Back to School (1986)

Ned Beatty: Dean Martin

Photos 

Quotes 

• [Thornton has his feet on a chair in Dean's Office] 

  Dean Martin : [trying to drop a hint]  Are you comfortable?

  Thornton Melon : Oh, I'm fine, yeah... Oh, the chair! Oh, I'm sorry.

  [proceeds to put his feet on the Dean's desk] 

• Dean Martin : [begins questioning]  Mr. Melon, I'm only going to ask you once:

  [beat] 

  Dean Martin : ...Is this your work?

  Thornton Melon : I can't lie to you, Dean Martin

  [beat] 

  Thornton Melon : ...Yes, it is.

• Dean Martin : [Barbay has arrived at the groundbreaking of the new Melon School of Business]  Ah, Phillip... so glad you could make it. Mr. Melon, this is Dr. Phillip Barbay. He's the dean of our new Melon School of Business.

  Dr. Phillip Barbay : [Thornton extends his hand, Barbay refuses it and takes Martin aside]  David, I just want to get it on record that I am totally against this. I don't think that selling admission to an obviously unqualified student is either ethical or honorable.

  Dean Martin : Uh, right... Phil. In Mr. Melon's defense, it was a really big check.

  Dr. Phillip Barbay : [glaring at Martin in dismay]  It's a simple matter of undermining the efforts of our best students, who are here as the result of hard work!

  Thornton Melon : [chiming in]  Hard work? Listen, Sherlock! While you were tucked away up here working on your ethics, I was out there busting my hump in the REAL world. And the reason guys like you got a place to teach is 'cause guys like me donate buildings.

  Dr. Phillip Barbay : I wasn't speaking to you, Mr. Melon.

  [turns on heel and heads to his car] 

• Dean Martin : [after Thornton denies cheating when questioned by the Dean]  I'm satisfied.

  Dr. Phillip Barbay : I'm outraged.