The Front Page (1931)

Adolphe Menjou: Walter Burns

Photos 

Quotes 

• [last lines] 

  Walter Burns : The son of a...

  [Walter's elbow conveniently hits a typewriter keyboard] 

  Walter Burns : ...stole my watch!

• Walter Burns : Hildy, I was in love once - with my third wife. I treated her white. Let her have her own maid and everything. I was sweet to her.

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : Who wants to hear about your wife?

• Walter Burns : So, you're leaving me for marriage? Why?

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : None of your business.

  Walter Burns : How'd it happen?

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : There was a moon.

• [Hildy tries to explain to his fiancee why he's still working for Walter Burns' newspaper when he promised to resign] 

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : Listen, dear, something terrific has happened. I was going to tell but I couldn't!

  Walter Burns : Tell her nothing. She's a woman, you fool!

• Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : I'm all washed up.

  Walter Burns : What's that?

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : I mean it this time, Walter.

  Peggy Grant : Oh, Hildy, if I only thought you did!

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : If I'm not telling you the absolute truth, may I fall dead. I'm going to New York tonight with you, if you give me one last chance. I'm going to cut out drinking and swearing and everything connected with the crazy newspaper business! Honey, I'll never even read a newspaper.

• Walter Burns : Louie, take this lady over to Polack Mike's and lock her up! And see that she doesn't talk to anyone on the way.

• Walter Burns : Where do you think you're going?

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : I'm gonna get my girl!

  Walter Burns : Your girl! What are you? Some crooning college boy? Why, in time of war you could be shot for what what you're doing - for less!

• Walter Burns : Why you drooling saphead! What do you mean a story? You've got the whole city by the seat of the pants!

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : I know, but...

  Walter Burns : You know - you've got the brain of a pancake. Listen, Hildy, if I didn't have your interests at heart, would I be wasting time arguing with you now? You've done something big! You stepped into a new class!

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : What?

  Walter Burns : Why, we'll make such monkeys out of those ward heels that nobody will vote for them, not even their wives!

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : Expose 'em, huh?

  Walter Burns : Crucify 'em. We're gonna keep things under cover until the morning so The Post can break the story exclusive. Then we'll let the Governor and the Captain share the glory with 'em. Crucify 'em.

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : I see! I see!

  Walter Burns : We'll kick over the whole city hall like an apple cart. We'll get the Mayor and Hartman against the wall. We'll put one administration out and another one in. Why, this isn't a newspaper story, it's a career! And you stand there belly-achin' about some girl.

• Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : [to Peggy]  Now, listen dear, something terrific has happened. I was going to tell you, but I couldn't.

  Walter Burns : You tell her nothing! She's a woman, you fool!

• Walter Burns : Fifteen years I've been telling you how to write a newspaper story. Have I got to do everything? Get the story. Write the story.

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : Now, listen you crazy baboon, I could sneeze a better newspaper story than you can write.

• Walter Burns : Write me a story from the point of view of the escaped man. He hides, cowering, afraid of every light - and every sound! He hear's footsteps. His heart going like that. And all the time they're closing in. Get the sense of an animal at bay.

  Roy B. Bensinger : A sort of a Jack London style?

  Walter Burns : Exactly!

• Walter Burns : I never was big enough to let a nice girl reform me, so I could stay in a two-room love nest at nights with the wife and kids, while the fellas were out having a lot of fun. Aw, marriage does make a respectable citizen out of a man. It must be grand. You never have to worry about a place to go. You always know where you're going: home. None of this idiotic jumping around at all hours and having to be on the inside of all the crazy excitement in this town. Aw, dear. The 5:15 out to some quiet suburb. A home cooked dinner every night at exactly seven - and by ten, in bed. Unless, after the tapioca, the wife has some friends in for a neighborly chat. I don't blame you, Hildy. It sounds great.