30 Best Henry Fonda Quotes

Juror: Look, there was one alleged eye witness to this killing. Someone else claims he heard the killing, saw the boy run out afterwards and there was a lot of circumstantial evidence. But, actually, those two witnesses were the entire case for the prosecution. Supposing they're wrong?
Juror: What do you mean, supposing they're wrong? What's the point of having witnesses at all?
Juror: Could they be wrong?
Juror: What are you trying to say? Those people sat on the stand under oath.
Juror: They're only people. People make mistakes. Could they be wrong?
Juror: Well, no, I don't think so.
Juror: Do you 'know' so?
Juror: Oh, come on. Nobody can know a thing like that. This isn't an exact science.
Juror: That's right, it isn't.

Juror: According to the testimony, the boy looks guilty... maybe he is. I sat there in court for six days listening while the evidence built up. Everybody sounded so positive, you know, I... I began to get a peculiar feeling about this trial. I mean, nothing is that positive. There're a lot of questions I'd have liked to ask. I don't know, maybe they wouldn't have meant anything, but... I began to get the feeling that the defense counsel wasn't conducting a thorough enough cross-examination. I mean, he... he let too many things go by... little things that...
Juror: What little things? Listen, when these fellas don't ask questions it's because they know the answers already and they figure they'll be hurt.
Juror: Maybe. It's also possible for a lawyer to be just plain stupid, isn't it? I mean it's possible.
Juror: You sound like you met my brother-in-law.

[last lines]
Juror: Hey!... What's your name?
Juror: Davis.
Juror: [shakes his hand] My name's McCardle.
[pause]
Juror: Well, so long.
Juror: So long.

Adm. Chester W. Nimitz: [Is informed Admiral Halsey's been hospitalized] Damn. You know how much Bill Halsey hates hospitals.
Capt. Matt Garth: Maybe it's not that serious, sir.
Adm. Chester W. Nimitz: If he's scheduled himself to go anywhere *near* one, it's not only damn serious, it's probably critical.
Cmdr. Joseph Rochefort: [Joins them] Admiral, I got some really bad news.
Adm. Chester W. Nimitz: Well, today's the day for it.
Cmdr. Joseph Rochefort: The Japanese have changed their JN-25 code, that's the one that's been giving us Yamamoto's plans.
Adm. Chester W. Nimitz: How long will it take for you to unravel their new system?
Cmdr. Joseph Rochefort: A month, maybe two.
Capt. Matt Garth: Sir, do you still want that fleet order issued?
Adm. Chester W. Nimitz: ...Yes. Target: Midway.

[Juror #9 has pointed out that the witness across the street had marks on her nose, indicating that she normally wore glasses]
Juror: [to Juror #4] Do you wear glasses when you go to bed?
Juror: No. I don't. No one wears eyeglasses to bed.
Juror: It's logical to assume that *she* wasn't wearing them when she was in bed - tossing and turning, trying to fall asleep!
Juror: How do *you* know?
Juror: I don't *know* - I'm guessing! I'm also guessing that she probably didn't put her glasses on when she turned to look casually out of the window - and she herself testified the killing took place just as she looked out, the lights went off a split second later - she couldn't have had *time* to put them on then!
[stops #3 from stopping him]
Juror: Here's another guess: maybe she honestly thought she saw the boy kill his father - I say she only saw a blur!
Juror: How do you know *what* she saw? How does he know all that? How do you know *what* kind of glasses she wore? Maybe they were sunglasses, maybe she was far-sighted! What do you *know* about her?
Juror: I only know the woman's eyesight is in question now!
Juror: She had to be able to identify a person sixty feet away, at night, without glasses.
Juror: You can't send someone off to die on evidence like that!
Juror: Oh, don't give me that.
Juror: Don't you think the woman *might* have made a mistake?
Juror: [stubbornly] No!
Juror: It's not *possible?*
Juror: No, it's not possible!
Juror: [gets up and speaks to Juror #12] Is it possible?
Juror: [nods] Not guilty.
Juror: [goes to #10] You think he's guilty?
[#10 shakes his head "no"]
Juror: *I* think he's guilty!
Juror: [ignores #3; goes to #4] How about you?
Juror: [looks at #8, pauses, then shakes head] No... I'm convinced. Not guilty.
Juror: [shocked, having just lost all support] What's the matter with ya?
Juror: I have a reasonable doubt now.
Juror: Eleven to one!

