The Lieutenant (TV Series)

A Very Private Affair (1963)

Gary Lockwood: Lt. William Rice

Photos 

Quotes 

• Lt. Col. Raleigh Wade : Well, as long as Rice is here, you can keep him if you wish.

  Lt. William 'Bill' Rice : I feel responsible for this thing becoming so serious, sir. It I could just stay here on loan for a while...

  Captain Ray Rambridge : Rice, will you make up your mind? This morning your whole career was going down the drain because you didn't have a platoon.

  Lt. Col. Raleigh Wade : If you're worried about the men blaming you for this, you're probably right. If you feel you can't handle a platoon under these circumstances...

  Lt. William 'Bill' Rice : That's not it, sir. The job just wouldn't give me time to...

  Captain Ray Rambridge : Personnel can list Lieutenant Rice commanding 3rd platoon, Bravo Company, sir, as of right now.

  Lt. Col. Raleigh Wade : Good luck. You'll probably need it.

• Captain Ray Rambridge : Lieutenant, you know you could very well wind up making a fool of yourself in front of half the regiment. There will be plenty of men there who have actually attacked and taken villages and they expect to see it done right.

  Lt. William 'Bill' Rice : You say my platoon has been through this dozens of times, sir.

  Captain Ray Rambridge : They could walk through it blindfolded. Your problem isn't what they can do.

  Lt. William 'Bill' Rice : If I can and if they know their jobs, then all you want me to do is know when to nod, right, sir?

  Captain Ray Rambridge : Right - but, of course, that's all there is to love, poker and politics, too.

• [after his platoon's first inspection] 

  Captain Ray Rambridge : You're lucky the battalion commander took pity on you, Mister. You call that waltz-through an inspection? I want this platoon shaped up and I want it shaped up fast!

  Lt. William 'Bill' Rice : Yessir!

  Captain Ray Rambridge : And just what were you trying to do out there in Combat Town yesterday? You're not ready to rewrite the book yet, Lieutenant.

  Lt. William 'Bill' Rice : No sir.

  Captain Ray Rambridge : And, finally, I'd like to advise you to start getting some sleep. You're carrying a big enough load of sheer ignorance without adding fatigue to it.

  Lt. William 'Bill' Rice : Yes, sir.

  Captain Ray Rambridge : That's all.

• Lt. William 'Bill' Rice : Rice, W.T., reporting in, sir.

  Captain Ray Rambridge : At ease. You're the Naval Academy one, huh?

  Lt. William 'Bill' Rice : Yessir, last Annapolis class! Did the captain...

  Captain Ray Rambridge : I came up through the ranks.

• Lt. William 'Bill' Rice : Will the captain hear a protest?

  Captain Ray Rambridge : Your protest?

  Lt. William 'Bill' Rice : My military specialty is infantry, sir. The remaining rifle company vacancies are being taken fast and being loaned out like this means I could end up in supply, communications or anywhere.

  Captain Ray Rambridge : So?

  Lt. William 'Bill' Rice : Within the next few days, sir, there's bound to be a staff replacement arriving who can handle this investigation without-without anyone's career being jeopardizing.

  Captain Ray Rambridge : Lieutenant, I have a job which needs doing right now and you're here right now. Now that's very much like being in the wrong place at the wrong time and catching a bullet. You're a casualty. Now do I need to call a medical corpsman or can see your way to the door through your tears.

• [referring to Sampan's huge surfboard] 

  Lt. William 'Bill' Rice : Back home in Indiana, we used to iron our shirts on those.

  Sampan : So bring your laundry and join us.

• Lt. William 'Bill' Rice : I must hold some sort of record. Less than 36 hours from reporting in I get a guy set up for a general court martial, get my commanders on my back, louse up my first assignment, my platoon hates me and probably more.