MovieChat Forums > Stagecoach (1939) Discussion > Foreshadowing of things to come. A quote...

Foreshadowing of things to come. A quote from Gatewood from the movie.

posted 8 years ago by dgs516
4 replies | jump to latest

Henry Gatewood: [clutching valise with embezzled funds] I can't get over the impertinence of that young lieutenant. I'll make it warm for that shake-tail! I'll report him to Washington - we pay taxes to the government and what do we get? Not even protection from the army! I don't know what the government is coming to. Instead of protecting businessmen, it pokes its nose into business! Why, they're even talking now about having *bank* examiners. As if we bankers don't know how to run our own banks! Why, at home I have a letter from a popinjay official saying they were going to inspect my books. I have a slogan that should be blazoned on every newspaper in this country: America for the Americans! The government must not interfere with business! Reduce taxes! Our national debt is something shocking. Over one billion dollars a year! ......What this country needs is a businessman for president!

Funny that it is possible that we might have Donald Trump, a businessman, for President after all.

[–] mjz688 8 years ago

It's five months later and I just watched Stagecoach for the first tim3, and I was stuck by the same thing you were re: Gatewood's speech.

And it's looking more prophetic with each passing day, unfortunately.

[–] tyler_durden900 7 years ago

George W. Bush has an MBA from Harvard.

[–] MAGolding (1096) 7 years ago

Did Gatewood say "Over one billion dollars a year!" or "Over one million dollars a year!"? And was he talking about the yearly spending, the yearly budget deficit, or the total national debt?

As far as I know one million dollars would be far too small for any of those in the 1880s which one billion dollars would be far too large for any of them in the 1880s.

I should point out to some non Americans on this board that an American means 1,000,000,000 when he says "a billion" and not 1,000,000,000,000. When an American means 1,000,000,000,000 he says "a trillion" and not "a billion".

It is possible that Dudley Nichols, the writer of Stagecoach, put in "Over one billion dollars a year!" to make the amounts make sense for a 1930s audience.

[–] Jes' Sayin' (5947) 4 years ago

Just saw this movie in a theater and that particular line got a huge laugh. :)