Dirty Harry: The Most Iconic Quotes In The Entire Franchise

The first Dirty Harry movie came out at a time when city violence was at an all-time high. The 1970s was a turbulent period for the United States, and its movies reflected the angst of the decade as major problems sprung up both around the world and right here at home. Super actor/director Clint Eastwood’s portrayal of Harry Callahan was a flashpoint for fierce debates about the nature of policing.

The franchise wasn’t all about anti-hero action, but social commentary as well. Each film looked at a particular issue from the points of view of both the law and the victims in question. This sparked some great dialogue, and quite a few memorable quotes to go along with it. If nothing else, it proves that policing is far from a black and white affair.

Updated on December 16th, 2021 by Derek Draven: The Dirty Harry movie franchise might be long gone, but the spirit lives on with a series of memorable and iconic quotes by the titular character. There are many quotes worthy of note, some of which give greater insight into his character. It turns out that Callahan had more going for him than just a dead shot with a .44 magnum. Certain moments in the franchise showcased a thoughtful, even sensitive guy, at least when he wasn’t on the job, and dodging bullets. 

Dirty Harry Is One Morally Ambiguous Character

[Jennifer] “You’re Either A Cop, Or Public Enemy Number One.” [Harry] “Some People Might Say Both.”

In Sudden Impact, Callahan gets roped up in a case involving Jennifer Spencer, a traumatized victim who takes a page out of some of the best female-driven revenge movies of all time. When the two cross paths, they’re immediately drawn to each other, even if she’s a bit reluctant to trust him so soon.

The two share this exchange, which is typical Dirty Harry. He seems all-too-willing to acknowledge that he’s both a cop and a human wrecking ball that tends to rack up enormous damage costs to the city. It’s part of the reason he’s always in so much trouble with the top brass.

Dirty Harry On Counting Ammo

“You’re Out Of Bullets. And You Know What That Means – You’re S*** Outta’ Luck!”

The fifth and final Dirty Harry film was essentially one of Eastwood’s many slasher-type films and tried to send Callahan off with a literal bang, giving him a few memorable quotes to work with. This one is particularly iconic since it encapsulates everything that made the character such a cultural icon since his debut in 1971.

Harry started out as an opinionated, grumpy detective who puts criminals in the ground on an almost daily basis. By the time The Deadpool was released, not much had changed. He was still living in an ever-changing world, but that didn’t stop him from taking aim and blowing criminals away who were out to harm others.

Dirty Harry On Opinions

“Opinions Are Like A*******. Everybody Has One.”

This popular phrase is now practically part of the cultural lexicon, but Harry Callahan beat everyone to the punch decades ago. Not one to mince words, Harry was used to distilling people down to their core elements in a short space of time, or as a means to intimidate anyone he didn’t like.

Here, he makes an accurate, albeit crude analysis of the human condition, and why society has so much trouble getting along. At the end of the day, everyone has their own opinion on how things ought to be done and run, but only the effectiveness of said methods really matters.

Dirty Harry Takes Things Seriously

[Briggs] “It’s A Whole New Ball Game These Days.” [Harry] “Funny. I Never Thought Of It As A Game.”

Over the course of the Dirty Harry films, the titular detective’s methods became less and less tolerable as scrutiny was placed on the police. His superior Briggs was quick to point this out, signaling the end of the fast and loose policing that became so prevalent in the ’60s and ’70s.

Harry, for his part, retorted in typical fashion. Everything made sense to those crafting rules from the top-down, but Harry was in the thick of it, day in and day out. It was life or death, not just for himself and his fellow officers, but to the public he wanted to protect, as well.

Dirty Harry On Getting Results

“It’s A Question Of Methods. Everybody Wants Results, But Nobody Wants To Do What They Have To Do To Get Them Done.”

Harry was known for doing whatever it took to get the job done, within reason. He acted on instinct and impulse, with property damage following in his wake. Fortunately, his instincts proved to be correct nine times out of ten, and his actions saved lives, even if they ended up violating the rules.

Here, he makes a case for the need to deal with the more insidious elements of the criminal underworld by doing things nobody wants to talk about. While Callahan was certainly not a vigilante, he knew that criminals never play by the same rule book as cops do.

Dirty Harry Makes A joke

“Why Don’t You Call Them Right Now And Have Them Send Down An Ambulance. Tell Them There’s Two Sorry-Looking A******* Here With Multiple Contusions, And Various Abrasions And Broken Bones.”

