"When it first began.... Who knows when anything really begins? When Dick first told me the plan, it didn't even seem real. Then, the closer we got, the more real it became. Like the crazy stunt had a life of its own and nothing could stop it. Like I was reading a story...and I had to know what was gonna happen. How it would end."

"I despise people who can't control themselves."

"I'd like to apologize, but... who to?"

"Someday, somebody will explain to me the motive of a newspaper. First, you scream, "Find the bastards." Till we find them, you want to get us fired. When we find them, you accuse us of brutality. Before we go into court, you give them a trial by newspaper. When we finally get a conviction, you want to save them by proving they were crazy in the first place."

"Mercy for them. The killers. How fortunate that their amicable attorneys were not present at the Clutter house on that fateful evening. How very fortunate for them that they were not present that evening to plead mercy for the doomed family, because otherwise, they would have found their corpses too. If you allow them life imprisonment, they will be eligible for parole in 7 years. That is the law. Gentlemen, 4 of your neighbors were slaughtered like hogs in a pen by them. They did not strike suddenly in the heat of passion, but for money. They did not kill in vengeance, they planned it for money. And how cheaply those lives were bought. $40. $10 a life. They drove 400 miles to come here. They brought their weapons with them. [picks up a shotgun] This shotgun. [picks up a knife] This dagger. '[picks up a rope] This is the rope they hogtied their victims with. [picks up a vile of blood]]] This is the blood they spilled. Herb Clutter's. They who had no pity, now ask for yours. They who had no mercy, now ask for yours. They who shed no tears, now ask for yours. If you have tears to shed, weep not for them, weep for their victims. [picks up a copy of the Holy Bible] From the way the Holy Bible was quoted here today, You might think the word of God was written only to protect the killers, but they didn't read you this: Exodus 20:13: "Thou shalt not kill." Or this: Genesis 9:12: "Who so sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed.""

"Robert Blake - Perry Smith"

"Scott Wilson - Dick Hickock"

"John Forsythe - Alvin Dewey"

"Paul Stewart - Reporter"

"Gerald S. O'Loughlin - Harold Nye"

"Jeff Corey - Dick's father"

"James Flavin - Clarence Duntz"

"Charles McGraw - Perry's father"

"Doctors. They made a dwarf out of me. Doctors and lawyers. What do they care? Ever see a millionaire fry in the electric chair? Hell, no. There's two kinds of laws, honey: One for the rich and one for the poor."

"It doesn't make sense. I mean what happened. It had nothing to do with the Clutters. They never hurt me. They just happened to be there. I thought Mr. Clutter was a very nice gentleman... I thought so right up to the time I cut his throat."

"[to Paul "Fred" Varjak] But I am mad about Jose. I honestly think I'd give up smoking if he asked me."

"[to Paul "Fred" Varjak] You could always tell what kind of a person a man thinks you are by the earrings he gives you. I must say, the mind reels."

"[to Paul "Fred" Varjak] There are certain shades of limelight that can wreck a girl's complexion."

"But oh golly! Gee damn!"

"[to Paul "Fred" Varjak] I've got to do something about the way I look. I mean a girl just can't go to Sing Sing with a green face."

"I'm like Cat, here. We're a couple of no-name slobs."

"[to Paul "Fred" Varjak] It's useful being top banana in the shock department!"

"[to Paul "Fred" Varjak] Ahh . . . Do I detect a look of disapproval in your eye? Tough beans buddy, 'cause that's the way it's gonna be."

"[singing] Moon River, wider than a mile I'm crossing you in style some day Oh, dream maker, my heart breaker Wherever you're going, I'm going your way …"

"[to Holly Golightly] You know what's wrong with you, Miss Whoever-you-are? You're chicken, you've got no guts. You're afraid to stick out your chin and say, "Okay, life's a fact, people do fall in love, people do belong to each other, because that's the only chance anybody's got for real happiness." You call yourself a free spirit, a "wild thing", and you're terrified somebody's gonna stick you in a cage. Well baby, you're already in that cage. You built it yourself. And it's not bounded in the west by Tulip, Texas, or in the east by Somali-land. It's wherever you go. Because no matter where you run, you just end up running into yourself."

"[to Holly Golightly] I don't think I've ever drunk champagne before breakfast before. With breakfast on several occasions, but never before, before."

"[to Holly Golightly] And I always heard people in New York never get to know their neighbors."

"[to Paul "Fred" Varjak] It should take you exactly four seconds to cross from here to that door. I'll give you two."