Lonesome Dove (1989)

Robert Duvall: Augustus 'Gus' McCrae

Photos 

Quotes 

• Gus McCrae : Lorie darlin', life in San Francisco, you see, is still just life. If you want any one thing too badly, it's likely to turn out to be a disappointment. The only healthy way to live life is to learn to like all the little everyday things, like a sip of good whiskey in the evening, a soft bed, a glass of buttermilk, or a feisty gentleman like myself.

• Gus McCrae : It's not dying I'm talking about, it's living.

• Woodrow Call : [Call thinks Gus has died]  Augustus.

  Gus McCrae : [opens his eyes]  By God, Woodrow; it's been one hell of a party.

  [dies] 

• Woodrow Call : You ever get tired o' loafin' I reckon you can get a job waitin' on tables.

  Gus McCrae : Oh, I had a job waitin' tables once. S' on a riverboat. I wasn't no older than Newt, there, but I hadda give it up.

  Newt : How come?

  Gus McCrae : Well I was, too young and pretty and the whores wouldn't let me alone.

• [referring to the Hat Creek Cattle Company sign] 

  Woodrow Call : ...and if that ain't bad enough you got all them Greek words on there, too.

  Gus McCrae : I told you, Woodrow, a long time ago it ain't Greek, it's Latin.

  Woodrow Call : Well what does it say in Latin?

  [Gus blusters some gibberish] 

  Woodrow Call : For all you know it invites people to rob us.

  Gus McCrae : Well the first man comes along that can read Latin is welcome to rob us, far as I'm concerned. I'd like a chance t' shoot at a educated man once in my life.

• Gus McCrae : I'm just tryin' to keep everything in balance, Woodrow. You do more work than you got to, so it's my obligation to do less.

• Gus McCrae : A man who wouldn't cheat for a poke don't want one bad enough.

• Gus McCrae : Well, I'm glad I ain't scared to be lazy.

• Woodrow Call : I guess it's our fault we should've shot sooner.

  Gus McCrae : I don't want to start thinking Woodrow of all the things we should have done for this good man.

• Gus McCrae : I could kick you for givin' him all them ideas about Montana. Now we're gonna suffer for the rest of our damn lives.

  Jake Spoon : Yeah, I forgot how determined he can get, once an idea takes root.

• Woodrow Call : We come to this place to make money. They wasn't nothin' about fun in the deal.

  Gus McCrae : What are you talkin' about? You don't even like money. You like money even less than you like fun, if that's possible.

• Gus McCrae : It's an accident she is even on this trip.

  Clara Allen : I never noticed you having accidents with ugly girls.

• Woodrow Call : [riding in San Antonio]  Things sure have changed since the last time I was here. It's all growed up.

  Gus McCrae : Of course it's growed up, Woodrow. He killed all the Indians and bandits so the bankers could move in.

  Woodrow Call : Only a fool would want the Indians back.

  Gus McCrae : Has it ever occurred to you, Woodrow; that all the work we done was for the bankers? Hell, we killed off everybody made this country interestin'!

• Joshua Deets : [in the Wyoming Badlands]  What we doin' up here, Captain? This ain't our land.

  Gus McCrae : Woodrow is determined to be the first man to graze cattle in Montana, even if it kills all of us.

  Joshua Deets : Don't seem right, Captain. A man ought not to leave his land and his people.

• Gus McCrae : Here's to the sunny slopes of long ago.

• Gus McCrae : [Call and McRae are about to hang the Suggs brothers]  Say goodbye to your brothers; I expect you got them into this.

  Dan Suggs : The hell with them! They ain't worth a red piss; and neither are you!

  Gus McCrae : I'll say this, Suggs; you're the kind of man it's a pleasure to hang. If all you can talk is guff, you can talk it to the Devil.

  [Hits Dan's horse with a quirt causing his and Eddie's horse to bolt] 

  Roy Suggs : I shoulda been second. Little Eddie was the youngest.

  Gus McCrae : I apologize, son; I never meant to scare his horse like that. Well, are you ready?

  Roy Suggs : [Shrugs]  Yeah, I guess so.

• Gus McCrae : Is that all you boys can think about; gettin' to Ogallala and spendin' your money on whores?

  Jasper Fant : That's all right for you, Gus; you got Lorena with you. What about the rest of us?

  Gus McCrae : What's good for me might not be good for the weak minded.

• Gus McCrae : [to Jake about his riding with the Suggs]  A man that will go along with five killin's is taking his leaving awful slow.

• Newt : Gus, are you sure the Captain is my father?

  Gus McCrae : Yep, he is.

  Newt : He ain't never mentioned it.

  Gus McCrae : Well, Woodrow ain't much of a mentioner.

• Jake Spoon : A man that will talk to a pig ain't no better than a farmer.

  Gus McCrae : I expected you to own a bank or at least a whorehouse by now Jake. It seems life has been a disappointment to both of us.

  Jake Spoon : That might be so, but by God, I ain't never said a word to a pig.

• Newt : Captain, can I go with you down to the river next time you go? I believe I'm gettin' old enough.

  Woodrow Call : You get old quick, sittin' out here on the porch, talkin'. Best go on to bed.

  Newt : It's still early, Captain.

  Woodrow Call : You go on to bed now, like I told you to.

  Gus McCrae : Now, why did you do that? Best chance the boy's got at a education is listenin' to me talk.

  Woodrow Call : What kinda education is that?

  Gus McCrae : You think he'll learn more shovelin' horse poop for you?

  Woodrow Call : I shoveled my share of it, it ain't hurt me none.

  Gus McCrae : Well, it's fine with me if that's how you wanna make your fortune.

• Gus McCrae : [Coming upon the sodbusters killed by Dan Suggs]  I'god, a man could get rich in the grave digging business around here. Pea, you ought to get a long shovel.

  Pea Eye Parker : I don't think I'd want to do that.

  Woodrow Call : This is a bad bunch we're after.

  Newt : Gus, Jake wouldn't have nothin' to do with something like this!

  Gus McCrae : Jake's always been a drifter Newt. Any wind can blow him.

• [while July Johnson helped Gus McCrae attack the bandits' camp, July's friends were murdered by Blue Duck] 

  July Johnson : It was my fault! Hell, you told me to stay.

  Gus McCrae : I know I did, son. And I'm sure you wished you had. But yesterday's gone, we can't get it back. Now you go on with your digging.

• Gus McCrae : Well we don't rent pigs and I figure it's better to say it right out front because a man that does like to rent pigs is... he's hard to stop

• July Johnson : [Gus walks up on July's bunch in the dark]  Who were they shootin' at?

  Gus McCrae : They were shootin' at me! This is Captain Augustus McRae, Texas Rangers. Now, don't shoot me; I'm walkin' in.

  Gus McCrae : [Shaking hands with July]  Augustus McRae. Those were Blue Duck's boys. I've been chasin' him. He stole a woman and I'm tryin to get her back.

  July Johnson : July Johnson, I'm sheriff in Fort Smith, Arkansas. This is my deputy Roscoe Brown, this is Joe and Janie.

  Gus McCrae : July Johnson! You're that Arkansas sheriff came down lookin' for Jake Spoon. If you're lookin' for Jake, you missed him by about 200 miles.

  July Johnson : I'm not looking for Spoon right now. I've got more urgent business in the North.

  Gus McCrae : I've got to go after Blue Duck. I expect he's up on the Canadian somewhere. If I could trouble you for the loan of a horse, I'll return it and probably a few more.

• Newt : Jake wasn't a killer.

  Gus McCrae : Jake liked to joke. He didn't like to work. I have exactly those same failings myself.