John Wayne: Tom Doniphon
Photos
Quotes
-
Tom Doniphon : Liberty Valance's the toughest man south of the Picketwire - next to me.
-
Tom Doniphon : Whoa, take 'er easy there, Pilgrim.
-
Liberty Valance : You lookin' for trouble, Doniphon?
Tom Doniphon : You aim to help me find some?
-
Tom Doniphon : You talk too much, think too much. Besides, YOU didn't kill Liberty Valance.
-
Tom Doniphon : [Doniphon has just told Stoddard what really happened the night Liberty Valance was shot] Hallie's your girl now. Go back in there and take that nomination. You taught her how to read and write; now give her something to read and write about!
-
Dutton Peabody : [protesting his nomination to the statehood convention] No! No! No you don't! No! I... I'm a newspaperman, not a politician! No, politicians are my meat - I build 'em up and I tear 'em down but I wouldn't be one I couldn't be one - it'd destroy me - gimme a...
Tom Doniphon : Bar's closed.
Dutton Peabody : Good people of Shinbone, I... I... I'm your conscience - I'm the still, small voice that thunders in the night. I'm your watchdog that howls against the wolves! I'm - I'm your father confessor! I... I... I'm... what else am I?
Tom Doniphon : Town drunk?
-
Tom Doniphon : [Valance has tripped Rance in the diner, causing him to spill a tray of food] That's *my* steak, Valance.
Liberty Valance : [laughing] You heard him, Dude. Pick it up.
Ransom Stoddard : No!
Tom Doniphon : Pilgrim, hold it. I said you, Valance; *you* pick it up.
Liberty Valance : Three against one, Doniphon.
Tom Doniphon : My boy, Pompey; kitchen door.
[Valance looks and sees Pompey at the door holding a rifle]
Floyd : I'll get it, Liberty!
[Doniphon kicks Floyd in the face as he bends down to retrieve the tray]
-
[Doniphon has just faced down Valance in the diner]
Tom Doniphon : Well, now; I wonder what scared 'em off?
Dutton Peabody : [poking fun at Stoddard for his idealism] You know what scared 'em - the spectacle of law and order here, risin' up out of the gravy and the mashed potatoes.
-
Dutton Peabody : [during voting for the territorial convention] I'll have the usual, Jack.
Jack, Barman : The bar is closed, Mister Editor, during voting.
Dutton Peabody : Bar's closed?
Tom Doniphon : You can blame your lawyer friend. He says that's one of the "Fundamental laws of democracy." No exception.
Dutton Peabody : No exceptions for the working press? Why, that's carrying democracy much too far!
-
Tom Doniphon : I know those law books mean a lot to you, but not out here. Out here a man settles his own problems.
-
[Reese and Floyd are trying to get a lynch mob together after Stoddard kills Valance]
Tom Doniphon : Can't a man have a drink around this town in peace?
[grabs Floyd and throws him through the door]
Reese : No one's bothering you, Doniphon.
Tom Doniphon : *You* are.
[Reese goes for his gun, and Doniphon decks him]
Tom Doniphon : Marshal! What are you gettin' paid for? Drag this scum out of here.
Link Appleyard : You heard him! Now, Kaintuck and High Pockets, I deputize you to give a hand and drag this scum out of here!
Kaintuck : Give me that b-b-b-bung st-st-starter!
[grabs Reese and hauls him out]
Link Appleyard : You tell those ranchers north of the Picketwire that hired you that me, Link Appleyard, run you out of town, and I'll do it again if you ever come back!
-
Dutton Peabody : Give me a drink.
Tom Doniphon : Bar's closed.
Dutton Peabody : Just a beer!
Tom Doniphon : The bar's closed.
Dutton Peabody : A beer's not drinking!
-
Ransom Stoddard : I don't want to kill him, I just want to put him in jail!
Tom Doniphon : Ohhh...
-
Tom Doniphon : [In Peter Ericson's kitchen visiting Hallie, see 's Ransom Stoddard's shingle, reads] 'Ransom Stoddard, At... torney at Law'
[amused]
Tom Doniphon : You're a persistent cuss, pilgrim. You really aim to hang that up outside somewhere?
Ransom Stoddard : [defiant] That's why I *painted* it.
Tom Doniphon : [gravely] Well, take some advice, pilgrim. You put that thing up, you'll have to defend it with a *gun*... and you ain't exactly the type.
-
[Pompey has gone into the saloon after Tom]
Barman : [indicating that he can't serve Pompey due to his being black] Now look, Pompey. You know I...
Tom Doniphon : [drunk] Who says he can't? Pour yourself a drink, Pompey.
Pompey : You know I don't drink no drams, Mr. Tom.
Tom Doniphon : I said take a drink.
Pompey : No, sir. We got a mare in foal, and horses to feed and water. You come on home.
