Nine to Five (1980)

Dabney Coleman: Franklin Hart, Jr.

Photos 

Quotes 

• Franklin Hart, Jr. : [Judy's fantasy - she's a big game hunter and Hart is the prey]  Judy? Judy, you've got to help me; that mob out there is crazy; they're trying to kill me!

  Judy Bernly : Now, why would they want ot do a nasty little thing like that?

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : I don't know! I'm not such a bad guy!

  Judy Bernly : You're a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot.

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : So I have a few faults; who doesn't? Is that any reason to kill me?

  Judy Bernly : You're foul, Hart. A wart on the nose of humanity and I'm going to blast it off.

  [she points her shotgun at him] 

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : [giggling nervously]  Judy... Judy... Judy...

  Judy Bernly : Goodbye boss man. It's quittin' time.

• [Violet's fantasy - she's Snow White and Hart is the villain] 

  Violet Newstead : Your coffee, Mr. Hart.

  [Hart drinks the coffee, steam comes from his ears, he screams and his head spins around on his neck] 

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : I think there was something in that coffee.

  Violet Newstead : I think you're right.

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : I think it was poison.

  Violet Newstead : Right again.

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : I think you did it.

  Violet Newstead : [singing]  Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

  [sticks tongue out] 

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : Why?

  Violet Newstead : Why do you think?

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : Because I'm a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot?

  Violet Newstead : Bingo.

• Violet Newstead : Okay, I'm gonna leave, but let me tell you one thing before I go: don't you *ever* refer to me as "your girl" again.

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : What in God's name are you talking about?

  [Doralee enters] 

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : Doralee, now what are we gonna do about this chair?

  Violet Newstead : I'll tell you what I'm talking about: I'm no girl; I'm a woman, do you hear me? I'm not your wife - thank God - or your mother...

  [gesturing toward Doralee] 

  Violet Newstead : ... or even your mistress.

  Doralee Rhodes : [shocked]  What?

  Violet Newstead : I am your *employee* and, as such, I expect to be treated equally, with a little dignity and a little respect!

  Doralee Rhodes : What do you mean, *mistress*?

  Violet Newstead : Doralee, just come off it, for God's sake. The whole office knows you two are having an affair.

  Doralee Rhodes : WHO'S BEEN SAYING WE'RE HAVING AN AFFAIR?

  Violet Newstead : Who's been saying it? HE has.

  [leaves] 

  Doralee Rhodes : What? So! You've been telling everybody I'm sleeping with you, huh? Well, that explains it; that's why these people treat me like some dime-store floozy. They all think I'm screwing the boss!

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : No, no... That's not it at all...!

  Doralee Rhodes : Oh, and you just love it, don't you! It gives you some sort of cheap thrill, like knocking over pencils, and picking up papers...

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : Doralee, let's don't get excited here...

  Doralee Rhodes : Get your scummy hands off me. Look, I've been straight with you since the first day I got here. And I've put up will all your groping and ogling and hollow apologies and chasing me around the desk, because I need this job. BUT THIS IS THE LAST STRAW!

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : All right, now, let's... Let's just sit down here and...

  Doralee Rhodes : Look, I've got a gun out there in my purse. And up to now, I've been forgiving and forgetting because of the way I was brought up. But I'll tell you one thing: If you ever say another word about me or make another indecent proposal, I'm gonna get that gun of mine... And I'm gonna change you from a rooster to a hen with one shot!

  [calls back over her shoulder while storming out of the office] 

  Doralee Rhodes : DON'T THINK I CAN'T DO IT!

  [slams the door and then keeps going] 

• Doralee Rhodes : [Hart mistakenly believes Doralee, Violet and Judy have attempted to murder him]  ... But it really was a mistake, Mr. Hart! Violet put the poison in strictly by *accident*!

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : Oh, really? Well, she might be able to get a jury and the press to believe that; then again, she might not. But I think the real question, here, is whether or not *you* want to take that chance.

  Doralee Rhodes : Just what are you driving at?

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : It's very simple. You come over to my house for the night, and I'll forget the whole thing - maybe.

  Doralee Rhodes : [disgusted]  Mr. Hart, you are a *MONSTER*!

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : Is that a "no"? Too bad.

  Doralee Rhodes : Mr. Hart, I'm begging you, think about what you're doing here! Do you really wanna destroy all three of our lives, for no reason?

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : I'm not the one who started this; it was you three who did the plotting, and now you gotta pay the consequences.

  Doralee Rhodes : Well, I'm not gonna let you do this!

  [She rips out the cord for his desk-phone] 

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : There's another phone over there, Doralee... which reminds me of something else I wanted to talk with you about. See, I have a great sense of humor about most things...

  [He holds up the scarf which Violet was tricked into buying for Doralee] 

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : ... But I just don't appreciate it, at all, when people like you give back my presents.

  Doralee Rhodes : You are *rotten*, Mr. Hart; has anybody ever told you that? I don't know whether you were born this way, or whether you actually had to work on it, but you are *EVIL*!

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : Oh, good. I love when you get angry like that.

  [He reaches for his other phone] 

  Doralee Rhodes : Mr. Hart, if you touch that phone, I'm gonna jerk it clean out of the wall!

