Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Quotes

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a TV show that was first aired in 1970 . Mr. Smith Goes to Washington stopped airing in 1970.

It features Frank Capra as producer, Dimitri Tiomkin in charge of musical score, and Joseph Walker (cinematographer) as head of cinematography.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is recorded in English and originally aired in United States. Each episode of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is 125-126 or 130 minutes long. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is distributed by Columbia Pictures.

The cast includes: James Stewart as Jefferson Smith, Jean Arthur as Clarissa Saunders, Claude Rains as Senator Joseph Paine, Thomas Mitchell as Diz Moore, Edward Arnold as James Taylor, Beulah Bondi as Ma Smith, Pierre Watkin as Senate Minority Leader, Barnes, Charles Lane as Nosey, Eugene Pallette as Chick McGann, Guy Kibbee as Governor Hopper, Ruth Donnelly as Mrs. Hopper, William Demarest as Bill Griffith, and Nick Copeland as Female Reporter.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Quotes

James Stewart as Jefferson Smith

• (James Stewart) "Now, doggone it, there's something wrong here. I know there's something wrong. And I'm not gonna vote on that thing until I get some more questions answered."
• (Claude Rains) "Jeff, you're fighting windmills."
• (James Stewart) "I am?"

• (James Stewart) "I always get a great kick out of that part of the Declaration of Independence. You're not gonna have a country where these kind of rules work, if you haven't got men that have learned to tell human rights from a punch in the nose."

• (James Stewart) "Things sure happen fast around here, don't they?"
• (Eugene Pallette) "Yeah, you'll have to get yourself out of low gear, Senator."

• (James Stewart) "Oh, Mr. President, we seem to be alone. I, I'm not complaining for a social reason; it's just, I think it'd be a pity if these gentlemen missed any of this, and --"
• (James Stewart) "And, uh --"
• (James Stewart) "I, I call the chair's attention to -- to, uh -- Rule 5 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, Section -- Section 3. "If it shall be found that a quorum is not present, a majority of the Senators present"; and that looks like me; uh, uh, "may direct the Sergeant-at-Arms to request, and if necessary compel, the attendance of the absent Senators." Well, Mr. President, I so direct."

• (James Stewart) "What's your first name?"
• (Jean Arthur) "Why?"
• (James Stewart) "Well, I, eh, everybody just calls you plain Saunders."
• (Jean Arthur) "Well, I also answer to whistles."

• (James Stewart) "It hasn't been easy, has it?"
• (Jean Arthur) "No complaints."
• (James Stewart) "I mean, for a woman, you've done awfully well."

• (James Stewart) "You see, boys forget what their country means by just reading The Land of the Free in history books. Then they get to be men they forget even more. Liberty's too precious a thing to be buried in books, Miss Saunders. Men should hold it up in front of them every single day of their lives and say: I'm free to think and to speak. My ancestors couldn't, I can, and my children will. Boys ought to grow up remembering that."

• (James Stewart) "I wouldn't give you two cents for all your fancy rules if, behind them, they didn't have a little bit of plain, ordinary, everyday kindness and a little looking out for the other fella, too."

• (James Stewart) "I can promise you one thing, I'll do nothing to disgrace the office of; the United States Senate."

• (James Stewart) "Well, what do you expect me to do? An honorary stooge like me against the Taylors and Paines and machines and lies?"
• (Jean Arthur) "Your friend, Mr. Lincoln had his Taylors and Paines. So did every other man who ever tried to lift his thought up off the ground. Odds against them didn't stop those men. They were fools that way. All the good that ever came into this world came from fools with faith like that. You know that, Jeff. You can't quit now. Not you. They aren't all Taylors and Paines in Washington. That kind just throw big shadows, that's all. You didn't just have faith in Paine or any other living man. You had faith in something bigger than that. You had plain, decent, everyday, common rightness, and this country could use some of that. Yeah, so could the whole cockeyed world, a lot of it. Remember the first day you got here? Remember what you said about Mr. Lincoln? You said he was sitting up there, waiting for someone to come along. You were right. He was waiting for a man who could see his job and sail into it, that's what he was waiting for. A man who could tear into the Taylors and root them out into the open. I think he was waiting for you, Jeff. He knows you can do it, so do I."
• (James Stewart) "What? Do what, Saunders?"
• (Jean Arthur) "You just make up your mind you're not gonna quit, and I'll tell you what. I've been thinking about it all the way back here. It's a forty foot dive into a tub of water, but I think you can do it."

