El Dorado (1966)

Robert Mitchum: El Dorado Sheriff J.P. Harrah

Photos 

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Quotes 

• Sheriff J. P. Harrah : What the hell are you doin' here?

  Cole : I'm lookin' at a tin star with a... drunk pinned on it.

• Mississippi : [examining J.P.'s leg after he's been shot]  I gotta cut this pant leg.

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Well, go ahead and cut it! Have you got a kni...

  [Mississippi pulls out his huge Bowie knife from its hiding place on his back] 

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : A knife? Uh, I suppose I've asked this before, but just who...?

  [looks at Cole instead] 

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Who is he?

  Cole : Tell him your name, Mississippi.

  Mississippi : [sighs and looks up]  Alan Bourdillion Trehearne.

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Well, no wonder he carries a knife.

• Sheriff J. P. Harrah : [Cole has just been treated for a gunshot wound]  Doctor, can he be moved?

  Dr. Miller : Sure, in a couple of hours, but don't go bouncin' him around.

  Maudie : He can stay here. I'll... I'll make him comfortable.

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Oh, I've got a fine bed over at my place. It's, uh, narrow and it's hard and it's uncomfortable, but, uh, he won't get bounced around.

• Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Cole, they laughed at me. Right in front of McLeod, they just laughed at me.

  Cole : They've been laughing at you for a couple of months. You just haven't being sober enough to hear it.

• Cole : What was the idea of diving under those horses?

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Diving under those horses?

  Mississippi : Yeah. A man can't shoot good when his horse is jumping, and a horse will not step on a man.

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : He won't?

  Mississippi : He will?

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Alan Bourdillion Ter-who?

  Cole : Terhane.

  Mississippi : Trahearne!

  Cole , Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Trahearne.

  Mississippi : Yeah.

• Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Joe never was much good on that piano, was he?

  Bull Harris : No, and you shooting them strings out didn't help none either.

• Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Bull, you go on shooting, we'll try to move up a little closer.

  Bull Harris : Just give me another gun and I'll play Marching Through Georgia.

• Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Why aren't you laughing now? It's the same drunken sheriff, the same hat, the same outfit, why don't you laugh? Let me hear you laugh!

• Sheriff J. P. Harrah : [bathing in the jail cell as several people enter]  Good morning, good morning, good morning... I'd have more privacy in the El Paso railroad station.

• Sheriff J. P. Harrah : You know something Cole, I think we'd better get ourselves a new girl.

  Cole : Yeah.

  Maudie : You'd better not.

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Why not?

  Maudie : I'm girl enough for both of you.

• Maudie : You must like that man. Want me to tell you about him?

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : You don't have to tell me about Cole.

  Maudie : I know I don't. That's why I want to. I met Cole right after my husband was killed. I did tell you that.

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Yeah, you told me.

  Maudie : Well, there I was stranded. A gambler's widow, not a chip to my name. Cole was awful good to me. Gave me a stake. Helped me get on my feet. Never would take a... I don't know, J.P., with Cole and me I guess it's a... I'll always think of him as a... , as a...

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : He's a top hand.

  Maudie : I guess so.

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Yeah, well, Cole always was pretty lucky.

  Maudie : Have you known him a long time?

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Yeah, I've known him a long time, since before the war. We've, uh, we've travelled some together.

  Maudie : Sure, I know what that means. It means either you saved his life or he saved yours, or both. And neither one of you will talk about it. Men.

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Would you like it set to music, Maudie, with a full orchestra?

• Sheriff J. P. Harrah : It'll be a nice quiet town after you leave, Cole.

  Cole : How do you know I'm leaving?

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : We just don't need your kind around here.

• Cole : Where is Mississippi?

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Who is Mississippi?

  Cole : Well, that's the kid... fella that was around with us all night.

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Where is he?

  Cole : That's what I was asking Bull.

  Bull Harris : Across the street at the stable. Saw someone pointing a gun after us.

  Cole : He ought to know better than that.

  Bull Harris : You want me to go after him?

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Bull, you certainly ought to know better.

  Bull Harris : The first time in two months I've felt like doing something for you, now you don't want me to do it.

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Was there something wrong with that or is it just my hangover?

  Bull Harris : You made better sense when you was drinking.

• Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Didn't the last time you shot a man teach you anything at all, Joey?

• Bull Harris : Watch it, the way your hand's shaking don't let it get near the trigger.

