Broken Lance (1954)

Spencer Tracy: Matt Devereaux

Photos 

Quotes 

• Van Cleve : I now ask you, sir, do you remember the names Charlie Monger, Red Dog Johnson or Carlos Rameriez?

  Matt Devereaux : No.

  Van Cleve : The incident may be too trivial to recall. But isn't it true that you summarily hanged three of these men on the afternoon of June 4th?

  Matt Devereaux : They were stealing my cattle!

  Van Cleve : I thought you didn't remember them.

  Matt Devereaux : I didn't ask their names!

  Van Cleve : You just hanged 'em?

  Matt Devereaux : By the neck until they were dead. They were thieves!

• Horace - The Governor : [after Horace has told Matt he wants Matt's son Joe to stay away from his daughter because Joe is half Indian, and Matt is disgusted by this]  You know I like the boy... this is something that's born and bred in me. I'm 56 years old, I've tried to change...

  Matt Devereaux : You're 56 years old, and you're governor of the state! And who made you that governor of the state - I took you off of an accountant's stool and pulled a pencil out from behind your ear, and made you a politician. I made you a mayor! I sent you to Congress and put you in that chair! 56, you... 56 - you owe me 30 of them.

  Horace - The Governor : You're right, Matt, I do. You've done everything but change me. I wish you had.

  Matt Devereaux : Then maybe I will. Maybe I will. I can still pull that chair right out from under you. Maybe I will.

  [walks to the door and turns before leaving] 

  Matt Devereaux : There's something I'm going to do first. I'm gonna tell my boy that if he wants that girl of yours to take her, if he has to pull her out of the house by the hair on her head.

  [he leaves the room] 

• Van Cleve : [during the trial when Van Cleve is cross-examining Matt]  Suppose I said that you deliberately went there to cause trouble, to bully and threaten and force McAndrews into an open fight. Suppose I say that you're lying when you deny this, Mr. Devereaux.

  Matt Devereaux : Then I would say get a gun or get outta town... because the minute I get off this witness stand I'm gonna chase you until your heels smoke!

  [gets up from witness stand and leans over Van Cleve]