Coffin Ed Quotes in Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970)

Coffin Ed: What the hell do the attorney general, the state department, or even the President of the United States know about one god-damn thing that's going on up here in Harlem?

Gravedigger Jones: Hey, Ed!

Coffin Ed: What is it?

Gravedigger Jones: Look at this. Cotton, from inside the meat truck.

Coffin Ed: One thing for sure, it ain't drugstore cotton.

Anderson: What is it?

Coffin Ed: It's raw, unprocessed cotton. Like from a bale.

Gravedigger Jones: Ohhh, it's a long time since I've seen cotton like that.

Coffin Ed: Digger, you ain't never seen no raw cotton before. You were born and raised right here in New York, just like me.

[Drunken man stumbles up during riot at police station]

Man: Well, ain't this the "Goin' Back to Africa Rally"?

Coffin Ed: No, baby, it is the "Goin' Home Rally".

Coffin Ed: White guys?

Gravedigger Jones: White guys? They had on masks. How did you know they were white?

Lo Boy: [crying] Oh Lordy, help me!

Coffin Ed: I'm asking you. How do you know they was white?

Lo Boy: They run white, dammit.

Gravedigger Jones: Another fine mess you got us into!

Coffin Ed: I got us into? Shut up and shoot!

[people outside police station demanding O'Malley return their money]

Coffin Ed: Digger and I will do our damnedest to get your money back. We promise.

Rioter: Promises! Hell with promises!

Gravedigger Jones: Anybody out there ever hear of Coffin Ed or the Gravedigger make a promise we didn't keep?

[Crowd gets quiet]

Coffin Ed: Now, we may have broken some heads, but we never broke no promises.