This quote is classic Callahan to a T. While his disenfranchised view of the law and day-in, day-out dealings with the worst elements of society must have taken its toll, Callahan never lost his sense of (very) dry humor. He decides to crash the wedding reception of a crime boss named Threlkis, which leads to some hilarious antics.

Callahan utters this quote when an employee asks for his invitation, and he identifies himself as a cop. Two burly-looking enforcers approach to try and intimidate him, and he tells the young woman to call for an ambulance, which was an attempt to get them both to back down, before things escalated.

Even Dirty Harry Can Have His Nice Moments

[Sunny] “What Does A Girl Have To Do To Go To Bed With You?” [Harry] “Try Knocking On The Door.”

Callahan has never been known for going out and having fun, and he seemed married to the job of being a cop, more than anything else. So it comes as a bit of a shock when his neighbor, Sunny, propositioned him out of the blue one day.

In fact, it’s arguable that Callahan found himself rather humbled, and gobsmacked at her boldness. His rather sweet reply came with a warm smile. In Harry’s line of work, he could have done with some pleasant moments, amidst all the carnage.

Dirty Harry On Shooting

“Nothing Wrong With Shooting, As Long As The Right People Get Shot.”

In Harry’s world, everything operated under a system of rationality and common sense. Commit a crime, and get punished. It was as simple as that. In Magnum Force, Harry utters this quote while discussing police marksmanship with another officer. It’s simple and straightforward, which sums up Callahan’s entire personality.

Harry had been involved in many scuffles over the length of his career, but he always knew when to draw a gun, and when to simply punch a suspect’s lights out. When the former became an inevitable scenario, he didn’t hesitate in pulling the trigger, knowing full well that in his mind, the shooting was entirely justified.

Dirty Harry Always Returns Fire

“I Didn’t Start Shooting At Anyone That Didn’t Start Shooting At Me First.”

Harry’s views on law enforcement were black and white, and one of his unwritten rules was to pull the trigger on people who intended to do either him, or others harm. If they started it, Harry would have undoubtedly finished it, without hesitation.

Those who questioned his methods usually got responses like this one, where Harry spelled out his attitude in plain English. Those foolish enough to draw a gun on Harry tended to meet their end in brutal fashion, courtesy of a high-powered revolver.

Criminals Get No Sympathy From Dirty Harry

“Well, I’m All Broken Up About That Man’s Rights!”

Callahan wasn’t the least bit concerned with the well-being of the Scorpio killer, and he realized that the current system of law was responsible for bogging down the case in so much legal red tape that it ended up costing the life of an innocent woman. After successfully tracking and arresting Scorpio, Callahan thought he would serve jail time for the death of the young girl he kidnapped.

But he was chewed out for the use of police brutality and denial of the Scorpio’s rights, despite the killer’s sadistic nature. Callahan uttered this quote with angry sarcasm while wondering why the legal system was more concerned about Scorpio’s rights than the brutal death of an innocent young girl.

Dirty Harry On The System

“Briggs, I Hate The Goddamn System! But Until Someone Comes Along With Changes That Make Sense, I’ll Stick With It!”

This quote came courtesy of Magnum Force, which pitted Callahan against a group of rogue police officers who took a page from Hollywood vigilante revenge flicks and dispensed their own brand of justice. It put him in a very precarious position since he himself loathed the system he was forced to operate within, and frequently bent the rules to get the job done.

These cops crossed a line Harry would never have dreamt of, however. When confronted by the ringleader Briggs, Callahan speaks this quote which sums up his frustration and reluctant dedication to the oath he took as a police officer, even if it meant letting criminals off the hook.

Dirty Harry Tests A Candidate

“I’m Just Trying To Find Out If Anybody In This Room Knows What The Hell Law Is Being Broken, Besides Cruelty To Animals!”

Callahan hated everyone equally so it was no surprise that he was unforgiving and unpleasant to everybody when he found himself reviewing a candidate for the role of inspector.

In an attempt to test the candidate’s focus, Harry concocted a hypothetical what-if scenario involving some lewd and questionable proclivities, which quickly drew the ire of his fellow examiners. Harry responded with this quote, to make a point. The candidate is able to answer though, citing specific laws and actually showing Callahan up.

How Dirty Harry Got His Name

“Now You Know Why They Call Me ‘Dirty Harry’. I Get Every Dirty Job That Comes Along.”

