White Heat (1949)

Edmond O'Brien: Hank Fallon aka Vic Pardo

Photos 

Quotes 

• [last lines] 

  Philip Evans : Cody Jarrett...

  Hank Fallon : He finally got to the top of the world... and it blew right up in his face.

• [Pardo has just saved Cody's life] 

  Vic Pardo : I saw that just in time.

  Cody Jarrett : Whaddya want - a medal?

• Hank Fallon : You put it on a pole, wind a spool of silk thread around it, and you hold the pole over the water. Then you sit under a nice shady tree and relax. After a while, a hungry fish comes along, takes a nip at your hook, and you've got dinner. For the next two weeks, I'm not gonna think about anything except the eternal struggle between man and the fish...

• Hank Fallon : I've been promised a vacation. You remember?

  Philip Evans : Sorry, Hank, that's out.

  Hank Fallon : Phil, look at me. College degree, lovable personality, and I spend most of my time in prison. An undercover specialist. Eight sentences in five years. Dannemora, Sing Sing, Leavenworth. I joined the department to put criminals behind bars, and here I am stir crazy.

• Philip Evans : This time we'll get you a girl in the Bureau who's a memory expert.

  Hank Fallon : I'm partial to blondes.

  Philip Evans : Well, who isn't?

• Philip Evans : Cody's not an easy guy to get close to in a hurry. The only person he's ever cared about or trusted is his mother. No one else has ever made a dent - not even his wife. His mother's been the prop that's held him up. He's got a fierce, psychopathic devotion for her. All his life, whenever he got into a spot he just put out his hand and - there was Ma Jarrett. Without her, maybe Cody'd - just like his old man.

  Hank Fallon : You mean I'm supposed to take mama's place?

  Philip Evans : You never can tell. He might need someone.

  Hank Fallon : I'll practice up on my lullabies.

• Cody Jarrett : You're just lonesome. Lonesome, like me.

  Hank Fallon alias Vic Pardo : You? What about...

  Cody Jarrett : You mean Verna?

  [shakes his head no] 

  Cody Jarrett : All I ever had was Ma.

• Cody Jarrett : [Fallon is hiding the tracking device under the phony fuel truck]  What are you doin'? We're on our way.

  Hank Fallon : You gotta have a chain bouncin' the ground - get rid of electricity.

  Cody Jarrett : That's only when you got gasoline or chemicals sloppin' around inside.

  Hank Fallon : You wanna have some traffic cop think you got a load of somethin' else?

  Cody Jarrett : That's usin' your head, kid. All right, snap it up.

  [Jarrett walks off] 

• Hank Fallon : What's holding him up?

• Cody Jarrett : Maybe a kick in the skull would do him some good.

  Hank Fallon alias Vic Pardo : They got rules in this chicken coop, Cody. You start anything, you wind up in a hole.

  Cody Jarrett : Did I ask you for any advise? Look Pardo, I've been watchin' you. And up to now you haven't done anything I can put my finger on. And maybe that's what bothers me. But, I don't know you. What I don't know, I don't trust. To me you're just a face and a number and let's keep it that way for now. When I want you're help, I'll ask for it.