Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

Jack Lemmon: Shelley Levene

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Quotes 

• Blake : You're talking about what? You're talking about... bitching about that sale you shot, some son-of-a-bitch who don't wanna buy land, some broad you're trying to screw, so forth. Let's talk about something important. They all here?

  Williamson : All but one. Ricky Roma.

  Blake : I'm going anyway. Let's talk about something important.

  [to Levene] 

  Blake : Put that coffee down! Coffee's for closers only. You think I'm fucking with you? I am not fucking with you! I'm here from downtown. I'm here from Mitch and Murray. And I'm here on a mission of mercy. Your name's Levine? You call yourself a salesman, you son of a bitch?

  Dave Moss : I don't gotta sit here and listen to this shit.

  Blake : You certainly don't, pal, 'cause the good news is... you're fired. The bad news is... you've got, all of you've got just one week to regain your jobs starting with tonight. Starting with tonight's sit. Oh? Have I got your attention now? Good. 'Cause we're adding a little something to this month's sales contest. As you all know, first prize is a Cadillac El Dorado. Anyone wanna see second prize? Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired. Get the picture? You laughing now? You got leads. Mitch and Murray paid good money to get their names to sell them. You can't close the leads you're given, then you can't close shit! You ARE shit! Hit the bricks, pal, and beat it 'cause you are going OUT!

  Shelley Levene : The leads are weak.

  Blake : The leads are weak? The fucking leads are weak? You're weak! I've been in this business 15 years...

  Dave Moss : What's your name?

  Blake : Fuck you! That's my name! You know why, mister? You drove a Hyundai to get here. I drove an $80,000 red BMW that's parked right outside. THAT'S my name! And your name is you're wanting. You can't play in the man's game, you can't close them... then go home and tell your wife your troubles. Because only one thing counts in this life: Get them to sign on the line which is dotted. You hear me, you fucking faggots? A-B-C. A... Always, B... Be, C... Closing. Always be closing. ALWAYS BE CLOSING! A-I-D-A. Attention, Interest, Decision, Action. Attention: Do I have your attention? Interest: Are you interested? I know you are, 'cause it's fuck or walk. You close or you hit the bricks. Decision: Have you made your decision for Christ? And Action. A-I-D-A. Get out there! You've got the prospects coming in. You think they came in here to get out of the rain? A guy don't walk on the lot lest he wants to buy. They're sitting out there waiting to give you their money. Are you gonna take it? Are you man enough to take it? What's the problem, pal? You... Moss.

  Dave Moss : You're such a hero, you're so rich, how come you're coming down here wasting your time with such a bunch of bums?

  Blake : [points to his gold wristwatch]  You see this watch? You see this watch I'm wearing?

  Dave Moss : Yeah.

  Blake : This watch costs more than your car. I made $970,000 in sales commissions last year. How much you make? You see, pal, that's who I am, and you're nothing. You're a nice guy? I don't give a shit. Good father? Fuck you! Go home and play with your kids. You wanna work here? Close! You think I'm too hard on you? You think this is abuse? You think this is abuse, you cocksucker? If you can't take this, how can you take the abuse you get on a sit? You don't like it, leave. I can go out there tonight with the leads and materials you've got and make myself $15,000. Tonight! In two hours! Can you? Can YOU? Go and do likewise. A-I-D-A. Get mad you son of a bitches! Get mad! You want to know what it takes to sell real estate? It takes BRASS BALLS to sell real estate! Go and do likewise, gents. The money's out there. You pick it up, it's yours. You don't, I got no sympathy for you. You wanna go out on those sits tonight and close. CLOSE! It's yours. If not, you're gonna be shining my shoes. And you know what you'll be saying - a bunch of losers sittin' around in a bar? 'Oh yeah. I used to be a salesman. It's a tough racket.' These are the new leads. These are the Glengarry leads. And to you they're gold, and you don't get them. Why? Because to give them to you is just throwing them away. They're for closers. I'd wish you all good luck, but you wouldn't know what to do with it if you got it.

  Blake : [goes up to Moss's desk and glares at him]  And to answer your question, pal, why am I here? I came here because Mitch and Murray asked me to. They asked me for a favor. I said the real favor, follow my advice and fire your fucking ass, because a loser is a loser!

• [Dave Moss explodes at Ricky Roma and shouts] 

  Dave Moss : You're fucked, Rick. Are you fucking nuts? You're hot, so you think you're the ruler of this place.

  Shelley Levene : Now wait a minute, Dave.

  Dave Moss : Shut up!

  Shelley Levene : Okay...

  Dave Moss : You want to decide who should be dealt with how, is that it? I come in the fucking office today, I get humiliated by some jag-off cop. I get accused of... I get the shit thrown in my face by you, you genuine shit, because you're top name on the board?

