After Cesar Romero’s comical portrayal of Gotham's Clown Prince Of Crime in the '60s Batman TV series, the desire for a darker version of the villain more accurate to how the comic book version finally came to fruition. The character's portrayal in 1989's Batman ended up becoming one of Jack Nicholson's most successful movies.

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One of the reasons why Nicholson stole the scene from his Batman co-star Michael Keaton was a treasure trove of endlessly repeatable Joker quotes that continue to stand the test of time. Few film versions were as chatty as Burton's, and because of that, the debate will continue to rage on as to who the best Joker was.

Updated on November 8th, 2021 by Derek Draven: "Tim Burton's 1989 Batman film was made on the merits of Jack Nicholson as the Joker, and that's obvious from the start. His character has more memorable quotes than many movies combined, and they continue to entertain audiences to this day. It's time to take a look at a few more that effectively blend slapstick humor with a foreboding and ominous sense of evil. Many of these quotes are windows into the soul - or lack thereof - of the character in question, and it's part what makes this interpretation of the character so iconic.

"Decent People Shouldn't Live Here. They'd Be Happier Someplace Else."

Jack Napier and Alicia from Batman

Jack Napier was a career criminal who held little remorse for his actions, and this was in part due to his history of documented psychosis. To him, Gotham City was a refuge from the moral betterment of the rest of the country, and he quite enjoyed it for that reason.

After watching a news report where the city's higher-ups spoke about creating a clean city for decent people to live in, Napier scoffed openly at the thought. It was the first introduction for audiences to understand where the Joker's mind was at, and how the trauma of his transformation amplified his attitude.

"I've Been Dead Once Already. It's Very Liberating. You Should Think Of It As Therapy!"

The Joker holding a pistol in Batman

Jack Napier quickly deduced that the raid on Axis Chemicals was an attempt to have him rubbed out by the Gotham City police department. Unfortunately, Batman stepped in to foil his plans for vengeance, but that wasn't about to stop the newly christened Joker from pursuing retaliation.

He confronted Grissom at the top of his penthouse suite, revealing his new appearance and outlook on life with this quote. To the Joker, death no longer had any meaning. In fact, it had completely changed his view about himself, and humanity in general.

“Wait’ll They Get A Load Of Me!”

A close up of the Joker in Grissom's penthouse in Batman

When Jack Napier finally became the Joker, he began his streak of violence by murdering his former boss, Carl Grissom, in his own penthouse office. His intention was to usurp Grissom and claim his criminal empire, and his first order of business was to plan out as much mayhem as possible. It was a direct nod to the way the Joke evolved through the 1970s comic book era.

After skimming over a newspaper with a headline that read "Winged Freak Terrorizes Gotham’s Gangland," the Joker scoffed at it, then replied with this line. It was a quote that would prove true, especially when the Joker started a terror campaign designed to kill as many of Gotham's citizens as he could.

"Haven't You Ever Heard Of The Healing Power Of Laughter?"

The Joker after murdering Antoine in Batman

Ever the man to make bad jokes at the most inappropriate of times, the Joker saw fit to drop this quip after murdering one of Gotham's criminal elite. It occurred during a meeting between himself and the various crime bosses in Gotham, in an attempt to unite them under one banner.

When mob boss Antoine Rotelli insinuated that he wasn't going to go along with the plan, the Joker electrocuted him to death with a high powered palm shocker. When Vinnie Ricorso insinuated that the Joker had gone off the deep end, the latter retorted with this quip, before erupting into manic laughter.

“Hello, Vinny. It’s Your Uncle Bingo. Time To Pay The Check!”

The Joker preparing to kill a mob boss in Batman

Vinnie Ricorso made the fatal mistake of challenging the Joker as the new crime boss of Gotham, after Carl Grissom's death. He tried to claim all of Grissom's businesses, as well as every gangster that worked under him, under the false narrative that Grissom had green-lit the takeover.

He does this in front of City Hall and the press, while the Joker shows up with his goons, all of whom are dressed as mimes. He then declares himself  "Uncle Bingo", before hurling a steel-tipped feather pen into Vinnie's neck, right before his men open fire to cause a panic.

"This Town Needs An Enema!”

The Joker and Bob in Batman

To the Joker, "decent people" shouldn't have been living in Gotham in the first place. He viewed it as a haven for the criminal elite, and the only place where they'd feel normal. He was less than sanguine about the media giving his vigilante rival Batman all the press, at his own expense.

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After plowing through a TV set with a spring-loaded boxing glove, he complains to his right-hand man Bob about the upside down nature of a world where a man dressed up as a bat is more popular than he is. He then delivers this classic line, suggesting that Gotham's righteous should be purged outright.

"I'm Of A Mind To Make Some Mookie!"

The Joker cutting out a picture in Batman

The Joker's assault on City Hall and the murder of Vinnie Ricorso gave him some unexpected leverage over Batman. While setting up his assault, the Joker's right-hand man Bob was busy taking photographs of people around the scene, right before the chaos broke out.

When the Joker caught sight of a portrait of photojournalist Vicki Vale, he was awestruck. With a simple glance, the Joker had a new focus for his affections, as twisted as they were. Intent on winning her over, he uttered this line to Bob, before demanding the phone book.

