I was living in a terrible time when people were being accused of being communists, and they attacked the movie industry, especially the writers. People couldn't work if they were on the blacklist. The studios banned them. It was the most onerous period in movie history. I don't think we have ever had a period so dark as that.

Streets crowded with people strolling, or sitting at outdoor cafes. And always, talking, gesturing, singing, laughing. I liked Rome immediately.Everybody was a performer.

I think that [Barack] Obama was elected because young people are starting to get interested in their country and I think that's a very healthy thing.

I came from abject poverty. There was nowhere to go but up.

You know, you have to have some inner philosophy to deal with adversity.

The first thing I look for in a woman is warmth-femininity. It's got nothing to do with a pretty face.

The biggest lie is the lie we tell ourselves in the distorted visions we have of ourselves, blocking out some sections, enhancing others. What remains are not the cold facts of life, but how we perceive them. That's really who we are.