Juror: [as Juror 8 sets up an experiment to see if the old man could reach his front door in 15 seconds] What do you mean, *you* wanna try it? Why didn't his lawyer bring it up if it's so important?
Juror: Well, maybe he just didn't think about it, huh?
Juror: What do you mean didn't think of it? Do you think the man's an idiot or something? It's an obvious thing!
Juror: Did *you* think of it?
Juror: Listen, smart guy, it don't matter whether I thought of it. He didn't bring it up because he knew it would hurt his case. What do you think of that?
Juror: Maybe he didn't bring it up because it would've meant bullying and badgering a helpless old man. You know that doesn't sit very well with a jury; most lawyers avoid it if they can.
Juror: So what kind of a bum is he, then?
Juror: That's what I've been asking, buddy.

Juror: [answering Juror #4's remark about where the father's body was found] We're not, unless somebody else wants to; but *I'd* like to find out if an old man who drags one foot when he walks, 'cause he had a stroke last year, could get from his bedroom to his front door in 15 seconds.
Juror: He said 20 seconds.
Juror: [looks at him] He said fifteen!
Juror: He said twenty seconds! What are you tryin' to distort...
Juror: He said fifteen.
Juror: [pause, then shouts] How does he know how long fifteen seconds is? You can't judge a thing like that!
Juror: He said fifteen seconds. He was very positive about it!
Juror: He was an old man! Half the time he was confused! How could he be positive about anything?
[stops, realizing what he's just admitted]

Juror: I just want to talk.
Juror: Well, what's there to talk about? Eleven men in here think he's guilty. No one had to think about it twice except you.
Juror: I want to to ask you something: do you believe his story?
Juror: I don't know whether I believe it or not - maybe I don't.
Juror: So how come you vote not guilty?
Juror: Well, there were eleven votes for guilty. It's not easy to raise my hand and send a boy off to die without talking about it first.
Juror: Well now, who says it's easy?
Juror: No one.
Juror: What, just because I voted fast? I honestly think the guy's guilty. Couldn't change my mind if you talked for a hundred years.
Juror: I'm not trying to change your mind. It's just that... we're talking about somebody's life here. We can't decide it in five minutes. Supposing we're wrong?
Juror: Supposing we're wrong! Supposing this whole building should fall down on my head. You can suppose anything!
Juror: That's right.

Juror: Let me ask you this: Do you really think the boy'd shout out a thing like that so the whole neighborhood could hear him? I don't think so - he's much too bright for that.
Juror: Bright? He's a common ignorant slob. He don't even speak good English.
Juror: [who has a foreign accent] He *doesn't* speak good English.

[Nimitz has received the first reports on the Battle at Midway]
Admiral: Did you confirm it?
Lt. Jack Reid: Yes, sir. Admiral Fletcher's reply just came in. "Fletcher to Nimitz. Confirm previous report. Three enemy carriers afire".
Admiral: Hallelujah.
Lt. Comm. Rochefort: Three of their first-line carriers, Admiral. Isn't that worth at least a "hot diggity damn"?
Admiral: I'll take it under advisement, Joe, but there's still that fourth enemy carrier to deal with.
Lt. Jack Reid: There's also a message fron Captain Buckmaster, sir. The Yorktown's been hit.
Admiral: Badly?
Lt. Jack Reid: Yes, sir, but she is underway again... operational.
Lt. Comm. Rochefort: My gosh, our whole force may be in jeopardy if the Japanese located the Yorktown. They still got a tremendous fleet out there, Admiral.
Admiral: But that fourth carrier can't be far off.
Lt. Comm. Rochefort: We've already won a great victory, Admiral. Maybe we oughta get our people out of there.
Admiral: You mean... break off, run for home?
Lt. Comm. Rochefort: Before they can hurt us again. Yes, sir.
Admiral: Well, that might be the smart play, Commander. Trouble is, I *want* that fourth carrier.

Juror: Let me ask you this. Do you really think the boy would shout out a thing like that so the whole neighborhood could hear him? I don't think so. He's much too bright for that.

