Davy Crockett Quotes in The Alamo (1960)

Davy Crockett: Republic. I like the sound of the word. It means people can live free, talk free, go or come, buy or sell, be drunk or sober, however they choose. Some words give you a feeling. Republic is one of those words that makes me tight in the throat - the same tightness a man gets when his baby takes his first step or his first baby shaves and makes his first sound as a man. Some words can give you a feeling that makes your heart warm. Republic is one of those words.

Davy Crockett: It was like I was empty. Well, I'm not empty anymore. That's what's important, to feel useful in this old world, to hit a lick against what's wrong for what's right even though you get walloped for saying that word. Now I may sound like a Bible beater yelling up a revival at a river crossing camp meeting, but that don't change the truth none. There's right and there's wrong. You got to do one or the other. You do the one and you're living. You do the other and you may be walking around, but you're dead as a beaver hat.

Travis' man: Hey, Davy! Is it true that you and Mike Fink fought a three day fight on the Mississippi?

Davy Crockett: That's just an example of the tall tales folks tell about me! Me and Mike fought all right, but we quit at dark. It wouldn't of been the third day until the next morning!

[laughs and rides off]

Jethro: [greeting Davy Crockett] Morning, Colonel, He's still sleeping.

Davy Crockett: [grins] I'll take care of that, Jethro.

[kicks open door, throws bucket of water on Jim Bowie]

[the Alamo garrison is informed that no reinforcements are coming]

Jim Bowie: Well, that's it. I'm taking my men out of here now. Cutting through to the north. You coming?

Davy Crockett: Seems like the better part of valor.

Tennessean: Do chastise mean what I think It do?

Tennesseean: It do.

Beekeeper: Davy, let's do saddle up and go learn that gentleman his manners.

Davy Crockett: We won't have to. He's wearing out horses coming towards us.

Beekeeper: Guess we can't stop him from coming. But I reckon we can arrange for him to limp going back

Chief Red Stick: Why you no kill me?

Davy Crockett: Maybe because of another law. We have trouble living up to it, but it ain't bad for red man or white man: thou shall not kill.

Davy Crockett: I'm half-horse, half-alligator and a little attached with snapping turtle. I've got the fastest horse, the prettiest sister, the surest rifle and the ugliest dog in Texas. My father can lick any man in Kentucky... and I can lick my father. I can hug a bear too close for comfort and eat any man alive opposed to Andy Jackson.

Davy Crockett: Well, me and Russel are figuring on heading down Texas way. That ain't no place these days for a riverboat gambler with wobbly legs.

Thimblerig: There are times when cowardice is a virtue, my dear Colonel. It makes choosing a cause so very simple. Now, I know nothing about Texas of which you speak, but I do know of the fury of the outraged minions of the law. And as a consequence, I fear what lies behind me far more than the unknown that lies ahead.

Col. Jim Bowie: How many men did you bring?

Davy Crockett: Four, including myself.

Col. Jim Bowie: Four? Two acres of walls to defend. It'll take a thousand troops to man the garrison adequately. And I got less than two hundred volunteers.

Davy Crockett: Two hundred stubborn men can do a terrible lot of fighting.

General Andrew Jackson: You've been making quite a name for yourself in local politics.

Davy Crockett: Soft soap ain't good for nothing but washing dirty hands, General.

Davy Crockett: I've been doing some thinking.

George Russel: Me, too. You know, we're pretty far down the river. Ain't it about time we decide where we're going?

[Crockett and Russel approach Fink as the Gullywhumper is secured to the boat landing]

Davy Crockett: Excuse me, mister? Which one of them fellers is captain of this boat?

Mike Fink: What did you say?

Moose: [laughing] He wants to know who the captain is!

[Fink smacks Moose]

Mike Fink: How long you bush-wackers been beating the backwoods? Why, everybody knows who the captain of the Gullywhumper is! It's me! Mike Fink, King of the River!

George Russel: Well, Captain, meet up with Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier.

Mike Fink: Davy Crockett, huh? Well, it sure is a small world. You're about a foot shorter than you oughta be.

George Russel: Don't worry, he's still a growin'.

Mike Fink: Yeah, like them yarns they keep spreadin' about him.

Davy Crockett: Mighty hard to live up to, sometime.

Mike Fink: Well, I don't have any trouble livin' up to mine. I am the original ringtail roarer from the thunder 'n lightnin' country! I'm a real snorter and a head buster! I can out-run, out-jump, out-sing, out-swim, out-dance, out-shoot, out-eat, out-drink...

Davy Crockett: Out-talk?

Mike Fink: Yeah, out-talk, out-cuss and out-fight anybody in the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers put together!

George Russel: [first lines]

George Russel: [slapping his own butt] Them Kentucky ants got a bite like an alligator.

