When Chaplin found a voice to say what was on his mind, he was like a child of eight writing lyrics for Beethoven's Ninth.

On Ernst Lubitsch: He could do more with a closed door than other directors could do with an open fly.

Don't be too clever for an audience. Make it obvious. Make the subtleties obvious also.

Marilyn was mean. Terribly mean. The meanest woman I have ever met around this town. I have never met anybody as mean as Marilyn Monroe or as utterly fabulous on the screen.

Hollywood didn't kill Marilyn Monroe, it's the Marilyn Monroes who are killing Hollywood.

The ultimate trick is to convince, persuade. Every single person out there is an idiot, but collectively they're a genius.

I have ten commandments. The first nine are, thou shalt not bore. The tenth is, thou shalt have right of final cut.