• (James Stewart) "I guess this is just another lost cause Mr. Paine. All you people don't know about lost causes. Mr. Paine does. He said once they were the only causes worth fighting for and he fought for them once. For the only reason any man ever fights for them. Because of just one plain simple rule. Love thy neighbor. And in this world today of great hatred a man who knows that rule has a great trust. You know that rule Mr. Paine and I loved you for it just as my father did. And you know that you fight harder for the lost causes than for any others. Yes you'd even die for them. Like a man we both knew Mr. Paine. You think I'm licked. You all think I'm licked. Well I'm not licked. And I'm gonna stay right here and fight for this lost cause. Even if this room gets filled with lies like these. And the Taylors and all their armies come marching into this place. Somebody will listen to me."

• (James Stewart) "Boy, you should have been there."
• (Jean Arthur) "I know, it was a wonderful party, and your suit went over big, and she looked beautiful, and when you left she said, "Thank you, Mr. Smith," but it was the way she said it, you nearly fell through the floor. Horseradish."

• (James Stewart) "The point is, sir, they're right. I'm just sitting in the Senate decorating a chair. Now, if-if I'm going to vote, I at least ought to try and study some of the bills that are coming up."
• (Claude Rains) "The bills?"
• (James Stewart) "Well, yes sir. Otherwise, I'm just a Christmas tiger, like they said."
• (Claude Rains) "Jeff, these bills are put together by legal minds, after long study. Why, I-I-I can't understand ha-half of them myself; and I used to be a lawyer. Now, come on, forget it. When the time comes, I'll advise you how to vote."

• (James Stewart) "Either I'm dead right, or I'm crazy."

Eugene Pallette as Chick McGann

• (Eugene Pallette) "This way, Senator. Where is he? Hey, Senator? Why, I told that cookie to; Come on. Let's find him. Hey, Senator? Senator Smith?"

• (Eugene Pallette) "Relax, Happy. Stop havin' kittens."

Edward Arnold as James Taylor

• (Edward Arnold) "I want you to let the ballyhoo boys loose, plan a celebration, and declare a holiday."

• (Edward Arnold) "A Boy Ranger? A squirrel chaser to the United States Senate?"
• (Guy Kibbee) "Listen, Jim, a simpleton of all times. A big eyed baby. Knows Lincoln and Washington by heart. Stands at attention in the Governor's presence. He even collects stray boys and cats."
• (Edward Arnold) "He does what?"

• (Edward Arnold) "I wouldn't trust you to lick a postage stamp."

• (Edward Arnold) "Chick, turn the ballyhoo boys loose. Its the greatest appointment ever made. Give a banquet and declare a holiday."
• (Guy Kibbee) "A star spangled banquet."
• (Eugene Pallette) "Wow."

• (Edward Arnold) "I think we've got your man; Horace Miller."
• (Guy Kibbee) "Horace Miller."
• (Eugene Pallette) "A born stooge. Why, ole Horace will preform like a trained seal."

• (Edward Arnold) "Hendricks, get the hoi polloi excited. Have them send protests, letters, wires, anything you like."

Jean Arthur as Clarissa Saunders

• (Jean Arthur) "So, you wanna be a Senator, huh? You're gonna build a camp on a little creek. See this? Deficiency Bill. Section number 40. A dam going up where you think your camp's going to be. Ever hear of it? Noooo. They read all about it in the Senate today. But, you weren't supposed to hear. That's why that ritzy dame took you in tow. That's why they sent you here in the first place. Because you don't know a dam from a bathtub. Go ahead. Be a Senator. Try and mess up Mr. Taylor's little graft. But, you can't. And you can't in nine million years. Go home. Don't stay around here making people feel sorry for you."

• (Jean Arthur) "Yippee."

• (Jean Arthur) "Sicking that horrible dame on him; when he's goofy about her."
• (Thomas Mitchell) "What dame?"
• (Jean Arthur) "Paine."

• (Jean Arthur) "Look, when I came here, my eyes were big blue question marks. Now, they're big green dollar marks."
• (Claude Rains) "Smart, girl, eh. All right. Finish this job properly and you get a handsome bonus. And by properly, I mean keep Smith away from anything that smacks of politics."

• (Jean Arthur) "Diz, what do you think? Daniel Boone's lost."
• (Thomas Mitchell) "No?"
• (Jean Arthur) "Lost in the wilds of Washington."
• (Thomas Mitchell) "Well, if your boy friend's gonna blaze trails, I'm going over to the Press Club."
• (Jean Arthur) "Aw, stick around. He might want us all to put on short pants and go out hiking. You wouldn't want to miss the exercise."
• (Thomas Mitchell) "Every time I think of exercise, I have to lie right down until the feeling leaves me. Say, wouldn't it be funny if he was lost?"
• (Jean Arthur) "The Boy Ranger? Oh, he'll show up. He must have a compass with him."

