Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (TV Series)

It's Only a Paper Moon (1998)

James Darren: Vic Fontaine

Photos 

Quotes 

• [Nog explains to Vic why he's afraid to leave Vic's Las Vegas holosuite program] 

  Nog : When the war began, I wasn't happy or anything. But I was eager. I wanted to test myself. I wanted to prove I had what it took to be a soldier. And I saw a lot of combat. I saw a lot of people get hurt. I saw a lot of people die. But I didn't think anything was going to happen to me. And then suddenly, Dr. Bashir is telling me he has to cut my leg off. I couldn't believe it. I still can't believe it. If I can get shot, if I can lose my leg, anything can happen to me, Vic. I could die tomorrow. I don't know if I'm ready to face that. If I stay here, at least I know what the future is going to be like.

  Vic Fontaine : You stay here, you're gonna die. Not all at once, but little by little. Eventually, you'll become as hollow as I am.

  Nog : You don't seem hollow to me.

  Vic Fontaine : Compared to you, I'm hollow as a snare drum. Look, kid, I don't know what's going to happen to you out there. All I can tell you is that... you've got to play the cards life deals you. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. But at least you're in the game.

• Vic Fontaine : She called you a hero? And for that you slugged your best friend? Remind me never to give you a compliment.

• Vic Fontaine : Since you've been here, I've slept in a bed every night, gone to work every day, had time to read the paper, play cards with the boys - I've had a life. And I have to tell you, it's a precious thing. I had no idea how much it means to just... live. And now I'm gonna return the favor, and give you your life back.

• [after Nog is told by Chief O'Brien that Vic Fontaine can turn himself off and stay off for as long as he wants, Vic appears to Nog in the empty holosuite] 

  Vic Fontaine : So... now that the Chief's told you I'm smarter than the average bear, will you stop messing around with my holosuite?

• Vic Fontaine : [about his song "I'll be seeing you"]  So let me guess - Julian played it for you, right?

  Nog : Right.

  Vic Fontaine : If I had him as a publicist, I'd be bigger than Elvis.

  Nog : Who?

  Vic Fontaine : Never mind.

• Vic Fontaine : Noggles...

  [Vic's nickname for Nog] 

• Vic Fontaine : Crazy!

• Nog : Can I ask you a question, Vic?

  Vic Fontaine : Sure.

  Nog : When you sleep - do you dream?

• [last lines] 

  Vic Fontaine : [Processing how different his life is going to be]  Twenty-six hours a day.

  [He starts singing, ending up on stage] 

  Vic Fontaine : I've got the world on a string, sitting on a rainbow. Got the string around my finger, what a world, what a life, I'm in love!