Davy Crockett: Sure ain't particular what they chaw on.

[Russell feels something in his sleeping bag]

George Russel: [whispering] Hey, Davy? Hey, Davy!

Davy Crockett: Now what?

George Russel: There's somethin' in bed with me.

Davy Crockett: Kiss it goodnight and go to sleep.

[Russel lifts his blanket, revealing a skunk]

[Crockett and Russel approach Cobb on the boat landing]

George Russel: Howdy there.

Cap'n Cobb: Howdy.

George Russel: This your boat?

Cap'n Cobb: Yep. Bertha Mae, out of Marietta.

Davy Crockett: Sounds like a race horse.

Cap'n Cobb: Pretty hard to beat if she's handled right.

Davy Crockett: Which way you goin', upriver or down?

Cap'n Cobb: Ain't goin' no place right now.

George Russel: Barrel's marked for New Orleans.

Cap'n Cobb: That's right. But my crew up an' deserted me.

Davy Crockett: What'd they do that for?

Cap'n Cobb: Heard about the Injuns.

Davy Crockett: Didn't know there was any Injun trouble around here.

Cap'n Cobb: Oh, not here. Downriver somewhere. Other side of Shawnee Town. Them red devils is attackin' everything, flatboats loaded with settlers, even on keelboats. Got so bad, nobody'd sign on.

George Russel: Injuns don't seem to be scarin' off Mike Fink none.

Cap'n Cobb: Ah, him and them Pittsburgh pole pushers of his ain't human enough to be scared!

George Russel: Hey Davy, we're still leading. We might just win this race.

Davy Crockett: Now, Georgie, don't go skinnin' the bear before we shoot 'em.

[Jocko shares a glass with Russel, who never drinks]

Mike Fink: Ah! That's kind of tasty, ain't it?

Davy Crockett: That'd grow pink whiskers on a...

[hiccups]

Davy Crockett: That'd grow pink whiskers on a hound dog.

[just before the race begins]

Little Harpe: Hey, Crockett, might as well give me them furs right now!

Sam Mason: You ain't won 'em yet.

Little Harpe: Well, if I don't, I'll eat my hat, red feather and all!

Davy Crockett: One of these days that big blowhard's gonna get what's comin' to him.

Issac Millsaps: So, Davy, all your Indian fightin'... you ever get into a scrape like this?

Davy Crockett: I was never in but one real scrape in my life, fella.

Issac Millsaps: Yeah, but you was in the Red Stick war.

Davy Crockett: Yeah, it's true, I was in that. I sure was. I was just about your age when it broke out. The Creeks, uh, boxed up about 400 or 500 people at Fort Mims and, uh, massacred every one of 'em. 'Course this was big news around those parts, so I up and joined the volunteers. I did a little scoutin', but mostly I, I just fetched in venison for the cook fire, things of that nature. Well, we caught up with those redskins at Tallushatchee, surrounded the village, come in from all directions. Wasn't much of a fight, really. We just shot 'em down like dogs. Finally... what Injuns was left, they crowded into this little cabin. They wanted to surrender... but this squaw, she loosed an arrow and killed one of the fellas, and then we shot her, And then we set the cabin on fire. We could hear 'em screamin' for their gods in there. We smelled 'em burnin'. We'd had nary to eat but parched corn since October. And the next day, when we dug through the ashes, we found some potaters from the cellar. They'd been cooked by that grease that run off them Indians. And we ate till we nearly burst. Since then... you pass the taters and I pass 'em right back.

Davy Crockett: [During the last battle] Micajah!

Micajah Autry: They've killed me, David.

[Dies]

Davy Crockett: I'm real sorry about all of this.

Davy Crockett: If it was just me, simple old David from Tennessee, I might drop over that wall some night, take my chances. But that Davy Crockett feller... they're all watchin' him.

Davy Crockett: What are you sellin', Sam?

Sam Houston: Something a certain congressman might need in the future.

Davy Crockett: Are you sellin' rocking chairs, Sam?

Sam Houston: I'm selling Texas.

Davy Crockett: Now, what would I want with Norte Mexico?

Davy Crockett: [Davy Crockett stands before Santa Ana] Are you Santa Ana?

Davy Crockett: [Santa Ana nods his head] I thought he'd be taller.

James Bowie: [about Crockett's coonskin cap] What happened to your cap? Crawl away?

Davy Crockett: No, I only wear it when it's extra cold. The truth is, I only started wearing that thing... because of that fella in that play they did about me. People expect things.

Davy Crockett: What did he say, Colonel?

Lt. Col. Travis: He just said if we don't walk out of here right now with our hands in the air, we won't walk out at all.

Billings: What are you going to tell him, sir?

Lt. Col. Travis: Is this cannon loaded?