“Go to Montreal which is in Canada.”
Why it's great
The plain geography makes the dismissal almost comic, yet the coldness is exactly the point.
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Neutral
Use it yourself
Go to Chicago, they love this kind of show.
00:00 / 02:43
00:00 / 02:43
Kristo Tells Harry to Leave London, Explained
Night and the City · 1950
Chapter 11 of 19 · 2'43"
Kristo and his solicitor read Harry's contract aloud and then give him the order: "Go to Montreal which is in Canada." Harry answers by presenting Kristo as his own partner, which drags Gregorius into the fight. The old wrestler takes Harry's side, and father and son turn on each other.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 1:22–2:05
Go to Montreal, Which Is in Canada
43s - 2:05–2:41
He'll Cheat You and Break Your Heart
36s
Kristo Tells Harry to Leave London, explained
What happens
Kristo and his solicitor Chilk come to Harry's gymnasium with a copy of the contract and read it out, including a final payment due three days before the match. Then Kristo tells Harry to go to Montreal, meaning there is no place for him in London. Harry turns it around by calling Kristo his partner, and Gregorius sides with Harry against his own son.
What's really going on
The scene is a power struggle played with perfect manners. Kristo does not threaten Harry directly; he has the contract read aloud and says, "Go to Montreal which is in Canada," which is a polite way of declaring London off limits. Harry's counter is pure nerve: he introduces Kristo as his partner and makes the old wrestler choose sides. Gregorius's warning about Harry, "He'll swindle you, cheat you, break your heart," is delivered to a man who has already decided, and the reply lands like a slap: "You have break my heart!" What was a matter of business becomes a family rupture, and Harry is the one who engineered it.
Key lines & what they mean
- “Go to Montreal which is in Canada.”
- Kristo's polite expulsion order: go somewhere else to do business, because London belongs to him.
- “He'll swindle you, cheat you, break your heart.”
- The son's warning about Harry: he will cheat, deceive, and wound you, so do not trust him.
- “When you lift your hand to him, you strike me.”
- Gregorius's warning to his son: any attack on Harry is an attack on the old man himself.
- “It would seem that I have returned to London without too many days to spare.”
- Gregorius's line about arriving home with very little time left, which turns out to be an understatement.
Theme
- Power — Kristo does not argue or threaten; he reads a contract and orders Harry out of London, which is authority in action.
- Family conflict — Gregorius chooses Harry over his own son, and the argument ends with each accusing the other of breaking his heart.
What this chapter teaches
Teaching points
Review right after watchingMy level6/8
A1–C2 is the CEFR scale. Cards above the level you pick fade, and playback will not auto-pause on them.
Language points
Click a card to jump to its moment in the videoGolden lines
A great line in its own right — why and how to use it“He'll swindle you, cheat you, break your heart.”
Why it's great
Three verbs in a rising triad turn a warning into a verdict.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
He'll promise you the world, use you, and vanish.
“When you lift your hand to him, you strike me.”
Why it's great
The father binds his son's enemy to himself: any blow lands on both of them.
Register
literary
Use it yourself
When you shout at her, you shout at me.
“It would seem that I have returned to London without too many days to spare.”
Why it's great
A dry understatement about having little time left, polite on the surface and quietly menacing underneath.
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Formal
Use it yourself
It would seem that we have finished the draft without too many hours to spare.
Up next · 12hear me outThe scene: Hoskins Confronts Harry Over the BillTakeaways
What you walk away with- A contract can be used as a weapon, not just a record.
- Harry's own partner sells him out before his rival does.
- The father defends Harry while his son sees straight through him.
- A deadpan order can cut deeper than an open insult.
People also search
Questions, then the linesWhy does Kristo want Harry out of London?
Harry is trying to promote wrestling, and Kristo owns that territory. Rather than argue, Kristo has the contract read aloud and tells Harry to go to Montreal.
Why does Harry call Kristo his partner?
It is a bluff meant to put Kristo in a position where he cannot threaten him openly. It also forces Gregorius to hear the insult and take a side.
Why does Gregorius side with Harry?
He regards Harry as his partner and friend, and he is disgusted by what his son has done to wrestling. When Kristo attacks Harry, Gregorius takes it personally.
Why does Kristo bring a solicitor with him?
He wants the visit to look like business rather than a threat. Chilk reads the contract aloud and keeps the meeting formal, so the pressure is delivered as paperwork.
What does "get mixed up with" mean?
It means to become involved with someone, usually someone dangerous or unreliable. The son uses it to warn his father off Harry.