  Ricky Roma : Is that what I did, Dave? I humiliated you? Oh my God, I'm sorry.

  Dave Moss : Sitting on top of the world. Sitting on top of the world, everything's fuckin' peach fuzz.

  Ricky Roma : And I don't get a moment to spare for some bust-out humanitarian down on his luck lately?

  Dave Moss : Oh, fuck...

  Ricky Roma : [cutting him off]  Fuck you, Dave. You know, you got a big mouth. You make a close, this whole place stinks with your farts for a week - how much you just ingested. Oh, what a big man you are! "Hey, let me buy you a pack of gum. I'll show you how to chew it." Whoof! Your pal closes, and all that comes out of your mouth is bile. Ooh, how fucked-up you are!

  Dave Moss : Who's my pal, Ricky? Hmm? What are you? And what are you, Ricky? Huh? Bishop Sheen? What the fuck are you, Mr. Slick? Who - what the fuck are you, "Friend to the working man"? Big deal! FUCK YOU! You got the memory of a fuckin' fly! I never liked you, anyway.

  Ricky Roma : What is this, your farewell speech?

  Dave Moss : I'm going home.

  Ricky Roma : Your farewell to the troops?

  Dave Moss : I'm not going home. I'm going to Wisconsin.

  Ricky Roma : Have a good trip.

  Dave Moss : Aw, fuck you! Fuck the lot of you! Fuck you all!

  [exits] 

  Ricky Roma : [to Shelley]  You were saying?

  Shelley Levene : Huh?

• [Williamson is going to the cops] 

  Shelley Levene : Don't.

  Williamson : Hehe... I'm sorry.

  Shelley Levene : Why?

  Williamson : Because I don't like you.

  Shelley Levene : [in tears]  My daughter.

  Williamson : Fuck you.

• Williamson : How do you know I made it up?

  Shelley Levene : Say what?

  Williamson : How do you know I made it up?

  Shelley Levene : What are you talking about?

  Williamson : You said you don't make something up unless it's sure to help. How did you know I made it up?

  Shelley Levene : Wha... what are you talking about?

  Williamson : I told the customer his contract went to the bank.

  Shelley Levene : Had it?

  Williamson : No, it hadn't.

  Shelley Levene : Don't fuck with me... Don't fuck with me! What are you getting at?

  Williamson : Well, I'm saying this, Shelly; usually I take the contracts to the bank. Last night I didn't. Last night I stayed home with my kids. How did you know that? One night in a year I left the contracts on my desk, no one knew that but you. Now how did you know that? Do you wanna talk to me or do you want to talk to someone else? Because this is my job! This is my job on the line, and you are going to talk to me!

• Shelley Levene : What the hell are you? You're a fucking secretary. Fuck you! That's my message to ya: fuck you and you can kiss my ass and if you don't like it baby I'm going across the street to Jerry Graff, period! Fuck you!

• Shelley Levene : You are a shithead, Williamson!

  Williamson : Hmm hmm.

  Shelley Levene : Can't think on your feet, you oughta keep your mouth closed. Now can you hear me? I'm talking to you. Can you hear me?

  Williamson : Yes, I hear you.

  Shelley Levene : Ricky is right. Can't learn it enough, got to learn on the streets. You can't buy it, you gotta live it.

  Williamson : Hmm.

  Shelley Levene : [mocking him]  Hmm hmm hmm, yeah, precisely. Because your partner depends on... I'm talkin' to you! I'm trying to tell you something.

  Williamson : You are?

  Shelley Levene : Yeah, I am.

  Williamson : What are you trying to tell me?

  Shelley Levene : What Roma was trying to tell you; what I told you a long time ago. You don't belong in this business.

  Williamson : I don't belong in...

  Shelley Levene : You may listen to me and say, "Hey, maybe the guy..." Oh fuck it. Listen to me now. Your partner depends on you. Your partner, the man who is your partner, depends on you and you go with him and for him or you're shit! Huh? You are shit! You can't exist alone.

  Williamson : Excuse me...

  Shelley Levene : Excuse you nothing! You be as cold as you want. You've just fucked a good man out on six thousand dollars and his goddamn bonus because you didn't know the shot! Gee, you could do that and you're not man enough to say what get you, I don't know what... if you can't take something from that then you're... scum, you're a fucking white bread. A child would know it and he's right. If you're gonna make something up, John, be sure that it helps. Or keep your mouth shut. I'm done with you.

• Williamson : Now... how did you know that contract was on my desk? How did you know I was lying to Roma and his client about it?

  Shelley Levene : You're so full of shit.

  Williamson : You robbed the office.

