Wednesday, October 27, 2004

For Nelz: Quotes For His Birthday

A friend gave me for my birthday this book, Movie Talk: Who Said What About Whom in the Movies. Since it’s Nelz’s birthday today, I’d like to share some quotes from the book.

“Working with Julie Andrews is like being hit on the head with a Valentine’s Card.” – Christopher Plummer

“I never knew how to react [when people stare at me]. The right way is the way Bette Davis does it. I saw her in a hotel in Madrid once and went up to her and said: ‘Miss Davis, I’m Ava Gardner and I’m a great fan of yours.’ And you know she behaved exactly as I wanted her to behave. ‘Of course you are my dear,’ she said ‘of course you are.’ And then she swept on.” – Ava Gardner

On Blake Edwards: “A man of many talents, all of them minor.” – Leslie Halliwell

On Klaus Kinski: “He’s not ageing well. The best thing to happen to his career is for him to die immediately.” – Werner Herzog

“I don’t usually get into battles, but dressing Kim Novak for her role in Mr. Hitchcock’s Vertigo put to test all my training in psychology.” – Edith Head

On Elvis Presley: “He never contributed a damn thing to music…. He was successful—hard to account for. Oh, he sings well enough, I suppose.” – Bing Crosby

“After Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dolph Lundgren is a bit of a disappointment. At least Arnold looks as if he comes supplied with batteries.” – Adam Mars-Jones

“[Steven] Spielberg isn’t a film-maker; he’s a confectioner.” – Alex Cox

“I had no disagreement with Barbra Streisand. I was merely exasperated at her tendency to be a megalomaniac.” – Walter Matthau

On Elizabeth Taylor: “She has a knack for choosing men who are bothersome and hurtful.” – Richard Brooks

On Orson Welles: “You should cross yourself when you say his name.” – Marlene Dietrich.
“There but for the grace of God, goes God.” – Herman J. Mankiewicz