The Bribe (1949)

Robert Taylor: Rigby

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Quotes 

• Gibbs : Rigby, this is a very important case. Graft of public assets. War surplus racket. It means a lot to the taxpayers, and incidentally to your own record. You've been chosen because you're a good cop - if you'll excuse the expression.

  Rigby : I'll excuse it, chief. It's not a dirty word by me.

  Gibbs : We've discovered that a very smooth racket is being worked in some of the war surplus auctions. Private operators are purchasing huge lots of war surplus material as scrap - most of it is fit only for scrap. But, delivery is being manipulated, so that when the scrap is sent to the junk yard, surplus airplane motors are included in each lot. This scrap is being routed out to South America as ballast in freighters. That's okay as far as the scrap's concerned, but the motors are also carried. Illegally shipped out of the country. They are segregated and unloaded en route, we believe in Central America, where they're conditioned and tested, and then picked up by purchasers who are paying exorbitant prices. The men who are engineering this graft are really cashing in. No regular fees, no shipping charges, and NO income tax. Just several million dollars of illegal profits.

  Rigby : Right out of Uncle Sam's hide, huh?

  Gibbs : Bringing in as many motors as possible, with engine numbers intact and identifiable, is your job.

• Rigby : Look, why don't you stop acting like you're alone in the jungle?

  Elizabeth Hintten : I'm not?

  Rigby : OK, so you are, but you'd be surprised how nice the birds and the beasts can be if you'll only give them a chance.

  Elizabeth Hintten : Tell me, Rigby, do you fly, walk on all fours... or crawl?

• Rigby : I never knew a crooked road could look so straight. What do you suppose makes it look that way? You being around - that could be it.

• Gibbs : The men who are engineering this graft are really cashing in. No regular fees. No shipping charges. And - no - income tax. Just several million of dollars in illegal profits.

  Rigby : Right out of Uncle Sam's hide.

• Rigby : [voiceover]  For a man with bad feet, Pie-Shape seemed to get around a lot.

• Rigby : When I'm kissing someone goodbye, I like to know in advance. I do better.

• Elizabeth Hintten : Your head!

  Rigby : Yeah, it got caught in a broken promise.

• Rigby : [voiceover]  Would you rather use another word for what you're selling out? One with a fancy necktie on it, say, honor. Now, what does that mean? Honor. Same thing to everybody or different things to different people. Honor. Just a word. Say it over often enough and its not even a word anymore. Just a sound. A sound without any meaning at all.

• Rigby : For every year in the army, I'm for loafing too.

  Carwood : You young men. The world falling apart and you go fishing.

  Rigby : Now, wait a minute, the world just got through falling apart. This is that Brave New World - the one, you guys, promised.

• Rigby : Tell me something, which is real? The hot tonsils out there or the string music in here?

  Elizabeth Hintten : Would it do me any good to tell you, people believe - what they want to believe.

• Tug Hintten : Well, don't tell me I've interrupted another tourist making a pass at you, Liz.

  Rigby : I must admit it crossed my mind.

  Tug Hintten : What?

  Elizabeth Hintten : Stop it, Tug!

  Tug Hintten : And why shouldn't he want to make a pass? But, I'll let you in on something. For anybody but me, my wife is pass proof, Mr.?

  Rigby : Rigby's the name. It seems that I'm a little out of line. I didn't know that she was...

  Tug Hintten : Forget it. My name's Hintten. This is Mrs. Hintten. So, how 'bout us all having a drink on that basis.

  Rigby : Suits me fine. Getting a pass knocked down is thirsty work.

• Rigby : So, he came home from the wars and you got married. Right?

  Elizabeth Hintten : Didn't everybody.

• Elizabeth Hintten : Why am I telling you all this stuff?

  Rigby : Blame it on the climate.

• Elizabeth Hintten : Listen, I've got a car outside. It's a nice breeze when you're driving. At least, if you're driving 60 miles an hour, you can make your own breeze.

  Elizabeth Hintten : That's much too fast for me.

  Rigby : Now, you don't want to go home to that Turkish bath and wait for Hintten.

• Elizabeth Hintten : You know, there's a lot to be said for simply being comfortable.

  Rigby : Women just like to be waited on. I'll bet Hintten spoils you rotten.

  Elizabeth Hintten : Do you spoil your girl, Rigby?

  Rigby : Girls.

  Elizabeth Hintten : Of course, girls. You'd be awfully careful about getting wound up with - just one.

  Rigby : That's me - careful.

  Elizabeth Hintten : I'm spoiled. You're careful. We sound like a couple of Dick Tracy characters.

  Rigby : You're not spoiled. You're tired and worried and drawn down fine - too fine.

  Elizabeth Hintten : And you're girls? All plump and rosy?

  Rigby : That was just a lot of big talk. Not girls, girl. Cute little kid, too. I was going to marry her after the war. I thought.

  Elizabeth Hintten : And?

  Rigby : She thought differently, apparently.

• Elizabeth Hintten : Rigby, why haven't you tried to kiss me?

  [Rigby kisses her, once, then again] 

  Elizabeth Hintten : No, please. Just once.

  Rigby : Speak for yourself.

  Elizabeth Hintten : Maybe even that was too much.

• Elizabeth Hintten : You've never told me that you care for me, the way I care for you. Not in words.

  Rigby : Do you need the words?

  [kiss] 

• Rigby : How was the take tonight? Good old legal tender. Remarkable what people will do for it.

• Elizabeth Hintten : You can believe what you want to about me, but, trust me this much: you're in danger. If you know what's good for you...

  Rigby : What's good for me? The one thing, by now, what's good for me isn't you.

• Rigby : Forgive? What's forgive? An old beat up word. Who's got a right to use it. Not me.

• Rigby : [voice-over narration]  Can a sellout ever look good? You never thought so before, did you? What changed you? She did. But is she guilty, or innocent? You're not so sure of her now, are you? Think back: when did you first hear of her? Gibbs was briefing you, that day in Washington...

• Rigby : You're involved in a government fraud. There's enough against you to get you two to five years.

  Carwood : Are you arresting me? I don't think so. Law enforcement agencies of the United States have no authority on foreign soil.

  Rigby : Yeah, you read the book right. *I* can't arrest you, but Rodriguez can. And Rodriguez will be in Carlotta before morning.

  Carwood : Sorry I can't wait. I'm boarding a plane at midnight. I don't think I'll be seeing you, Rigby.

  [heads for the door] 

  Rigby : Carwood...

  [holding a pistol on him] 

  Carwood : I'm taking that plane. I'm gonna' walk out of this room. You won't shoot. You don't operate that way. You can't.

• Rigby : Thanks for the beer.

  Elizabeth Hintten : And the story of my life?

  Rigby : I'd a liked that better if I didn't think you skipped some of it.

  Elizabeth Hintten : For instance?

  Rigby : All of the parts that count.