Harry Callahan’s newest partner Chico Gonzalez spends his first few days trying to figure out why everyone calls him “Dirty Harry.” Several theories pop up before the two are called in to deal with a man potentially trying to jump from the top of a building. Callahan decides to take the job by going up onto the ledge, presumably to talk him down.

Instead, he uses a humorous bit of reverse psychology to get the jumper to attack him. After punching him in the face and knocking him out to save his life, Callahan returns to Gonzalez and speaks this quote, which finally sheds some light on his nickname.

Dirty Harry’s One-Liner In Magnum Force

“A Man’s Got To Know His Limitations.”

The final act of Magnum Force features Callahan taking out the rogue group of cops in one final showdown. When the act is done, Harry returns to a car, only to be confronted by the ringleader Briggs. Rather than kill Callahan, he reveals that he intends to frame him for murder, and prosecute him using the same system he hates.

Unbeknownst to Briggs, Callahan activates a mailbox box bomb which triggers when Briggs drives off, thinking he’s won. Callahan watches the explosion before uttering this quote, which is a fitting end to the renegade cop crew.

Dirty Harry Tells The Captain Where To Stick His Badge

“Here’s A Seven Point Suppository, Captain!”

It’s safe to say that Harry Callahan had little patience for authority figures, primarily because they had a tendency to jam him up and prevent him from doing his work the way he wanted to. Yet, the world was changing, and Callahan couldn’t quite keep up with the laundry list of new laws that seemed to protect criminals more and more while leaving cops and citizens left to hold the bag.

In The Enforcer, Harry takes his insubordination to a new level when Captain McKay gives him a sixty-day suspension, which quickly blossoms into one hundred and eighty. Enraged by the decision, Harry hands him his badge and delivers this hilarious quote, before dumbing it down with a follow-up that Captain McKay could understand better.

Dirty Harry On Hot Dogs

“You Know What Makes Me Really Sick To My Stomach? Is Watching You Stuff Your Face With Those Hot Dogs! Nobody, I Mean Nobody Puts Ketchup On A Hot Dog!”

Harry Callahan had seen the worst society had to offer, and by all accounts, it should have gotten to him more than it did. Yet, he always clung to a twisted sense of humor in order to deal with it all, which might have been enough to keep him teetering on the side of good.

When a fellow cop asks him if the carnage is getting to him, Harry goes off on a rant about the rising crime, the horrible acts of violence, and a government mired in bureaucracy. He then drops this quote and reveals what really bothers him more than anything, which is one of the most hilarious moments of the franchise.

Dirty Harry On The Scorpio Killer

“Cause He Looks Too Damn Good, That’s How!”

In the first Dirty Harry film, things got personal between Callahan and the Scorpio killer, especially after the latter was let off a murder charge based on improper police procedure. Callahan made it his mission to shadow the Scorpio anywhere he went during his off-hours, prompting the killer to take drastic measures.

He paid someone to beat his face to a pulp, then ran in front of the media to try and frame Callahan. When his superiors suspected him of doing the deed, he proclaimed his innocence. When they asked why, Callahan replied with this quote, which is both hilarious, and intimidating at the same time.

An Iconic Dirty Harry Quote

“Go Ahead. Make My Day!”

Most Dirty Harry fans recognize this quote as the semi-ultimate, and it’s gone down as one of the most iconic in movie history, which is no small feat for a single action franchise. In fact, it might be one of the most defining quotes of the cops and robbers movie genre ever committed to film.

Clint Eastwood defines this popular quote, which his character utters for the first time when a diner is held up in the middle of the afternoon. Rather than back down from the thugs inside, he confidently points his trusty .44. Magnum, and drops this quote that would intimidate even the seediest criminal.

Dirty Harry’s Most Famous Line?

“You’ve Gotta’ Ask Yourself A Question. ‘Do I Feel Lucky?’ Well, Do Ya…PUNK?” 

This quote comes straight from the titular first film during the most iconic moment in the entire Dirty Harry franchise. Callahan first utters it after a dangerous shootout with a gang of bank robbers in the middle of the afternoon, only to repeat it when he faces down the Scorpio in the final act.

In the first instance, the thug didn’t feel very lucky, but in the second instance, Scorpio clearly did. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out well when Callahan shot him dead in the chest with an explosively powerful .44 Magnum round, ending his terror campaign for good.

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