• (Jean Arthur) "You're bill is ready. You take it over there and you introduce it. You get to your feet in the Senate and take a long breath and start spouting. But, not too loud, because a couple of the Senators might want to sleep. Then, a curly headed page boy takes it up to the desk where a long faced clerk reads it, refers it to the right committee,"
• (James Stewart) "Why?"
• (Jean Arthur) "Look, committees are small groups of Senators that have to sift a bill down, look into it, study it, report to the whole Senate. You can't take a bill nobody ever heard about and discuss it among 96 men. Where would you get?"
• (James Stewart) "Yeah, I see."
• (Jean Arthur) "Good. Now, where are we?"
• (James Stewart) "Some committee's got it."
• (Jean Arthur) "Now, days have gone by Senator. Days. Weeks. Finally, they think its quite a bill. It goes over to the House of Representatives for debate and a vote. But, it has to wait its turn on the calendar."
• (James Stewart) "The calendar?"
• (Jean Arthur) "Yes. That's the order of business. Your bill has to stand way back there in line unless the steering committee thinks its important --"
• (James Stewart) "What's that?"
• (Jean Arthur) "What?"
• (James Stewart) "Steering committee?"
• (Jean Arthur) "You really think we're getting anywhere?"
• (James Stewart) "Oh, yes, Miss Sauders, now, tell me, what's the Steering committee?"
• (Jean Arthur) "The committee of the majority party. They decide when a bill is important enough to be moved up to the head of the list."
• (James Stewart) "Oh, this is."
• (Jean Arthur) "Pardon me, this is. Where are we now?"
• (James Stewart) "We're in the House."
• (Jean Arthur) "Oh, yeah, the House. More amendments. More changes and the bill goes back to the Senate, The Senate doesn't like what the House did to the bill, they make more changes. The House doesn't like those changes, stymied."
• (James Stewart) "So?"
• (Jean Arthur) "So, they appoint men from each House to go to a huddle called a caucus and they battle it out. Finally, if your bill is still alive after all this devastation, it comes to a vote. Yes sir, the big day finally arrives; and Congress adjourns. Catching on Senator?"

• (Jean Arthur) "They're not letting what Jeff says get printed in the state. Now if I give you a raft of it over the phone, can you print it up and spread a billion copies? Swell. Get ready to take this down, Mrs. Smith."
• (Beulah Bondi) "Boys, everything about Jeff, get pencils and paper."
• (Jean Arthur) "Alright, here we go."
• (Beulah Bondi) "All ready, Clarissa."
• (Jean Arthur) "She called me Clarissa. Okay Ma. JEFF TELLS TRUTH, SHOWS UP TAYLOR."

Thomas Mitchell as Diz Moore

• (Thomas Mitchell) "Eight to five, little boy blue is plastered."

• (Thomas Mitchell) "In protest, the whole Senate body rose and walked out."
• (Jean Arthur) "No. No, not that straight stuff. Now listen, kick it up, get on his side, fight for him. Understand?"
• (Thomas Mitchell) "You love this monkey; don't you?"
• (Jean Arthur) "What do you think? Now listen, go to work. Do as I tell you."
• (Thomas Mitchell) "Throw out that last, take this. This is the most titanic battle of modern times. A David without even a slingshot rises to do battle against the mighty Goliath, the Taylor machine, allegedly crooked inside and out. Yeah, and for my money, you can cut out the "allegedly.""

• (Thomas Mitchell) "Better be nice to that gal. The latest poll makes her old man the party choice for the White House. She may be the next First Lady of the land."
• (Jean Arthur) "Imagine reading, "My Day by Susan Paine in the neck." He isn't gonna be hurt enough as it is, she has to twist a knife in him too -- jackass. "I'll turn my glamour on him," she says."
• (Thomas Mitchell) "Oh, forget it. What's it to you?"
• (Jean Arthur) "Nothing, I'm just --"
• (Thomas Mitchell) "Okay, okay. Then, stop worrying. I told you the dopes are going to inherit the earth anyway."
• (Jean Arthur) "I wonder, Diz, if this Don Quixote hasn't got the jump on all of us. I wonder if it isn't a curse to go through life wised up like you and me."
• (Thomas Mitchell) "Now, look here kid. If you're going to wonder, let's go down and do it over a hunk of steak, huh? Come on, snap out of it. Drink up. Here's to bigger and better dopes."
• (Jean Arthur) "And to Don Quixote."

