George Taylor Imagine me needing someone. Back on Earth I never did. Oh, there were women. Lots of women. Lots of love-making but no love. You see, that was the kind of world we'd made. So I left, because there was no one to hold me there.
Most-quoted character in Planet of the Apes (1968): in 23 of its 35 quotes
Most scenes with: Dr. Zaius (5), Cornelius (3), Dr. Zira (3)
Oh my God... I'm back. I'm home. All the time it was... we finally really did it. [screaming] YOU MANIACS! YOU BLEW IT UP! OH, DAMN YOU! GODDAMN YOU ALL TO HELL! (camera pans to reveal the half-destroyed Statue of Liberty sticking out of the sand)
More lines from George Taylor
12 quotes George Taylor George Taylor It's a mad house! A mad house!
George Taylor I'm a seeker too. But my dreams aren't like yours. I can't help thinking that somewhere in the universe there has to be something better than man. Has to be.
George Taylor What evidence? There were no weapons in that cave.
George Taylor [after seeing that Landon has been lobotomized]
You! You cut up his brain, you bloody baboon!
George Taylor A planet where apes evolved from men?
George Taylor Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!
Note: ranked #66 in the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 movie quotations in American cinema.
George Taylor Doctor, would an ape make a human doll, that talks?
George Taylor [to Lucius]
In my world, when I left it, only kids your age wore beards.
George Taylor And that completes my final report until we reach touchdown. We're now on full automatic in the hands of the computers. I've tucked my crew in for the long sleep, and I'll be joining them...soon. In less than an hour we'll finish our six months out of Cape Kennedy. Six months in deep space...by our time, that is. According to Dr. Hasslein's theory of time in a vehicle traveling nearly the speed of light, the Earth has aged nearly 700 years since we left it...while we've aged hardly at all. Maybe so. This much is probably true. The men who sent us on this journey are long since dead and gone. You, who are reading me now, are a different breed...I hope a better one. I leave the 20th century with no regrets, but...one more thing, if anybody's listening, that is. Nothing scientific. It's... purely personal. But seen from out here, everything seems different. Time bends. Space is... boundless. It squashes a man's ego. I feel lonely. That's about it. Tell me, though, does man, that marvel of the universe, that glorious paradox who sent me to the stars, still make war against his brother... keep his neighbor's children starving?
George Taylor But they--! [after seeing that Landon has been lobotomized] You did it. You cut up his brain, you bloody baboon!
George Taylor You did that to him, damn you! You cut out his memory! You took his identity! And that's what you want to do to me!
Scenes with George Taylor
10 scenes George Doctor, I'd like to kiss you goodbye.
All right, but you're so damned ugly.
George There's your Minister of Science; honor bound to expand the frontiers of knowledge.
Taylor please!
George Except that he's also Chief Defender of the Faith!
There is no contradiction between faith and science... true science.
George Are you willing to put that statement to the test?
Taylor I would much rather—
George Take it easy, you saved me from this fanatic, maybe I can return the favor!
Tell me, why are all apes created equal?
George Some apes, it seems, are more equal than others.
I see you've brought the female of your species. I didn't realize that man could be monogamous.
George On this planet, it's easy.
Well Taylor, we're all fugitives now.
George Do you have any weapons, any guns?
The best, but we won't need them.
George I'm glad to hear it. I want one anyway.
George [brandishing rifle]
Don't try to follow me. I'm pretty handy with this.
Of that I'm sure. All my life I've awaited your coming and dreaded it.
George Why not?
It's humiliating!
George The way you humiliated me? All of you? You led me around on a leash!
That was different. We thought you were inferior.
George Now you know better.
George A planet where apes evolved from men? There's got to be an answer.
Don't look for it, Taylor. You may not like what you'll find.
Landon [Three astronauts look at the sun which the Planet of the Apes orbits]
Where are we, Bellatrix?
Dodge
No, it is too white for Bellatrix.
Taylor You are 300 light years from your precious planet. Your loved ones are dead and forgotten for 20 centuries. 20 centuries! Even if you could get back, they would think you were something that fell out of a tree.
[Dodge wanders off to look at flora and fauna of this unique planet, but is out of earshot] Taylor [talking to Landon]: Clue me in on something, will you? Why did you sign on for this trip? You volunteered. Never mind; I'll clue you in. You were the golden boy of the class of '72. When they nominated you for the big one, you couldn't turn it down...not without losing your all-American image.
Landon Climb off, will you?
Taylor Oh, and the glory, don't forget that. There's a life-size bronze statue of you standing out there somewhere. It's probably turned green by now; nobody can read the nameplate. But never let it be said that we forget our heroes.
Landon [annoyed]: Taylor, I'm telling you to climb off my back!
Taylor And there's just one last item: immortality. You wanted to live forever, didn't you? Well, you damn near made it. Except for me and Dodge, you've lived longer than anyone ever born. And with our lovely Lieutenant Stewart dead, looks like you're the last of the line. You got what you wanted, tiger. How does it taste?
George [before he leaves]
Lucius.
Lucius I still say you're making a mistake.
George That's the spirit, keep 'em flying.
Lucius ...What?
George The flags of discontent. Remember, never trust anybody over thirty.
Other characters in Planet of the Apes
More Charlton Heston characters
Moses
Spencer Trilby
Robert Neville
Judah Ben-Hur
Det. Thorn
The Narrator and the Muses
Ramon Miguel 'Mike' Vargas
Richelieu