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Peter O'Toole in The Ruling Class (1972)

Michael Bryant: Dr. Herder

The Ruling Class

Michael Bryant credited as playing...

Dr. Herder

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Quotes16

  • Dr. Herder: He can't forget being rejected by his mother and father at the age of 11. They sent him away, alone, into a primitive community of licensed bullies and pederasts.
  • Sir Charles: You mean he went to public school.
  • Dr. Herder: Exactly.
  • Dr. Herder: Naturally, men aren't rats.
  • Lady Claire Gurney: Only a man would say so.
  • Dr. Herder: His lordship is a paranoid schizophrenic.
  • Sir Charles: Paranoid schizophrenic? But he's a Gurney!
  • Dr. Herder: Then he's a paranoid schizophrenic Gurney who believes he's God.
  • Sir Charles: But we've always been Church of England!
  • Sir Charles: What about Jack?
  • Dr. Herder: Remember he's suffering from delusions of grandeur. In reality he's an earl, an English aristocrat, a member of the ruling class. Naturally, he's come to believe there's only one person grander than that: the Lord God Almighty Himself.
  • Sir Charles: Are you English?
  • Dr. Herder: No.
  • Sir Charles: [slowly] Ah.
  • Lady Claire Gurney: My husband's an idiot.
  • Dr. Herder: That's not my concern.
  • Lady Claire Gurney: That's very clever, but ah is it true?
  • Dr. Herder: Don't come to me for the truth only explanation.
  • Dr. Herder: Don't come to me for the truth, only explanations.
  • Lady Claire Gurney: Why does he keep on about love?
  • Dr. Herder: Because he wants us all to love goodness. To love goodness is to love God. To love God is to love the 14th Earl of Gurney.
  • Dr. Herder: To love goodness is to love God. To love God is to love the 14th Earl of Gurney.
  • Lady Claire Gurney: Doctor, how are my questions revealing?
  • Dr. Herder: The first one you asked me was about love.
  • Lady Claire Gurney: If I press a button, you'll feel fear? Love?
  • Dr. Herder: Love? No. Desire. Yes.
  • Lady Claire Gurney: What, by pressing a little button?
  • Tucker: Why can't you look at my back?
  • Dr. Herder: I keep telling you, I'm a psychiatrist.
  • Tucker: It's just because I'm on the national health, isn't it? Damn money-grubbers! You and your "hypocrite's" oath.
  • Dr. Herder: What does that look like? Is it a dragon? A spider? What does it remind you of?
  • Jack Arnold Alexander Tancred Gurney, 14th Earl of Gurney: God.
  • Dr. Herder: And this?
  • Jack Arnold Alexander Tancred Gurney, 14th Earl of Gurney: God. Everything that is or ever shall be reminds me of me.
  • Dr. Herder: Yes. He's made a spectacular breakthrough. We're in the process of making a new man.
  • Lady Claire Gurney: I'm always on the lookout for new men.
  • Jack Arnold Alexander Tancred Gurney, 14th Earl of Gurney: You were fornicating lovers! Sperm dancers!
  • Dr. Herder: It's a lie! Lady Claire meant nothing to me.
  • Jack Arnold Alexander Tancred Gurney, 14th Earl of Gurney: Cock-a-doodle-doo!
  • Dr. Herder: How do you find the new earl, Tucker?
  • Tucker: By sniffing.

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