“Where Does He Get Those Wonderful Toys?”

The Joker and his goons at an art museum in Batman

After destroying priceless works of art inside a Gotham museum, the Joker sits down to a conversation with Bruce Wayne's love interest, Vicki Vale. After indirectly threatening her with promises of making him into one of his grotesque new models, Batman barges through the skylight in rescue.

As a stunned Joker looks on, Batman grabs Vale and fires a line of cabling in order to make a quick exit out the front doors of the museum. The Joker can only stand back in complete awe, wondering just where his rival manages to procure his gadgets.

 "I Have Given A Name To My Pain, And It Is Batman!"

The Joker aims a pistol in Batman

After several run-ins with Batman, it seemed like the Joker was couldn't catch a break. First, Batman had failed to save him from falling into a vat of chemicals, causing his disfigurement. Second, he'd foiled an attempt to kidnap and terrorize Vicki Vale.

By the time Batman had cracked the chemical code that was terrorizing Gotham City, the Joker had had enough. After getting the news report about what beauty products to avoid using in combination with one another, the Joker fired a gun at the TV set, and dropped this quote.

“Have You Ever Danced With The Devil In The Pale Moonlight?”

The Joker aims a gun at Bruce Wayne in Batman

When Bruce Wayne confronted the Joker and challenged him to a fight, the Clown Prince Of Crime showed that he has no intention of playing fair. He pulled out a pistol and pointed it straight at Wayne, then asked him this simple question that would have ramifications for the rest of the story.

At first, Wayne seemed taken back by the question, to which the Joker responded “I ask that of all my prey. I just like the sound of it.” Later, Bruce would remember that horrific night from his childhood when a young Jack Napier shot his parents to death, then asked him the same question. Quotes like these are part of the reason why Jack Nicholson's Joker has such an interesting behind-the-scenes history attached to him.

“Never Rub Another Man’s Rhubarb!”

The Joker cracks a joke at Bruce Wayne in Batman

The Joker delivered this line in after bursting into Vicki Vale's apartment, and discovering Bruce Wayne waiting inside. Less-than-enthused about seeing her with another man, the Joker engaged Wayne in a tit-for-tat conversation that ended up infuriating the former.

After trying to intimidate the Joker into standing down, Wayne was gunned down brutally. The Joker stepped up and delivered this quote to what he thought was Bruce's corpse. Fortunately, Bruce saw fit to shield his chest with a metal serving tray to stop the bullet.

"I'm Only Smiling On The Outside. My Smile Is Just Skin Deep. If You Could See Inside, I've Been Crying! You Might Join Me For A Weep!"

The Joker pretending to cry in Batman

The Joker's attempts at comedy usually entertained no one except himself, and his cabal of goons. To everyone else, they were either wickedly morbid, or oxymoronic in nature. This quote is an example of the latter - a revelation that nobody, not even the Joker himself, could believe.

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In truth, the Joker had turned into a creature of complete chaos and destruction, and his attempts to gain sympathy by pretending to hurt on the inside seemed completely insincere. It also didn't help that he laughed his way out of Vale's apartment after saying it.

“And Where... Is The Batman? He’s At Home, Washing His Tights!”

The Joker on a loudspeaker in Batman

After Batman thwarted his plan to off as many of Gotham's citizens as possible, the Joker decided to throw a street party at the city's 200th Anniversary celebration. He lured Gothamites in with the promise of dumping free cash on the crowd, in the hopes that they'd fall within his Smylex gas kill box.

He then proceeded to grab a microphone and sought public approval via a lengthy speech where he mocks Batman outright. It's a hilarious line that takes a subtle jab at the comic book character's superhero tights, of which fans are all too aware. It's lines like these that would influence future versions of the Joker, from the animated Batman TV series, to the Arkham video game franchise.

"As My Plastic Surgeon Always Said - 'If You Gotta' Go, Go With a Smile!'"

One of the Joker's smylex gas balloons in Batman

After successfully luring thousands of Gothamites down to his 200th Anniversary party, the Joker finally revealed his true intentions to the crowd over a loudspeaker. With nowhere to run, he declared that their "meaningless lives" had come to an end, and they needed to be put down.

Before clicking a switch that began releasing toxic Smylex gas into the crowd, the Joker uttered this line, for one final laugh. Indeed, the quote rang true, as Smylex gas permanently disfigured the facial nerves of its victims, leaving eerily grinning corpses in its wake.

"It's As Though We Were Made For Each Other. Beauty And The Beast! 'Course If Anyone Else Calls You 'Beast,' I'll Rip Their Lungs Out!"

The Joker pulling a prank on Vicki Vale in Batman

The Joker's fascination with Vicki Vale wasn't expressly articulated throughout the film. He seemed romantically interested in her, but was still willing to douse her with a chemical agent in order to remake her in his "new style."

By the time he was ready to make his final farewell, he'd kidnapped Vale and escorted her to the top of a church bell tower. As Batman fought his goons, the Joker engaged in a hilariously awkward tango with Vale, before uttering this quote about her "beauty."

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