When a Stranger Calls (1979)

Charles Durning: John Clifford

Quotes 

• John Clifford : [to Tracy, about Curt's murders]  After the coroner's investigation the bodies were taken to the mortuary where the undertaker took one look at them and said their bodies couldn't be reconstructed for the burial without six days of steady work. Then he asked what had been the murder weapon, because looking at the mess in front of him he couldn't imagine what had been used. The coroner told him there had been no murder weapon. The killer had used only his hands.

• John Clifford : Lets get something straight here, Doctor. I've been 33 years in the business of tracking people down and putting them away... spent almost a year alone on the case of Curt Duncan with the trial and the testimonies and the background investigations. Now, I didn't come here today to look in your God damn folders, in fact I probably wouldn't be here at all if you had done your job right.

  Dr. Monk : This is a hospital, Mr. Clifford, not a penitentiary. Everything appertaining to one of our patients is meticulously recorded in that patient's folder, whether you can make sense of it or not.

• John Clifford : You recognize this man?

  [shows her Curt Duncan's photo] 

  Tracy : Why?

  John Clifford : He's escaped from the insane asylum. 7 years ago he murdered two children, broke into the house and found them asleep in bed. There was a little boy, 4 and a half, and his little 3 year old sister. After the coroner's investigation, their bodies were taken to the mortuary where the undertaker took one look at them and said their bodies couldn't be reconstructed for the burial without 6 days of steady work. Then he asked what had been the murder weapon because looking at the mess in front of him, he couldn't imagine what had been used. The coroner told him there had been no weapon, just his hands.

  Tracy : [stands up]  He's been here.

  John Clifford : Think he'll try to see you again?

  Tracy : I don't know. He said he had no place to go.

  John Clifford : Well let's play it safe. Let's assume he will. Will you work with me?

• John Clifford : [Inside Dr. Monk's office]  Duncan was Catholic?

  Dr. Monk : Yeah.

  [beat] 

  Dr. Monk : So am I.

  John Clifford : [mildly surprised]  That makes three of us.

  Dr. Monk : Is that right? So we all share the same guilt?

  [Clifford smiles]