From Here to Eternity (1953)

Burt Lancaster: Sgt. Milton Warden

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Quotes 

• Karen Holmes : You certainly chose a lovely spot for our meeting. I've had three chances to be picked up in the last five minutes.

  Sergeant Milton Warden : Well, that's par for the course around here.

  Karen Holmes : Well, I don't care for it. I never went in much for back-alley loving.

  Sergeant Milton Warden : Take it easy.

  Karen Holmes : You probably think I'm a tramp.

  Sergeant Milton Warden : Now, what makes you think I'd think a thing like that?

• Karen Holmes : If you're looking for the captain, he isn't here.

  Sergeant Milton Warden : [eyes Karen coyly]  And if I'm not looking for him?

  Karen Holmes : He still isn't here.

  Sergeant Milton Warden : Well, I'm looking for him.

• Sgt. Pete Karelsen : I'm getting sick and tired watching you being a stooge for Holmes.

  Sergeant Milton Warden : You won't see it much longer. I'm getting sick and tired of it myself. I'm through, Pete. Any day now. And I mean it.

  Sgt. Pete Karelsen : [laughing] 

  Sergeant Milton Warden : Listen, if Holmes let me, I'd transfer out of here tomorrow. Half a dozen companies in this regiment would grab me, and in grade, too.

  Sgt. Pete Karelsen : Oh, sure. I could be Chief of Staff, too. Only I just can't think of leaving my old buddies.

  Sergeant Milton Warden : Where're you going, Little Sir Echo?

  Sgt. Pete Karelsen : To take my shower, if the stinking First Sergeant has no objections. Where do you think? To the movies in this towel?

  Sergeant Milton Warden : Hurry up. We'll get some beer.

  Sgt. Pete Karelsen : I wouldn't drink with you if it was the last beer in the world.

  Sergeant Milton Warden : I'm buying.

  Sgt. Pete Karelsen : That's different.

• Karen Holmes : [at night, in swimsuits, on the beach]  I never knew it could be like this! Nobody ever kissed me the way you do.

  Sergeant Milton Warden : Nobody?

  Karen Holmes : No, nobody.

  Sergeant Milton Warden : Not even one? Out of all the men you've been kissed by?

  Karen Holmes : [giggling]  Now that'd take some figuring. How many men do you think there've been?

  Sergeant Milton Warden : I wouldn't know. Can't you give me a rough estimate?

  Karen Holmes : Not without an adding machine. Do you have the adding machine with you?

  Sergeant Milton Warden : I forgot to bring it.

  Karen Holmes : Then I guess you won't find out, will you.

• Robert E. Lee "Prew' Prewitt : A man don't go his own way, he's nothing.

  Sergeant Milton Warden : Maybe back in the days of the pioneers a man could go his own way, but today you got to play ball.

• [Warden brings papers to Holmes' house for his signature, knowing that only his wife would be there] 

  Karen Holmes : Are these really important?

  Sergeant Milton Warden : Yes, but not important they get signed today. Tomorrow's okay.

  [She rips them up] 

  Sergeant Milton Warden : I have copies at the office, so it won't be much work to fix 'em up.

  Karen Holmes : That's what I like about you, Sergeant: you have confidence. It's also what I dislike about you.

  Sergeant Milton Warden : It's not confidence, ma'am; it's honesty. I just hate to see a beautiful woman going all to waste.

  Karen Holmes : Waste, did you say? There's a subject I might tell you something about. I know several kinds of waste, Sergeant. You're probably not even remotely aware of some of them. Would you like to hear? For instance, what about the house without a child? There's one sort for you. Then there's another... You're doing fine, Sergeant. My husband's off somewhere, and it's raining outside, and we're both drinking now. You've probably only got one thing wrong. The lady herself. The lady's not what she seems. She's a... washout, if you know what I mean... and I'm sure you know what I mean!

  Sergeant Milton Warden : You going to cry?

  Karen Holmes : Not if I can help it. What are you doing?

  Sergeant Milton Warden : I'm leaving. Isn't that what you want?

  Karen Holmes : I don't know, Sergeant. I don't know.

  [He kisses her] 

• Karen Holmes : Don't try to be gallant, Sergeant. If you think this is a mistake, come right out and say so... Well, I guess it's about time for me to be heading home, isn't it?... Well, isn't it?

  Sergeant Milton Warden : What's the matter? What started all this, anyway? You think I'd be here if I thought it was a mistake? Taking a chance on 20 years in Leavenworth for making dates with the company commander's wife? And her acting like - like Lady Astor's horse, and all because I got here on time!

  Karen Holmes : Well, on the other hand, I've got a bathing suit under my dress...

  Sergeant Milton Warden : Me too!

• Karen Holmes : Why don't you tell the truth, you just don't want the responsibility. You're probably not even in love with me.

  Sergeant Milton Warden : You're crazy! I wish I didn't love ya; maybe I can enjoy life again.

• Sergeant Milton Warden : Rose, do you know why I like to have you serve me beer? So as I can watch you when you walk away.

• Sergeant Milton Warden : [Prewitt and Warden are sitting in the middle of a road, very drunk]  There's this girl, and she wants me to be... wants me to be...

