King Rat (1965)

George Segal: Corporal King

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Quotes 

• Lt. Robin Grey : Why do you think it is, Corporal, that you have so much and the rest of us so little? One day, Corporal, you're going to make a slip. All this wealth you've got isn't going to check against my list. And when you do; when that happens... I'll be ready. And you'll be in there...

  [points to the bamboo cage] 

  Lt. Robin Grey : in my cage. I'm not playing at being provost marshall, you know. And I've never yet heard of a run of luck that didn't run out. And yours will - depend on it - because you're like all criminals: you're greedy.

  Cpl. King : Lieutenant, I'd like to point out to you that I don't have to put up with this crap from you. I'm not in your two-bit army, I'm in our two-bit army. If you're looking for something to live for, when we get out of this you come looking for me and I'll hand you your head.

• Cpl. King : How's that chair feel?

  Peter Marlowe : Fine.

  Cpl. King : Cost me eighty bucks.

  Peter Marlowe : Did it? Yes, well I'd never have guessed.

  Cpl. King : You'da said more, huh?

  Peter Marlowe : No, I don't think so. I don't think I'd have said anything really. I've never been a great 'chair price guesser'.

• [King asks Marlowe to say something in Malay] 

  Peter Marlowe : What sort of thing?

  Cpl. King : I don't care. Anything, I just wanna hear you.

  [Marlowe says a sentence in Malay] 

  Cpl. King : Hey, that's pretty good. You hear that, Max?

  [to Marlowe] 

  Cpl. King : What's that mean?

  Peter Marlowe : Well, it doesn't really have a literal translation. But, uh, roughly speaking, it means, "When do I have to kiss thee on the ass?"

  [all the other prisoners in the barracks turn and look] 

  Cpl. King : After the egg. Never before meals.

• Cpl. King : [Having served Marlowe a fried egg]  How 'bout that?

  Peter Marlowe : Not bad. Not bad at all.

  Cpl. King : [Looking slightly offended]  What the hell are you talking about? The egg ain't been laid that tastes better than that.

  Peter Marlowe : Don't get excited, Fortnum. When we say "not bad", we don't mean "not bad". We mean it's bloody marvelous.

  Cpl. King : Yeah? What do you mean when you say "it's bloody marvelous"?

  Peter Marlowe : Bit dicey.

  Cpl. King : Forget it.

• Cpl. King : [while preparing meal]  If you don't want to eat it, you can sit and watch, it's a free prison!

• Cpl. King : [to Marlowe]  You know, before this, everybody had it made but me. The closest I ever got was to read it out of magazines. I used to watch those real fancy dolls getting out of the big cars going to eat the big dinner. And they're always with pigs. You know, real pigs. Fat old guys; but they had it made.

• Lt. Robin Grey : Where's the money?

  Cpl. King : What money, sir?

  Lt. Robin Grey : [Impatiently]  The money from the sale of the diamond!

  Cpl. King : [Acting as if he doesn't know what Grey's talking about]  What diamond, sir?

  Lt. Robin Grey : All right, all right, Corporal. The War will be over one day, and then you'll get yours!

  Cpl. King : [Condescendingly]  All right, sir. I believe you... but until then...

  [He salutes half-heartedly and leaves] 

• Peter Marlowe : [Very grateful]  You know there's nothing I can say.

  Cpl. King : Well, you could say I'm a genius... a. you could say that.

• Lt. Robin Grey : Why do you think it is? Why do you think you have so much, and the rest of us have so little? One day, Corporal, you're going to make a slip. All this wealth you'e got won't check against my list, and when you do, when that happens, I'll be ready, and you'll be there in my cage. I'm not playing at being provost marshal. You know, I never yet heard of luck that didn't run out. Yours will. Depend on it. Because yours will run out. You will depend on it. Because like all criminals, you're greedy.

  Cpl. King : Lieutenant, I'd like to point out that I don't have to put up with this crap from you. I'm not in your two-bit army, I'm in our two-bit army. And if you're looking for something to live for, when we get out of this, you come looking for me, and I'll hand you your head.

• Cpl. King : [displaying his footlocker laden with contraband]  You want an egg?

  Peter Marlowe : Excuse me, what's all this in aid of?

  Cpl. King : Do what?

  Peter Marlowe : I mean, people don't just give eggs away like that.

  Cpl. King : Well, I'm not people, am I, Max?

  Max : [grovelling and obsequious]  No, no, you're not people, King.

  Cpl. King : Do you want an egg or doncha?

  Peter Marlowe : Well, of course I want it!

  Cpl. King : Okay then, you got it. How do you like it?

  Peter Marlowe : [timidly]  Fried?

  Cpl. King : Okay, so you got yourself a fried egg.

  Peter Marlowe : You're not related to Fortnum and Mason by any chance?

  Cpl. King : Who are they?

  Peter Marlowe : It doesn't really matter. They run a little family grocery shop back home.

• Weaver : [surveying the emaciated POW's]  Do they all look like that?

  Cpl. King : Yeah, yeah.

  Weaver : Then why are you so different?

  Cpl. King : Sir?

  Weaver : [with growing contempt]  I said, why are you so different?

  Cpl. King : How do you mean, sir?

  Weaver : Why are you dressed properly, and they're all in rags?

  Cpl. King : Well, there's no harm in looking after your clothes, is there, sir?

  Weaver : You're in good shape too, aren't you?

  Cpl. King : Yeah, well, I've been keeping on the ball, sir. No harm in that either, sir, is there?

  Weaver : No, no harm at all. Where's the camp commandant's quarters?

  Cpl. King : Over there, sir, the end bungalow.

  Weaver : Right. I won't forget you, corporal, and I shall certainly see your Major Brough at the earliest opportunity.

  Cpl. King : What do you mean by that, sir?

  Weaver : [walking away in disgust]  You'll figure it out, corporal.

• Peter Marlowe : [as Weaver walks away]  I wish I had your nerve, Fortnum. I couldn't talk to him. I ran away, we all did. He was so real. It was too real! God, it's mad isnt it? It's over and we've survived. But it's still all mad. What did he say to you?

  Cpl. King : He just, uh, just asked me a few things.

  Peter Marlowe : Did he say, did he tell you anything?

  Cpl. King : Naw, nothing I didn't already know.

• Peter Marlowe : It's over, isn't it? It's not a mistake?

  Cpl. King : No, it's not a mistake. It's over. Forget it! You got the luck, man.

  Peter Marlowe : Forget it? Hey, listen, I'm talking to you! You called me "sir" last night. You call me "sir", and that's the second time you've walked away from me! The war's over. That's the only thing that's changed. You and me, we're still the same. Look, people don't change because the all-clear sounds, do they? I haven't changed. I'm not ashamed or embarrassed because you're my friend. We survived it! You and me! Don't you remember what we had? I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. Don't you remember that?

  Cpl. King : You worked for me a couple of times and I paid you for it. That's all we had.

  Peter Marlowe : Fortnum. Fortnum, friendship isn't a matter of a ten percent. Don't ask me to forget it all now. Please, not that! Otherwise, what's it all been in aid of? I'm not different.

  Cpl. King : But that's just you.

• Cpl. King : Welcome to Changi, sir.

  Weaver : [salutes]  Thank God somebody here's normal. I'm Captain Weaver. I've been sent to look after the camp until the main lot arrives, which could be at any moment now. I began to wonder if there was something wrong with me.

  Cpl. King : Guess most of them are in a state of shock, sir. It's been a long time.

  Weaver : Yes, I suppose it has. Are you... you're not British, are you?

  Cpl. King : No, I'm American, sir. Corporal King. And there are a few of us colonials scattered around.