Man with the Gun (1955)

Robert Mitchum: Clint Tollinger

Photos 

Quotes 

• Jeff Castle : You figure you can tidy up a town single-handed, Mr. Tollinger?

  Clint Tollinger : With a little bit of luck, yes.

  Saul Atkins : He's been a hundred percent lucky and when it adds up like that, it ain't luck.

• Stella Atkins : But then you're not a marshal or a sheriff.

  Jeff Castle : He's a town-tamer.

  Clint Tollinger : The difference is there are no rules in my end of the business except maybe one - never stay in one town too long.

• [last lines] 

  Clint Tollinger : Time to quit this business, Nell. There's got to be an easier way to make a living.

  Nelly Bain : We'll find it.

• Clint Tollinger : Just how does he operate?

  Marshal Lee Sims : Well, Dade's a fat man, but don't let that fool ya. Never lifts a pudgy finger himself. You take yesterday for example - just a typical day in Dade's life. He cut himself a piece out of a trail herd that was passing through, then he roughed up the new mine workers over Meadow Creek way, then he tried to grab young Jeff Castle's homesite and then, I bet ya, he divied up the gold dust they took off that poor dead miner over at the Palace. Nothin's too small or mean for Dade Holman. Nothin's too rich or fancy, either.

• Jim Reedy : Well, now, I reckon it was downright foolish for Slim to draw agin' you. We maybe got off a little on the wrong foot. We're goin' back home now and we won't come to town no more carryin' our guns. Reckon that's what you want, isn't it?

  Clint Tollinger : Yeah, that's what a want. Now you take Slim's body and bury him out on the prairie. It doesn't look nice for a town as small as Sheridan to have a graveyard as big as we've got.

• Saul Atkins : You're right, of course, only you shouldn't have told him off in front of Stella when he's trying to prove to her he's a man now, and not the kid she grew up with.

  Clint Tollinger : He chose the time, the place and the audience. Kind of a big audience for plans like that.

• Stella Atkins : Then what are you going to do?

  Clint Tollinger : Nothing. I warned him; I thought I made it pretty clear.

  Stella Atkins : Yes, but if you warned a child and he does something foolish anyway, you try to stop him from getting hurt.

  Clint Tollinger : Oh, I see. You think Jeff is a child, huh?

  Stella Atkins : Partly...

  Clint Tollinger : Well, I think he's a man. He might be a little young and bullheaded about some things, but if there were more men like him around, I might not be here.

• Marshal Lee Sims : You remind me of a hungry lion I once seen pace in a cage in St. Louis.

  Clint Tollinger : I'm hiding out.

  Marshal Lee Sims : You? From what?

  Clint Tollinger : Questions I can't answer.

• Nelly Bain : You're staying?

  Clint Tollinger : Mm-hmm.

  Nelly Bain : Of course - a target right to the end. Standing in front of people who won't stand in back of you.

• Clint Tollinger : Jeff Castle made just one mistake.

  Marshal Lee Sims : What?

  Clint Tollinger : He didn't shoot to kill.

• Clint Tollinger : Now get out of town and take your dead with you!