"Just you wait a little while, the nasty man in black will come. With his little chopper, he will chop you up!"
— Children
M (1931)
Song"Just you wait, it won't be long, The man in black will soon be here, With his cleaver's blade so true, He'll make mincemeat out of you!"
— Children / Girl in Circle
M (1931)
Song"I'm always telling those kids to stop singing that terrible murderer's song… and they do nothing but sing it at the top of their voices all day… As if we hadn't heard enough of that killer."
— Pregnant Woman
M (1931)
Commentary"Oh, leave them alone. As long as they're singing, at least we know they're still there."
— Mrs. Beckmann / Frau Beckmann
M (1931)
Mother"Elsie?.. Elsie?.. elsie."
— Frau Beckmann
M (1931)
Desperation"That is a nice ball you have."
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Approach"And who are you?"
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Dialogue"But… but… do you want to kill me then? Murder me, just like that?"
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Fear"I demand to be handed over to the jurisdiction of the common law!"
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Defense"I can't help what I do! I can't help it, I can't…"
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Confession"What do you know about it? Who are you anyway? Who are you? Criminals? Are you proud of yourselves? Proud of breaking safes or cheating at cards? Things you could just as well keep your fingers off. You wouldn't need to do all that if you'd learn a proper trade, or if you'd work. If you weren't a bunch of lazy bastards. But I… I can't help myself! I have no control over this, this evil thing inside of me, the fire, the voices, the torment!"
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Monologue"It's there all the time, driving me out to wander the streets, following me, silently, but I can feel it there. It's me, pursuing myself! I want to escape, to escape from myself! But it's impossible. I can't escape, I have to obey it. I have to run, run… endless streets. I want to escape, to get away! And I'm pursued by ghosts. Ghosts of mothers and of those children… they never leave me. They are always there… always, always, always! Except... when I do it, when I… Then I can't remember anything. And afterwards I see those posters and read what I've done, and read, and read… did I do that? But I can't remember anything about it! But who will believe me? Who knows what it's like to be me? How I'm forced to act… how I must, must… don't want to, must! Don't want to, but must! And then a voice screams! I can't bear to hear it! I can't go on! I can't… I can't…"
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Monologue"We're doing our job because we have a living to make. But this monster has no right to live. He must disappear. He must be exterminated, without pity… without scruples."
— Schränker
M (1931)
Vigilante"You talk of rights… You will get your rights. We are all law experts here, from six weeks in Tegel, to fifteen years in Brandenburg."
— Schränker
M (1931)
Mockery"An outsider is ruining our business and our reputation. Measures taken by the police and the daily raids to catch this child murderer are hampering our activities to an almost unbearable degree. We can no longer tolerate the fact that we're not safe now in any hotel, bar, cafe or even private home from the clutches of the police."
— Schränker
M (1931)
Criminal Assembly"This state of affairs must end. Things must return to normal or we'll go under. Our coffers will soon be depleted. If we can't get funds to support the wives of these members who currently enjoy room and board at state expense, I don't know where we'll find the money to carry out our plans. Our reputation is suffering as well. The police seek the murderer in our fold. Gentlemen, when I run head on into an officer from the squad, he knows the potential risks, and so do I. If either dies in the line of duty, fine. Occupational hazard. But we must draw a firm line between ourselves and this man they're looking for! We conduct our business in order to survive, but this monster has no right to survive! No, in my condition, I can't eat anything like that. Without money or compassion! Gentlemen, our members must be able to go about their business again without frantic cops in their way at every turn."
— Schränker
M (1931)
Criminal Assembly"We just want to render you harmless. That's what we want. But you'll only be harmless when you're dead."
— Schränker
M (1931)
Threat"So that you can invoke paragraph fifty-one… And spend the rest of your life in an institution at the state's expense... And then you'd escape… or else there'd be a pardon and there you are, free as air, with a pass, protected by the law because of mental illness. Off again chasing little girls. No, no. Very dry. We're not going to let that happen."
— Schränker
M (1931)
Justice"Do you mean to say that you have to murder?"
— Schränker
M (1931)
Question"I have the dubious honor of being your defense counsel. But I am afraid it won't be much use to you."
— Elderly Lawyer
M (1931)
Defense"Quite a performance! That's not bad, that, ha, ha, ha!"
— Criminal
M (1931)
Reaction"The old story! We never can help it in court!"
— Criminal
M (1931)
Sarcasm"Very true."
— Criminal Syndicate Member
M (1931)
Agreement"Anything else you'd like?"
— Conman
M (1931)
Sarcasm"That's it."
— Criminal
M (1931)
Dialogue"You're ruining my business, Sarge. These raids every night. No one can get a moment's peace! They're human beings, too."
— Bartender
M (1931)
Complaint"No. But you're drivin' away my clientele and you won't find the guy you're lookin' for here anyway! If you know how angry they are at the guy who's causing these raids every night. Especially the hookers. Sure, they solicit. Business is business. But believe me, in every one of them beats a mother's heart! I know a lot of tough guys who get all teary eyed just seein' the little ones at play. If they ever get their hands on that monster, they'll make toothpicks out of him!"
— Bartender
M (1931)
Rant"You think we stay up all night just for the hell of it?"
— Police Sergeant
M (1931)
Defense"In the name of the law."
— Inspector Karl Lohmann
M (1931)
Arrest"There are more police on the street tonight than whores."
— Pickpocket with Seven Watches / Pickpocket with 6 Watches
M (1931)
Observation"Stop snoring! You'll wake the lice."
