The Key (1958)

Trevor Howard: Captain Chris Ford

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Quotes 

• Captain Chris Ford : I'm here! Let's have the vulgar details and I'll run along.

• Captain David Ross : Nice pig sty you've got here.

  Captain Chris Ford : Thank you.

• Cmdr. Wadlow : [to Capt Ross]  We've got you billeted at the Grand Hotel.

  Captain Chris Ford : Oh, come now. Not the black hole of Calcutta! That's no way to treat an ally.

• Stella : Why didn't you tell me you were going?

  Captain Chris Ford : Because you look so pretty when you're asleep.

• Cmdr. Wadlow : Have you known Chris a long time?

  Captain Chris Ford : Oh, we used to run into each other a lot when the world was young and gay.

• Captain David Ross : When Van Barger gave me a key, he made me promise to have another one made, just as soon as I ever used it, and to give it to someone on the tugs. I didn't know who to give it to. I want you to have it.

  Captain Chris Ford : And I said I didn't want it.

  Captain David Ross : Here. Here. You take it. Keep it. You have to keep it; because, I have to keep my promise to Van Barger.

  Captain Chris Ford : Give it to somebody else.

  Captain David Ross : Make me a promise, right now, that the moment you use it, if you ever have to, that you'll get another one made and you'll give it to someone, someone on the tugs, someone who's all right, you know, someone who needs it, you know what I mean. Then, you make them promise. Geez, its all been going on for a long time.

  Captain Chris Ford : You're crazy. You'll outlive everybody. Anyway, I don't want it.

  Captain David Ross : You want me to break your nose?

  [Capt. Ross laughs] 

  Captain David Ross : You promise?

  Captain Chris Ford : I promise.

  Captain David Ross : And then, if anything does happen to me, you'll - you'll look after Stella, you'll see that she's all right?

  Captain Chris Ford : Nothing is gonna happen to you.

  Captain David Ross : We'll drink to that! Because, in my considered opinion, none of us - is gonna come out of this alive. Including you.

  Captain Chris Ford : Thanks.

• Captain Chris Ford : There's something funny, David. Stella, she's - she's wonderful. She's so good to me; but, sometimes - here hold this - sometimes I don't think she knows which is which. Phillip. Halpren. Van Barger. Me. It's all mixed up! She'd confused. You know, she called me Phillip once. I didn't say anything. She couldn't have told by my face. I'm sure, it's just - it's as if we're *all* the same man. Some - I don't know which one. I don't know which one and I don't care. It's strange, isn't it?

• Captain Chris Ford : Now, you watch me give my girl a first class hug and kiss.

• Captain Chris Ford : I'll open the wine. Then we'll eat, drink and be happy; because, we're all wonderful people!

• Captain David Ross : What would you say hit that tug?

  Captain Chris Ford : Dive bomber? U-boat? Who knows? U-boat, most likely.

  Captain David Ross : You run into many?

  Captain Chris Ford : Oh, yes. Not the ones who lay the ducks low. They usually keep going off to the convoy. But, Jerrie's got a lot of mine laying subs in the neighborhood. Once they smell blood, they after us like vultures. They call this U-boat Alley, my boy. But, once we meet the ducks, we'll be all right; cause, she's got guns.

  Captain David Ross : She's got guns? Don't we have guns?

  Captain Chris Ford : Just what sort of a Navy do you think we've got here?

• [first lines] 

  Captain Chris Ford : Say, can you tell me where Cmdr. Wadlow's office is?

  Captain Van Dam : Has America come into the war?