and tigers and bears.
Lions?
And tigers?
Tin Man And bears.
Lions and tigers and bears, oh my.
Put 'em up, put 'em uuuuuup! Which one of you first? I'll fight ya both together if you want. I'll fight ya with one paw tied behind my back! I'll fight ya standin' on one foot! I'll fight ya with my eyes closed! [To the Tin Man] Ooooh, pulling an axe on me, hey? [To the Scarecrow] Sneakin' up on me, hey? Why, gnong-gnong!
Tin Man Here, here. Go away and let us alone!
Oh, scared, huh? Afraid, huh? How long can you stay fresh in that can? Ha-ha-ha-ha. Come on, get up and fight, ya shivering junkyard. [To the Scarecrow] Put your hands up, ya lopsided bag of hay.
Now that's getting personal, Lion!
Tin Man Yes, get up and teach him a lesson.
What's wrong with you teachin' him?
Tin Man W-w-w-ell, I hardly know 'im.
No, but you tried to. It's bad enough picking on a straw man, but when you go around picking on poor little dogs...
Well, you didn't have to go and hit me, did ya? Is my nose bleeding?
Well, of course not. My goodness, what a fuss you're making. Well, naturally when you go around picking on things weaker than you are. Why, you're nothing but a great big coward!
You're right. I am a coward. I haven't any courage at all. I even scare myself! Look at the circles under my eyes. I haven't slept in weeks.
Tin Man Why don't you try counting sheep?
That doesn't do any good, I'm afraid of 'em.
That's too bad. [to Dorothy] Don't you think the wizard could help him too?
I don't see why not. [to the Lion] Why don't you come with us? We're on our way to see the wizard now...[pointing to the Tin Man] to get him a heart...
Tin Man [pointing at the Scarecrow]
And him a brain.
I'm sure he could give you some courage.
Wouldn't you feel degraded to be seen in the company of a cowardly lion? I would.
Of course not.
Gee, that's awfully nice of you. My life has been simply unbearable.
Well, it's all right now. The wizard will fix everything.
If you please, sir. We want to see the Wizard right away. All four of us.
Guard
Orders are: nobody may see the Great Oz! Not nobody, not nohow!
Oh, but please. It's very important!
And I got a permanent just for the occasion!
Guard
NOT NOBODY, NOT NOHOW!!!
But she's Dorothy!
Guard
[About the Wicked Witch's recent message, "Surrender Dorothy"]
The Witch's Dorothy? Well, um, that makes a difference. Just wait here; I'll announce you at once. [Enters the Wizard's palace]
Did you hear that? He'll announce us at once! I've as good as got my brain!
Tin Man I can faintly hear my heart beating!
I'll be home in time for supper!
In another hour, I'll be King of the Forest. Long live the King!
If you were king, you wouldn't be afraid of anything?
Not nobody! Not no how!
Not even a rhinoceros?
Imp-oceros!
Tin Man How about a hippopotamus?
Why, I'd thrash him from top to bottom-us!
Supposing you met an elephant?
I'd knot him up in cellophant!
What if it were a Brontosaurus?
I'd show him who's King of the Forest!
Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man
[in unison]
How?
How? Courage! What makes a king out of a slave? Courage! What makes the flag on a mast to wave? Courage! What makes an elephant charge his tusk, in the misty mist or the dusky dusk? What makes a muskrat guard his musk? Courage! What makes the sphinx the Seventh Wonder? Courage! What makes the dawn come up like THUNDER? Courage! What makes the Hottentot so hot? What puts the "ape" in apricot? What have they got that I ain't got?
Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man
[in unison]
Courage.
You can say that again! [short pause; realizing] Hmm?
Wait a minute, fellas. I was just thinkin'. I really don't want to see the Wizard this much. I'd better wait for ya outside.
What's the matter?
Tin Man Oh, he's just scared again.
Don't you know the Wizard is gonna give you some courage?
Well, then we'll ask him for you.
I'd sooner wait outside.
Why?
Because I'm still scared. [He yelps]
What happened?
Somebody pulled my tail!
Oh, you did it yourself.
Come forward!
Tell me when it's over... I wanna go home!
I am Oz, the Great and Powerful! Who are you? WHO - ARE - YOU?!
If you please — I am Dorothy... the small and meek. We've come to ask...
SILENCE!
The Great and Powerful Oz knows why you have come. Step forward, Tin Man! [He obeys.] You dare to come to me for a heart, do you, you clinking, clanking, clattering collection of colligenous junk?!
Tin Man Uh, yes-yes sir. Y-y-yes, Your Honor. Y'see, uh, a while back, we were walking down the Yellow Brick Road, and -
QUIET!
