# Carry on, Montesquieu. \[Good Morning Vietnam reference\]

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carry-on-montesquieu-good-morning-vietnam-reference/831436>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [March 24, 2019, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carry-on-montesquieu-good-morning-vietnam-reference/831436 "2019-03-24T02:35:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2019, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carry-on-montesquieu-good-morning-vietnam-reference/831436/1 "2019-03-24T02:35:42Z")

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At the end of _Good Morning, Vietnam_ Robin Williams says, ‘Carry on, Montesquieu.’ Is this a quote from somewhere? If so, whence?

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**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2019, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carry-on-montesquieu-good-morning-vietnam-reference/831436/2 "2019-03-24T02:43:10Z")

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Possibly referencing “J’ai toujours vu que, pour réussir dans le monde, il fallait avoir l’air fou et être sage.”

Translation via Wiki: I have always observed that to succeed in the world one should appear like a fool but be wise.

[Also here.](https://www.bartleby.com/345/authors/345.html)

So, not any direct quote, but it has the right feel for that point of the movie.

What do I know? I also liked Colin Baker as the 6th Doctor.

.

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2019, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carry-on-montesquieu-good-morning-vietnam-reference/831436/3 "2019-03-24T05:54:54Z")

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Since this is a quote about a writer from a movie, let’s move this to Cafe Society. Title edited to clarify subject. Please use descriptive thread titles.

Colibri  
General Questions Moderator

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**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2019, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carry-on-montesquieu-good-morning-vietnam-reference/831436/4 "2019-03-24T08:20:11Z")

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> [@Johnny\_L.A](#):
>
> At the end of _Good Morning, Vietnam_ Robin Williams says, ‘Carry on, Montesquieu.’ Is this a quote from somewhere? If so, whence?

To get the obvious out of the way: he says that to Edward Montesquieu Garlick, right? That is, to a guy who introduced himself as Edward Montesquieu Garlick, prompting a quick _“first thing, Garlick: you gotta requisition a new name”_ reply?