Every human being has hundreds of separate people living under his skin.

Well, just being stupid and politically incorrect doesn't work. You can be politically incorrect if you're smart.

Directing is a terrible, anxious process. It's all collaboration, and if you have a dream, it's diluted very quickly by the slightest ineptness in any of your collaborators. They're supposed to help you, but too often they help you into your grave.

Rhetoric does not get you anywhere, because Hitler and Mussolini are just as good at rhetoric. But if you can bring these people down with comedy, they stand no chance.

I've been accused of vulgarity. I say that's bullshit.

I have been lucky that some critics joined the mob in loving something I've done, or in appreciating it. I've been lucky. But most of the critics don't like what the people like. I think they have a very strange job, and they are meant to criticize.

There's an army story in me, and I think there's a WWII Brooks film somewhere.