El Dorado (1966)
John Wayne: Cole Thornton
Photos
Quotes
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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.
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Cole : Did you get him?
Mississippi : Who?
Cole : The fella that ran outta the church!
Mississippi : Well, yes and no.
Cole : Yes and no? Did you or didn't you?
Mississippi : I hit the sign, and the sign hit him.
Cole : Well, that's great.
Mississippi : He was limping when he left!
Cole : He was limping when he got here!
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Bull Harris : [about Cole and Mississippi going on patrol] If you're gonna do that, here's a couple of badges.
[gives them to Cole and Mississippi]
Bull Harris : Now, raise your right hand.
[they do as told]
Bull Harris : I forgot the words, but you better say 'I do'!
Cole , Mississippi : I do!
Bull Harris : Now you're deputies!
Mississippi : You suppose these will do any good if somebody takes a shot at us?
Bull Harris : Give them a good mark to shoot at.
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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.
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Bull Harris : [while mixing the hangover cure] Here's your gunpowder.
Cole : *Gunpowder?*
Bull Harris : Yup. Mississippi remembered it on the way to the store.
Mississippi : Put it in, Bull.
Bull Harris : All of it?
Mississippi : Uh-huh, all of it.
Cole : I hope you don't... blow him up!
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Bart Jason : [Thornton is trying to distract McLeod outside of Jason's saloon] Didn't expect to see you here, Mr. Thornton.
Cole : Hello, McLeod.
Bart Jason : I said...
Nelse McLeod : My show, Jason. Hi, Thornton.
Cole : There's a little question... unanswered between us.
Nelse McLeod : Which one of us is best?
Cole : That's right.
Nelse McLeod : I don't think we're gonna find out the answer to that question.
Cole : No?
Nelse McLeod : No. Your gun hand's no good.
Cole : You just give me time to get down off of this wagon and we'll find out.
Nelse McLeod : Why should I give you any time?
Cole : Call it professional courtesy.
Bart Jason : Don't listen to him. Why should you give him time?
Nelse McLeod : Curiosity, Jason.
Cole : [Bull blows his bugle, and when McLeod turns around, Thornton dives off the wagon and mortally wounds McLeod with a hidden gun] McLeod?
Nelse McLeod : You didn't give me any chance at all, did you?
Cole : No, I didn't. You're too good to give a chance to.
Nelse McLeod : Yeah. I let a one-armed man take me.
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Cole : Either one of ya know a fast way to sober a man up?
Bull Harris : A bunch of howlin' indians out for hair'll do it quicker'n anything I know.
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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.
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Cole : Now just a minute, son.
Mississippi : I... AM NOT... YOUR SON. My name is Alan Bourdillion Traherne.
Cole : Lord Almighty... .
Mississippi : Yeah.
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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.
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Cole : What kept you?
Mississippi : I was talking to a girl. She said she saw...
Cole : A girl?
Mississippi : Don't you think I can know a girl?
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Mississippi : [while mixing some hangover cure] Let's see. We got ipecac and mustard and cayenne. That leaves us asafetida.
Cole : Are you sure that Johnny Diamond wasn't an embalmer?
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Milt : You've got a lot of faith in me, don't ya, Nelse?
Nelse McLeod : Faith can move mountains, Milt, but it can't beat a faster draw. There's only three men I know with his kind of speed. One's dead. The other's me. And the third is Cole Thornton.
Cole : There's a fourth.
Nelse McLeod : Which one are you?
Cole : I'm Thornton.
[Milt withdraws]
Nelse McLeod : Aren't you glad you didn't try, Milt? Pick up your guns, both of you, real easy.
Cole : Like he said, real easy.
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Bull Harris : [Cole gets ready to punch J.P] Cole! He won't feel it.
Cole : Well, I owe him one.
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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.
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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.
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Cole : Don't you know better than to follow a man that way?
Mississippi : Sorry... I didn't know there was another way.
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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.
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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.
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[Cole Thornton is turning down Bart Jason]
Bart Jason : Since when did hired guns get choosy? You're paid to take...
Cole : I'm paid to risk my neck. I'll decide where and when I'll do it. This isn't it.
Bart Jason : Ya know, Thornton, I got an idea you just don't want to go up against Sheriff J.P. Harrah.
Cole : You know, you're just about right?
Bart Jason : You think he's that good?
Cole : I tell ya he's that good.
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Sheriff J. P. Harrah : He went out that door!
Cole : Well, you oughta know! You missed him!
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Mississippi : Always liked that poem too. Makes me wanna...
Cole : Ride, boldly ride? Well, it don't work out that way.
Mississippi : I'm learnin' that.
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Mississippi : Well, where are we headed?
Cole : To see a girl.
Mississippi : To see a *girl*?
Cole : Yes, a girl! Don't you think I could know a girl?
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Cole : You left a boy out there to do a man's job!
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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.
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Nelse McLeod : [referring to Harrah] Understand he used to be pretty good with a gun.
Cole : Not just *pretty* good, McLeod. He's the...
Nelse McLeod : The fourth man you were telling me about.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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?
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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.
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Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Well, wait a minute. Wait-wait for me!
Cole : Why?
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Cole : Step down off that horse.
Mississippi : You always giving people orders?
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Nelse McLeod : Can you use a gun?
Mississippi : Well, if I could I'd be using one. Good evening.
Cole : Just minute, Mississippi.
Mississippi : Would you mind telling me why you have such a great passion for my company?
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Mississippi : Are you bein' fair?
Cole : How?
Mississippi : Lettin' him go in there?
Cole : Well, I'd hate to be the one to try and stop him. They laughed at him, Mississippi. That'll make the difference.
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Mississippi : Always make you mad, don't I?
Cole : Mostly.
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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!
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Cole : Last time you took the front door and I took the back, this time we'll do'er the other way around.
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Sheriff J. P. Harrah : Did we have a fight or something?
Cole : Or something.
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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.
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Mississippi : I'm tryin' to thank you.
Cole : I'm hungry!
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Cole : The girl was right; they're still up there.
Bull Harris : Sure are... hit me right in the bugle!
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Cole : [after the gunfight in the church] Where'd you come from?
Bull Harris : I heard a noise!
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Mississippi : [about Joey] She was really gonna shoot that fella.
Cole : She shot me.
Mississippi : She shot... uh... 'n that somethin'...
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Kevin MacDonald : [questioning Cole Thornton who has brought Luke McDonald's body home] You said he was asleep, how do you know he was asleep?
Cole : He told me that... told me his name. That's how I knew where to bring him. And he said you told him what happens to a man that's *gut* shot... how he hasn't got much of a chance. Did you tell him that?
Kevin MacDonald : Yeah, I told him that.
Cole : Well then you're partly to blame. You'll find two bullets in him... one of 'em's mine. He was hurtin' worse'n he could stand... had a handgun that I didn't see. Any more *questions* you wanna ask?
Kevin MacDonald : No. I guess you're tellin' the truth. I guess if you weren't you would never brought him here. I'm much obliged to ya for that.
Cole : [takes a deep breath] It don't help much.
[turns horse and slowly rides away]
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Joey : [Standing over Cole's prone body, thinking he's been shot dead] I reckon you won't shoot any more little boys, mister.
Cole : [Cole knocks Joey's feet out from under her and takes her gun] Next time you shoot somebody, don't go near them till you're sure they're dead.
Joey : I don't know why you're still alive. I don't know how I missed you from that range.
Cole : [Smearing blood on Joey] You didn't miss.
