Algiers (1938)

Charles Boyer: Pepe le Moko

Photos 

Quotes 

• Gaby : It's late. I must go.

  Pepe le Moko : Suppose you don't come tomorrow?

  Gaby : Suppose I don't? Can't you ever get away from the Casbah?

  Pepe le Moko : Why do you ask?

  Gaby : Can't you?

  Pepe le Moko : No. I'm caught here, like a bear in a hole. Dogs barking, hunters all around, no way out of it. Do you like that? Maybe it's lucky for you.

  Gaby : I don't like it. And it's not lucky.

  Pepe le Moko : You're right. If you don't come back, I might do anything. I might go down to your hotel to get you.

  Gaby : Tomorrow, Pepe.

  Pepe le Moko : Tomorrow?

  Gaby : I never break a promise.

• Pepe le Moko : What did you do before?

  Gaby : Before what?

  Pepe le Moko : Before... the jewels.

  Gaby : I wanted them.

• Pepe le Moko : You're beautiful. That's easy to say. I know that other people have told you. But what I'm telling you is different, see? For to me you're more than that.

• Pepe le Moko : Did you ever see a clock that pointed to two and struck four when it is really quarter-past-twelve? Well, your friend Regis is like that. He doesn't ring true.

• Pepe le Moko : You know what I like about you?

  Inspector Slimane : No. But, I'm humbly waiting for you to tell me.

  Pepe le Moko : Your face. It's a perfect face for your job. To look that false is almost the equivalent of being honest.

• Inspector Slimane : I'm sorry, Pepe. He thought you were going to escape.

  Pepe le Moko : And so I have, my friend.

• Pepe le Moko : No. Pearls don't suit you at all, Carlos. You're not the type.

  Grandpere : He'd look better with rings in his ears.

  Pepe le Moko : Yes and one in his nose.

  Grandpere : He's definitely uncouth.

  Pepe le Moko : You took the words out of my mouth.

• Inspector Slimane : Was there anything special about her?

  Pepe le Moko : Yes. Pearls. The color I like. Handcuffs I can appreciate. Platinum and diamonds. And she didn't buy that perfume in Algiers.

  Inspector Slimane : So, all you noticed was the jewels and perfume?

  Pepe le Moko : Was there anything else?

  Inspector Slimane : What about the eyes?

  Pepe le Moko : Well, they all have eyes. But, all of that chichi and jingle - you don't see much of that in the Casbah.

  Inspector Slimane : But you do where she comes from.

• Pepe le Moko : So, you wanted to take another look at the strange, wild animal?

  Gaby : Strange - but, not so very wild.

  Pepe le Moko : How do you like my cage?

  Gaby : I don't know - yet.

• Pepe le Moko : [admiring Gaby's diamond bracelet]  This is something.

  Gaby : Isn't it. And it hardly weighs anything. Look.

  Pepe le Moko : At least 20,000 francs, hmm?

  Gaby : Add a zero.

  Pepe le Moko : Oh, I mean, what I would get for it.

  [Gaby laughs] 

  Pepe le Moko : Here, put it on again.

  Gaby : You put it on.

• Pepe le Moko : What are you laughing at?

  Gaby : Nothing.

  Pepe le Moko : Too bad.

  Gaby : Too bad?

  Pepe le Moko : Too bad I don't know you better.

  Gaby : Why?

  Pepe le Moko : Because, I would slap your face. When people laugh around me, I like to know why.

• Gaby : I'll come back.

  Pepe le Moko : When?

  Gaby : As soon as I can.

  Pepe le Moko : When?

  Gaby : Tomorrow.

  Pepe le Moko : How can I be sure?

  Gaby : I never break a promise.

• Pepe le Moko : Do you know what you are to me? Paris. That's you. Paris. With you, I escape. Follow me? The whole town. A Spring morning in Paris. You're lovely. You're marvelous. And you know what you remind me of? The subway. Close your eyes. Listen. Can you hear it?

