Scott Carpenter 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.

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: 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!