It was adapted for the screen by director Billy Wilder and detective novelist Raymond Chandler (who was best known for his character Philip Marlowe, played by Dick Powell inMurder, My Sweet (1944), Humphrey Bogart inThe Big Sleep (1946), and Robert Montgomery inLady in the Lake (1946), among others)."Trinity: "Is everything in place?"Cypher: "You weren't supposed to relieve me."Trinity: "I know, but I felt like taking a shift."Cypher: "You like him, don't you? You like watching him."Trinity: "Don't be ridiculous."Cypher: "We're gonna kill him.You understand that?"Trinity: "Morpheus believes he is The One."Cypher: "Do you?"Trinity: "It doesn't matter what I believe."Cypher: "You don't, do you?"Trinity: "Did you hear that?"Cypher: "Hear what?"Trinity: "Are you sure this line is clean?"Cypher: "Yeah, of course I'm sure.In the welcoming scene for the new sheriff, HowardJohnson- as chairman of the welcoming committee - practices his speech (with an awful pun) before looking up and seeing the arrival of the sheriff:It is my privilege to extend thelaurel and heartyhandshake o our new.Plot SynopsisUnder the superimposed credits, a clock face approaches 6 o'clock.The foreword explains the film's theme: "'Modern Times.' A story of industry, of individual enterprise - humanity crusading in the pursuit of happiness." The film opens with an overhead shot of a flock of sheep jostling in their sheep pen, and rushing through a chute.[Note: The first choice for the Bligh role was Wallace Beery.]The film's tagline reflects his character:"A thousand hours of Hell for one moment of love."Virile Clark Gable, who had won the Best Actor Oscar the previous year forIt Happened One Night (1934), took the secondary role as the fair-minded First Mate Fletcher Christian, although he was reluctant o wear silly-looking breeches, sport a sailor's pony-tail, and shave off his mustache.