'Round Midnight (1986)

Dexter Gordon: Dale Turner

Photos 

Quotes 

• Dale : You know, Lady Francis, there's not enough kindness in the world.

• Dale : Listen to that, Francis. The swing bands used to be all straight tonics seventh chords. And then, with the Basie band I heard Lester Young and he sounded like he came out of the blue. Because he was playing all the color tones the sixths and the ninths and major sevenths. You know, like Debussy and Ravel. Then Charlie Parker came on and he began to expand and he went into elevenths and thirteenths and flat fives. Luckily, I was going in the same direction already. You just don't go out and pick a style off a tree one day. The tree is inside you growing naturally.

• [Drunken man downs liquor and passes out flat on his back] 

  Dale : S'il vous plait, I would like to have the same thing he had.

• Dale : Berangere... that's a big name for a little girl.

• Dale : I hope, Lady Francis, that we live long enough to see an avenue named after Charlie Parker, a Lester Young Park, a Duke Ellington Square. And even, a street named Dale Turner.

• Francis : You are tired, Dale?

  Dale : Oh yes. I'm tired... of everything except the... the music.

• Dale : Happiness is a nice wet Rico reed.

• Francis : When you were talking to the doctor, I was listening.

  Dale : [with mock indignation]  You were?... Was I good?

• Dale : But never, never again, man. Don't cry for me. Never again, Francis.

  Francis : What else can I do... when you are killing yourself.

  Dale : I'll stop.

  Francis : Stop?

  Dale : I promise.

  Francis : How? You never stopped before.

  Dale : I never promised anybody before.

• Dale : It's funny how the world is inside of nothing. I mean you have your heart and soul inside of you. Babies are inside of their mothers. Fish are out there... in the water. But the world... is inside of nothing. I don't know if I like this or not, but you'd better write it down.

• Dale : Well, this establishment has never been known for its... conviviality.

• Dale : Ben, just one vin rouge.

  Ben : Buttercup says no.

  Dale : Buttercup is really not my mother. Come on, man!

  Ben : Makes you sick, Dale.

  Dale : Not good wine. Just don't serve me that stuff you serve your customers.

• Dale : My life is music. My love is music. And it's 24 hours a day.

• [Francis puts on a record] 

  Dale : Francis, who is that playing?

  Francis : Who is playing? It's you. You just made a record.

  Dale : Not bad.

• Dale : S.O.S. Same old shit.

• Dale : They're always paying all the wrong people in this world.

• Dale : You know, it just occurred to me that bebop was invented by the cats who did get out of the army.

• Dale : You just don't go out and pick a style off a tree one day. The tree's inside you, growing naturally.

• Dale : Dale's cool.

• Francis : Dale, you were happy in Paris?

  Dale : [long pause]  Very pretty town.

• Dale : Aimez-vous basketball?

• Dale : Hey, Lady Francis!