• (Thomas Mitchell) "What did you get me outta bed for?"
• (Jean Arthur) "Shhh. Sit tight. The show's about to commence."
• (Thomas Mitchell) "Do mind telling me what's about to go on around here?"
• (Jean Arthur) "Certainly. Now, there's the principal actor in our little play: Don Quixote Smith; man with bill. Over here, one of the supporting characters."
• (Thomas Mitchell) "Who?"
• (Jean Arthur) "That gorilla in man's clothing: McGann."
• (Thomas Mitchell) "Oh, you mean, puss in boots."
• (Jean Arthur) "Yeah, mostly puss. Aw, another prominent character in our play, the silver knight, soul of honor on a tightrope."
• (Thomas Mitchell) "You wouldn't be a little bit goofy, would you?"
• (Jean Arthur) "Diz, Don Quixote with bill will get to his feet in a minute and speak two important words: Willet Creek. When that happens, the sliver knight will fall off his tightrope and puss will jump outta his boots."

• (Thomas Mitchell) "You know, that guy's batty."

• (Thomas Mitchell) "I'll see you later, Saunders. I gotta go out and drink this over."

• (Thomas Mitchell) "Is this some of your shenanigans?"
• (Jean Arthur) "Shhhh."
• (Thomas Mitchell) "What's the matter?"
• (Jean Arthur) "Pray, Diz. If you know how."

Claude Rains as Senator Joseph Paine

• (Claude Rains) "I wish to ask my distinguished colleague, has he one scrap of evidence to add now to the defense he did not give and could not give at that same hearing?"
• (James Stewart) "I have no defense against forged papers."
• (Claude Rains) "The Committee ruled otherwise. The gentleman stands guilty, as charged. And I believe I speak for every member when I say that no one cares to hear what a man of his condemned character has to say about any section of any legislation before this House."
• (President of Senate) "Order, order, gentlemen."
• (James Stewart) "Mr. President, I stand guilty as FRAMED. Because section 40 is graft. And I was ready to say so, I was ready to tell you that a certain man in my state, a Mr. James Taylor, wanted to put through this dam for his own profit. A man who controls a political machine. And controls everything else worth controlling in my state. Yes, and a man even powerful enough to control Congressmen; and I saw three of them in his room the day I went up to see him."
• (Claude Rains) "Will the Senator yield?"
• (James Stewart) "No, sir, I will not yield. And this same man, Mr. James Taylor, came down here and offered me a seat in this Senate for the next 20 years if I voted for a dam that he knew, and I knew, was a fraud. But if I dared to open my mouth against that dam, he promised to break me in two."

• (Claude Rains) "Let me go. I'm not fit to be a senator. I'm not fit to live. Expel me, not him. Willet Dam is a fraud. It's a crime against the people who sent me here; and I committed it. Every word that boy said is the truth. Every word about Taylor and me and graft and the rotten political corruption of my state. Every word of it is true. I'm not fit for office. I'm not fit for any place of honor or trust. Expel me, not that boy."

Guy Kibbee as Governor Hopper

• (Guy Kibbee) "That settles it. I will not be attacked and belittled by my own children in my own home. Oh, my nerves are strained to the breaking point."
• (Ruth Donnelly) "Oh, Hubert."

• (Guy Kibbee) "It is in that spirit that we gather here tonight, to acclaim and wish God's speed to Senator Jefferson Smith."
• (James Stewart) "Thank you. I-I I-I can't help feeling that there's been a big mistake somehow."

• (Guy Kibbee) "Well, forgive my abysmal ignorance, but I don't know this Jefferson Smith from a hole in the ground."

William Demarest as Bill Griffith

• (William Demarest) "Welcome, Senator. The wildlife around here is a little different from what you're used to; they wear high heels."

Nick Copeland as Female Reporter

• (Nick Copeland) "Now, Senator, tell me, what do you think of the girls in this town?"
• (James Stewart) "Gosh, I, down at the station, four of 'em came up and kissed me when I got off the train."
• (Nick Copeland) "Oh, were they pretty?"
• (James Stewart) "Pretty; that Miss Susan Paine, she's about the prettiest girl I ever did see."

Pierre Watkin as Senate Minority Leader, Barnes

• (Pierre Watkin) "Does the gentleman wish to yield?"
• (James Stewart) "Yield? Oh, no. I feel fine. The Constitution of the United States."

Charles Lane as Nosey

• (Charles Lane) "Senator Samuel Foley. Dead. Yeah. Yeah. Died a minute ago. Here at St. Vincent. At the bedside was state political sidekick, Senator Joseph Paine. Yeah."

• (Charles Lane) "I'll make it right with you."
• (Jean Arthur) "What do you mean right?"
• (Charles Lane) "What do I mean? I tell you what I'll do. World Series. A pass. A pass. In a month it will be worth fifteen bucks."
• (Jean Arthur) "Well."

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