[Juror 8 has convinced everyone to change their votes to "not guilty" - except for Juror 3]
Juror: Well, what do we do now?
Juror: [to #3] You're alone.
Juror: I don't care whether I'm alone or not! It's my right.
Juror: [nods] It's your right.
[beat]
Juror: Well, what do you want? I say he's guilty.
Juror: We want to hear your arguments.
Juror: I *gave* you my arguments!
Juror: We're not convinced. We want to hear them again. We have as much time as it takes.
Juror: [another pause, seething with anger] Everything - *every single thing* that took place in that courtroom, but I mean everything - says he's guilty. What d'ya think, I'm an idiot or somethin'?
[gets out of his seat]
Juror: Why don'tcha take that stuff about the old man - the old man who *lived* there and heard *every*thing? Or this business about the knife! What, 'cause we found one exactly like it? The old man *saw* him! Right there on the stairs! What's the difference how many seconds it was? Every single thing... The knife falling through a hole in his pocket... You can't *prove* he didn't get to the door! Sure, you can take all the time, hobblin' around the room, but you can't prove it! And what about this business with the El? And the movies! There's a phony deal if I ever heard one. I betcha five thousand dollars I'd remember the movies I saw! I'm tellin' ya, every thing that's gone on has been twisted... and turned!
[points at Juror #8]
Juror: This business with the glasses? How do *you* know she didn't have 'em on? This woman testified in open court! And what about hearin' the kid yell? Huh? I'm tellin' ya, I've got all the facts here...
Juror: [struggles with his notebook] Here... Ah.
[He throws it on the table. The photo of him with his son is on top]
Juror: Well, that's it - that's the whole case!
[He turns towards the window as the other jurors stare at him; he turns back to them]
Juror: Well? *Say* something!
[No one obliges; everyone is focused on him]
Juror: You lousy bunch of bleedin' 'earts... You're not goin' to intimidate me - I'm *entitled* to my opinion!
[He sees the picture of his son on the table]
Juror: Rotten kids, you work your life out...!
[He grabs the picture and tears it to pieces. He suddenly realizes what he's doing and sobs into his clenched fist]
Juror: ...no. Not guilty. Not guilty.

Juror: It's always difficult to keep personal prejudice out of a thing like this. And wherever you run into it, prejudice always obscures the truth. I don't really know what the truth is. I don't suppose anybody will ever really know. Nine of us now seem to feel that the defendant is innocent, but we're just gambling on probabilities - we may be wrong. We may be trying to let a guilty man go free, I don't know. Nobody really can. But we have a reasonable doubt, and that's something that's very valuable in our system. No jury can declare a man guilty unless it's sure.

Juror: [taking a cough drop that Juror #2 offered him] There's something else I'd like to talk about for a minute. Thanks. I think we've proved that the old man couldn't have heard the boy say "I'm gonna kill you", but supposing he did...
Juror: [interrupting] You didn't prove it at all. What're you talking about?
Juror: But supposing he really *did* hear it. This phrase, how many times have all of us used it? Probably thousands. "I could kill you for that, darling." "Junior, you do that once more and I'm gonna kill you." "Get in there, Rocky, and kill him!"... See, we say it every day. That doesn't mean we're gonna kill anyone.
Juror: Wait a minute, what are you trying to give us here? The phrase was "I'm gonna kill you"; the kid yelled it at the top of his lungs... Don't tell me he didn't mean it! Anybody says a thing like that the way he said it, they mean it!
Juror: Well, gee now, I don't know.
[Everyone looks at #2]
Juror: I remember I was arguing with the guy I work next to at the bank a couple of weeks ago. He called me an idiot, so I yelled at him.
Juror: [pointing at #8] Now listen, this guy's tryin' to make you believe things that aren't so! The kid said he was gonna kill him, and he *did* kill him!
Juror: Let me ask you this: do you really think the kid would shout out a thing like that so the whole neighborhood could hear him? I don't think so; he's much to bright for that.
Juror: Bright? He's a common, ignorant slob. He don't even speak good English.
Juror: [looking up] He *doesn't* even speak good English.

Admiral: [to Captain Garth after getting a briefing on the Coral Sea operation] We can't trade them carrier for carrier, Matt.

Juror: It's possible.
Juror: But not very probable.

Juror: [after Juror #10 explains that he believes the boy is guilty because of the testimony of the woman across the street] I'd like to ask you something: you don't believe the boy's story. How come you believe the woman's? She's one of "them", too, isn't she?
Juror: [the smile vanishes from his face] You're a pretty smart fella, aren't you?

Commander: [Last lines] I wonder if Matt knew how big we won.
Admiral: I think I know what he'd have said: It doesn't make any sense, Admiral. Yamamoto had everything going for him, power, experience, confidence. Were we better than the Japanese, or just luckier?

