Daily Dialogue — August 23, 2017

General Custer: Well, what’s your answer, muleskinner.
Jack Crabb: General, you go down there.
General Custer: You’re advising me to go into the Coulee?
Jack Crabb: Yes sir.
General Custer: There are no Indians there, I suppose.
Jack Crabb: I didn’t say that. There are thousands of Indians down there. And when they get done with you, there won’t be nothing left but a greasy spot. This ain’t the Washite River, General, and them ain’t helpless women and children waiting for you. They’re Cheyenne brave, and Sioux. You go down there, General, if you’ve got the nerve.
General Custer: Still trying to outsmart me, aren’t you, mule-skinner. You want me to think that you don’t want me to go down there, but the subtle truth is you really don’t want me to go down there!

Custer laughs to himself. Wheels around toward the officer standing behind him.

General Custer: Well! Are you reassured now, Major?

And marches past a befuddled Major.

— Little Big Man (1970), screenplay by Calder Willingham, novel by Thomas Berger

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Advice.

Trivia: In order to get the raspy voice of 121 year-old Jack, Dustin Hoffman sat in his dressing room and screamed at the top of his lungs for an hour.

Dialogue On Dialogue: This is the penultimate moment in the movie. For years, Jack has been seeking revenge against Custer for the slaughter of Jack’s tribe including his Indian wife. He has failed to screw up the courage to do it himself. Here he manages to set the table for Custer’s Last Stand… with nothing but his advice.

This movie is Forrest Gump before Forrest Gump. If you’ve never seen it, you should watch it. Excellent movie.