  Shelley Levene : [sarcastic]  Sure! I robbed the office. Sure.

  Williamson : What'd you do with the leads? You want me to go in there? I tell him what I know, he's going to dig up something... You got an alibi for last night? If not, you better have one. What did you do with the leads? If you tell me what you did with the leads, we can talk.

  Shelley Levene : I don't know what you are saying.

  Williamson : If you tell me where the leads are, I won't turn you in. If you don't, I am going to tell the cop in there that you stole them! Mitch and Murray will see that you go to jail! Believe me, they will. Now, what did you do with the leads? I'm walking in that door. You have five seconds to tell me, or you are going to jail!

  Shelley Levene : I...

  Williamson : I don't care! You understand? Where are the leads? All right.

  [Williamson goes to open the office door] 

  Shelley Levene : I sold them to Jerry Graff.

  Williamson : How much did you get for them? How much?

  Shelley Levene : Five thousand. I kept half.

  Williamson : Who kept the other half?

  Shelley Levene : Do I have to tell you? All right, Moss. This was all his idea.

  Williamson : That was easy, wasn't it?

  Shelley Levene : It was his idea. I swear!

  Williamson : Was it?

  Shelley Levene : Yes, he approached me last night and well... I... I'm sure he got more than the five, actually.

  Williamson : Uh-huh?

  Shelley Levene : He told me my share was twenty-five percent.

  Williamson : Mmm.

  Shelley Levene : Okay, I... look... I'm going to make it worth your while. I am. I turned this thing around. I closed the old stuff, I can do it again. I'm the one's going to close 'em. I am! I am! 'Cause I turned this thing around... I can do that, I can do anything... Last night, I'm going to tell you, I was ready to Do the Dutch. Moss gets me last night over there at the restaurant and says, "Do this, we'll get well..." Why not? Big fucking deal. I'm halfway hoping to get caught. To put me out of my... But it taught me something. What it taught me, that you've got to get out there. Big deal. So, I wasn't cut out to be a thief. I was cut out to be a salesman. And now I'm back, and I got my balls back... and, you know, John, you have the advantage on me now. Whatever it takes to make it right, we'll make it right. We're going to make it right.

  Williamson : I want to tell you something, Shelley. You have a big mouth. Now, I'm going to show you a bigger one. I'm going to turn you in anyway!

• Ricky Roma : You stupid fucking cunt. You, Williamson, I'm talking to you, shithead. You just cost me $6,000. Six thousand dollars, and one Cadillac. That's right. What are you going to do about it? What are you going to do about it, asshole? You're fucking shit. Where did you learn your trade, you stupid fucking cunt, you idiot? Who ever told you that you could work with men? Oh, I'm gonna have your job, shithead. I'm going downtown to talk to Mitch and Murray, I'm going to Lemkin. I don't care whose nephew you are, who you know, whose dick you're sucking on, you're going out. I swear to you, you're going...

  Detective : Hey, fella, let's get this done.

  Ricky Roma : Anyone in this office lives on his wits.

  Ricky Roma : [to the detective]  I'm going to be with you in a second.

  Ricky Roma : [to Williamson]  what you're hired for is to help us. Does that seem clear to you? To help us, not fuck us up. To help men who are going out there to try to earn a living, you fairy. You company man. I'll tell you something else, I hope you ripped the joint off, I can tell your friend here a little something might help him to catch you. You want to learn the first rule? You'd know if you spent a day in your life. Don't ever open your mouth 'till you know what the shot is. You're a fucking child.

  Shelley Levene : [after Roma leaves the room]  You are a shithead, Williamson. If you can't think on your feet, you should keep your mouth closed.

• Ricky Roma : How was her crumbcake?

  Shelley Levene : Hmm? Oh... from the store.

  Ricky Roma : Fuck her.

• Williamson : The leads are coming!

  Shelley Levene : Get 'em to me!

  Williamson : I talked to Mitch and Murray an hour ago. They're coming in, you understand. They're a bit upset about this morning's...

  Shelley Levene : Did you tell 'em about my sale?

  Williamson : How could I tell them about your sale? I don't even have a teleph- I'll tell them about your sale when they bring in the leads, all right? Shelley, all right? You closed a deal. Fine. You made a good sale, fine.

  Shelley Levene : It's better than a good sale. It's...

  Williamson : Look, I have a lot on my mind right now. They're coming in, all right? They're very upset, I'm trying to make some sense...

  Shelley Levene : I'm telling you - the one thing you can tell them is that it's a remarkable sale.

  Williamson : The only thing 'remarkable' about it is who you made it to.

  Shelley Levene : What the FUCK does that mean?

  Williamson : That if the sale sticks, it'll be a miracle.

