I want to give the audience a hint of a scene. No more than that. Give them too much and they won't contribute anything themselves. Give them just a suggestion and you get them working with you. That's what gives the theater meaning: when it becomes a social act.

A good artist should be isolated. If he isn't isolated, something is wrong.

Ecstasy is not really part of the scene we can do on celluloid.

Personally, I don't like a girlfriend to have a husband. If she'll fool her husband, I figure she'll fool me.

The most personal thing I've put in [Touch of Evil] is my hatred of the abuse of police power. It's better to see a murderer go free than for a policeman to abuse his power.

Why spend 18 hours watching someone else's war, when you know how it comes out? We win, and then have to buy all their cars.

Every actor in his heart believes everything bad that's printed about him.