Quotes about Work

Grandpa Vanderhoff: What are you doing?
Mr. Poppins: Huh? My goodness, I made a mistake. First time in 20 years.
Grandpa Vanderhoff:That's cause for the building to collapse, I suppose, eh?

- Lionel Barrymore (as Martin Vanderhof) in You Can't Take It With You (1938)

Grandpa Vanderhoff: You like this?
Mr. Poppins: Like it?
Grandpa Vanderhoff: This work you're doing?
Mr. Poppins: Oh no, my goodness, no. Land sakes, what am I saying?
Grandpa Vanderhoff: Then why do you do it?

- Lionel Barrymore (as Martin Vanderhof) in You Can't Take It With You (1938)

Grandpa Vanderhoff: Isn't there something else you'd rather be doing than this?
Mr. Poppins: No.
Grandpa Vanderhoff: Oh, go on with you. I don't believe a word you're saying. Go on, tell me, what would you rather be doing than this?

- Lionel Barrymore (as Martin Vanderhof) in You Can't Take It With You (1938)

Grandpa Vanderhoff: What do you mean fooling around with all these dull figures? Seems to me Mr. uh, Poppins... seems to me, Mr. Poppins, that THIS is the kind of work you ought to be doing (inventing things).

- Lionel Barrymore (as Martin Vanderhof) in You Can't Take It With You (1938)

Colonel Saito: Be happy in your work.

- Sessue Hayakawa (as Col. Saito) in The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

Longfellow Deeds: People here are funny. They work so hard at living they forget how to live. Last night, after I left you, I was walking along and - and lookin' at the tall buildings, and I got to thinking about what Thoreau said. 'They created a lot of grand palaces here, but they forgot to create the noblemen to put in them.' I'd rather have Mandrake Falls.

- Gary Cooper (as Longfellow Deeds) in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)

Harvey Greenfield: Oh I don't work for a living, honey. I'm an actor.

- Jack Weston (as Harvey Greenfield) in Cactus Flower (1969)

Mr. McGuire: Plastics.

- Walter Brooke (as Mr. McGuire) in The Graduate (1967)

Abbie Irving: Is there anything else you'd like to know Mr. Hatton?
Wade Hatton: Yes. What do the Doctor and Mrs. Irving think about it?
Abbie Irving: Well, they made the same stupid obections that you're making mentally now -- but when I decide on a thing i usually manage to carry it through.
Wade Hatton: Yes, I've noticed that.

- Errol Flynn (as Wade Hatton) in Dodge City (1939)

Wade Hatton: Of course you realize that people in general are inclined to think that a newspaper office is an odd place for a charming young lady like you to be working, don't you?
Abbie Irving: And are you the delegation sent to tell me that?
Wade Hatton: No, no, no... I just stop trouble around here. I don't start it!

- Errol Flynn (as Wade Hatton) in Dodge City (1939)