Jim Reardon This isn't a two-for-a-nickel shooting. Two professional killers show up in a small town and put the blast on a filling station attendant. A nobody. There was no attempted robbery. They were out for only one thing. To kill him. Why?
Played by Edmond O'Brien 
The Killers (1946) · 37 quotes
The Killers (1946) · 37 quotes
Most-quoted character in The Killers (1946): in 12 of its 37 quotes
Most scenes with: Kitty Collins (3)
As soon as you could break away, you left him flat. I'd like to have known the old Kitty Collins. You were in the clear because no one knew you'd been with the Swede. You had nothing to fear from anyone. Too bad it had to catch up with you now.
More lines from Jim Reardon
5 quotes Jim Reardon Jim Reardon [to Dum Dum]
You don't know what the Swede did with the money or you wouldn't be here tearing his room to pieces. But maybe you do know things that put together with the things I know will tell me where the money is.
Jim Reardon [to Dum Dum, about Kitty]
I think she knows where the money is...The Swede and some girl checked into an Atlantic City hotel the night of the holdup. Two days later, the girl took a powder. I've got an idea the dough went with her.
Jim Reardon It was Kitty Collins and not the Swede that reaped the golden harvest...When the gang met to divvy up after the robbery, the Swede pulled a fast one and walked off with the whole take...That same night, he and Kitty were together in Atlantic City. She walked out on him a couple of days later. The money disappeared when she did.
Jim Reardon [to Colfax]
He (Dum Dum) said Kitty brought him word at midnight about the changed meeting place. The half-way house didn't burn down 'till nearly three in the morning. That meant Kitty had a partner. And who could it be but you.
Scenes with Jim Reardon
6 scenes Reardon Good morning, Stella.
Stella
Good morning, dream boy.
He shouldn't have hit you...
Doctor
Beats me. I don't know what keeps him going.
Reardon Will he be able to talk anymore?
Doctor
He's dead now, except he's breathing.
I thought you didn't like the Green Cat.
Reardon Only when I'm not expected.
Can you put me away, Mr. Reardon?
Reardon Blinky Franklin made a deathbed statement under oath. There's no stronger testimony. And there's a chambermaid in an Atlantic City hotel that has a memory for faces. Well?
Oh, there's no use kidding myself. I'd do anything you wanted. Give you every penny I could lay my hands on.
Reardon How many pennies is that?
Well, I might be able to raise $65, $70 thousand at the most.
Reardon Not enough.
That's all I could possibly get together. I'm not stalling, Mr. Reardon, not now. I know when I'm beaten. I'm fighting for my life, not Kitty Collins' life, but mine. I have a home now and a husband. I've got a life worth fighting for, and there's nothing in this world I wouldn't do to keep it just the way it is.
Reardon Well, we might still be able to do business if you put a prize in with the CrackerJack.
What do you mean?
Reardon I wanna fall guy when it's over.
Who would that be?
Reardon Colfax.
Even the old Kitty Collins never sang, Mr. Reardon.
I guess our luck's run out, Kitty. [To Reardon] You didn't have anything on her before now, did ya?
Reardon No, but I had to make you think so. And I was sure you'd try to knock me off before I could find out Kitty was your wife.
You knew that too, huh?
Reardon Married people can't testify against each other. Otherwise, I would have tried playing you off one against each other, instead of making myself a target for those gunmen of yours...
What I don't get is, why you sent those two killers to blast the Swede? He wasn't doing ya any harm there in Brentwood. Why didn't ya let well enough alone?
I couldn't. Suppose one of the gang ran into him, same as I did. They were after the money, if he had a chance to tell his story, and that would've been the end of it. They knew Kitty and I were married and they've seen through the frame-up. Anyhow, if I hadn't had him knocked off, he would've wondered why, and begun thinking.
Jim! Jim!! Tell 'em I didn't know anything. Jim, listen to me. You can save me. Jim, do ya hear me? Tell them I didn't know those gunmen were coming. Say, 'Kitty is innocent. I swear, Kitty is innocent.' Say it, Jim, say it! It'll save me if you do.
Don't ask a dyin' man to lie his soul into hell.
'Kitty is innocent. I swear, Kitty is innocent.'
Reardon It's no use, Kitty. Your would-be fall guy is dead.
Come back, Jim, tell them. Come back! SAVE ME! Jim! 'Kitty is innocent! I swear! Kitty is innocent! Kitty is innocent! I swear, Kitty is innocent! Kitty is innocent!'
Kenyon And the Swede never knew his girl had gone straight back to Colfax with all the money. As for the others, they had no idea she'd ever been away from Colfax...And Colfax framed the whole thing, just so he wouldn't have to split the take.
Reardon The double-cross to end all double-crosses!