Tin Man Whoa! [retreats]
And you, Scarecrow, have the effrontery to ask for a brain, you billowing bale of bovine fodder?!
[He bows and approaches on his knees]
Yes, Your Honor-- I mean Your Excellency-- I mean Your Wizardry!
Enough! [Scarecrow retreats] And you, Lion... [Lion steps forward but is too frightened to speak] WELL?! [Lion faints, and the others rush to his side. Scarecrow fans him with his hand in an attempt to revive him.]
You should be ashamed of yourself! Frightening him like that, when he came to you for help!
Silence, whippersnapper! The Beneficent Oz has every intention of granting your requests. [Lion instantly regains consciousness and sits up.]
What's that? Huh? What did he say?
But first you must prove yourselves worthy by performing a very small task. Bring me the broomstick of the Witch of the West.
Tin Man But, but, but, if we do that, we'll have to kill her to get it.
Bring me her broomstick and I'll grant your requests. Now go.
W-w-what if she kills us first?
I SAID GO!!!
[about the Flying Monkeys]
They tore my legs off and they threw them over there. Then they took my chest out and they threw it over there.
Tin Man Well, that's you all over.
They sure knocked the stuffin' out of you, didn't they?
Don't stand there talking. Put me together. We've got to find Dorothy.
Tin Man I hope your tail holds out!
Can I believe my eyes? Why have you come back?
Please sir, we've done what you told us. We brought you the broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the West. We melted her.
Oh, you liquidated her, eh? Very resourceful.
Yes, sir. So we'd like you to keep your promises, if you please, sir.
Not so fast, NOT SO FAST! I'll have to give the matter a little thought. Go away and come back tomorrow.
Tomorrow? Oh, but I want to go home now!
Tin Man You've had plenty of time to think already!
Yeah!
DO NOT AROUSE THE WRATH OF THE GREAT AND POWERFUL OZ! I SAID COME BACK TOMORROW!
If you were really Great and Powerful, you'd keep your promises!
[As Toto reveals him behind a curtain]
You presume to criticize the Great Oz?! You ungrateful creatures! You're lucky that I'm only holding this till tomorrow, instead of the next TWENTY YEARS from now! [They notice him] Er... the Great Oz has spoken. [Redraws the curtain hastily] PAY NO ATTENTION TO THAT MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN! THE GREAT, er... OZ... HAS SPOKEN!!
Oh, er, [Into a microphone, which increases his voice dramatically] I AM THE GREAT AND POWERFUL [In normal voice] ... Wizard... of Oz.
You are?! I don't believe you.
I'm afraid it's true. There's no other Wizard except me.
You humbug!
Tin Man Yeah!
Yes. That's exactly so. I'm a humbug.
Oh, you're a very bad man!
Oh, no, my dear, I... I'm a very good man - I'm just a very bad Wizard.
What about the heart that you promised Tin Man?! And the courage that you promised Cowardly Lion?!
Tin Man and Cowardly Lion
And Scarecrow's brain!
Why, anybody can have a brain. That's a very mediocre commodity! Every pusillanimous creature that crawls on the earth or slinks through slimy seas has a brain! Back where I come from, we have universities, seats of great learning where men go to become great thinkers. And when they come out, they think deep thoughts — and with no more brains than you have. But! They have one thing you haven't got! A diploma! Therefore, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Universita Committeeatum E Pluribus Unum, I hereby confer upon you the honorary degree of Th.D.
"Th.D."?
That's, er, "Doctor of Thinkology".
[Rapid]
The sum of the square roots of any two sides of an isosceles triangle is equal to the square root of the remaining side. [Normal, amazed] Oh, joy! Rapture! I've got a brain! How can I ever thank you enough?
Well, you can't! [To the Cowardly Lion] As for you, my fine friend — you're a victim of disorganized thinking. You are under the unfortunate delusion that simply because you run away from danger, you have no courage. You're confusing courage with wisdom! Back where I come from though we have men who are called heroes. Once a year, they take their fortitude out of mothballs and parade it down the main street of the city. And they have no more courage than you have. But — They have one thing that you haven't got! A medal! Therefore, for meritorious conduct, extraordinary valor, conspicuous bravery against Wicked Witches, I award you the Triple Cross. You are now a member of the Legion of Courage!
Oh... Shucks, folks, I'm speechless!
[To the Tin Man]
As for you, my galvanized friend - you want a heart! You don't know how lucky you are not to have one. Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable.
The Tin Man But I-- I still want one.
Back where I come from, there are men who do nothing all day but good deeds. They are called phila-, er, er, philanth-er, good-deed doers! And their hearts are no bigger than yours. But! - They have one thing you haven't got. A testimonial! Therefore, in consideration of your kindness, I take pleasure at this time in presenting you with a small token of our esteem and affection. And remember, my sentimental friend, that a heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others.