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Now don't you get on me, Bull.

  Bull Harris : I ain't started yet.

• Kevin MacDonald : What do you expect us to do?

  Cole : Why don't you ask the sheriff?

  Kevin MacDonald : The sheriff? Ya think I'm gonna wait on him?

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Just give me an hour, Macdonald. You can wait that long to die.

• Sheriff J. P. Harrah : He went out that door!

  Cole : Well, you oughta know! You missed him!

• [talking about Jason, who's in jail] 

  Joey : Would it be all right if I could see him, talk to him?

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Why sure, Joey. Just, uh, let me have that gun.

  Joey : Never mind.

• Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Who are you?

  Mississippi : We met last night.

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Last night? When was that?

• Kevin MacDonald : Are you backin' him up, Thornton?

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : No, he isn't.

  Cole : Let's just say I'm on your side and this is no job for amateurs.

• Matt MacDonald : Well, look who's here.

  Kevin MacDonald : You're a little late ain't ya.

  Saul MacDonald : Yeah, whatcha you do, stop off for a drink?

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : All right, I'm late. I may be too late, but that's no reason for the rest of you to get gunned down.

  Kevin MacDonald : Why do you say that?

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Because you're outclassed.

• Cole : You were pretty good in there. Like old times.

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Man, don't tell me how good I was. I just got away with it because I had an hangover. I was too mad to be scared and too sick to worry about it. You know that.

  Cole : I've been there.

• Cole : When do you expect the United States Marshal?

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Oh man, I don't remember the last time he was here.

  Bull Harris : He was here. You gave him a big welcome. Flung a bottle at him.

  Cole : An empty bottle?

  Bull Harris : Yeah, he wasn't that far gone.

• Cole : J.P., why don't you settle down?

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : I just can't help it Cole. I've got the shakes so bad... .

  Cole : You've had 'em before.

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Yeah, well not with a hole in my leg, and a bunch of unfriendly people hanging around outside just waiting for somebody to... .

  Cole : What do you wanna do? Quit?

• Bull Harris : I reckon he's got a more interesting misery than you got, Sheriff.

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Look, Doc, I don't wanna take up your time but, er, mine's still bleeding.

• Sheriff J. P. Harrah : I guess you're supposed to take care of me.

  Cole : Well, not that I couldn't do it, Harrah, but I don't think I'd like that.

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : I'm glad to hear you say that. Not that I couldn't handle you, but I don't think I'd like that either.

• Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Why are you here?

  Cole : Waiting for a fella. Name's Nelse McLeod.

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Oh, Nelse McLeod with the...

  Cole : That one. Want some coffee?

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : No, I don't.

  Cole : I met him down near the border. Said he wanted me to work with him on a job. Range war. But he said it'd be easy. All we had to worry about was a drunken sheriff. Are you sure you don't want some coffee?

• Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Bull, I need you.

  Bull Harris : You what?

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : I need you, Bull.

  Bull Harris : Now if you start being nice to me, I'll quit you for sure. Shock'd be too much. I'd sooner have you hungover and nasty.

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Speaking of that, how about a little drink, Bull?

  Bull Harris : Darn it. Took you a long time to think of that one.

• Doctor Donovan : You know these wounds were made by buckshot don't you?

  Cole : I thought they were.

  Doctor Donovan : Who was using a shotgun?

  Cole : A certain young man... .

  Mississippi : I was using a shotgun, Doc.

  Doctor Donovan : You? I thought you was on their side.

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : He was.

  Mississippi : I told you I was no good with a gun.

  Bull Harris : Trouble is, Doc, Cole was in front of the gun. The safe place is behind Mississippi when he shoots that thing.

• Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Well, wait a minute. Wait-wait for me!

  Cole : Why?

• Sheriff J. P. Harrah : You thought it was pretty funny, too, didn't you. Well, why aren't you laughing now? Let me hear you laugh!

  [smashes Jason with his rifle] 

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : I don't know who you think you are, Jason, but I...

  Cole : J.P.!

  Sheriff J. P. Harrah : No. You're right, Cole. You're a lucky man, Jason, 'cause I wanted to kill you bad!

• Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Damn you, Bull!

• Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Did we have a fight or something?

  Cole : Or something.

• Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Up until now I thought you had good taste.

  Cole : Yeah, and up until now I thought you had good taste.