Captain: Admiral, these enemy radio intercepts that your intelligence unit has been accumulating...
Admiral: Very detailed, aren't they?
Captain: Too damned detailed, Admiral. Do you remember what happened just before December 7th?
Admiral: The Japanese flooded the airwaves with fake messages.
Captain: Yes. These could be carbon copies. Washington's convinced that Yamamoto's feeding this stuff to you in order to cover his real intentions.
Admiral: Very definite possibility.
Captain: Well then, sir, how can you still insist...
Admiral: Because it is my judgement that this information is factual. I'm convinced Yamamoto's target is Midway.
Captain: If you're wrong, Admiral, if you send our carriers into a Japanese ambush, the entire west coast and Hawaiian islands will be wide open for invasion.
Admiral: I'm fully aware of that, Captain. You're saying the safe play is to defend the home folks first.
Captain: With respects, Admiral, it's the smart play.
Admiral: Captain, if we surprise the enemy, catch him where he doesn't think we'll be, we can drive him back 3000 miles. And keep him pinned 'til we're ready to take him on his own front yard.
Captain: Sir, my instructions were to convey Washington's deep concern for the safety of the west coast and the Hawaiian islands. That is, if...
Admiral: Captain Maddox, is Washington ordering me to defend against an attack here or the west coast?
Captain: No, sir. My orders were simply to consult. No, sir, I have no such orders for you.
Admiral: Commander Blake, declare a state of fleet-opposed invasion. Target... Midway Island. Issue the order immediately.
Lieutenant Commander Ernest L. Blake: Aye, aye, sir.

Juror: We're talking about somebody's life here. We can't decide it in five minutes.

Juror: [when a new "not guilty" vote appears in a secret ballot] All right, who was it? I wanna know.
Juror: Excuse me, this was a secret ballot. We all agreed on that. Now, if the gentleman wants it to remain secret...
Juror: "Secret"? What do you mean, "secret"? There are no secrets in a jury room, I know who it was.
Juror: [to Juror #5] Brother, you really are somethin'. you sit here vote guilty like the rest of us, then some golden-voiced preacher starts tearing your poor heart out about some underprivileged kid, just couldn't help becoming a murderer, and you change your vote. Well, if that isn't the most sickening - *why don't you drop a quarter in his collection box?*
Juror: [astonished that #3 was accusing him, gets up] Oh, now just wait a minute! Listen, you can't talk to me that! Who do you think you are?
Juror: Now calm down, calm down!
Juror: No, now who do you think you are?
Juror: It doesn't matter. He's very excitable. Just sit down...
Juror: [exploding] "Excitable"? You bet I'm excitable! We're trying to put a guilty man in the chair where he belongs, and then someone starts telling us fairy tales and we're listening!
Juror: Heya, c'mon now.
Juror: [to Juror #5] What made you change your vote?
Juror: He didn't change his vote - *I* did!
Juror: [everyone stares] Ohhh, fine!
Juror: Would you like me to tell ya why?
Juror: No, I wouldn't like you to tell me why.
Juror: Well, I'd like to make it clear anyways, if you don't mind.
Juror: [impatient] Do we *have* to listen to this?
Juror: [firmly] The man wants to talk.
Juror: [to Juror #6] Thank you.
Juror: [motions to Juror #8] This gentleman has been standing alone against us. Now, he doesn't say that the boy is *not* guilty; he just isn't *sure*. Well, it's not easy to stand alone against the ridicule of others, so he gambled for support... and I gave it to him. I respect his motives. The boy is probably guilty, but - eh, I want to hear more. Right now the vote is 10 to 2...
[Juror #7 gets up and heads to the bathroom]
Juror: Now I'm talking here! You have no right to leave this room - !
Juror: [calmly stopping him] He can't hear you, and he never will. Let's sit down.

