Detective Lt. Mike Stone quotes from The Streets of San Francisco

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

A cop's life is like looking down a long hall of mirrors. Every case shows him another part of himself. And if he hates what he's looking at, he can't do his job.

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

[to Groat] You were here, too, huh? The three of you. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

Our u-turns are fringe benefits; his are illegal.

Now listen...

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

No, you're right, Roy, I was way out of line. But a policeman's been shot - a brother. And there's some born scum out there laughing about it right now and I want to see him nailed.

Yeah, I understand.

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

I just want to make sure that the law stands by a man who spent his whole life trying to make it work.

Okay, you call the shots.

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

[rousting an ex-con] He used a .38 to cut down a cop.

Shot a cop? He can't be all bad.

Okay, take it easy.

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

Now you know what's walking, running, and crawling. You know who's hard up and wo's holding on. I want you on the street with your ear to the pavement, and I want the name of that punk who pulled the trigger. You just call me every hour on the hour.

Or what?

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

You just be two minutes late and I'll show you "or what."

Inspector Steve Keller

[Bringing Beverly's "trick book" to Stone] There's gotta be over 200 names in this thing.

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

Anybody we know?

Inspector Steve Keller

[Chuckling] I always thought you were a voyeur.

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

I find out what that means, you can be back driving a black-and-white again.

Inspector Steve Keller

You mean the only twelve nights off I've had all year?

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

Alright, how about tomorrow? Dodgers again? Huh? We can go out early and grab a couple of hot dogs, watch batting practice.

Inspector Steve Keller

Mike, Mike. You ever stop to think, maybe I wanna see someone with a face a little prettier than yours once in a while?

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

Alright. Alright, if I didn't know how much you hated baseball, I could take that personally.

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

[Admiring a Mattisse print on Gilliam's wall] It's framed beautifully. Yeah, they all are.

I have them custom-made to complement each particular piece.

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

Who does the work for you?

Various people. But why do you ask, Lieutenant? Are you planning on having someone framed?

He said this was gonna be our private tower just like the one the poet built in Big Sur.

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

Poet?

Inspector Steve Keller

Robinson Jeffers. He built his own place out of rocks, called it a "Tower Beyond Tragedy."

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

I'd call him a dreamer. Man hasn't come up with a place that safe yet.

Some men keep trying.

Thank you.

It's not one thing just living here like this and knowing people who do less have more because they are Anglo and watching his father spend his whole life being humiliated by weaker men, watching him die, broken and defeated and losing all respect for him for him because of it. And then when he went to college in San Jose, I changed his name. No more Jaime. Now "James". No more Martinez. Now "Martin".

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

You did that?

I wanted my son to have a chance at something good now.

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

But he has had, at least I think so. He has a chance to be a good cop. But he has to accept people for what they are. And he can't do that if he doesn't accept himself first.

A "Wetback"? A "Picker"? A "Mex"? A "Greaser"? This what my son has been called all his life. Is that what he should accept Mr. Stone?

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

Where's Keller?

I tried reaching him at home like you asked, but...

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

I know. He's got his own night shift going.

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

Don't you ever answer the phone?

Inspector Steve Keller

Not when it's in the refrigerator, no.

Inspector Steve Keller

[In response to Stone implying that because of work he'll cancel his planned Hawaiian vacation] You know you really are a character. You don't trust anybody with your city, do ya?

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

My city? What are you talkin' about, "my city"?

Inspector Steve Keller

You know what I'm talking about; it's the truth. You don't take ten minutes for lunch, how are you gonna go take ten days sittin' under a tree?

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

I'll tell you what I'm gonna take - I'm gonna take you apart in just ten seconds!

Inspector Steve Keller

All right, Lieutenant, that's it.

Inspector Steve Keller

You have the right to remain silent...

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

Oh, c'mon! OUT!

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

Are you OK?

Inspector Steve Keller

[Breathing heavily] Like a cold shower after a hard workout. [Mike laughs] What are you laughing about?

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

[Mike points and laughs at Steve] You.

Inspector Steve Keller

What?

Inspector Steve Keller

What?

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

What time you got?

Inspector Steve Keller

[Steve checks his watch] What are you worried about the time- Oh man!

Inspector Steve Keller

What are you laughing about? You blew another hundred-dollar deposit to Hawaii!

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

Oh! Maybe next year.

Inspector Steve Keller

Yeah, yeah.

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

Don't forget your coat.

Inspector Steve Keller

Sure.

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

Pick up your shoes.

Inspector Steve Keller

I got my shoes!

The mayor wants you on this one, lieutenant, and, uh, what's his name, your partner there?

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

Oh, this is Inspector Keller, Steve Keller.

Keller.

Inspector Steve Keller

Mr. Skowlownowski.

The mayor wants you to accept full responsibility for this thing so nothing gets lost between desks, got it?

Detective Lt. Mike Stone

Yessir, yessir.

I'll tell you, I have had it with these political assassinations! You don't like somebody else's view, you just get a gun and you blow 'em apart. Maybe the doomsday boys are right. Maybe this is the end of the world.