My house is not James Bondish at all. Sorry.

The cinema is there to heighten the imagination; I have always tried to make sure it does so.

Remember, the early '60s in London was something - which must have been like Berlin in the '30s when the arts flourished. You didn't have the differences in class, and so on.

What I felt at that time - we're talking about '61 - was that I couldn't remember seeing a film that reflected the age we were living in.

I have never been sorry to see my sets being struck, provided they are well photographed. They're not works of art but part of making a film.

To be successful, you really have to put your ego in the background and try to be diplomatic to achieve what you want to achieve.

A studio allows me more freedom. You can create your own sort of reality which is actually more exciting than shooting on location. You can conjure up a complete atmosphere of escapism for the public.