Sgt. Archibald Cutter Quotes in Gunga Din (1939)

Sgt. Archibald Cutter: You're mad!

Guru: Mad? Mad. Hannibal was mad, Caesar was mad, and Napoleon surely was the maddest of the lot. Ever since time began, they've called mad all the great soldiers in this world. Mad? We shall see what wisdom lies within my madness. For this is but the spring that precedes the flood. From here we roll on. From village to town. From town to mighty city. Ever mounting, ever widening, until at last my wave engulfs all India!

Sgt. 'Mac' MacChesney: Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Cutter, you ain't leaving this village without my permission. Give me that bottle.

Sgt. Archibald Cutter: MacChesney, I've been a soldier for fourteen years. I know my duties as well as you do. But you're not talking to a soldier now, you're talking to an expedition. I'm an expedition!

Sgt. Archibald Cutter: Eight feet away from where I'm sitting, right here, there's enough gold to make me sole owner and proprietor of a pub as big as the Crystal Palace. Best pub in Hampshire.

Sgt. Archibald Cutter: Now you're all under arrest. Her Majesty's very touchy about having her subjects strangled.

Sgt. Archibald Cutter: How can we get a nice little war going?

Sgt. Archibald Cutter: Is there no end to the torture that an Oriental mind can think of?

Gunga Din: The salute satisfactory?

Sgt. Archibald Cutter: That's the idea. Only... you want these fingers to fan the eyebrows more like this.

[makes a salute]

Sgt. Archibald Cutter: The breeze from them fingers oughta almost blow these eyebrows off. Now try it again.

[Din salutes, Cutter smiles]

Sgt. Archibald Cutter: Very good. Very good indeed. Eh... That one almost blew your turban off, didn't it?

Sgt. Archibald Cutter: Now get me some tools. Something to rip these blinking bars out.

Gunga Din: Already bring all tools could find. Is this satisfactory, sahib?

[holds up a fork]

Sgt. Archibald Cutter: Look... What do you think I want to break out of - a bloomin' pudding? Now go on, get something big.

[Din returns with an elephant]

Sgt. Archibald Cutter: What are you doing, Din?

Gunga Din: The large tool you asked for, sahib.

[Sgt. Cutter confronts the Thugs in their stronghold]

Sgt. Archibald Cutter: Well if it ain't young toadface. Fancy meeting you here.

Guru: Vile dog! For that insolence you shall grovel before my son. You shall grovel, I say!

Sgt. Archibald Cutter: Look here! I'm a soldier of her Majesty, the Queen. I don't grovel before any 'eathen.

Guru: Tabul, take him to the tower and teach him the error of false pride. Take him away!

Guru: I want to know about your army.

Sgt. Archibald Cutter: Why don't you enlist, mate?