John Glenn Quotes in The Right Stuff (1983)

[an argument rages, primarily between Shepard, Glenn, Carpenter and Cooper]

Scott Carpenter: John's right! Now, whether we like it or not, we're public figures. Whether we deserve it or not, people are going to look up to us. We have got a tremendous responsibility here.

Alan Shepard: You cannot tell a pilot what he's doing when he's not flying!

[Argument continues]

Gus Grissom: Wait a minute, wait a minute!

[turns Glenn toward him]

Gus Grissom: You've got it all wrong, the issue here ain't pussy. The issue here is monkey.

John Glenn: What?

Gus Grissom: Us. We are the monkey.

Deke Slayton: What Gus is saying is that we're missing the point. What Gus is saying is that we all heard the rumors that they want to send a monkey up first. Well, none of us wants to think that they're gonna send a monkey up to do a man's work. But what Gus is saying is that what they're trying to do to us is send a man up to do a monkey's work. Us, a bunch of college-trained chimpanzees!

Gus Grissom: Fuckin' A, bubba.

Deke Slayton: Alright, so what Gus is saying is that we've got to change things around here. He's saying that we are pilots. And we know more about what we need to fly this thing than anybody else. So what we have to do is to alter the experiment. And what that comes down to is who is gonna control this thing from here on out.

Gordon Cooper: What Gus is saying here is that we've got to stick together on this deal.

John Glenn: Annie, listen to me, OK? You listening? If you don't want the Vice President or the TV networks or anybody else to come into the house, then that's it, as far as I'm concerned. They are NOT coming in, and I will back you all the way, a hundred percent on this. And you tell them that, OK? I don't want Johnson or any of the rest of them to set as much as one TOE inside our house.

Annie Glenn: OK.

John Glenn: You tell them that- that Astronaut John Glenn told you to say that.

[the Mercury Seven walk through the space center after the response to Yuri Gagarin's space shot]

John Glenn: I'm tired of being forthright, gracious and magnanimous.

Gordon Cooper: Yeah.

John Glenn: I'm tired of these stupid questions from the press.

Gordon Cooper: mm-hmm

John Glenn: I'm tired of smocks, I'm tired of engineers telling us what we can't do, I'm tired of everybody that says we are not pilots!

Gordon Cooper: You tell 'em, John.

John Glenn: I'm tired of monkeys.

Alan Shepard: Yeah.

John Glenn: And most of all, I am sick and tired of being second to those... those darn Russians!

Gus Grissom: There ya go.

John Glenn: Now I think it's about time we...

Wally Schirra: got someone up there!

[the others voice their approval]

John Glenn: Let's f-f-f...

Gus Grissom: Fuckin' A, bubba.

John Glenn: That's right! Exactly!

[Alan Shepard climbs into Freedom 7 to find a placard taped to the instrument panel reading "No Handball Playing In This Area". John Glenn looks in and smiles]

Alan Shepard: [hands placard out to Glenn] Not very funny, John.

John Glenn: Well, I thought it...

Alan Shepard: I do appreciate, John. I surely do.

John Glenn: [the two shake hands] Vaya con Dios, Jose.

Gordon Cooper: [during the lung capacity test] Ha! 93 seconds. Read it and weep

[notices Glenn and Carpenter are still exhaling]

John Glenn: [Glenn has run out of breath well past Gordo's time] Congratulations, Scott. Darn good.

Scott Carpenter: [shaking Glenn's hand] You were probably just getting warmed up, John. Next time I doubt I'll be the one to win.

Gus Grissom: [to Gordo] You hear that? We were competing with Archie and Jughead

John Glenn: [Cooper had fallen asleep waiting to launch] Sorry to interupt, buddy, but we've got a launch here!

Game Show MC: Major, Eddie here has a little problem with his girlfriend. Did you ever have a problem like that when you were 10?

John Glenn: Yes, I did, Bob. I liked a girl in my class, but all the other guys liked her too and she didn't pay any attention. But, I kept after her, Eddie.

Game Show MC: Did you finally get her to notice you?

John Glenn: Yes, I did. In fact, I finally got her to marry me.

John Glenn: I don't want anything to put this program in a bad light. I mean, we've got the opportunity of a lifetime and I'm sorry but I am not going to stand by and let other people compromise the whole darn thing. You know and I know this could lead to something very unfortunate.

[Unsure which one says this: "What's ticking you off?"]

John Glenn: I'm talking about the playing around that's going on. I'm talking about the young girls. I'm talking about the cookies. I'm talking about keeping our pants zipped and our wicks dry around here!

Alan Shepard: Mr. Glenn, you are way out of line. I'd advise you not to try and foist your view of morality on anybody else in this group. Each man here has volunteered to do a job. Each man here is devoting long hours of training to prepare for it, and doing many things above and beyond the strict call of duty, such as morale tours of factories...

John Glenn: such as bringing girls up to your room in the middle of the night?

Alan Shepard: and foregoing any semblance of an orderly family life. And Mr. Glenn, as long as a man uses good sense, what he does with his zipper or his wick is his own business!

Scott Carpenter: [Comes between Shepard and Glenn] Now hold it just a minute!

John Glenn: Let's get the girl to check the numbers.

Al Harrison: The girl?

John Glenn: Yes, Sir.

Al Harrison: You mean Katherine?

John Glenn: Yes, Sir, the smart one. And if she says they're good, I'm ready to go.