Gravedigger Jones Quotes in Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970)

[Coffin slaps the fancy cigarette lighter from Deke's hand as he tries to light a cigarette]

Rev. Deke O'Malley: That's police brutality.

Gravedigger Jones: No, brother, that's cancer prevention.

Gravedigger Jones: One more word, soul brother. You had it made. Black folks would have followed you anywhere. You could've been another Marcus Garvey or even another Malcolm X. But instead you ain't nothin' but a pimp with a chicken-shit backbone.

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.

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: Any black man might rat on Whitey. I might myself.

Iris: [disguised as old woman to escape from jail] Where's my pastor? Where's my pastor? What did you do with my pastor?

Jarema: Wait a minute, hold it, just a minute, now! How the hell did you get in here?

Gravedigger Jones: She's with the delegation, don't you remember?

Iris: If ya'll don't give me back my pastor I'm gonna punch you in the stomach with this umbrella!

Jarema: Now, watch it, lady.

Gravedigger Jones: O'Malley ain't here. He's been released.

Iris: Gimme back my pastor!

Gravedigger Jones: O'Malley ain't here, I tell you, and if you don't get the hell outta here with all that noise I'm gonna jail you.

[Iris leaves]

Gravedigger Jones: And stay out!

Jarema: What's the matter with that old bag?

Gravedigger Jones: My people. My people.

[Starts handling his revolver]

Bryce: Say, do you have to play with that thing?

Gravedigger Jones: I'm insecure, Captain.

Gravedigger Jones: Is that the way to talk to anybody? Don't you know that black is beautiful?

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.

Gravedigger Jones: Blink once and you're dead.

Coffin Ed Johnson: Blink twice and you're buried.

Gravedigger Jones: [to Carol as she leaves] Power to the people.

Gravedigger Jones: [Charleston Blue's coffin is opened up, and a straight razor is found, which Gravedigger picks up] Well, maybe Charleston Blue has come back... As an angel.

Coffin Ed Johnson: Ain't no black angels... Except us.

Gravedigger Jones: [Talking about Carol] You can take the girl outta Harlem, but you can't take Harlem outta the girl.

Joe: [Coffin Ed and Gravedigger catch Joe with the heroin] If you guys get rid of me, the mafia will be back here tomorrow.

Gravedigger Jones: We'll worry about that tomorrow.

Coffin Ed Johnson: [after Her Majesty kills Joe] Did you see anything?

Gravedigger Jones: Nah... I must be getting nearsighted in my old age.

Gravedigger Jones: [Coffin Ed is beating up Joe, and won't let up] The son-of-a-bitch gets done in by a cop... It's gonna turn him into a hero!

Bryce: [Coffin Ed and Gravedigger let Joe get away] How do I tell headquarters that two of my men participated in a major gun battle while riding shotgun on one of the biggest narcotics shipments in history?... Do you know what that will do to my career?

Gravedigger Jones: Well, it ain't gonna do nothin' for our careers either, Captain.