Harold the butler in Elaine May s A New Leaf (1971)
You will forgive me for reaching back 35 years for a quotation to open this review of Brick, since the movie itself is inspired by hard-boiled crime novels written by Dashiell Hammett between 1929 and 1934. What is unexpected, and daring, is that Brick transposes the attitudes and dialogue of classic detective fiction to a modern Southern California high school. These are contemporary characters who say things like, I got all five senses and I slept last night. That puts me six up on the lot of you. Or, Act smarter than you look, and drop it.