# Reading > Who Said That? >  Where are all the good men dead?

## santiagoarroz

Can anyone help with where this comes from or who asked it? And, naturally, what is the answer? The head or the heart?

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## sam1

I've never heard this line. Where did you pick it up?

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## santiagoarroz

it is from the movie Gross Point Blank. . . Not a great movie, but an interesting question

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## fayefaye

In the head or in the heart? The head, for sure. No good person can be dead in the heart.

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## dexmoocat

i loved that film - i assumed minnie was quoting when she asked the question.

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## Scheherazade

The original quote is: 'Where are all the good men dead, in the heart or in the head?'

I liked this movie as well... It was very different from what I had expected; I was pleasantly surprised.

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## Nightshade

humm this is nearly irelivant but I semi-recognise that quote and Ive never seen the film. Therefore I must conclude that it is somthing I read (Actually Ive just gone back and looked and I have sen the film) anywho I still think Ive read it somwhere before maybe its a misquote? I dont know why but I keeep thinking John Doone so yep anyway pretty usless really.

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## Aeonna

> humm this is nearly irelivant but I semi-recognise that quote and Ive never seen the film. Therefore I must conclude that it is somthing I read (Actually Ive just gone back and looked and I have sen the film) anywho I still think Ive read it somwhere before maybe its a misquote? I dont know why but I keeep thinking John Doone so yep anyway pretty usless really.


It could be you're thinking of the song "Where have all the young men gone? Long time passing" ... etc. It's sort of similar anyway.

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## A Hard Rain

Bukowski has a couple of poems on this, and they were from the 1970's mmm not sure when grosse point blank came. Maybe the 60's. 
It was more the idea then a particular quote. i could grab the book and find it, it was in septugenarian stew iirc. But i am tired.

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## antiquary

Sorry to resurrect dead and buried threads, but I'm new around here. I think your quote must have started life as a parody of this, perhaps before the film was ever made:

Tell me where is fancy bred,
Or in the heart or in the head?
How begot, how nourished...?

It's from _The Merchant of Venice_ Act 3, scene 2. And yes you have to pronounce 'nourished' as three syllables if it's going to scan.

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## Solarchariot

> Can anyone help with where this comes from or who asked it? And, naturally, what is the answer? The head or the heart?


Gross point blanke is one of my favorite's. Ive wondered about the line in question, and wondered if its related to Shakespear's "where is fancy bred, in the heart or in the head?..." which is one of the many things gene wilder's 'willy wonka' quoted in 'willy wonka and the chocolate factory.'

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