The Emperor Jones (1933)

Dudley Digges: Smithers

Quotes 

• Smithers : You ain't goin' out this way, are you?

  Brutus Jones : You think I'd sneak out the back door like a common nigger? I's emperor yet, ain't I? And the Emperor Jones leaves the way he come. And that black trash don't dare stop him. Not yet leastways.

• Smithers : [Jones prepares to escape into the jungle]  Give my regards to any ghosts yer 'appen to meet!

  Brutus Jones : [pause]  If dat ghost have money, I tells him never to haunt you lessen he wants to lose it!

• Smithers : So that's what is, me lad, eh? What they calls in the States a bad n*****, eh? A killer, what? With the law on your trail and the bloomin' gallows waitin' for ya round the next corner, what?

  Brutus Jones : Look a-here, white man, I comes and I goes, and that's my business.

  Smithers : Oh! Oh, well, that's the kind of a nigger you are, eh? Not afraid to stand right up to your betters and tell 'em what's what. You wouldn't be afraid of a bit of fight neither, would ya?

  Brutus Jones : When I fights, there's somethin' in it, and I don't never fights on no empty belly.

  Smithers : Well, supposin' your belly was full and you had a chance to get back at the stinkin' heathen what threw you out? What would you say then?

  Brutus Jones : Now you's talkin', white man.

• Smithers : The rotten ship is sinkin', and the bloomin' rats have slung their hooks.

  Brutus Jones : Low-flung woods niggers! Well, I reckon I overplays my hand this once. Man can't take the pot on a bobtail flush all the time. Was I sayin' I'd sit in six months more? Well, I's changed my mind then. I cashes in and resigns the job of emperor right this minute.

• Smithers : All right, now you get your rum and your eats, but you don't get a stinkin' penny. Because I'm a trader, see? I ain't no bloomin' missionary. And if anybody worries ya, you just tell 'em you belong to Mr. Smithers.

  Brutus Jones : I belongs to Mr. Smithers.

• Smithers : I'll take this bloomin' n***** off your hands for you, Your Highness. Here. Here. Five silver dollars for him. Lock, stock and barrel. What do you say, now? Is it a trade? Good!

• Brutus Jones : Look a-here, white man. There's little stealin', like you does... and there's big stealin', like I does. For little stealin', they get you in jail sooner or later. For the big stealin', they makes you emperor and puts you in the hall of fame when you croaks.

  Smithers : Well, all I know is that it's a wise gambler that knows when to quit.

• Smithers : If you had to recruit an army for him, why did you have to get such big blokes?

  Brutus Jones : Yes, them is fine n******. I betcha they knows a man when they sees one.

  Smithers : Well, if there's any trouble, you've only got yourself to blame... salutin' him and callin' him " General."

  Brutus Jones : I tell you, Mr. Smithers. There's any trouble, you just leave the general to me. Us n****** understands each other.

• Brutus Jones : Oh, it's you, Mr. Smithers. What news you got to tell me?

  Smithers : Where's all your court - the generals and the cabinet ministers and all?

  Brutus Jones : Oh, they mostly runs the minute I closes my eyes. Drinkin' rum, talkin' big down in the town. How come you don't know that? Ain't you sousin' with them most every day?

• Smithers : Blimey. When you landed here, you didn't have no high-and-mighty airs.

  Brutus Jones : Talk polite, white man. Talk polite. Do you hear me? I'm boss here now. Is you forgettin'?

  Smithers : It's all right. No harm meant, old sop.

  Brutus Jones : Well, I accept your apology.

• Smithers : From what I been told, it ain't safe for a black to kill a white man in the States.

  Brutus Jones : You mean lynchin's scare me? Well, I tells you, Smithers, maybe I does kill one white man back there. Maybe I does. And maybe I kills another right here 'fore long if he don't look out!

• Brutus Jones : Phew! This place smells more like a chain gang dump than a palace. Say, Smithers, how ya likes the contract for doin' this dump over?

  Smithers : Now you're talkin'!

  Brutus Jones : And don't make the mistake of thinkin' you's dealin' with any ignorant bush n*****. I gives you an audience tomorrow. And bring along them fashion sheets that I gets last summer. And then I wants mirrors - plenty of'em. And remember, Smithers, red's my color. I always had a special taste for red.

• Brutus Jones : What's that drum beatin' for?

  Smithers : For you! The blacks is havin' a war dance in the hills, workin' up their courage 'fore they start after ya.

  Brutus Jones : Let 'em. They'll sure need it.

  Smithers : They're makin' all sorts of devil spells and charms against your silver bullet.

  Brutus Jones : It takes more than that to scare this chicken.

  Smithers : Tonight, when it's pitch black in the forest, they'll be sendin' their pet devils and ghosts houndin' after you.

• Smithers : It's a mighty queer place that forest is, even in daylight.

• Brutus Jones : And what's ghosts and hants got to do with me? Well, don't you know I's a member in good standin' in the Baptist Church? Let 'em try their heathen tricks. The Baptist Church done protect me. Land 'em all in hell.

  Smithers : You ain't paid much heed to your Baptist Church down here - takin' up with them bloomin' witch doctors.

• Smithers : I suppose you got your money hid away safe, eh?

  Brutus Jones : I sure has. And it's banked in a foreign land where they ain't no chain gangs and no jim crow and nobody can't get it except me. In six months, I walks out on this n***** circus. And from then on, I's top dog.

• Smithers : I wonder what the blazes is keepin' that black ape?