The Wolf Man (1941)

Claude Rains: Sir John Talbot

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Quotes 

• Sir John Talbot : All astronomers are amateurs. When it comes to the heavens, there's only one professional.

• Sir John Talbot : You policemen are always in such a hurry. As if dead men didn't have all eternity.

• Maleva : You are not frightened, are you, Sir John?

  Sir John Talbot : Frightened, of what?

  Maleva : Of the night.

  Sir John Talbot : Rubbish. You startled me.

  Maleva : Don't be startled, Sir John. You have the silver cane for protection.

  Sir John Talbot : Who are you?

  Maleva : Hasn't your son told you?

  Sir John Talbot : You're the gypsy that's been filling his mind with this werewolf nonsense!

• Sir John Talbot : You've been preying upon his gullibility with your witch's tales.

  Maleva : But you fixed him, didn't you, Sir John? You don't believe the witch's tales, do you?

  Sir John Talbot : Not for a minute.

  Maleva : Then where were you going, Sir John? Why aren't you back there, at the shooting stand?

  Sir John Talbot : I was.

  Maleva : Were you hurrying back to the castle? Did you have a moment's doubt? Were you hurrying to make sure he's all right?

  Sir John Talbot : I wanted to be with my son. I was going back...

  [a rifle fires in the distance] 

  Maleva : Yes, Sir John, you were going. Hurry, Sir John, hurry.

• Sir John Talbot : Larry, to some people, life is very simple. They decide that this is good, that is bad. This is wrong, that's right. There's no right in wrong, no good in bad. No shadings and greys, all blacks and whites.

  Larry Talbot : That'd be Paul Montford.

  Sir John Talbot : Exactly. Now others of us find that good, bad, right, wrong, are many-sided, complex things. We try to see every side but the more we see, the less sure we are. Now you asked me if I believe a man can become a wolf. If you mean "Can it take on physical traits of an animal?" No, it's fantastic. However, I do believe that most anything can happen to a man in his own mind.

• Sir John Talbot : You can't run away.

  Larry Talbot : That's it! That's what she said.

  Sir John Talbot : Who?

  Larry Talbot : The gypsy woman.

  Sir John Talbot : Gypsy woman? Now we're getting down to it. She's been filling your mind with this gibberish. This talk of werewolves and pentagrams. You're not a child Larry, you're a grown man and you believe in the superstitions of a Gypsy woman!

• Col. Paul Montford, chief constable : [showing Larry's stick to him]  Is this your walking stick?

  Larry Talbot : Why, yes. That's the stick I killed the wolf with.

  [Sir John Talbot and Col. Montford look at Larry with great concern] 

  Sir John Talbot : Larry, Bela the gypsy was killed last night. Your walking stick was found next to the body.

  Larry Talbot : You mean, Bela the fortune teller? But... I only saw a wolf.

• Larry Talbot : [on hearing the word "lycanthropy"]  Oh, it's all Greek to me!

  Sir John Talbot : Well, it is Greek.

• Sir John Talbot : Yes, that's the sign of the werewolf.

  Larry Talbot : That's just a legend though, isn't it?

  Sir John Talbot : Yes, but like most legends, it must have some basis in fact. It's probably an ancient explanation of the dual personality in each of us. How does it go? "Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and Autumn moon is bright."