Blackboard Jungle (1955)

Dan Terranova: Belazi

Quotes 

• Richard Dadier : Now, pretty soon, you're gonna be reading in the newspapers want ads for jobs, apartments, something to buy. Advertising space is expensive so abbreviations are used. Now, write out the complete words to all the abbreviations in these problem ads. All right, get started.

  [Dadier notices Belazi coping anwsers from Morales paper] 

  Richard Dadier : Belazi. Let's keep your eyes on your paper.

  Belazi : Me?

  Richard Dadier : Cheating won't help you learn those abbreviations, you know.

  Artie West : He won't look for no job. His old man owns a store.

  Belazi : Yeah, and I'm not gonna buy me me no Cadillac either.

  Artie West : No, It's cheaper to steal one. That's arithmetic for ya, teach.

  Richard Dadier : All right, Belazi. Bring me your paper up here.

  [Belazi gets up and hands over his paper to Dadier] 

  Belazi : Five points off. What for?

  Richard Dadier : For having loose eyes.

  Richard Dadier : [Dadier notices that West is cheating also]  West!

  Artie West : You talking to me, teach?

  Richard Dadier : Bring your paper up here West.

  Artie West : What for?

  Richard Dadier : I said bring your paper up here.

  Artie West : And I said , what for?

  Gregory W. Miller : Come on, Artie. Bring him the paper.

  Artie West : Now , look, you keep your rotten mouth out of this, black boy.

  [Miller stands up ready to pounce on West] 

  Richard Dadier : Miller!... Hold it... All right. All right, Miller. It's all right. Now, bring your paper up here, West.

  [West crumbles the paper and throws it on the floor] 

  Richard Dadier : All right, we're going down to see the principal.

  Artie West : We are? You gonna make me, Daddy-O? How'd you like to go to hell?

  Belazi : What's the matter, Daddy-O?

  Artie West : Yeah, how about it, teach? You got a big mouth. Tell me to do this, do that. Are you big enough to take me to the principal's office? Beacause that's what you're gonna have to do. Take me. So, come on! Take me! Come on!

  [Dadier approaches West and West pulls out a switchblade. This stops Dadier in his tracks and the rest of the class gets up and out of the way] 

  Artie West : Come on. For a bright boy, you didn't learn nothing. Well, take me down. Come on. Step right up and taste a little of this , Daddy-O.

  Richard Dadier : Give me that knife, West.

  Artie West : Where do you want it? You want it in the belly? Or how about in the face, huh? Here it is. All you gotta do is take it. Come on, take it! Come on!

  Gregory W. Miller : Take it easy, chief. He's crazy, he's high, he's floating on Sneaky Pete wine.

  Pete V. Morales : He's gonna kill him.

• Pete V. Morales : [talking into a recorder in front of the class]  I get up at 7:30, go wash. But my stinking sister, she's still in the bathroom, so I can't get in.

  Richard Dadier : That's fine, boy. keep on talking.

  Pete V. Morales : So then I go to the stinking bathroom. I wash my stinking face. Then I eat some stinking sausages.

  Artie West : Louder, come on!

  Emmanuel Stoker : We can't hear you in the balcony.

  Pete V. Morales : So then I go down the stinking street with my stinking books, and then I meet this stink-face who lives near me. And he says: "You go to school, Pete?" I say, "You stinking right, boy!" So we walked to the stinking El, and wait for the stinking train. What do you think? The stinking train is late. So I gotta get into the stinking crowd. And that's why I'm stinking late to school, teach. How was I? Okay?

  De Lica : You sure stunk up that record, boy!

  [whole class applauds and laughs] 

  Richard Dadier : That'll be enough for the day.

  Artie West : You gonna play it?

  Richard Dadier : No. Thanks for picking Morales. I'm sure you're his "friend".

  Gregory W. Miller : Sure enough, chief. Too bad you can't say the same.

  Richard Dadier : And just what does that mean?

  Artie West : Morales is a spic, that's what it means. Maybe you don't like spics.

  Richard Dadier : That will be enough of that, West.

  Pete V. Morales : What did I do , anyhow?

  Artie West : All right, sit down... spic.

  Belazi : You heard him, greaseball.

  Pete V. Morales : At least I'm no Irish Mick!

  [Belazi throws a magazine at Morales] 

  Richard Dadier : I said, that will be enough!

  Richard Dadier : Now, you pick up that magazine , Belazi. Pick it up! I wanna get one thing very clear in this classroom.There's not gonna be any name calling here. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever. Now you understand that? All of ya!

  Pete V. Morales : I was just kidding.

  Richard Dadier : Yeah, I know you're just kidding. That's how things start. Like a street fight. Somebody pushes somebody in fun. Somebody pushes back, and soon you got a street fight with no kidding. That's the same way with name-calling. All right, West, look. You're of Irish descent. So is Murphy over there. You call him a Mick. He calls you a Mick. Suppose Miller called you a Mick. Is that all right? Then you call him a nigger.

  Pete V. Morales : I was just kidding.

  Richard Dadier : Well, stop kidding!

  Artie West : Sure, sure. Come on, Morales. Tell me all about your stinking sister!

  [whole class laughs and the bell rings] 

• Richard Dadier : There will be no calling out. You have any questions to ask, just raise your hand. You hear that, Miller?

  Gregory W. Miller : Sure, teach. You coming in strong. I can't tune you out.

  Gregory W. Miller : His name ain't "teach".

  Belazi : It's "Daddy-O!"

  Artie West : Hey, don't you know his name, jerk?

  Belazi : Excuse me, Mr. Jerk.

  Richard Dadier : All right, West, since you're so cooperative, suppose you stay after class and help me out.

  Artie West : I'm busy.

  Belazi : Oh, go on, Artie. Help him out.

  Emmanuel Stoker : Then you could be together, "alone".

  Pete V. Morales : [in a effeminate manner]  Oh, "Daddy-O!"

  [the whole class laughs] 

  Richard Dadier : All right, all right, fine. We had a few laughs. In a minute, the bell's gonna ring out there. That means you go to your civics class. Tomorrow morning when you come into this class...

  Artie West : [interrupts Dadier]  Hey , teach, you're coming back here tomorrow?

  Richard Dadier : Sure, I'm coming back tomorrow.You know why? Because I'll "miss" you, West.

  [the whole class laughs]