Commodore Jensen Quotes in The Guns of Navarone (1961)

Commodore Jensen: Gentlemen, these men have a special interest in Navarone. I got your radio report, but I thought perhaps you could be more specific.

Squadron Leader Howard Barnsby RAAF: I'll be specific! As you can plainly see, it was ruddy awful. But we'd love to go back. Wouldn't we, boys?

[His boys give several loud cheers]

Squadron Leader Howard Barnsby RAAF: Just as soon as we can! BUT - we've got one condition. We want the joker who thought this one up to come with us. And when we get there, we're gonna shove him out at ten thousand feet - without a parachute.

Squadron Leader Howard Barnsby RAAF: BAD? It can't be done, not from the air, anyway!

Commodore Jensen: You're quite sure of that, Squadron Leader? This is important.

Squadron Leader Howard Barnsby RAAF: So's my life! To me, anyway, and the lives of these jokers here, and the eighteen men we lost tonight!

Cohn: Do you think they've got any chance at all, sir?

Commodore Jensen: Frankly, no. Not a chance in the world. I should be very surprised if they get even halfway to Navarone. Just a waste of six good men. However, I suppose that doesn't matter, considering how many have been wasted already. I'm glad it's not my decision; I'm only the middleman... Still, they may get there, and they may pull it off. Anything can happen in a war. Slap in the middle of absolute insanity people pull out the most extraordinary resources: ingenuity, courage, self-sacrifice. Pity we can't meet the problems of peace in the same way, isn't it? It would be so much cheaper for everybody.

Cohn: I never thought of it in just that way, sir. You're a philosopher, sir.

Commodore Jensen: No. I'm just the man who has to send people out on jobs like this one.