  Gaby : That's my heart beating.

  Pepe le Moko : Does it go like a subway train?

  Gaby : Faster.

  Pepe le Moko : You're all silk and you jingle when you walk and with all that chichi you make me think of the subway. Isn't that funny?

• Pepe le Moko : It's not your fault.

  Ines : I won't let you do it. I won't let you! You'll be killed.

  Pepe le Moko : Then, blame it on the Casbah.

• Pepe le Moko : Don't take so many chances. That's foolish. I don't want a bullet to come between us.

• Ines : Why don't you believe me, Pepe? All I want is to please you. I couldn't lie to you.

  Pepe le Moko : Couldn't you? What about all that time you kept telling me that you didn't like me?

  Ines : But, this is serious.

  Pepe le Moko : Ah, so? Love is not serious?

• Pepe le Moko : That was nice of him.

  Ines : That's what I thought.

  Pepe le Moko : Is that all that you thought?

  Ines : Was there anything else for me to think?

  Pepe le Moko : [laughs]  That's what I like about you.

  Ines : What?

  Pepe le Moko : Never mind.

• Pepe le Moko : Hold out your hand.

  [reveals a ring] 

  Pepe le Moko : Don't grab! It's unlucky.

  Ines : Are you going to give it to me, Pepe?

  Pepe le Moko : No. It's for some fat, old woman.

  Ines : Let me have it, Pepe. Sometime, I'll get fat.

• Pepe le Moko : He's funny, my friend Slimane. He looks normal, doesn't he? But, he has delusions of grandeur. He thinks he can arrest me.

  Inspector Slimane : Exactly what I'm going to do, Pepe.

  Pepe le Moko : Sure. Sure-sure-sure-sure. How you make me laugh.

• Inspector Slimane : We had one rather unpleasant experience.

  Pepe le Moko : Yeah?

  Inspector Slimane : With you.

  Pepe le Moko : She didn't think so.

• Pepe le Moko : What did she say?

  Inspector Slimane : Well, you know women. They talk about nothing. I hardly listen.

• Pepe le Moko : Doesn't it give you a headache to ask so many questions?

  Ines : No. Why? Have you got a headache?

  Pepe le Moko : Oh-no. I'm thinking.

  Ines : Well, that's sure to give you a headache.

  Pepe le Moko : I don't think with my head; but, with my heart.

• Pepe le Moko : Oh-la-la, la-la.

• Gaby : Let me go.

  Pepe le Moko : Why should I?

  Gaby : Because I asked you.

  Pepe le Moko : Say please.

  Gaby : You're rude.

  Pepe le Moko : Am I?

• Carlos : I'm going downtown.

  Pepe le Moko : What for?

  Carlos : I'm like you, I'm bored.

  Pepe le Moko : Are you beating your wife?

  Carlos : Just a little.

• Tania : Poor Carlos.

  Pepe le Moko : Oh-la-la, la-la-la-la. The same old story.

  Tania : Well, life is like that.

  Pepe le Moko : Yeah. And we're dumb enough to hang on, because, we don't want the story to end. Smart.

• L'Arbi : Pepe, I'm ashamed of myself.

  Pepe le Moko : What's new about that?

• Pepe le Moko : [singing]  Life is simple if you try, To enjoy before you die, Every bit of happiness along the way, Take the joy that comes to you, Celebrate what is new, With a song that keeps you dancing every day. C'est la vie, Fall in love and life is folly. That's right. You don't need money, If you've got a little honey in your arms...

• Pepe le Moko : [singing]  C'est la vie, That's the life we should be living: Kisses morning, noon and evening, That's the life that I've been living. C'est l'amour! C'est la vie, There is nothing like that feeling, Tell me what is more appealing, Than the feeling you're in love? Mais oui!

• Ines : You can't do it, Pepe. You can't leave me. What have I done?

  Pepe le Moko : There's nothing to do with you, Ines. You're a good pip; but, this can't be helped.