James J. Wells You had a leak?! You call what's goin' on around here a leak? Boy, the last time there was a leak like this, Noah built hisself a boat.
3rd most-quoted character in Absence of Malice (1981): in 6 of its 15 quotes
A line from James J. WellsNow we'll talk all day if you want to. But, come sundown, there's gonna be two things true that ain't true now. One is that the United States Department of Justice is goin' to know what in the good Christ - excuse me, Angie - is goin' on around here. And the other's I'm gonna have somebody's ass in my briefcase.
More lines from James J. Wells
2 quotes James J. Wells James J. Wells [to Megan]
I think I know where we're headed here. Before we get there, I want to say something to you. You know and I know that we can't tell you what to print or what not to. We hope the press will act responsibly, but when you don't, there ain't a lot we can do about it. We can't have people go around leaking stuff for their own reasons. It ain't legal. And worse than that, by God it ain't right.
Scenes with James J. Wells
3 scenes James J. Wells Tell you what we're gonna do. We're gonna sit right here and talk about it. Now if you get tired of talking here, Mr. Marshal Elving Patrick there will hand you one of them subpoenas he's got stuck down in his pocket and we'll go downstairs and talk in front of the grand jury... Elliot? Jim?... Fine. All right, Elving, hand whichever one of these fellas you like a subpoena and we'll go on downstairs and talk in front of the grand jury.
Quinn Gallagher's a government witness.
James A. Wells
Wonderful thing, a subpoena.
James A. Wells Mr Gallagher...I seem to want to ask if you set all this up. If I do, you ain't gonna tell me, are you? No. You're a smart man, Mr. Gallagher. I'm pretty smart myself. Don't get too smart.
Everybody in this room is smart, and everybody was just doing their job, and Teresa Perrone is dead. Who do I see about that?
James A. Wells Ain't nobody to see. I wish there was. You're excused now, sir.
James A. Wells What'd you figure you'd do after government service, Elliott?
Elliott Rosen I'm not quitting.
James A. Wells You ain't no Presidential appointee, Elliott. One that hired you is me. You got thirty days.