Tin Man [Listens to his new heart-shaped testimonial]
Oh! Oh, it ticks! Listen! Look, it ticks!
Read what my medal says: "Courage"! Ain't it the truth!
Oh, they're all wonderful.
Hey! What about Dorothy?
Tin Man Yes, how about Dorothy?
Yeah, Dorothy next!
I don't think there's anything in that black bag for me.
Well, you've forced me into a cataclysmic decision. The only way to get Dorothy back to Kansas is for me to take her there myself!
Oh, will you? Could you? Oh — but are you a clever enough Wizard to manage it?
Child, you cut me to the quick. I'm an old Kansas man myself; born and bred in the heart of the Western wilderness. Premiere Balloonist par excellence for the Miracle Wonderland Carnival Company. Until one day, while performing spectacular feats of stratospheric skill never before attempted by civilized man, an unfortunate phenomena occurred. The balloon failed to return to the fair!
It did?
Weren't you frightened?
Frightened? You are talking to a man who has laughed in the face of death, sneered at doom, and chuckled at catastrophe - I was petrified. Then suddenly, the wind changed and the balloon floated down into the heart of this noble city, where I was instantly acclaimed Oz, the first Wizard Deluxe! Times being what they were, I accepted the job, retaining my balloon against the advent of a quick getaway. And in that balloon, my dear Dorothy, you and I will return to the land of E Pluribus Unum!
Oh, will you help me? Can you help me?
You don't need to be helped any longer. You've always had the power to go back to Kansas.
I have?
Then why didn't you tell her before?
She wouldn't have believed me. She had to learn it for herself.
What have you learned, Dorothy?
Well, I—I think that it, that it wasn't enough just to want to see Uncle Henry and Auntie Em — and it's that — if I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own backyard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with! Is that right?
That's all it is!
But that's so easy! I should've thought of it for you -
Tin Man I should have felt it in my heart -
No, she had to find it out for herself. Now those magic slippers will take you home in two seconds!
Oh! Toto too?
Toto too.
Now?
Whenever you wish.
...
Then close your eyes and tap your heels together three times. And think to yourself, 'There's no place like home'.
Guard
The Wizard says, Go away! [Goes back to the Wizard's palace]
Dorothy, Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow, and Tin Man
[shocked together]
Go away?
Tin Man [comforting Dorothy]
Don't cry, Dorothy. We're gonna get you to the Wizard.
[The guard opens the door's window] [crying]
Auntie Em was so good to me, and I never appreciated it, running away and hurting her feelings. Professor Marvel said she was sick. She may be dying and it's all my fault.
[The guard starts crying]
I'll never forgive myself. Never, never, never. [Scarecrow and Tin Man continue to comfort Dorothy]
Guard
[sobbing]
Please, don't cry anymore. I'll get you to the Wizard somehow. Come on. I had an Aunt Em myself once. [Sobs and opens the door for Dorothy and her friends]
What's that? What's that?
That's the castle of the Wicked Witch! Dorothy's in that awful place!
Tin Man Oh, I hate to think of her in there! We've got to get her out!
Don't cry now! We haven't got the oil-can with us and you've been squeaking enough as it is!
Who's them? Who's them?
Winkies
[The Winkie Guards enter, marching in formation to the tune of an ominous chant]
Oh-we-um; io-on!
I've got a plan to get in there…
He's got a plan!
An' you're gonna lead us!
M-m-me?
Yes, you!
I gotta get in there?
[Scarecrow and Tin Man nod] .
[hesitates]
. All right; I'll go in there for Dorothy. Wicked Witch or no Wicked Witch. Guards or no guards; I'll tear 'em apart. I may not come out alive, but I'm goin' in there! There's only one thing I want you fellas to do.
Scarecrow and Tin Man
What's that?
Talk me out of it.
[He backs down; the others prop him up, and all three go nearer to the gate. Toto barks; the Scarecrow quiets him. Three Winkie guards attack from behind. They fight; the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion re-enter, dressed in the Winkies' uniforms] .
Come on, I've got another plan!
Do you think it'll be polite, dropping in like this?
[They join the formation entering the castle] .
Tin Man Where do we go now?
Yeah!
Goodbye, Tin Man. Oh, don't cry! You'll rust so dreadfully. Here's your oil can.
Tin Man Oh, thank you. Now I know I've got a heart, 'cause it's breaking... And it's saying Thank you, Dorothy.
Goodbye, Lion. I know it isn't right, but I'm going to miss the way you used to holler for help before you found your courage.
Oh, thank you. I never would've found it if it hadn't been for you...
