At the time I belonged to the socialist party, and Hitler came to power.

Your characters have to remain innocent of what your picture is after.

A director in Hollywood in my time couldn't do what he wanted to do.

My idea at this time, which was slowly developing, was to create a comedie humaine with little people, average people - samples from every period in American life.

There is a wonderful expression: seeing through a glass darkly. Everything, even life, is inevitably removed from you. You can't reach, or touch, the real. You just see reflections

I worked for UFA as a set designer, you know.

Rock Hudson was not an educated man, but that very beautiful body of his was putty in my hands.