Juror: I'll take the testimony from right after the murder, when he couldn't remember a thing about the movies, great emotional stress or not.
Juror: I'd like to ask you a personal question.
Juror: Go ahead.
Juror: Where were you last night?
Juror: I was home all night.
Juror: How about the night before that?
Juror: What is this?
Juror: It's all right. I left the office at 8:30 and went straight home and to bed.
Juror: And the night before that?
Juror: That was... Tuesday night. The bridge tournament. I played bridge.
Juror: Monday night?
Juror: When you get to New Year's Eve, 1954, let me know.
Juror: Monday night? Monday night... my wife and I went to the movies.
Juror: What did you see?
Juror: "The Scarlet Circle". A whodunit.
Juror: What was the second feature?
Juror: "The"... I'll tell you in a minute..."The... Remarkable Mrs." something... "Bainbridge". "The Remarkable Mrs. Bainbridge".
Juror: I saw that. It's called "The Amazing Mrs. Bainbridge".
Juror: Yes. "The Amazing Mrs. Bainbridge".
Juror: Who was in "The Amazing Mrs. Bainbridge"?
Juror: Barbara... Long, I think it was. A dark, very pretty girl. Ling or... Long, something like that.
Juror: Who else?
Juror: I'd never heard of them before. It was a very inexpensive second feature, with unknown...
Juror: And you weren't under an emotional stress, were you?
Juror: [slowly, realizing] No. I wasn't.

Juror: [justifying his reason for voting "not guilty"] I just think we owe him a few words, that's all.
Juror: I don't mind telling you this, mister: we don't owe him a thing. He got a fair trial, didn't he? What do you think that trial cost? He's lucky he got it. Know what I mean? Now, look - we're all grown-ups in here. We heard the facts, didn't we? You're not gonna tell me that we're supposed to believe this kid, knowing what he is. Listen, I've lived among them all my life - you can't believe a word they say, you know that. I mean they're born liars.
Juror: Only an ignorant man can believe that.
Juror: Now, listen...
Juror: [gets up] Do you think you were born with a monopoly on the truth?
[turns to Juror #8, indicating #10]
Juror: I think certain things should be pointed out to this man.

Admiral: I'd like you to recommend your own replacement.
Vice Adm. William F. 'Bull' Halsey Jr.: Ray Spruance. I know... I know, he's junior to a lot of other flag officers, and never served a day on a carrier. But Chet, he *knows* carrier tactics.
[beat]
Vice Adm. William F. 'Bull' Halsey Jr.: Well, you asked for my recommendation.
Admiral: I can just imagine Washington's reaction if I hand over the Enterprise and the Hornet to a cruiser skipper. Especially after all the static I've been getting about going out looking for the Japanese at Midway.
Vice Adm. William F. 'Bull' Halsey Jr.: You told me once, Chet. When you're in command, command.

Juror: It's hard to put into words. I just think he's guilty. I thought it was obvious from the word, 'Go'. Nobody proved otherwise.
Juror: Nobody has to prove otherwise. The burden of proof is on the prosecution. The defendant doesn't even have to open his mouth. That's in the Constitution.

Juror: Well, I think testimony that could put a boy into the electric chair should be that accurate.

Captain: Admiral, Commander Rochefort has something he would like to tell you.
Commander: It's about objective AF, sir, the meaning of AF. Now, our listening posts have been picking up alot of traffic between Yamamoto's staff commanders.
Captain: There has been a heavy volume of traffic, sir, with the recurring references to Objective AF and... what was the other one?
Commander: AO. Now, AO is still a mystery, Admiral, maybe a diverson, but I think we've identified Objective AF as Midway. Now, it really had us stymied there, until one of my men remembered an enemy intercept we decoded last March. Now, a Jap reconnaissance pilot radioed his base that he was passing close to AF. Now we plotted every possible course this plane might have taken, and the only appreciable land mass he could have overflown at the time was Midway.
Captain: Joe...
Commander: Look, I know it's thin...
Admiral: Thin? Damn near invisible.
Commander: But I found a way to confirm it, sir.
[Takes out a message and passes it to Nimitz]
Commander: If you will have this flown to Midway. It's a fake message, sir, reporting that Midway's fresh water condenser has broken down. Now, it should be transmitted in the clear, so there's no question of Japanese operators getting every word of it.
Admiral: [Smiles and nods, passing it over to Blake] Instruct Midway to include that in their housekeeping traffic tomorrow.
Lieutenant Commander Ernest L. Blake: Aye, sir.

Juror: Has anyone have any idea how long it would take an el-
[sees Jurors 3 and 12 playing Tic Tac Toe on a piece of scratch paper. He rushes over and takes away the sheet of paper]
Juror: Hey!
Juror: This isn't a game.

Juror: Has anyone have any idea hwo long it would take an el-
[sees Jurors 3 and 12 playing Tic Tac Toe on a piece of scratch paper. He rushes over and takes away the sheet of paper]
Juror: Hey!
Juror: This isn't a game.

Juror: You think he's not guilty, huh?
Juror: I don't know. It's *possible*.