Major Franklin Quotes in The Guns of Navarone (1961)

[apologizing for involving Mallory in the Navarone mission]

Major Franklin: No, I'm stupid sometimes. Even when I was a kid, I always took it for granted people wanted to play the games I like, and I'd be furious when they didn't.

Capt. Keith Mallory: Well, now they have to, so why worry?

Maj. Baker: What's going on here, what are you doing to that man?

Major Franklin: You know him?

Maj. Baker: Of course, that's Nikolai, our laundry boy. Is he the reason I'm being disturbed? Look, Franklin, I've had a hard day!

Major Franklin: Does his job involve listening at keyholes?

Maj. Baker: It's just a case of idle curiosity, he doesn't speak a word of english!

Major Franklin: Then why was he listening, why does he carry a knife, and why did he try to stab this man?

Maj. Baker: I presume he was trying to defend himself, when you've been in this part of the world as long as I you'll know carrying a knife doesn't mark one as a criminal!

Major Franklin: Pappadimos, have you got your silencer?

Pvt. Spyros Pappadimos: Yes.

Major Franklin: Then use it. Shoot the laundry boy.

Maj. Baker: Are you crazy?

Major Franklin: And if the Major gets in your way, shoot him too. That's an order.

Mallory: [On Andrea] He's going to kill me when the war's over.

Major Franklin: You're not serious.

Mallory: Yes, I am. So is he.

[pause]

Mallory: About a year ago, I gave a German patrol a safe passage to get some of their wounded into hospital. I guess I still had some romantic notions about fighting a civilized war. Anyway, they wanted Andrea pretty badly, even back then. As soon as they got behind our lines, they shot their casualties, went over to his house, and blew it up. He was out on a job at the time, but his wife and three children were in the house. They were all killed. I helped him to bury them. And then he turned to me and said that as far as he was concerned, it wasn't the Germans who were responsible, but me. Me and my stupid Anglo-Saxon decency. Then he told me what he was going to do, and when.

Major Franklin: You think he still means to do it?

Mallory: He's from Crete. Those people don't make idle threats.