King of the Underworld (1939)

James Stephenson: Bill Stevens

Photos 

Quotes 

• Bill Stevens : What you want is a ghost writer.

  Joe Gurney : Nah no mystery stuff, just plain facts.

• Joe Gurney : [after being shot]  Where's my writer?

  Bill Stevens : I'm here, Joe.

  Joe Gurney : I guess you'll have to finish my book without me.

  Bill Stevens : The finish was written long ago.

• Bill Stevens : What do you want with me, Joe?

  Joe Gurney : Well, I tell yuh, me and the boys are takin' a bit of a layoff while the pressure's on, and I got thinkin' about that book you wrote, you know, on Napoleon. Figured that him and me bein' so much alike, you'd like to do a little job for me.

  Bill Stevens : What kind of job?

  Joe Gurney : Well, every big man, you know, oughta have somebody to write his auto... uh, auto...

  [unsure of the word] 

  Bill Stevens : Autobiography?

  Joe Gurney : Yeah, that's it.

  Bill Stevens : An autobiography is the story of a man's life written by himself.

  Joe Gurney : Well, I knew that, but I got too many things on my mind to write, so I thought maybe you'd front for me.

  Bill Stevens : What you want is a ghost writer.

  Joe Gurney : [Obviously misunderstanding]  No mystery stuff! Just plain facts. How does it sound to you?