[to the Turkish court] Billy Hayes: I just wish for once that you could be in my shoes, Mr. Prosecutor, and then you would know something that you don't know: mercy! That the concept of a society is based on the quality of that mercy; its sense of fa...
Max: The best thing to do is to get your ass out of here. Best way that you can. Billy Hayes: Yeah, but how? Max: Catch the midnight express. Billy Hayes: But what's that? Max: [laughs] Well it's not a train. It's a prison word for... escape. But it ...
Jimmy: So... Billy, what are you in for? Hash? Billy Hayes: Yeah. Jimmy: Where'd they get you? Billy Hayes: The airport... trying to get home. Jimmy: You go through customs? Billy Hayes: Yeah, I was busted right at the plane. Jimmy: Aw, man that's he...
Tex: Boy oh boy, you picked a bad time to fly, Billy. They're guerrillas all over the place blowing up planes and all. They hit four planes in four days. But I guess you young people don't read the news anymore. That, and with our people back home ki...
Billy Hayes: [voiceover] To the Turks, everything is "shurla burla", which means "like this, like that". You never know what will happen. All foreigners are "ayip", they're considered dirty. So is homosexuality, it's a big crime here, but most of the...
Ahmet: Where are you going? Why don't you walk the wheel with us? What is the matter my American friend? What has upset you? Oh! I know. The bad machine doesn't know that he's a bad machine. You still don't believe it. You still don't believe you're ...
[to the Turkish court] Billy Hayes: For a nation of pigs, it sures is funny you don't eat'em! Jesus Christ forgave the bastards, but I can't! I hate! I hate you! I hate your nation! And I hate your people! And I fuck your sons and daughters because t...
Jimmy: The second way out, I need you guy's help, and that's under. Billy Hayes: You mean tunnel? Are you serious? Max: This is Shagmahr prison, not Stalag 17. Jimmy: Well that's where you're wrong fuckface, 'cause it's already built!
Billy Hayes: What is a crime? What is punishment? It seems to vary from time to time and place to place. What's legal today is suddenly illegal tomorrow because society says it's so, and what's illegal yesterday is suddenly legal because everybody's ...
[first lines] [Susan makes her way through a line at an airline checkpoint] Susan: Excuse me... Excuse me... Excuse me... Excuse me. [she reaches Billy in line] Susan: Nervous? Billy Hayes: No. Susan: Geez, I hate flying. Billy Hayes: It's something ...
Mr. Hayes: All right, Billy. I know it sounds tought, but we are going to get you out! I promise you. I don't want you to get stupid and pull anything. They can play with your sentence. All right. Now, I'm putting 500 dollars in the bank. Anything yo...
[Tex has a large revolver pointed at Billy whom he just recaptured trying to escape] Tex: You seem like a nice guy, Billy. I really do feel sorry for you. But if you still try anything or try to run away again, I'll blow your fucking brains out!
Tex: Do you have a family back home? Billy Hayes: Yeah, a mother, father, sister and brother living in Babylon, Long Island. Tex: It's gonna be tough for them. You'll have to tell them about what you're in sooner or later. Say, how much did you pay t...
Tex: You got a girlfriend, Billy? Billy Hayes: Yeah. She was on the plane. [Tex glares at Billy] Billy Hayes: She didn't know anything about it. I didn't want her to. Tex: Lucky girl. Billy Hayes: She used to say I was the lucky one. Tex: Let's hope ...
Billy Hayes: Dear Susan: Poor Jimmy was caught and beaten so badly he got a severe hernia, and lost a testicle. He's been in the sanitarium for months. In comparison, my problems seem very small.
