Charly (1968)
Cliff Robertson: Charly Gordon
Photos
Quotes
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Charly Gordon : I was wondering why the people who would never dream of laughing at a blind or a crippled man would laugh at a moron?
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Convention speaker #5 : Modern science.
Charly Gordon : Rampant technology, conscience by computer.
Convention speaker #1 : Modern art.
Charly Gordon : Dispassionate draftsmen.
Convention speaker #4 : Foreign policy.
Charly Gordon : Brave new weapons.
[laughter]
Convention speaker #1 : Today's youth.
Charly Gordon : Joyless, guideless.
Convention speaker #6 : Today's religion.
Charly Gordon : Preachment by popularity polls.
Convention speaker #3 : Standard of living.
Charly Gordon : A TV in every room.
[laughter]
Convention speaker #4 : Education.
Charly Gordon : [agitated] A TV in every room.
[more laughter]
Convention speaker #1 : The world's future, Mr. Gordon.
Charly Gordon : Brave new hates, brave new bombs, brave new wars.
Convention speaker #7 : The coming generation.
Charly Gordon : Test-tube conception, laboratory birth, TV education, brave new dreams, brave new hates, brave new wars; a beautifully purposeless process of society suicide.
[silence]
Charly Gordon : Any more questions?
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Charly Gordon : Any more questions? In the back, any more questions about things as they are and what they're becoming? No? I have a question.
[turns to Nemur and Strauss]
Charly Gordon : Professor Nemur. Charly Gordon.
[Nemur does not answer]
Charly Gordon : Come on, professor, you know. Charly Gordon.
[Nemur still does not answer]
Charly Gordon : You know, but you haven't told me.
[turns to the audience]
Charly Gordon : Anybody out there answer the question 'Charly Gordon'?
[no answer comes from the audience]
Charly Gordon : Anyone in the back answer the question 'Charly Gordon'?
[still no answer]
Charly Gordon : No? Well, I'm disappointed in you, doctors. You're not very smart. You're not even as smart as a mouse. Because he knows. Algernon showed me. The answer to the question, 'Charly Gordon' is: Charly Gordon is a fellow who will very shortly be what he used to be.
[the whole room is silent as Charly turns to Nemur and Strauss, puts his hand in his pocket and takes out Algernon who is now dead]
Charly Gordon : Professor Nemur, why didn't you tell me the success of the operation was only temporary?
[Nemur and Strauss looked at each other in bewildered looks]
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Charly Gordon : [Charly picks up a book and reads from it] "My name is Dick. I live in a house. I have a sister named Jane and a dog named Spot."
Charly Gordon : [He throws the book away] My name is Charly Gordon and I live in a room, and I got no sister and no dog, and I am stupid!
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Charly Gordon : That, that is, is. That, that is not, is not. Is that it? It is.
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Charly Gordon : Are there any questions? Did you enjoy the film?
Convention speaker #1 : Mr. Gordon... how do you feel at the present moment, about your development?
Charly Gordon : Grateful, sir.
Convention speaker #1 : You are happy about it?
Charly Gordon : Yes.
Convention speaker #2 : Why?
Charly Gordon : Because it has allowed me to... see.
Convention speaker #3 : To see what?
Charly Gordon : The world.
Convention speaker #4 : And what do you see in that world?
Charly Gordon : Well... my eyes are new, doctor, I...
Convention speaker #4 : And what do they *see*, Mr. Gordon?
Charly Gordon : Things as they are.
Convention speaker #4 : And?
Charly Gordon : And what they are becoming.
Convention speaker #5 : Can you give me an example Mr. Gordon?
Charly Gordon : [quickly] No sir, you give me one.
Convention speaker #5 : Very well...
Charly Gordon : Very well.
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Charly Gordon : What's enough love?
Alice Kinnian : Always a little more than anyone ever gets.
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Alice Kinnian : [writes a sentence on the blackboard for Charly to punctuate] Punctuate it. Go ahead, punctuate it.
[Charly does, and does it correctly]
Alice Kinnian : That's very good!
Charly Gordon : Now I have something for you to punctuate!
[Turns over blackboard where he has written a sentence]
Alice Kinnian : That does not make sense!
Charly Gordon : [Starts to punctuate it] 'That that is
[adds a comma]
Charly Gordon : , is
[adds a period]
Charly Gordon : . That that is not
[adds a comma]
Charly Gordon : , is not
[adds a period]
Charly Gordon : .'