  Robert E. Lee "Prew' Prewitt : Be what?

  Sergeant Milton Warden : An officer! Can you believe that? Can you see *me* as an officer?

  Robert E. Lee "Prew' Prewitt : Well... yeah, I can see you as an officer. You'd be a good officer...

  Sergeant Milton Warden : Well, you can both see more than I can! I don' wanna be an officer! I'm happy where I am!

• Karen Holmes : Come back here, Sergeant. I'll tell you the story; you can take it back to the barracks with you. I'd only been married to Dana two years when I found out he was cheating. And by that time I was pregnant. I thought I had something to hope for. I was almost happy the night the pains began. I remember Dana was going to an officers' conference. I told him to get home early, to bring the doctor with him. And maybe he would have... if his "conference" hadn't been with a hat-check girl! He was drunk when he came in at 5 AM. I was lying on the floor. I begged him to go for the doctor, but he fell on the couch and passed out. The baby was born about an hour later. Of course it was dead. It was a boy. But they worked over me at the hospital, they fixed me up fine, they even took my appendix out - they threw that in free.

  Sergeant Milton Warden : Karen...

  Karen Holmes : And one more thing: no more children. Sure I went out with men after that. And if I'd ever found one that...

  Sergeant Milton Warden : Karen, listen to me, listen.

  Karen Holmes : I know. Until I met you I didn't think it was possible either.

• Sergeant Milton Warden : [to Sgt. James 'Fatso' Judson, holding a broken beer bottle neck]  O.K. Fatso, if it's killin' ya want, come on.

• Sergeant Milton Warden : [as Captain Holmes walks out the door]  He'd strangle in his own spit if he didn't have me around to swab out his throat for him.

• Sergeant Milton Warden : I got some papers it's important for him to sign.

  Karen Holmes : I'll try phoning him at the club. Maybe he's there.

  Sergeant Milton Warden : Don't do that. I never like to disturb a man when he's drinking. I could use a drink myself. Aren't you gonna ask me in?

• Karen Holmes : The liquor's there, Sergeant, in the cabinet. You're taking an awful chance, you know. My maid is liable to be home any time.

  Sergeant Milton Warden : No, she won't. Thursday's her day off.

  Karen Holmes : You think of everything, don't you, Sergeant?

• Sergeant Milton Warden : [Karen Holmes drives onto the base]  This place is gettin' to be like the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.

• Sergeant Milton Warden : This here's a rifle outfit, Prewitt. You ain't supposed to enjoy yourself before sundown. Put up your cue and come along.

• Sergeant Milton Warden : You'd better know how to soldier.

  Robert E. Lee "Prew' Prewitt : I can soldier with any man.

• Sergeant Milton Warden : Don't you think it's about time you got smart? You know what you did just now when you turned down Dynamite Holmes? You put your head in a noose. Things are softer for a boxer in this outfit.

• Sergeant Milton Warden : You'll fight because Captain Holmes wants to be Major Holmes. He's got an idea he'll make it if he gets a winning team. And if you don't do it for him, you'll do it for me. 'Cause my job is to keep him happy, see? The more he's happy, the less he bothers me and the better I run this company.

• Sgt. Leva : I know some of the guys she played around with, so don't tell me.

  Sergeant Milton Warden : I ain't tellin' you. You're tellin' me.

• Karen Holmes : What is it that makes you so efficient, Sergeant?

  Sergeant Milton Warden : I was born smart, ma'am.

  Karen Holmes : I love that.

• Sgt. Leva : Shoo, her and them sweaters.

  Sergeant Milton Warden : I'll bet she's colder than an iceberg.

  Sgt. Leva : Not her, Top. She knows the score like I been tellin' you.

  Sergeant Milton Warden : Is that right?

  Sgt. Leva : Listen, not around here. But when I soldiered at Fort Bliss with Holmes, I heard plenty about this lady. Plenty.

• Sgt. Leva : Man, she sure is one, ain't she?

  Sergeant Milton Warden : One what?

  Sgt. Leva : One woman.

  Sergeant Milton Warden : I've seen better.

• Sergeant Milton Warden : Anything I can do for you?

  Karen Holmes : No, thanks.

  Sergeant Milton Warden : I'd be glad to help, ma'am.

• Sergeant Milton Warden : Do you know where he is?

  Karen Holmes : I haven't the slightest idea. Perhaps he's "in town on business." That's the way you put it the other day, isn't it?

• Sergeant Milton Warden : Killers, huh? I'd trade the pair of you for a good Camp Fire girl.

• Sergeant Milton Warden : I hear you gone dippy over some dame down at the New Congress Club.

• Sgt. Pete Karelsen : What do you mean "chick"? She's 45.

  Sergeant Milton Warden : She's still too young for you.

• Sergeant Milton Warden : Okay, Fatso, if it's killing you want, come on. Well, come on.

• Sergeant Milton Warden : What's the matter with you guys? Ain't you ever seen a dead man? Let's get this body outta here! We ain't got all night!

• Sergeant Milton Warden : You wanna be heroes, you'll get plenty of chances. There'll probably be Japs in your lap before night.