The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1968)

Stacy Keach: Blount

Quotes 

• Jake Blount : Huh? "John Singer. I am..." Um - a MUTE? Chee-rist! And all this time I thought you was a good listener!

• Jake Blount : Hey, it's a free country!

  Brannon : Well the country may be free but the beer ain't!

• Jake Blount : [to Singer]  Hey, you know, uh - I really like your chess set. Yeah that's real nice! Hey, hey, i-if you're not too good I, I'd like to play with you sometime. That is if you want to.

• Jake Blount : You think that's funny? You think it's easy for a guy like me? You don't think I wanna be somebody? Be somebody better? Huh? Huh.

• Jake Blount : [he and Mick wave to each other on the merry-go-round]  Hey, you wanna be sure and try the, the Whirligig, that's the best ride in the place!

  Mick : Yeah well - What about the Ferris wheel?

  Jake Blount : [runs up to them]  Ferris wheel?

  Mick : Yeah!

  Jake Blount : H'Well I don't know, it'd get pretty scary up there!

  Mick : Ah! We're not scared o' anything, are we Mr. Singer?

  Jake Blount : Ha ha ha!

• Blount : [drunk]  So, I upped and enlisted when I was 16. You knew that already didn't ya, 16? My folks they didn't care too much, he-ell they was glad to see me go. Bit one less mouth to feed. You know, most guys don't like the army! But I did. I did!

  [singer nods] 

  Blount : A while there I thought'a makin' it my life's work. Sooner or later I always get to feelin' restless. Gotta be movin' on.

• Blount : Well I'm gonna - get drunk... And then I'm gonna get outta this lousy town. Six months they gave me. Six months, hard labor.

  [drops his bag on the ground] 

  Blount : Poor nigger. Them white guys the ones that started it. They - Well they got off scot-free. And you know they wouldn't even let me testify! They said I was irrelevant and immaterial! Irrelevant and immaterial. That's me, all right. No, no, I told ya. I never stay long in any one place.

  [puts his hand on Singer's shoulder] 

  Blount : I'm sorry we never had that chess game. But I'll think about ya, Singer. I-I - could talk to you! Yeah, you listened!

  [singer shakes his head] 

  Blount : You old dummy, you really listened!

  [singer motions that he was reading his lips; Blount slaps him on the shoulder and walks away:] 

  Blount : 'Times I think you're the only one that *ever* did.