Sam the Lion Chicken-fry me a steak. And try to use meat this time.
Played by Ben Johnson 
The Last Picture Show (1971) · 47 quotes
The Last Picture Show (1971) · 47 quotes
Tied for 4th most-quoted character in The Last Picture Show (1971): in 7 of its 47 quotes
Most scenes with: Sonny Crawford (3)
121 to 14. Must be pretty near a record...I reckon ya all need glasses.
More lines from Sam the Lion
2 quotes Sam the Lion Sam the Lion [to Duane and Sonny, as they are leaving for a weekend in Mexico]
You'd better take some for some insurance. Take money below that border - it sorta melts sometimes...And try not to drink too much of that buggy water...You catch the clap - you'll wish you hadn't drunk nothin'. Oh well, we'll see ya.
Scenes with Sam the Lion
4 scenes
Coulda been worse...
Sam Yeah. You can say that about nearly everything, I guess.
Sam Now you see - this is what I get for bettin' on my own hometown ball team - oughta have better sense.
Abilene Wouldn't hurt to have a better home town.
Sam Now you boys can get on outta here. I don't wanna have no more to do with ya. Scarin' an unfortunate creature like Billy, just so's you could have a few laughs. I've been around that trashy behavior all my life. I'm gettin' tired of puttin' up with it. And you can stay outta this poolhall, outta my cafe and my picture show too. I don't want no more of your business.
We didn't mean for anything bad to happen, Sam. We...
Sam You didn't even have the decency to wash his face.
Sam You wouldn't believe how this country's changed. First time I seen it, there wasn't a mesquite tree on it, or a prickly pear neither. I used to own this land, you know. First time I watered a horse at this tank was - more than forty years ago. I reckon the reason why I always drag you out here is probably I'm just as sentimental as the next fella when it comes to old times. Old times. I brought a young lady swimmin' out here once, more than 20 years ago. Was after my wife had lost her mind and my boys was dead. Me and this young lady was pretty wild, I guess. In pretty deep. We used to come out here on horseback and go swimmin' without no bathing suits. One day, she wanted to swim the horses across this tank. Kind of a crazy thing to do, but we done it anyway. She bet me a silver dollar she could beat me across. She did. This old horse I was ridin' didn't want to take the water. But she was always lookin' for somethin' to do like that. Somethin' wild. I'll bet she's still got that silver dollar.
Whatever happened to her?
Sam Oh, she growed up. She was just a girl then, really...
Why didn't you ever marry her after your wife died?
Sam She was already married. Her and her husband was young and miserable with one another like so many young married folks are. I thought they'd change with some age, but it didn't turn out that way.
Bein' married always so miserable?
Sam No, not really. About eighty percent of the time, I guess. We oughta go to a real fishin' tank next year. Aw, too late to think about things like that too much. If she was here, I'd probably be just as crazy now as I was then in about five minutes. Ain't that ridiculous? Naw, it ain't really. 'Cause bein' crazy 'bout a woman like her's always the right thing to do. Bein' a decrepit old bag of bones - that's what's ridiculous - gettin' old.
