12 Most Memorable Michael Caine Movie Quotes

7. "Looks bad in the newspapers and upsets civilians at their breakfast." (Zulu)

Though Caine had roles before Zulu, a movie about the 1879 Battle of Rorke's Drift, Zulu marked his first major starring role. Caine portrays Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead, an infantry officer who helps command a small force of troops against a much larger force of Zulu warriors. When talking about their impending battle following the reported slaughter of British troops by the same Zulu warriors elsewhere, Bromhead's commanding officer says, "The army doesn't like more than one disaster in a day." Bromhead adds the above wisecrack, which puts the deadly battle they are about to face in context with how it would be perceived back in England: All of their valiant efforts are little more than a newspaper headline read over morning coffee back home. The line also perfectly characterizes the British "stiff upper lip" sensibility that his troops maintain in the movie against overwhelming odds. It's also the earliest example of a Michael Caine quip €“ the sort of line his movie characters often use to defuse stressful situations with charming wit. Caine only got better at his delivery as his career went on, but few actors can say that they had established a trademark of their personal craft in their first major role.