Swiss Family Robinson (1960)

John Mills: Father Robinson

Photos 

10 more photos

Quotes 

• Father : Don't you sometimes feel that this is the kind of life we were meant to live on this earth? Everything we need, everything, right here, right at our fingertips. You know, if only people could have all this and be satisfied, I don't think there'd be any real problems in the world.

  Mother : And no future generations. We don't have *everything* we need right here at our fingertips.

• Father : The world is full of nice, ordinary little people who live in nice, ordinary little houses on the ground. But didn't you ever dream of a house up on a tree top?

  Mother : No! Mostly I dream of having a house in New Guinea.

• Father : What did I tell you? Anything we need, the island will produce it for us, even a girl.

  Mother : *A* girl. But we have three sons.

• [trying to think of a way to get off the shipwrecked boat] 

  Ernst : Why don't we put up a distress flag?

  Father : Don't you think we look distressed enough? Ernst, anyone who sees a ship stuck on the rocks might possibly guess it's in trouble.

• Father : First thing we've got to do is to, uh, unload the raft. Then, uh... put up some sort of shelter for the night.

  Mother : No. That's not the first thing.

  [kneels down in prayer and the rest follow suit] 

• Fritz : What's that?

  Father : That? Oh, that's a quarantine flag. Warning that there's Black Death aboard.

  Ernst : How did you know that?

  Father : Well *I* do a bit of reading, too, you know.

• Francis : Are we ever going to open these other packages?

  Mother : Those are for Fritz and Ernst.

  Francis : But suppose they don't come back? Suppose they got "et" up?

  Father : Francis, you've had a long day, and it's past your bedtime.

  Francis : But it's Christmas.

• [during the fight between the Robinsons and the pirates, the pirate chief raises a white flag] 

  Kuala - Pirate Chief : [calling up to the Robinsons]  Kuala make talk! You hear?

  Father : [calling back down]  We hear you!

  Kuala - Pirate Chief : [referring to Roberta aka Bertie]  You take boy belong Kuala. Give us boy, no more fight. You hear?

  Father : You want the boy? You come and get him. We're ready for you, and you can put away your white flag.

  Roberta : Maybe it would be better to agree.

  Father : Don't worry. He wouldn't bargain with us if he thought he could beat us.

  Kuala - Pirate Chief : Send the boy down the hill! Kuala take boy. Get plenty money. Nobody hurt. You hear?

  [the Robinsons stand their ground; the chief puts the flag away] 

  Kuala - Pirate Chief : You make Kuala fight long time, then you die, and Kuala take boy all the same!

  [the fight between the pirates and the Robinsons resumes] 

• Father : Right now being alive is more important than being found.

• Father : No one can ever go back and undo what's already done, but - well, I - I want you to know that - well, I'm sorry things didn't work out. Not the way I wanted them to.

  Mother : I know.

  Father : It would have been so much better if we'd just stayed in Bern.

  Mother : I'm not so sure of it, not with Napoleon Bonaparte trying to grab up more and more. Fritz and Ernst might both be in war, maybe even you.

  Father : No. It would have been better to stay and face things rather than just running away.

  Mother : Is it running away to try to find a new life, in a new colony? To try to give our sons a chance to live, a chance to be free? Is that running away?

• Father : I keep thinking about all the men who work in those other offices along the Marktgasse. They go on working at the same old jobs and manage to find opportunities for their families, without running off to the other side of the world.

  Mother : I thought we settled all this before we left home. It was good thing we set out to do. We were right. And all that hasn't changed just because we were shipwrecked.

  Father : You're always right, aren't you? We'll get there, I'm sure of it. I'm sure of it! Sooner or later, there's bound to be a ship.

  Mother : I'll pray for it with every breath I take.

• Father : It's a big land, New Guinea. For hundreds of years, there've been new colonies, a great new world to build. No limit to what a man can do. Just because we're a couple of months late getting there it won't matter. We're not too badly off, are we? We've got each other, we've got the family with us, food to eat.

  Mother : [thunder, rain pours down on them, laughs]  And even a tent to keep the rain off if we had sense enough to use it.

• Mother : What about our sons? What future is there here for them?

  Father : Now, don't worry about tomorrow. It'll take care of itself.

  Mother : Suppose we should never get away from here. They'd never know what it was like to be married.

  Father : Yes. Yes, that's right. Now you come to mention it, there aren't many girls around here, are there?

  Mother : It's not anything to joke about. Suppose they never have a chance to know what it's like to have a family.

• Father : Just a moment, please. Old Swiss custom - carry the bride across the threshold.

  Mother : [laughing]  Father.

• Mother : Those curtains don't belong in here!

  Father : They were from the captain's quarters. We thought you'd like them.

  Mother : It's so wonderful,

  [bursts into tears] 

  Mother : I don't deserve it. I can't believe it.

  [Hugs Father] 

  Father : Don't worry about the curtains. If you don't like them, I know a woman who can fix anything.