Police Captain Hank Quinlan quotes from Touch of Evil (1958)

Police Captain Hank Quinlan

Listen, I got a position in this town, a reputation...somebody's gonna be ruined.

Police Captain Hank Quinlan

I followed around after him...ate my heart out trying to catch him but I never did. That was the last killer that ever got out of my hands.

Police Captain Hank Quinlan

30 years of pounding beats and riding cars, 30 years of dirt and crummy pay. For 30 years, I gave my life to this department. And you allow this foreigner to accuse me. Answer, answer, why do I have to answer him? No sir! I won't take back that badge until the people of this county want me back.

Police Captain Hank Quinlan

He's a drug addict. He's got that young wife of his hooked too, but good. If I hadn't seen that hypodermic myself...That's how come he happens to imagine all those crazy things. It's typical. What that wife of his was doing on that dive on skid row. Both a couple of junkies. Course he's using the job as a cover-up.

Police Captain Hank Quinlan

Look out. Vargas'll turn you into one of these here starry-eyed idealists. They're the ones making all the real trouble in the world. Be careful, they're worse than crooks. You can always do something with a crook.

Police Captain Hank Quinlan

Don't you think I could have been rich? A cop in my position. What do I have...after thirty years, a little turkey ranch - that's all I got. A couple of acres.

Police Captain Hank Quinlan

That wasn't no miss, Vargas. That was just to turn you 'round, so I don't have to shoot you in the back. Unless you'd rather run for it.

Police Captain Hank Quinlan

Pete. That's the second bullet I, I stopped for you.

Captain, you won't have any trouble with me.

Quinlan

You bet your sweet life, I won't.

Tana

We're closed.

Quinlan

You've been cookin' at this hour?

Tana

Just cleanin' up.

Quinlan

Have you forgotten your old friend, hmm?

Tana

I told you we were closed.

Quinlan

I'm Hank Quinlan.

Tana

I didn't recognize you. You should lay off those candy bars.

Quinlan

It's either the candy or the hooch. I must say, I wish it was your chili I was gettin' fat on. Anyway, you're sure lookin' good.

Tana

You're a mess, honey.

Quinlan

Yeah. That pianola sure brings back memories.

Tana

The customers go for it - it's so old, it's new. We got the television too. We run movies. What can I offer you?

Quinlan

Well, when this case is over, I'll come around some night and sample some of your chili.

Tana

Better be careful. Maybe too hot for you.

Quinlan

I'm no lawyer. All a lawyer cares about is the law.

Captain, you are a policeman, aren't you?

Quinlan

Mmm hmm. Aren't you? You don't seem very positive about the job.

There are plenty of soldiers who don't like war. It's a dirty job, enforcing the law, but it's what we're supposed to be doing, isn't it?

Quinlan

I don't know about you, when a murderer's loose, I'm supposed to catch him.

Quinlan

I don't speak Mexican...Let's keep it in English, Vargas.

That's alright with me. I'm sure he's just as unpleasant in any language.

Unpleasant? Strange? I've been told I have a very winning personality. The very best shoe clerk the store ever had.

Quinlan

You weren't workin' as a shoe clerk out in that construction crew...

Quinlan

Just because he speaks a little guilty, that don't make him innocent, you know.

If you can show motive, yes, but don't you need a bit more than that?

Quinlan

Oh, we'll get it. Oh, there's my coffee. Didn't you bring me any donuts or sweet rolls?

You'll have to put him on the scene of the crime.

Quinlan

We will.

Schwartz

You've got to have some evidence.

Quinlan

We'll get it.

Well, Hank has done it again. He's nailed his man.

Quinlan

Thanks to you, pardner.

Me? If that dynamite had been a snake there in the bathroom, it would have bit me.

Quinlan

...This is it, we've broken the case. Rudi Linnekar was, uh, blown up with eight sticks of dynamite and, uh, Sanchez stole ten. That leaves two and we've found 'em both. You heard that boy. We found the dynamite.

That's impossible.

Quinlan

We found two sticks.

...Where did you find this?

Quinlan

Right here in your love nest.

Where?

Where you had it stashed, of course.

What are you trying to do?

Quinlan

We're trying to strap you to the electric chair, boy.

We don't like it when innocent people are blown to jelly in our town.

You framed that boy.

Quinlan

FRAMED him!

Grandi

Why don't we go somewhere nice and private, huh, where we can sit down and have a drink?

Quinlan

I don't drink.

Quinlan

Our friend Vargas has some very special ideas about police procedure. He seems to think it don't matter whether killers hang or not, so long as we obey the fine print.

Captain, I don't think a policeman should work like a dog catcher in putting criminals behind bars. No! In any free country, a policeman is supposed to enforce the law, and the law protects the guilty as well as the innocent.

Quinlan

Our job is tough enough.

It's supposed to be. It has to be tough. A policeman's job is only easy in a police state. That's the whole point, Captain - who's the boss, the cop or the law?

Quinlan

What's my fortune? You've been reading the cards, haven't ya?

Tana

I've been doing the accounts.

Quinlan

Come on, read my future for me.

Tana

You haven't got any.

Quinlan

What do you mean?

Tana

Your future is all used up. Why don't you go home?

Grandi was strangled.

Quinlan

Grandi was a crook.

You're a killer.

Quinlan

Partly. I'm a cop.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Drunk and crazy as you must have been when you strangled him. I guess you were somehow thinking of your wife, the way she was strangled.

Quinlan

I'm always thinking of her, drunk or sober. What else is there to think about, except my job, my dirty job?

You didn't have to make it dirty.

Quinlan

I don't call it dirty. Look at the record, our record, partner. Huh?

Sure, sure, sure.

Quinlan

Well? All those convictions.

Convictions, sure. All these years, you've been playing me for a sucker. Faking evidence...

Quinlan

Aiding justice partner.

How many did you frame?

Quinlan

Nobody.

Come on, Hank. How many did you frame?

Quinlan

No one - nobody that wasn't guilty, guilty, guilty. Every last one of them - guilty.

Well, Captain, I'm afraid this is finally something you can't talk your way out of.

Quinlan

...you killed him, Vargas.

Come on, now. Give me my gun back.

Quinlan

...you killed Pete. The bullet is from your gun.

You think anyone would believe that?

Quinlan

They always believe me. Anyway, they'll never believe I killed him.

The gun?

Quinlan

You're resisting arrest.

How could you arrest me here? This is my country.

Quinlan

This is where you're gonna die.