The Untouchables Quotes

Malone: [talking privately in a church] You said you wanted to get Capone. Do you really wanna get him? You see what I'm saying is, what are you prepared to do?
Ness: Anything within the law.
Malone: And *then* what are you prepared to do? If you open the can on these worms you must be prepared to go all the way. Because they're not

gonna give up the fight, until one of you is dead.
Ness: I want to get Capone! I don't know how to do it.
Malone: You wanna know how to get Capone? They pull a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue. *That's* the *Chicago* way! And that's how you get Capone. Now do you want to do that? Are you

ready to do that? I'm offering you a deal. Do you want this deal?
Ness: I have sworn to capture this man with all legal powers at my disposal and I will do so.
Malone: Well, the Lord hates a coward.
[jabs Ness with his hand, and Ness shakes it]
Malone: Do you know what a blood oath is, Mr. Ness?

Ness: Yes.
Malone: Good, 'cause you just took one.

Malone: [at the police training academy] Why do you want to join the force?
George Stone: To protect the property and citizenry of...
Malone: Ah, don't waste my time with that bullshit. Where you from, Stone?
George Stone: I'm from the south-side.
Malone: Stone. George Stone. That's

your name? What's your real name?
George Stone: That is my real name.
Malone: Nah. What was it before you changed it?
George Stone: Giuseppe Petri.
Malone: Ah, I knew it. That's all you need, one thieving wop on the team.
George Stone: Hey, what's that you say?

Malone: I said that you're a lying member of a no good race.
George Stone: [He cuffs Stone across the face. As he draws back his arm again, Stone presses a gun under his chin] Much better than you, you stinking Irish shit pig.
Malone: Oh, I like him.
Ness: [Ness looking a bit nervous and Malone smiling at

Stone] Yeah I like him too.

Ness: [referring to Malone] I'm going to see you burn, you son of a bitch, because you killed my friend!
Frank Nitti: He died like a pig.
Ness: What did you say?
Frank Nitti: I said your friend died screaming like a stuck Irish pig. Now you think about that when I beat the rap.
[He runs a comb through

his hair and walks toward the door. Ness, enraged, grabs him from behind and pushes him past the door]
Frank Nitti: Hey... hey!
[Ness propels him toward the ledge]
Frank Nitti: *Hey!
[Ness pushes him off the roof. He falls, screaming]
Ness: Did he sound anything like *that*?

Malone: [on the walkway underneath a bridge] OK, pal, why the mahaska? Why are you carrying the gun?
Ness: I'm a treasury officer.
Malone: Alright. Just remember what we talked about now.
[Malone walks away]
Ness: Hey, wait a minute! What the hell kind of policemen you got in this god damn city? You

just turned your back on an armed man.
Malone: You're a treasury officer.
Ness: How do you know that? I just told you that.
Malone: Who would claim to be that who was not? Hmm?

Capone: [to the members of his crime family] A man becomes preeminent, he's expected to have enthusiasms. Enthusiasms, enthusiasms... What are mine? What draws my admiration? What is that which gives me joy? Baseball! A man stands alone at the plate. This is the time for what? For individual achievement. There he stands alone. But in the field, what? Part of a team. Teamwork...

Looks, throws, catches, hustles. Part of one big team. Bats himself the live-long day, Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and so on. If his team don't field... what is he? You follow me? No one. Sunny day, the stands are full of fans. What does he have to say? I'm goin' out there for myself. But... I get nowhere unless the team wins.
Hoods: Team!
[Capone beats one of the men to death with a

baseball bat]

Malone: Why do you want to be a police officer?
Williamson: To protect the... people and the... p...
Malone: I'm not looking for the "yearbook" answer. Why do you want to join the force.
Williamson: The force?
Malone: Yeah, why do you want to join the force.

Williamson: Because... I...
Malone: Yeah?
Williamson: ...think I could help.
Malone: You think you could help.
Williamson: ...with the force.
Malone: Thank you very much, you've been most helpful.
[Williamson leaves]
Malone: [to

Ness] There goes the next chief of police.

Bowtie Driver: [while on the main stairway inside the train station] Me and the bookkeeper are walking out of here, getting into a car, and driving away. Or else he dies! He dies! And you ain't got nothing! You got five seconds to make up your minds!
Ness: You got him?
George Stone: Yeah, I got him.
Bowtie

Driver: [Bowtie starts counting off five seconds] One!
Ness: Take him.
George Stone: [Stone shoots him] Two!

Ness: [in court] Never stop, never stop fighting till the fight is done.
Capone: What'd you say? What're you saying?
Ness: I said, "Never stop fighting till the fight is done."
Capone: What?
Ness: You heard me, Capone. It's over.
Capone: [sneering] Get out,

you're nothing but a lot of talk and a badge.
Ness: Here endeth the lesson.

Reporter: [interviewing Capone while a barber shaves him] And what of your reputation for violence? That those who don't buy your product are dealt with violently?
Capone: [pulls his face away from the razor, sees that he's bleeding slightly, the barber looks horrified] S'alright. I grew up in a tough neighborhood and we used to say "You can get further

with a kind word and a gun than you can with just a kind word."

Capone: [to reporters] I'm gonna tell you something. Somebody messes with me, I'm gonna mess with with him. Somebody steals from me, I'm gonna say you stole. Not talk to him for spitting on the sidewalk. Understand? Now, I have done nothing to harm these people but they are angered with me, so what do they do, doctor up some income tax, for which they have no case. To speak to me

like me, no, to harass a peaceful man. I pray to god if I ever had a grievance I'd have a little more self respect. One more thing, you have an all out prize fight, you wait until the fight is over, one guy is left standing. And that's how you know who won.