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Max
Al is one of the hitmen who takes George, Nick, and Sam hostage in Henry’s diner. While Max and George stay in the front of the diner, Al guards Nick and Sam with the same gun he plans on using to kill Ole. Max makes the anti-Semitic and misogynistic comment that Al is from a “kosher convent,” revealing some possible tension between the two of them. Al rarely speaks directly to the hostages and frequently expresses his anxiety about Max talking “too much” about what they are doing and why. On the other hand, Al also reveals that he is more willing to actually murder someone when he complains that leaving witnesses is “sloppy.”
Al Quotes in The Killers
The The Killers quotes below are all either spoken by Al or refer to Al. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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The Killers Quotes
“I’ll have a roast pork tenderloin with apple sauce and mashed potatoes,” the first man said.
“It isn’t ready yet.”
“What the hell do you put it on the card for?”
“That’s the dinner,” George explained. “You can get that at six o’clock.”
George looked at the clock on the wall behind the counter.
“It’s five o’clock.”
“The clock says it’s twenty minutes past five,” the second man said.
“It’s twenty minutes fast.”
“Oh, to hell with the clock,” the first man said. “What have you got to eat?”
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“You’re a pretty bright boy, aren’t you?”
“Sure,” said George.
“Well, you’re not,” said the other little man. “Is he Al?”
“He’s dumb,” said Al.
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“Where do you think you are?”
“We know damn well where we are,” the man called Max said. “Do we look silly?”
“You talk silly,” Al said to him.
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“In their tight overcoats and derby hats they looked like a vaudeville team.”
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“They put us out in the kitchen,” Nick went on. “They were going to shoot you when you came in to supper.”
Ole Andreson looked at the wall and did not say anything.
“George thought I better come and tell you about it.”
“There isn’t anything I can do about it,” Ole Andreson said.
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Al Character Timeline in The Killers
The timeline below shows where the character Al appears in The Killers. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
The Killers
...that the dinner options are not available for another hour, until 6:00. The second man, Al, points out that the clock actually says it’s 5:20, but George says it is 20...
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...and asks what it’s called. George says the town’s name is Summit, and Max and Al remark that they’ve never heard of it. They joke that all the townspeople do at...
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George brings Max and Al their meals, but they can’t remember who ordered what. As they eat, they catch George...
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Looking at Nick, Max and Al tell the “bright boy” to go behind the counter with his “boy friend.” Nick asks...
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Al looks Sam over and then drags him and Nick to the kitchen. Once they’re gone,...
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...six, and George says that Ole comes in “sometimes.” Max tells George that he and Al “know all that” already. George asks what Ole did and Max says he and Al...
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Max tells Al that he has “to keep bright boy amused” and Al tells him that Nick and...
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...some orders himself if the customer insists. George agrees, but asks him what he and Al are going to do with them afterwards. Max tells him he isn’t sure because it’s...
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...is out and the man leaves. Max tells him “that was nice, bright boy” and Al calls out that George “knew I’d blow his head off.” Max disagrees and says, “Bright...
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...and noticed that Nick and Sam were tied up and had towels in their mouths. Al was sitting in the back with a sawed-off shotgun. When George came out of the...
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...in and Max says they’re going to wait ten more minutes. At 7:05, Max tells Al that they “better go,” but Al says they’ll wait five more minutes. Another customer comes...
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As Max and Al leave, they tell George that he’s “got a lot of luck” and “ought to play...
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...all” and George tells Nick that he better go warn Ole Andreson about Max and Al. Nick agrees, but Sam tells him that he “better not have anything to do with...
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Nick offers to tell Ole what Max and Al “were like,” but Ole tells him he doesn’t want to know and thanks him for...
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...already and is going to do “nothing” about it. George points out that Max and Al will kill him and Nick says, “I guess they will.” George says that Ole must...
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