  [With an exaggerated diabolical laugh, he sticks his finger in the dial. She wrenches his hand away from the phone, and behind his back, with a force that nearly snaps his wrist. Then she hog-ties him with the cord and gags him with the scarf] 

• [in Doralee's fantasy, she's the boss making advances toward her secretary Hart] 

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : Mrs. Rhodes... I am a married man.

  Doralee Rhodes : Forget about your wife! I mean, you may be hers in the evening, but you're my boy from nine to five!

• Judy Bernly : You gave me your word that you wouldn't escape if I loosened the ropes.

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : I lied!

• Doralee Rhodes : Mr. Hart, I'm a married woman!

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : And I'm a married man. That's what makes it so perfect.

• [the captive Franklin Hart, tied down to his bed, has just been informed by Judy and Company about their finding the company-owned Ajax Warehouse cleaned out] 

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : An empty warehouse? What's wrong with that?

  Violet Newstead : That's what Billy Sol Estes said, remember? He got 15 years on Alcatraz for embezzlement.

  Judy Bernly : That warehouse is supposed to be filled with inventory from Consolidated. But you sold all of it and you pocketed the money... which explains how you could afford this mansion.

  Doralee Rhodes : We keep underrating you, fella. We always knew you were an obnoxious, philandering, sexist backstabber... but we didn't realize you were a crook to boot.

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : You'll never be able to prove any of that.

  Violet Newstead : Well, I'm gonna order the invoices from CC's head office on Monday. I think you'll see things our way, once they arrive.

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : [getting angry]  You tangle with me, and I hope you're prepared to play dirty and rough. I'll be damned if I let myself be stopped by three dim-witted broads! I'm gonna get...

  [struggling against the ropes] 

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : I'm gonna get loose, even if I have to kill someone to do it!

• Franklin Hart, Jr. : [Hart is about to be "promoted," and shanghaied from CC to Brazil, by Tinsworthy]  Mister Tinsworthy, I can't tell you how much I appreciate this; but...

  Tinsworthy : So you accept. Very good. Let's just go on up to Hinkle's office and work out the details, shall we?

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : How can I move to Brazil?

  Tinsworthy : Oh, we're talking about an indefinite leave of absence. I'll have my own people liquidate your assets, so you won't need to hire a house-sitter. And you've done an incredible job of training your assistants, so we'll let them take over. Violet, how would you like to fill this man's shoes?

  [He doesn't even wait for her response] 

  Tinsworthy : Good. The spot's yours. Keep making us proud.

  [She beams, while Tinsworthy marches Hart into the elevator] 

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : Mister Tinsworthy, the jungle...

  Tinsworthy : Jungle, hell! I'm offering you the chance of a lifetime! Two or three years down there, and you'll never wanna come back.

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : [stutters uncontrollably]  D-d-did y-you s-say *years*?

  Tinsworthy : Yeah, the climate down there will do your health a world of good. Besides, I hear your wife just LOVES to travel.

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : My wife? Oh, God...! Really, Mister Tinsworthy, I just...!

  Tinsworthy : [firmly cutting him off]  Hart! Before you say another word, let me make this perfectly clear: I didn't get where I'm at today by taking "no" for an answer! That said, welcome aboard. You know, in the words of Humphrey Bogart, "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship".

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : [feebly to himself as the elevator doors close]  Brazil...? I guess it beats Alcatraz.

• Violet Newstead : [Hart has recently stolen Violet's plan for color-coding CC's accounts, presenting said plan as his own; Violet let him do so, hoping that he'll compensate by giving her a promotion scheduled for the near future. But, instead...]  ... How dare you give that promotion to *Bob Enright* instead of me! I've got *five years* seniority over him!

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : I know that. Don't go flying off the handle, now...

  Violet Newstead : For Chrissakes, I *trained* him - just like I trained *you*!

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : I know that, too, but the Company...

  Violet Newstead : Don't you give me that song-and-dance about the Company! It was *your* decision; *you* promoted him; just tell me why.

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : First of all, Bob does have a college degree...

  Violet Newstead : What kind? Is it a Master's Degree, like mine? Or is it just a Bachelor's Degree?

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : ...It's an Associate's Degree.

  Violet Newstead : Oh, *brilliant*! While he's earning his pathetic little *Associate's* Degree, I'm working my hands to the bone for this Company!

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : Second of all, Bob does have a wife and a newborn child to support...

  Violet Newstead : And *I'm* just a *widow*, with *four teenagers*? Since when does that make a difference, anyhow? Especially to you; you can't stand kids! That's not exactly classified information around here.

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : Violet. My hands are tied. *The Company needs a MAN in this position*. Surveys show that clients would rather deal with men when it comes to figures.

  Violet Newstead : Oh, now I get it. I lose a promotion because of some idiotic, biased *survey*. The Boys in the Club are all threatened and intimidated by any woman who doesn't ride at the back of the proverbial bus.

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : Spare me the Women's Lib crap, all right? Now, I know how you feel, and I understand.

  Violet Newstead : How could you understand, when you've never been passed over for being the wrong gender?

• [repeated line] 

  Franklin Hart, Jr. : Holy shit!