Memorable quotes for
Touch of Evil (1958) More at IMDbPro »

Ramon Miguel 'Mike' Vargas: This could be very bad for us.
Susan: For us?
Ramon Miguel 'Mike' Vargas: For Mexico, I mean.

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Quinlan: Come on, read my future for me.
Tanya: You haven't got any.
Quinlan: What do you mean?
Tanya: Your future is all used up.

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Vargas: This isn't the real Mexico. You know that. All border towns bring out the worst in a country. I can just imagine your mother's face if she could see our honeymoon hotel.

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Vargas: Captain, you won't have any trouble with me.
Quinlan: You bet your sweet life I won't.

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Vargas: How could you arrest me here? This is my country.
Quinlan: This is where you're gonna die.

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Vargas: Listen, I'm no cop now. I'm a husband! What did you do with her? Where's my wife? My wife!

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Pete Menzies: You're a killer.
Hank Quinlan: Partly. I'm a cop.
Pete Menzies: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Drunk and crazy as you must have been when you strangled him. I guess you were somehow thinking of your wife, the way she was strangled.
Hank Quinlan: I'm always thinking of her, drunk or sober. What else is there to think about, except my job, my dirty job?
Pete Menzies: You didn't have to make it dirty.
Hank Quinlan: I don't call it dirty. Look at the record, our record, partner. Huh?
Pete Menzies: Sure, sure, sure.
Hank Quinlan: Well? All those convictions.

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Quinlan: I don't speak Mexican. Let's keep it in English, Vargas.
Vargas: That's all right with me. I'm sure he's just as unpleasant in any language.
Sanchez: Unpleasant? Strange. I've been told I have a very winning personality. The very best shoe clerk the store ever had.

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Tanya: We're closed.
Quinlan: You've been cookin' at this hour?
Tanya: Just cleanin' up.
Quinlan: Have you forgotten your old friend, hmm?
Tanya: I told you we were closed.
Quinlan: I'm Hank Quinlan.
Tanya: I didn't recognize you. You should lay off those candy bars.
Quinlan: It's either the candy or the hooch. I must say, I wish it was your chili I was gettin' fat on. Anyway, you're sure lookin' good.
Tanya: You're a mess, honey.
Quinlan: Yeah. That pianola sure brings back memories.
Tanya: The customers go for it - it's so old, it's new. We got the television too. We run movies. What can I offer you?

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Quinlan: That was the last killer that ever got out of my hands.

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[Last lines]
Tanya: Isn't somebody gonna come and take him away?
Schwartz: Yeah, in just a few minutes. You really liked him didn't you?
Tanya: The cop did... the one who killed him... he loved him.
Schwartz: Well, Hank was a great detective all right.
Tanya: And a lousy cop.
Schwartz: Is that all you have to say for him?
Tanya: He was some kind of a man... What does it matter what you say about people?
Schwartz: Goodbye Tanya.
Tanya: Adiós.

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Ramon Miguel 'Mike' Vargas: A policeman's job is only easy in a police state.

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Quinlan: [leaving strip-club] We're wasting our time here.
Dist. Atty. Adair: I wouldn't say that...

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Schwartz: Intuition?
Ramon Miguel 'Mike' Vargas: Why not? Quinlan doesn't have a monopoly on hunches.

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[Quinlan fires a pistol at Vargas, not hitting him]
Quinlan: That wasn't no miss, Vargas. That was just to turn you 'round, so I don't have to shoot you in the back. Unless you'd rather run for it.

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Schwartz: So it turns out Quinlan was right after all.

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Mirador Motel night manager: It STINKS in here!

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Quinlan: An old lady on Main Street last night picked up a shoe. The shoe had a foot in it. We're gonna make you pay for that mess.

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Quinlan: That's the second bullet I stopped for you.

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Dist. Atty. Adair: An hour ago, Rudy Linnekar had this town in his pocket.
Coroner: Now you could strain him through a sieve.

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Susan: You know what's wrong with you, Mr Grandi? You've being seeing too many gangster movies. Mike may be spoiling some of your fun.
'Uncle' Joe Grandi: Mike?
Susan: My husband, yeah! And if you're trying to scare me into calling him off, let me tell you something Mr. Grandi. I may be scared, but he wont be.

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Ramon Miguel 'Mike' Vargas: Susie, one of the longest borders on earth is right here between your country and mine. An open border. Fourteen hundred miles without a single machine gun in place. Yeah, I suppose that all sounds very corny to you.
Susan: I could love being corny, if my husband would only cooperate.

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Sanchez: What are you trying to do?
Quinlan: We're trying to strap you to the electric chair, boy.

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Ramon Miguel 'Mike' Vargas: I'm saying more than that, Captain. You framed that boy. Framed him!

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Pretty Boy: Hold her legs!

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[first lines]
Border Cop: Uh, you folks American citizens?

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