- Room Service Waiter: [calling the hotel switchboard to report the man on the ledge] Operator!
- Hotel Switchboard Operator: [taking her time to answer in taking a drink of coffee] Good morning.
- Room Service Waiter: This is the waiter. Fifteen oh five.
- Hotel Switchboard Operator: I'll connect you with room service.
- Room Service Waiter: No, no!
- Room Service Waiter: I don't want a waiter, I am a waiter!
- Room Service Waiter: [after a brief pause] There's a man...
- Cab Driver: [discussing suicide with the other cabbies] Yeah, that's a crime, ain't it, knockin' yourself off? They could throw ya in jail, couldn't they?
- Deputy Chief Moskar: [inquiring about Cosick's hysterical mother] What goes with her anyway?
- Dr. Strauss: [disgusted] She's a case, just like the boy!
- Robert Cosick: [dejectedly] Life stinks and you know it. It... It's a rat race! It's a rat race! It... It's a rat race!
- Police Officer Charlie Dunnigan: [in a comforting and reassuring manner] Sure, but there's a lot in it... There's a lot in it that's okay.
- Police Officer Charlie Dunnigan: If I can con him in closer as he reaches for the glass I can grab for him.
- Deputy Chief Moskar: He'd yank you, then both of you'd go over.
- Police Officer Charlie Dunnigan: Not if somebody hung on to me.
- Deputy Chief Moskar: He'd yank us all. I don't mind losing you, but I don't want a whole daisy chain of cops sailing out that window.
- [first lines]
- Police Officer Charlie Dunnigan: [in hearing woman scream and looking up to hotel ledge to see a man standing on it] Geez!
- Police Officer Charlie Dunnigan: [on the phone to police headquarters] Dunnigan, Traffic "A."
- Police Officer Charlie Dunnigan: There's a jumper on the ledge... Hotel Rodney!
- Police Officer Charlie Dunnigan: [in anxiously watching the potential jumper] Fifteen. Sixteen floors I think!
- Police Officer Charlie Dunnigan: [responding] Yes, sir!
- Police Officer Charlie Dunnigan: Look, I almost had him a couple of times. I... I know I can con him in if I can just get my hands on what's bothering him.
- Robert Cosick: [stressed in speaking to his mother] I said go away! I've talked to you! Now go away! I can't stand everybody crowding me, trying to make me do things. I've got to make up my own mind. Take her away now!
- [Cosick slips and falls on his knees almost off the ledge]
- Mr. Harris: [leaning out window, looking at jumper, chastisingly] You come in from there!
- Mr. Harris: You'll have to come in from there.
- Mr. Harris: The police will be here in a minute.
- Robert Cosick: [shaking] If those cops come near me...
- Robert Cosick: [turning after a pause] I'll jump!
- Police Officer Charlie Dunnigan: [grabbing and pulling Mrs. Cosick into the room] Wait a minute!
- Christine Hill Cosick: Well...
- Police Officer Charlie Dunnigan: [yelling] Who is this "Virginia" you've been talking about? Who is she?
- Christine Hill Cosick: [rushing to the doctor] I'm under the care of these doctors. I don't ...
- Police Officer Charlie Dunnigan: [pulling her away] You've just been transferred, lady! You're under my care now! I want to know about this girl! Who is she? Is she his girl or something?
- Christine Hill Cosick: Oh, please let me alone! I'm his mother! Don't you think I feel anything?
- Police Officer Charlie Dunnigan: [grabbing Mrs. Cosick] I don't think you feel anything but sorry for yourself!
- Christine Hill Cosick: Oh...
- Police Officer Charlie Dunnigan: [grabbing Mrs. Cosick by her shoulders] Look! I've been out there all day now hanging on by the seat of my pants! I don't know what's wrong with your kid! I don't know why I care, but I do! I'm gonna do everything I can to get him back in. I'm sorry, but if there's any chance that he has a girl that might help get him back in I'm gonna find out about her even if I have to be a little rough on you.
- Police Officer Charlie Dunnigan: Why did she leave him? Why?
- Robert Cosick: [clinging to the wall precariously] You're nothin' but a stinkin' cop! You knew they were gonna do that! You were in on it!
- Police Officer Charlie Dunnigan: [vehemently] Shut up! Who do you think you're yelling at anyway? Who do you think you are? You open your trap to me like that just once more, and I'll come over and push you off!
- [Referring to police officer]
- Police Officer Charlie Dunnigan: You realize he was risking his neck for you? You realize half the police force in New York is climbin' around on this hotel holding their breath to see what you're gonna do? You realize how much this city has paid for this phony 'Dutch act' of yours?
- Police Officer Charlie Dunnigan: [continuing with contempt] "I'm gonna jump. I'm not gonna jump. Don't anybody touch me. Give me a glass of water."
- Police Officer Charlie Dunnigan: [excitedly] Okay, kid, if you're gonna jump, go ahead! Jump!
- Police Officer Charlie Dunnigan: [calmly, with contempt] I got a belly full of you. I don't know why I bothered with you in the first place. Go on! Jump!
- Robert Cosick: [hesitantly, pausing] Wait a minute.
- Robert Cosick: [pausing then continuing in a defeated manner] I'm sorry. I appreciate what you're trying to do. I'm sorry. I... I could never talk to anybody the way that I've been able to talk to you. I could never talk to my father the way I've talked to you. I... I'm sorry. I'm mixed up.
- Police Officer Charlie Dunnigan: [calmly] Don't you see your mother gave you a wrong steer about your father, kid? Don't you see he's really a... a good Joe, and he likes you?
- Robert Cosick: [calmly] I guess so. I... I don't know. I just don't know what to do.
- Police Officer Charlie Dunnigan: [directly and firmly] He's right here. Why don't you tell him you were wrong?
- Police Officer Charlie Dunnigan: [continuing after a pause] Why don't you?
- Robert Cosick: [nodding affirmatively] Okay.
- [last lines]
- Harry Dunnigan: [running through revolving door towards Officer Dunnigan] Daddy! Daddy!
- Police Officer Charlie Dunnigan: [picking up his son] Let's go see Mommy.