Hollywood is a showman's paradise. But showmen make nothing; they exploit what someone else has made. The publisher and the play producer are showmen too; but they exploit what is already made. The showmen of Hollywood control the making - and thereby degrade it. For the basic art of motion pictures is the screenplay; it is fundamental, without it there is nothing. Everything derives from the screenplay, and most of that which derives is an applied skill which, however adept, is artistically not in the same class with the creation of a screenplay.

I knew one thing: as soon as anyone said you didn't need a gun, you'd better take one along that worked.

The agent never receipts his bill, puts his hat on and bows himself out. He stays around forever, not only for as long as you can write anything that anyone will buy, but as long as anyone will buy any portion of any right to anything that you ever did write. He just takes ten per cent of your life.

You can have a hangover from other things than alcohol. I had one from women.

I was neat, clean, shaved and sober and I didn't care who knew it.

She had eyes like strange sins.

I hung up. It was a good start, but it didn’t go far enough. I ought to have locked the door and hidden under the desk.