Tortilla Flat (1942)

Spencer Tracy: Pilon

Photos 

Quotes 

• Jose Maria Corcoran : What's the matter with him? Is he crazy?

  Pilon : They say that a little love is like a little wine. Too much of either makes a man sick.

• [last lines] 

  Pablo : Where do we go now?

  Jose Maria Corcoran : Let's go down on the beach. We will go to sleep in the moonlight, under the sky.

  Pilon : The sky is a good place to sleep under. It is one roof that will never burn down - and it is one roof that will always be there tomorrow when you wake up, amigos.

  Jose Maria Corcoran : That's right!

  Pilon , Jose Maria Corcoran , Pablo , Portagee Joe : [singing]  Ai, Ai, paisano, La vida es asi...

• Torrelli : [as Pilon is dancing with his wife]  You're too close!

  Pilon : Oh, it's a small room, Torelli! A big girl!

• Pilon : I do not lead my friends around by the noses, senora. I only give them my good advice.

• Pablo : You know what would be nice, Pilon? If you had a trained pelican and every time you wanted to fish, all you have to do, just send him out to dive for one. You could train a pelican like that, yes?

  Pilon : No.

  Pablo : Oh. Why not?

  Pilon : Because you are dumb. A pelican is dumb, too. But, not that dumb. He would eat the fish himself.

• Pilon : He makes a good speech.

  Daniel Alvarez : Yeah, like an old goat in the moonlight!

• [first lines] 

  Pablo : Pilon? Pilon, are you awake, my friend?

  Pilon : I don't know. And that is a beautiful way to be.

• Pablo : The mackerel should be running good today. Two boats have already come in. You like mackerel, Pilon?

  Pilon : I like T-bone steak.

• Torrelli : You get two gallons. No more!

  Pilon : [laughs]  Torerelli, amigo, I cannot help it. The teeth of your wife, they are so gay and bright when she laughs. And the gold in them is beautiful - as beautiful as this watch almost. Surely, the teeth of your beautiful wife are worth three gallons?

• Pilon : You have the heart of a chipmunk!

• Pilon : Mrs. Marellis may be a little, you know, in places. But, those people are very lively, Danny. And very friendly. And with unselfish thoughts.

• Pilon : When he was in jail, we got him out. When he was hungry, we fed him! When he was cold, we gave him warm clothes.

  Pablo : That's right. When was that?

  Pilon : Well, we would have if he had needed them.

• Pilon : Come on. You stay away from her. She's a Portagee girl. Portagee girls are no good.

  Daniel Alvarez : Why?

  Pilon : They always want to get married.

• Pilon : It is strange. When a man is poor, he thinks to himself, "If I had money, I would share it with my friends." Then the money comes and his beautiful thoughts fly away. He forgets his friends - who shared things with him when he was poor.

• Pilon : Jose, you think the good Lord floated that little boat to the shore so you could take it down to Monetery and sell it, to buy pink silk things for a girl who hits you in the head with at rock?

• Pilon : Mrs. Marellis, you know, since the death of her husband, she has been a very lonely woman. She has only her chickens!

  Daniel Alvarez : Well, let her have her chickens.

• Pilon : Why did you bring her here? Screaming like a seagull!

• Pilon : Ah, there are not many women like you, my little corn cake.

• Pilon : Women like that crawl around after their husbands like a cat after quail. They are very dangerous.

• The Pirate : Saint Francis - he looked at me and smiled like a good Saint. And he said, "Be good to little dogs, you dirty man."

  Pilon : He called you that?

  The Pirate : Well, I was. And Saints, they never lie, you know.

• Pilon : Danny was a good man.

  Portagee Joe : Strong too. He had a punch like a mule.

  Pablo : Yeah, could make love, too. Make girls spin dizzy.

• Portagee Joe : [drunkenly singing]  All the girls, they love me.

  [talking] 

  Portagee Joe : Good evenings, my brothers! The world is made of the white breast of chickens - and I am deep inside of it.

  Pilon : Where have you been all day? Did you have a nice day?

  Portagee Joe : I met. a nice, fat girl from Castroville. Red hair like a flame, eyes like the stars. I can see them now.

• Pilon : Mackerel? Did your mother feed you mackerel through a nipple? I think so.

• Pilon : The baby is starving! The baby needs food. Quick!

  Pablo : There is some mackerel left from last night.

  Pilon : Mackerel? Shut up! The baby needs milk, good milk, lots of it.

• Pablo : You wouldn't take anything from him, would you?

  Pilon : Have you never heard of charity?