Crack-Up (1946)

Pat O'Brien: George Steele

Photos 

Quotes 

• Terry : [opening her car's passenger door]  Come on. Get in.

  George Steele : No thanks, I'll take a streetcar; I can trust streetcars.

  [a policeman's whistle is heard and we see two cops running toward Steele. Steele jumps into the car, and they take off] 

  George Steele : What's your racket girlie? Whad'ya do for a living?

  Terry : I'm outta my head. I drive around in cars picking up psychopathic killers.

  [softening] 

  Terry : Someone has to look after you. I was at a party at Reynolds'. Things began to come apart at the seams. I drove Traybin...

  George Steele : [interrupting]  I know that.

  Terry : OK, you know that. You know everything. You're the great Steele. You walk through brick walls. You...

  [she pulls over] 

  Terry : You can wait here. They're going to put in a streetcar soon. Unless... unless you have some dim idea of what you're doing and want me to help you.

  George Steele : I always ask one question of people who want to join my club. Who's Traybin?

• Terry : Cops are notoriously untidy. They mean well, but they like to mess things up and...

  Traybin : It's strange, but you Americans are always fighting an undeclared war against your police. Why is it? You hire them to do their job, then you dare them to do it, then you almost resent it if they succeed.

  George Steele : It's a long story.

  Traybin : You know, it may be an impertinent suggestion, as after all, I'm only a visitor but, um, why not meet them halfway? Cops are only human. They might respond to a little... respect and affection.

• Terry : Wouldn't it be smarter to go to Cochrane and get this thing out in the open?

  George Steele : About as smart as cutting my throat to get some fresh air.

• Terry : What happened here? The police, probably... One of Cochrane's men must've dropped in to check on you.

  George Steele : Somebody should've dropped one of Cochrane's men on Nagasaki. Would've accomplished the same thing much cheaper.

• Station Agent : I've been married 30 years, and I don't look for any outside trouble. I, I could write a book about the goin's and comin's here if I had a mind to, but I just do my job and I don't see a thing. More free livin' goin' on in these parts these days than you can shake a stick at. Money does it. New York money, mostly! Society people and artists and... I never saw the world so full of artists and free livin'. Uh... you an artist?

  George Steele : Not exactly.

  Station Agent : Bad bunch, artists. Yeah.

• George Steele : [insistently]  Where'd they take me? Where'd they take this man? Where'd they go?

  Station Agent : Well, they put him in the car, as nearly as I remember.

  George Steele : [insistently]  What kind of a car?

  Station Agent : I couldn't say. I haven't been able to tell one car from another since 1924. They all look alike now, the way they make 'em... Window's closed!

  [shuts the station window]