Prince Don Fabrizio Salina: Sleep, my dear Chevalley, eternal sleep, that is what Sicilians want. And they will always resent anyone who tries to awaken them, even to bring them the most wonderful of gifts. And, between ourselves, I doubt very strongly whether this new Kingdom has very many gifts for us in its luggage. All Sicilian expression, even the most violent, is really a wish for death. Our sensuality, wish for oblivion. Our knifings and shootings, a hankering after extinction. Our laziness, our spiced and drugged sherbets, a desire for voluptuous immobility, that is... for death again.


--Burt Lancaster (as Prince Don Fabrizio Salina) in The Leopard

Prince Don Fabrizio Salina: Things will have to change in order that they remain the same.


--Burt Lancaster (as Prince Don Fabrizio Salina) in The Leopard

Prince Don Fabrizio Salina: We were the leopards, the lions, those who take our place will be jackals and sheep, and the whole lot of us - leopards, lions, jackals and sheep - will continue to think ourselves the salt of the earth.


--Burt Lancaster (as Prince Don Fabrizio Salina) in The Leopard

Prince Don Fabrizio Salina: We're not blind in spirit, Father. We're just human beings in a changing world.


--Burt Lancaster (as Prince Don Fabrizio Salina) in The Leopard

Prince Don Fabrizio Salina: Yes, love, of course! Fire and flames for a year, ashes for thirty. I too know what love is.


--Burt Lancaster (as Prince Don Fabrizio Salina) in The Leopard

Prince Don Fabrizio Salina: You know what is happening in our country? Nothing... simply an imperceptible replacement of one class for another. The middle class doesn't want to destroy us. It simply wants to take our place... and very gently.


--Burt Lancaster (as Prince Don Fabrizio Salina) in The Leopard

Benjamin Trane: [looking to buy a horse] How much?
Joe Erin: $100... gold!
Benjamin Trane: That's mighty hard.
Joe Erin: So's walkin'!


--Burt Lancaster (as Joe Erin) in Vera Cruz

Benjamin Trane: You just can't do enough for me, can yuh, Joe?
Joe Erin: Why not? You're the first friend I ever had.


--Burt Lancaster (as Joe Erin) in Vera Cruz

Suzanne Renaud: I like courage. What do you like Mr. Davis?
Mike Davis: Honesty.


--Burt Lancaster (as Mike Davis) in Rope of Sand

Suzanne Renaud: I'm giving you so much trouble.
Mike Davis: The perogative of a beautiful woman.


--Burt Lancaster (as Mike Davis) in Rope of Sand