The Big Country (1958)

Burl Ives: Rufus Hannassey

Photos 

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Quotes 

• Buck Hannassey : You want me, Pa?

  Rufus Hannassey : Before you was born I did.

• Major Henry Terrill : What do you want, Hannassey?

  Rufus Hannassey : I'm just payin' back the call you and your men made on my home this mornin'. Sorry I wasn't there to give you the proper welcome.

  Major Henry Terrill : Let him speak his piece.

  Rufus Hannassey : Take it easy, boy. I've got me somethin' to say: it's about thirty years overdue. This is a mighty fine house, Major Terrill: a gentleman's house. Those are mighty fine clothes your wearin'. Well, maybe you've got some of these folks fooled, but you ain't got me fooled, not by a damn sight! The Hannassey's know and admire a real gentleman when they see one, and they recognize a high tone skunk when they smell one. Now, I'm not here complainin' about twenty of your brave men who beat three of my boys 'til they couldn't stand. Maybe they had it comin'. Anyways, they're full growed and can take their lickin's. And I'm not here complainin' because I know that you're tryin' to buy the Big Muddy to keep my cows from water. Though it galls me sore to see the granddaughter of a genuine gentleman like Glenn Maragon under this roof. I'll tell you why I'm here, Major Terrill! When you come a-ridin' roughshod over my land scarin' the kids and the women folks, when you invade my home, like you was the law or God Almighty, then I say to you, I've seen every kind of critter God ever made, and I ain't never seen a meaner, lower, more stinkin', yellow, hyprocrite than you! Now you can swallow up a lot of folks and make 'em like it, but you ain't swallowin' me. I'm stuck in your craw, Henry Terrill, and you can't spit me out! You hear me now! You rode into my place and beat my men for the last time and I give you warnin'. You set foot in Blanco Canyon once more and this country's gonna run red with blood 'til there ain't one of us left! Now I don't hold mine so precious, so if you want to start, here, start now! What's the matter? Can't you shoot a man a-facin' ya? I'll make it easy fer ya. Here's my back.

• Rufus Hannassey : I'm a law-abiding man. That is, if there's any law to abide by.

• Rufus Hannassey : Treat her right. Take a bath sometime.

• [Buck Hannassey is about to shoot the weaponless James McKay until Buck's father intercedes] 

  Rufus Hannassey : You don't shoot an unarmed man... not while I'm around.

• Rufus Hannassey : Why ain't you dead? You let 'em run my cows off and you come back standing up!

  Buck Hannassey : What could we do, Pa? There was twenty of them... just a few of us!

  Rufus Hannassey : Them cows is worth more than the whole lot of ya.

• Rufus Hannassey : Crawl, you act like a dog, crawl like one! Crawl I said, crawl!

• Rufus Hannassey : The Hannasseys will have no peace until the bones of Henry Terrill is bleaching in Blanco Canyon. Now he started this blood-spilling, and I aim to finish it.

• Rufus Hannassey : He's going to be the most surprised dead man you ever saw!

• Rufus Hannassey : [forced to shoot his own son]  I told you! I told you I'd do it. I told you, but you wouldn't believe me! Damn your soul, I told you!

• Rufus Hannassey : [examining McKay's dueling pistols]  These guns loaded?

  James McKay : All but the caps. They haven't been fired for a long time - the vents will have to be cleared out. I'll do it for you, if you like.

  Rufus Hannassey : Teach your grandmother to suck eggs! I've been handling guns like this, flintlock and caplock, since before you were born.

• Rufus Hannassey : If you ain't the mother and father of all liars!