— Beggar
M (1931)
Comedy"Could you speak louder please, I'm a bit hard of hearing."
— Elisabeth Winkler
M (1931)
Dialogue"As if I couldn't tell."
— Policeman
M (1931)
Sarcasm"This will be a lesson in jurisprudence for you all. The representatives of the law and its guardians, as well as you others, who are outside the law. You will abide by the verdict of the court, without knowing what it will be. For the law is the law. And the trial is the trial. And you are all nothing but helpless, miserable defendants in the name of the law. And the police will see to it that order is kept and that the court will judge according to the law. The law!"
— Inspector Karl Lohmann
M (1931)
Final Speech"No! No! They're not going to let me go! I don't want to go! Really, I don't want to! They wouldn't let me out! They just couldn't! I'm safer in here! I'm safer in here!"
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Panic"One moment, please. Is my little daughter here, too? She's only eight years old. She has long braids. Elsie. Elsie Beckmann!"
— Frau Beckmann
M (1931)
Grief"The balloon! It's caught on the wire!"
— Child
M (1931)
Innocence"That's my ball!"
— Elsie Beckmann
M (1931)
Dialogue"You see? You see? That's how it is. That's how it always is. I can't help it. I try to fight it. I've been fighting it all my life. Since I was a child. But it's stronger than I am."
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Confession"Who knows what it's like to be me?"
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Plea"I must, must… don't want to, must!"
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Torment"And then a voice screams!"
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Torment"But who will believe me?"
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Despair"Always, always, always!"
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Obsession"This evil thing inside of me."
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Confession"The fire, the voices, the torment!"
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Confession"I have no control over this."
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Confession"It's me, pursuing myself!"
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Confession"I want to escape, to escape from myself!"
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Confession"Ghosts of mothers and of those children…"
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Guilt"Then I can't remember anything."
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Dissociation"Did I do that?"
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Disbelief"I can't bear to hear it!"
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Torment"I can't go on!"
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Despair"This monster has no right to live."
— Schränker
M (1931)
Verdict"He must be exterminated."
— Schränker
M (1931)
Verdict"Without pity… without scruples."
— Schränker
M (1931)
Verdict"We are all law experts here."
— Schränker
M (1931)
Mockery"From six weeks in Tegel, to fifteen years in Brandenburg."
— Schränker
M (1931)
Mockery"An outsider is ruining our business."
— Schränker
M (1931)
Criminal Assembly"Our reputation is suffering."
— Schränker
M (1931)
Criminal Assembly"We must draw a firm line between ourselves and this man."
— Schränker
M (1931)
Criminal Assembly"You'll only be harmless when you're dead."
— Schränker
M (1931)
Threat"Paragraph fifty-one…"
— Schränker
M (1931)
Insanity Defense"Protected by the law because of mental illness."
— Schränker
M (1931)
Mockery"Off again chasing little girls."
— Schränker
M (1931)
Accusation"We're not going to let that happen."
— Schränker
M (1931)
Determination"Do you mean to say that you have to murder?"
— Schränker
M (1931)
Question"I have the dubious honor of being your defense counsel."
— Elderly Lawyer
M (1931)
Defense"It won't be much use to you."
— Elderly Lawyer
M (1931)
Defeat"Quite a performance!"
— Criminal
M (1931)
Sarcasm"That's not bad, that, ha, ha, ha!"
— Criminal
M (1931)
Mockery"The old story!"
— Criminal
M (1931)
Dismissal"We never can help it in court!"
— Criminal
M (1931)
Sarcasm"You're drivin' away my clientele."
— Bartender
M (1931)
Complaint"In every one of them beats a mother's heart!"
— Bartender
M (1931)
Compassion"They'll make toothpicks out of him!"
— Bartender
M (1931)
Threat"There are more police on the street tonight than whores."
— Pickpocket
M (1931)
Observation"Stop snoring!"
— Beggar
M (1931)
Comedy"You'll wake the lice."
— Beggar
M (1931)
Comedy"Could you speak louder please?"
— Elisabeth Winkler
M (1931)
Dialogue"I'm a bit hard of hearing."
— Elisabeth Winkler
M (1931)
Dialogue"As if I couldn't tell."
— Policeman
M (1931)
Sarcasm"This will be a lesson in jurisprudence for you all."
— Inspector Karl Lohmann
M (1931)
Final Speech"For the law is the law."
— Inspector Karl Lohmann
M (1931)
Final Speech"And the trial is the trial."
— Inspector Karl Lohmann
M (1931)
Final Speech"You are all nothing but helpless, miserable defendants."
— Inspector Karl Lohmann
M (1931)
Final Speech"In the name of the law."
— Inspector Karl Lohmann
M (1931)
Arrest"I don't want to go!"
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Fear"I'm safer in here!"
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Fear"Is my little daughter here, too?"
— Frau Beckmann
M (1931)
Grief"She's only eight years old."
— Frau Beckmann
M (1931)
Grief"She has long braids."
— Frau Beckmann
M (1931)
Grief"Elsie. Elsie Beckmann!"
— Frau Beckmann
M (1931)
Grief"The balloon! It's caught on the wire!"
— Child
M (1931)
Innocence"That's my ball!"
— Elsie Beckmann
M (1931)
Dialogue"I try to fight it."
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Confession"Since I was a child."
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Confession"But it's stronger than I am."
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Confession"I can't help it."
— Hans Beckert
M (1931)
Confession