James Stewart movie quotes

142 quotes from 11 movies

The Philadelphia Story (1940) as Macaulay 'Mike' Connor

View Quote Champagne's funny stuff. I'm used to whiskey. Whiskey is a slap on the back, and champagne's heavy mist before my eyes.

View Quote Tell four footmen to call me in time for lunch will you?

View Quote [drunk, to cab driver] Well, this is where Cinderella gets off! Now you hurry back to the ball before you turn into a pumpkin and six white mice — goodbye!

All 35 quotes from Macaulay 'Mike' Connor »

Vertigo (1958) as Detective John 'Scottie" Ferguson

View Quote Well, I think that explains it. Anyone could become obsessed with the past with a background like that!

View Quote You're gonna be all right now, Madeleine. Don't you see? You've given me something to work on now! I'm gonna take you down there to that mission this afternoon and when you see it, you'll remember when you saw it before, and it'll finish your dream. It will destroy it. I promise you. All right?

View Quote [to Midge] I always said you were wasting your time in the underwear department.

All 23 quotes from Detective John 'Scottie" Ferguson »

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) as Jefferson Smith

View Quote Dad always used to say the only causes worth fighting for were the lost causes. The origin of this quote is Ethel Lina White's The Wheel Spins, published in 1936.

View Quote You think I'm licked. You all think I'm licked. Well, I'm not licked. And I'm going to stay right here and fight for this lost cause. Even if the room gets filled with lies like these, and the Taylors and all their armies come marching into this place.

View Quote Boy I feel like a house on fire.

All 18 quotes from Jefferson Smith »

Harvey (1950) as Elwood P. Dowd

View Quote Years ago my mother used to say to me, she'd say, "In this world, Elwood, you must be," - she always called me Elwood - "In this world, you must be oh so smart, or oh so pleasant." Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me.

View Quote I plan to leave. You want me to stay. Well, an element of conflict in any discussion's a very good thing. It means everybody is taking part and nobody is left out.

View Quote Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it.

All 17 quotes from Elwood P. Dowd »

Shenandoah (1965) as Charlie Anderson

View Quote There's nothing much I can tell you about this war. It's like all wars, I suppose. The undertakers are winning it. Oh, the politicians will talk a lot about the "glory" of it, and the old men'll talk about the "need" of it—the soldiers, they just want to go home.

View Quote Lord, We cleared this land; We plowed it, sowed it, and harvested it. We cooked the harvest. It wouldn't be here—we wouldn't be eating it—if we hadn't done it all ourselves. We worked dog-bone hard for every crumb and morsel But we thank you just the same anyway, Lord, for this food we're about to eat. Amen.

View Quote I'm not going to kill you. I want you to live. I want you to live to be an old man, and I want you to have many, many, many children, and I want you to feel about your children then the way I feel about mine now. And someday, when a man comes along and kills one of 'em, I want you to remember! Okay? I want you to remember.

All 14 quotes from Charlie Anderson »

An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991) as Wylie Burp

View Quote Let this sleeping dog lie, son. Dog-gone it, I'm dog tired. I'm tired of leading the dog's life and fighting likes cats and dogs against cats and dogs. A young pup's dogging my trail trying to become top dog. I'm going to the dogs in a dog-eat-dog world, son. I'm so far over the hill, I'm on the bottom of the other side.

View Quote [last lines] Just remember, Fievel. One man's sunset is another man's dawn. I don't know what's out there beyond those hills. But if you ride yonder, head up, eyes steady, heart open...I think one day you'll find that you're the hero you've been looking for.

View Quote No self-respecting dog fetches anything, unless he's good and feels like it.

All 12 quotes from Wylie Burp »

Destry Rides Again (1939) as Tom Destry, Jr.

View Quote [to Frenchy, as she throws bottles at him] You sure have a knack of makin' a stranger feel right at home, ma'am. Nice knowin' ya.

View Quote Wash: Everybody's laughin' at ya. Tom, you made an impression on this town that's got to be eradicated right now.
Destry: Oh now, Wash, don't you think them first impressions are darn fool things to jump at, though?
Wash: Around here, you gotta jump first or you don't live long.

View Quote Nobody's gonna set themselves up above the law around here. You understand? I've got somethin' to say to you. I think maybe I can illustrate it a little better if I told you a story. I used to have a friend that was an Opry singer. But he went into the cement business. And one day, he fell into the cement. And now he's the cornerstone of the post office in St. Louis, Missouri. He should have stuck to his own trade. You'd better stick to yours.

All 9 quotes from Tom Destry, Jr. »

Rope (1948) as Rupert Cadell

View Quote You're quite a good chicken strangler as I recall!

View Quote Brandon Shaw: [to Rupert] It's awfully good to see you again.
Rupert Cadell: Why?

View Quote Janet Walker: Well, now, you don't really approve of murder, Rupert? If I may?
Rupert Cadell: You may... and I do. Think of the problems it would solve: unemployment, poverty, standing in line for theatre tickets...

All 7 quotes from Rupert Cadell »

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) as Ransom Stoddard

View Quote Ransom Stoddard: You're not going to use the story, Mr. Scott?
Maxwell Scott: No, sir. This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.

View Quote Tom Doniphon: [Valance has tripped Rance in the diner, causing him to spill a tray of food] That's my steak, Valance.
Liberty Valance: [laughing] You heard him, Dude. Pick it up.
Ransom Stoddard: No!
Tom Doniphon: Pilgrim, hold it. I said you, Valance; you pick it up.
Liberty Valance: Three against one, Doniphon.
Tom Doniphon: My boy, Pompey; kitchen door.
[Valance looks and sees Pompey at the door holding a rifle]
Floyd: I'll get it, Liberty!
[Doniphon kicks Floyd in the face as he bends down to retrieve the tray]

View Quote Tom Doniphon: [reading Ransom Stoddard's shingle] 'Ransom Stoddard, At... torney at Law' You're a persistent cuss, pilgrim. You really aim to hang that up outside somewhere?
Ransom Stoddard: That's why I painted it.
Tom Doniphon: Well, take some advice, pilgrim. You put that thing up, you'll have to defend it with a gun... and you ain't exactly the type.

Airport '77 (1977) as Philip Stevens

View Quote Benji, I'm your Grandpa.

View Quote Benjy, I'm your Grandpa.

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) as Dr. Ben McKenna

View Quote Sorry we were gone so long, but we had to pick up Hank!

View Quote Jo: You know what I was just thinking? You know what is paying for this three days in Marrakech?
Ben: Sure, me.
Jo: Mrs. Campbell's gall stone.
[both laugh]
Jo: And you know the purse I bought in Paris? Philip's tarsal.