Mr. Robertson Quotes in Paper Moon (1973)

Moses Pray: Now, don't think that poor child ain't entitled, 'cause she is. Now, I was thinkin' a couple a thousand dollars will be acceptable.

Mr. Robertson: A couple of thou'? I'll give you two hundred.

Moses Pray: Two hundred dollars?

Mr. Robertson: Two hundred dollars.

Moses Pray: It's a deal.

Mr. Robertson: I see you've had some disciplinary problems in the past.

Jane: I've had nothing but straight As in all my classes since the first grade.

Mr. Robertson: Yes. Have you ever been with a man?

Jane: Have you?

Mr. Robertson: Just relax, Jane. Some of the ladies before you, got a little nervous, a little lost in thought.

Jane: [scoffs] Perhaps that's because to them a thought is unfamiliar territory.

Mr. Robertson: The parameters set by the Bureau are strict for a reason. They exist for our protection. However, I've always thought we could accomplish so much more without the constant bureaucratic control of the board. An agent operating from the outside.

The Bartender: She'll endure so much pain because of what I do.

Mr. Robertson: That's the way it has to be. That's the way it's always been. You should understand that better than anyone.

The Bartender: The snake that eats its own tail, forever and ever?

Mr. Robertson: You're here to create history and influence what is to come.

The Bartender: I don't think I can do it.

Mr. Robertson: Understand. You are more than an Agent. You're a gift given to the world through a predestination paradox. You're the only one, free from history, ancestry.

The Bartender: The rooster.

Mr. Robertson: But you must complete your mission. You must lay the seeds of the future. We're counting on you.

The Bartender: And what happens when that day comes, when I have no knowledge of my future?

Mr. Robertson: Well, then, like everyone else, you're just going to have to take it one day at a time.

Mr. Robertson: John had to want this. His life had to be fouled up. He had to have nothing in order to achieve so much.

Mr. Robertson: In order to protect our nation's citizens, it's important we keep certain government operations confidential. Wouldn't you agree?

Jane: Yes, sir.

Mr. Robertson: I work for an organization whose primary purpose is *not* space travel. It's... reshaping wrong doing.