  Shelley Levene : What does that mean? Why would it not... Oh, fuck you. You do not know your job. That's what I'm saying. You do not know your job. That's what I'm saying. A man IS his job and you are fucked at yours.

• Shelley Levene : I'll cut you in on the $82,000 sale I just closed.

  Williamson : Bruce and Harriet Nyborg? You wanna see the memos? They're nuts. They used to call in every week when I was with Webb and we were selling Arizona. They're nuts. Did you see how they were living? How can you delude yourself?

  Shelley Levene : I got their check.

  Williamson : Yeah? Well, forget it, frame it, it's worthless.

  Shelley Levene : The check is no good?

  Williamson : Yeah. If you wanna wait around, I'll pull the memo. I'm busy right now.

  Shelley Levene : Wait a minute! The check is no good? They're nuts?

  Williamson : You wanna call the bank, Shelley? I called them. I call them four months ago when we first got the lead. The people are insane. They just like talking to salesmen.

• Shelley Levene : Get the chalk. Hey! Get the chalk... get the chalk! I did it! I closed 'em! I closed the cocksucker. Get the chalk, put me on the board, John. Put me on the Cadillac board, huh? Pick up the fuckin' chalk! Rick. Eight units. Mountain View.

  Ricky Roma : You sold eight Mountain View?

  Shelley Levene : You bet your ass. Who wants to go to lunch? Who wants to go to lunch? I'm buying.

• Dave Moss : Did they steal the contracts?

  Ricky Roma : What the fuck do you care?

  Shelley Levene : [retelling to Roma his sales deal]  "Harriet, I wanna tell you something..."

  Dave Moss : What's that supposed to mean?

  Shelley Levene : Will you shut up? I'm telling him something.

  George Aaronow : [George looks into the main office from Williamson's office]  Can we get some coffee?

  Dave Moss : How're you doing?

  George Aaronow : Fine.

  Dave Moss : Uh huh.

  George Aaronow : If anybody's going out, I could use some coffee.

  [George returns to Williamson's office and shuts the door] 

  Shelley Levene : [still telling his story]  You do get the opportunity.

  Dave Moss : [to Ricky]  The fuck that's supposed to mean?

  Shelley Levene : You DO get the opportunities, you get it as I get it, as everybody get it.

  Dave Moss : Rick, that I don't care they stole the contracts?

  Shelley Levene : Now, I had them on the kitchen and I'm eating their crumb cakes...

  Dave Moss : What does that mean?

  Ricky Roma : It means, Dave, you haven't closed a good one in a month! None of my business; you wanna push me to answer you. So, you haven't got a contract to get stolen so far.

• Shelley Levene : You can't think on your feet, you oughta keep your mouth closed.

• Shelley Levene : [Levene has just cut a deal with Williamson to get 2 of the Glengarry leads for $100]  What? What?

  Williamson : Two leads. A hundred bucks.

  Shelley Levene : Now?

  Williamson : Yes, now... when?

  Shelley Levene : Oh, shit, John!

  Williamson : [turns away from Levene]  I wish I could.

  Shelley Levene : You FUCKIN' asshole! I don't have it... I... I...

  Shelley Levene : [Levene gets happy all of a sudden]  I'll bring it to ya in the morning. I'll be comin' in with the sales!

  Williamson : Nope.

• Williamson : As you heard, end of the month, top salesman on the board gets the Eldorado. Next man down gets the...

  Shelley Levene : What about the good leads?

  Williamson : The leads I've given you.

  Shelley Levene : But these leads are shit. They're old... I've seen them 100 times.

  Williamson : Well, the leads are assigned randomly.

  Shelley Levene : What about the new leads, huh? The new leads, the Glengarry leads.

  Williamson : I've got them. I'm going to hang onto them. And they'll be assigned to closers, based on the sales volume, first to Roma.

• Shelley Levene : Williamson! Williamson! Put me on the board! Put me on the Cadillac board!

• [first lines] 

  Shelley Levene : [on a payphone]  Can you connect me to Room 2306? Two, three, zero, six.

  [short pause] 

  Shelley Levene : Hello, honey. How're you doing?

  [pause] 

  Shelley Levene : Good.

  [pause] 

  Shelley Levene : Oh, what did he say?

  [pause] 

  Shelley Levene : Uh huh, well is he still there?

  [pause] 

  Shelley Levene : Well, how long ago did he leave?

  [pause] 

  Shelley Levene : Uh huh. Yeah, well, I'm stopping here, then I got a little meeting, and then I'll... oh, I would if I could... Oh, as soon as I can, let me get off...

  [pause] 

  Shelley Levene : Yeah, let me get off and I promise... I promise you... it will be okay. Kiss, kiss. Bye.