Alice Kinnian : [Figures it out] 'Is that it?'
Charly Gordon : 'It is!'
Alice Kinnian : So. Student surpasses the teacher!
[Charly nods eagerly]
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Alice Kinnian : Any questions?
Charly Gordon : [upset about getting fired from his job] Yeah, I was wonder why people that would never dream of laughing at a blind or a crippled man would laugh at a moron.
Alice Kinnian : What happened?
Charly Gordon : My friends at the bakery got up a petition and then I got fired.
Alice Kinnian : Oh...
Charly Gordon : Is that an automatic law, something like gravity? Increased intelligence equals lost friends?
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[sometime after Algernon's death, Alice comes in slamming the door getting Nemur and Strauss' attention]
Dr. Richard Nemur : [about Charly] Did you find him?
Alice Kinnian : [furiously] Why didn't you tell me? Why did you have to hide it?
Dr. Anna Strauss : But we only discovered an indication of this condition last week, Mrs. Kinnian, and only in a few of the Phase 5 mice. I assumed it was simply erratic behavior or individual behavior. There was NO NEED to alarm Charly!
Alice Kinnian : Oh, it's not? With the convention coming up, why should you both miss your moments of glory?
Dr. Anna Strauss : [offended] Now Mrs. Kinnian!
Dr. Richard Nemur : Before we had a chance to run further checks, he had no right to make it public!
Alice Kinnian : [incredulously] NO RIGHT?
Dr. Richard Nemur : Have you any idea what he has done to our standing in the scientific community?
Alice Kinnian : Your standing nothing!
Dr. Anna Strauss : Now, let us calmly--dispassionately--try to decide what we are going to do about this situation!
Alice Kinnian : Which situation, your standing in the scientific community or Charly?
Dr. Richard Nemur : They're related, you know!
Alice Kinnian : [scoffs] Is that all this means to you?
Dr. Anna Strauss : But don't you understand, Mrs. Kinnian? Algernon's regression doesn't prove it will happen to Charly! Charly's a human being, not a laboratory animal.
Dr. Richard Nemur : This regressive syndrome may be limited to the mice. Now I will thank you, Mrs. Kinnian, if you...
Alice Kinnian : Have you been close to something, but not close enough?
Dr. Richard Nemur : Let me go...
Alice Kinnian : [cuts him, slams her hand on the table, angrily] IS there a second operation you can give him, is there some corrective surgery!
Dr. Richard Nemur : No.
Alice Kinnian : I see! Well, tell me. What do you do around here with the specimens that fail, the freezer first then the incinerator?
Dr. Anna Strauss : [gasps] Uh...
[Alice, Nemur and Strauss see that Charly has arrive]
Charly Gordon : [after a long pause] How can I help?
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Charly Gordon : Marry me, pretty girl, marry me.
Alice Kinnian : We will marry at... quarter past Wednesday on the 74th of November, and our anniversary will happily be... on those days where we both remember.
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Charly Gordon : Say, Miss Kinnian... where's Mr. Kinnian?
Alice Kinnian : He died, Charly.
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[Charly finds Alice waiting for him in his room]
Alice Kinnian : Saw your cycle outside.
Charly Gordon : It's for sale.
Alice Kinnian : What did you learn?
Charly Gordon : I'm back. What did you learn?
Alice Kinnian : I'm here.
[Alice walks to him in a smile]
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[last lines]
Alice Kinnian : Marry me?
[Charly goes silent by refusing]
Alice Kinnian : [sits down] All right, don't marry me.
Charly Gordon : [smiles] Motion carried.
Alice Kinnian : But I'm going to stay right here. Whenever you feel like telling me to go, just let me know - just tell me so. I'll go, I'll leave.
Charly Gordon : Leave.
[Alice goes stunned]
Charly Gordon : Please, leave.
Alice Kinnian : [solemnly] All right...
[Alice hesitates then slowly heads to the door]
Alice Kinnian : Good night.
Charly Gordon : [without looking at her] Good night.
[Alice leaves]
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Dr. Richard Nemur : [as Charly intelligence fades comes back with the results] Charly, your evaluations were correct.
Charly Gordon : [half-sarcastic] It's too bad. It was such a promising theory.
Dr. Richard Nemur : It is. It's still is.
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Policeman : [sees Charly standing on a street corner] Hey, buddy, wha'cha doin'? Wha'cha doin'?
Charly Gordon : Waitin' for it to snow.
Policeman : Let's go. Stupid.
