Daily Dialogue — May 22, 2014

Loretta: How can I help you, sir?
Foley: Loretta, you see that guy talking to your manager, has his case open?

Foley takes out a ZIPPO LIGHTER and casually, yet expertly, begins to fiddle with it as the teller looks across the bank.

Loretta: That’s Mr. Guindon, one of our assistant managers. Our manager is Mr. Schoen, but he’s not in today.
Foley: But you see the guy with the attache case?
Loretta: (looks again) Yes.
Foley: That’s my partner. He has a gun in there. And if you don’t do exactly what I tell you, or you give me any kind of a problem, I’ll look over at my partner and he’ll shoot your Mr. Guindon between the eyes.

Loretta goes stiff, swallows, stares back at Foley.

Foley: Now take one of those big envelopes and put as many hundreds, fifties and twenties as you can pack into it. Nothing with bank straps or rubber bands. I don’t want any dye packs. I don’t want any bait money. Start with the second drawer and then the one over there, under the computer. Come on, Loretta, the key’s right there to you. No bills off the bottom of the drawer. (as she works) Is this your first time being robbed? [Loretta nods] You’re doing great.

— Out of Sight (1998), screenplay by Scott Frank, novel by Elmore Leonard

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Robbery.

Trivia: Foley appealed to George Clooney because as a boy, his heroes in crime films were always the bank robbers. He liked “the Cagneys and the Bogarts and Steve McQueen. The guys who were kind of bad who you rooted for. And when I read this I thought this guy is robbing a bank but you really want him to get away with it.”

Dialogue On Dialogue: A robbery created completely out of an illusion, so we know Foley is both brazen… and smart.

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