-
Tom Doniphon : [to Ransom Stoddard] Hey, pilgrim! You forgot your pop-gun!
-
Tom Doniphon : Pompey, go find Doc Willoughby. If he's sober, bring him back.
-
Dutton Peabody : [Peabody has just been nominated as a delegate to statehood] No! No! No you don't! No! I... I'm a newspaperman, not a politician! No, politicians are my meat - I build 'em up and I tear 'em down but I wouldn't be one I couldn't be one - it'd destroy me... gimme a
Tom Doniphon : Bar's closed.
Dutton Peabody : Huh? Good people of Shinbone, I... I... I'm you conscience - I'm the still, small voice that thunders in the night. I'm your watchdog that howls against the wolves! I'm - I'm your father confessor! I... I... I'm... I'm... what else am I?
Tom Doniphon : Town drunk?
[uproarious laughter]
-
Tom Doniphon : Since our legal authority closed the bar on us, I propose that Ransom Stoddard, Attorney at Law, come up here and run this meeting for us.
-
Tom Doniphon : Pompey! Bring me those cans.
[Pompey brings three cans of paint]
Tom Doniphon : Give me that thing. I'll show you how easy it is.
[Ransom Stoddard hands his pistol to Doniphon]
Tom Doniphon : Take these cans, put them on those three posts. Go ahead.
[Stoddard takes the cans to the post which is two away from the corner post]
Tom Doniphon : That's it, that first post.
Ransom Stoddard : There?
Tom Doniphon : That's right.
[Stoddard heads for the next-to-last post]
Tom Doniphon : Not there! On the far post!
[Stoddard goes to the corner post]
Tom Doniphon : That's right!
[Stoddard puts the paint can on the corner post]
Tom Doniphon : Now put that last one in the middle!
[Doniphon shoots two of the paint cans]
Tom Doniphon : Pilgrim!
[Doniphon shoots the can just above Stoddard, splashing him with paint; he laughs at Stoddard, who angrily walks over to Doniphon]
Tom Doniphon : I hate tricks, pilgrim, but that's what you're up against with Valance! He's almost as fast as I am.
[Stoddard punches Doniphon on the jaw, knocking him to the ground]
Ransom Stoddard : I don't like tricks myself, so that makes us even!
Tom Doniphon : [gets off the ground as Stoddard gets into his carriage] Hey pilgrim, you forgot your pop gun!
-
Dutton Peabody : [Addressing Ransom Stoddard after Tom Doniphon tells Stoddard to get a gun or leave town] Personally I'd hate to see you go... you're *news* Mr. Stoddard, and you've *been* news ever since you hit this town!
[Reading Stoddard's sign]
Dutton Peabody : 'Ransom Stoddard, Attorney at Law'... aww, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings out there. Hey, I'll tell you what! You decide to stick around and uh, I'll let you hang this thing outside the newspaper office, rent free, for as long as it lasts!
Hallie : No! No! The first time Liberty Valance rides into town he'll shoot it to pieces, and the whole newspaper office with it!
Tom Doniphon : How 'bout that, Mr. Peabody?
Dutton Peabody : Well, uh...
[speaks with nervous laughter throughout]
Dutton Peabody : that'd be news!
-
Amos Carruthers : [Stoddard raps table three times to call meeting to order, Amos Carruthers stands] I'd like to nominate the chairman,
[gestures towards the chair]
Amos Carruthers : Mr. Ransom Stoddard as delegate to the territorial convention!
[uproarious cheers of approval]
Ransom Stoddard : Wait a minute here now!
Tom Doniphon : And I second that nomination, not only because he knows the law but because he throws a good *punch*!
-
Tom Doniphon : It ain't mannerly out west to let a fella drink by himself.
-
Tom Doniphon : All he wants you to do is put Liberty Valance in jail.
Link Appleyard : Yeah, Liberty... Liberty Valance! You think I'm crazy? Now, Tom, let me outta here.
-
Amos Carruthers : [in Ransom Stoddard's classroom after Tom Doniphon arrives, covered in trail dust, with news about Liberty Valence] You don't suppose they'll start anything down here, do ya?
Tom Doniphon : It's already started. Valence and his men crossed the river yesterday, killed a couple'a sodbusters. Old man Holliday and his son.
Dutton Peabody : You know that for a fact, Tom?
Tom Doniphon : [indignant] I do. They tried to bushwhack me, *unfortunately* for for one of 'em.
[Peabody turns to leave]
Tom Doniphon : Ya gonna put that in your newspaper too?
Dutton Peabody : Well it's news, and I'm a newspaperman.
Tom Doniphon : Print that and he'll kill ya, sure as hell!
-
Tom Doniphon : Take note of what goes on around here, because by the time I get back there ain't gonna be no newspaper to read it in.
