The Killers (1946) · 37 quotes
2nd most-quoted character in The Killers (1946): in 8 of its 37 quotes
Most scenes with: Jim Reardon (3), Swede (3), Big Jim Colfax (2)
I hadn't seen him for a long time, but the minute I laid eyes on him, I knew. He was always looking at me. And it doesn't sound like very much, but he always carried a handkerchief I'd given him...I hated my life, only I wasn't strong enough to get away from it. All I could do was dream of some big payoff that would let me quit the whole racket. The Swede was my chance to make my dream come true. If I could only be alone with him for a few hours. But Colfax was always there. I thought it was hopeless. Then suddenly, my chance came.
Kitty Collins Colfax sent me to tell the others what had happened and that they would meet at the farmer's instead. I went to Blinky Franklin first, and then to Dum Dum. I saved the Swede 'till last. It was nearly two in the morning when I got there.
Do you like the fights?
Kitty I'm afraid I've never seen one.
No kiddin'.
Kitty I hate brutality, Mr. Andersen. The idea of two men beating each other to a pulp makes me ill.
Lilly I saw all Swede's fights.
Kitty How wonderful of you! I could never bear to see a man I really cared for being hurt. [Kitty is called away, and slinks off]
She's beautiful.
Kitty What'sa matter with you?...You're nervous. You're all in a sweat.
You keep your mouth shut if you don't want it slapped shut. You've been askin' for it lately.
Hey!
Any objections?
Yeah.
Dum Dum Keep out of this, Swede. She's his girl.
Kitty Mind your own business, Swede. I can take care of myself. [To Big Jim] You touch me and you won't live 'till morning.
Kitty I thought you didn't like the Green Cat.
Only when I'm not expected.
Kitty Can you put me away, Mr. 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?
Kitty Oh, there's no use kidding myself. I'd do anything you wanted. Give you every penny I could lay my hands on.
How many pennies is that?
Kitty Well, I might be able to raise $65, $70 thousand at the most.
Not enough.
Kitty 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.
Well, we might still be able to do business if you put a prize in with the CrackerJack.
Kitty What do you mean?
I wanna fall guy when it's over.
Kitty Who would that be?
Colfax.
Kitty Even the old Kitty Collins never sang, Mr. Reardon.
Kitty I'm taking my life in my hands coming to you like this, but I just couldn't stand by, not after what you did for me that time in Philly.
Forget that. Why are you here now?
Kitty Colfax thinks I'm on my way to New York. He's meeting me there tomorrow. But I just had to come to you, Swede, and tell you.
Tell me what?
Kitty They're planning to double-cross you.
Who is?
Kitty Colfax and the others. They don't intend for you ever to get a smell of the money from tomorrow's job.
How do you know that?
Kitty Colfax sprung it tonight on Dum Dum and Blinky right after you left. First, he called you names and said dirty things about you. And then he sprung it. What if they were not to go to the half-way house after the robbery? You'd go there, but they'd be someplace else, and so would the money.
What did Blinky and Dum Dum say?
Kitty They fell right in with the idea.
Where are they gonna meet?
Kitty The farmhouse north of town on Polk Road, eleven miles out on the turnpike. Colfax hates you, Swede, so much so that Blinky and Dum Dum have caught it from him and they hate you too.
Thanks for putting me wise, Kitty.
Kitty What are you gonna do? Swede - what are you gonna do?
I'm gonna do them like they mean to do me.
Kitty Promise me one thing. You won't give me away. If Colfax ever found out what I did...
Don't you worry.
Kitty You know why Colfax hates you? Because of me. He's no fool. He sees what's happened.
Why did you ever go back to him, Kitty?
Kitty Maybe because I hate him. I'm poison, Swede, to myself and everybody around me. I'd be afraid to go with anyone I love for the harm I'd do them. I don't care harming him.
Kitty All right, Swede. [They embrace and kiss passionately]
I guess our luck's run out, Kitty. [To Reardon] You didn't have anything on her before now, did ya?
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?
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.
Kitty 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 'Kitty is innocent. I swear, Kitty is innocent.'
It's no use, Kitty. Your would-be fall guy is dead.
Kitty 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!'
