Acting is merely the art of keeping a large group of people from coughing.
—Ralph Richardson, 1946
Acting is the most minor of gifts and not a very high-class way to earn a living. Shirley
Temple could do it at the age of four.
—Katharine Hepburn
19
Acting is not being emotional, but being able to express emotion.
20
—Kate Reid, 1988
Acting is a form of deception, and actors can mesmerize themselves as easily as an
audience.
—Leo Calvin Rosten, 1941
Honesty. That’s the main thing in the theater today. Honesty… and just as soon as I can
learn how to fake it, I’ll have it made.
—Celeste Holm, 1962
21
Even supposing a young man of appreciable mental powers to be lured upon the stage, […]
his mind would be inevitably and almost immediately destroyed by the gaudy nonsense
issuing from his mouth every night.
—H. L. Mencken, 1920
***
You can take all the sincerity in Hollywood, place it in the navel of a firefly and still have
room enough for three caraway seeds and a producer’s heart.
—Fred Allen, 1959
The modern film […] requires no contribution from the audience but a mouthful of
popcorn.
—Raymond Chandler, 1962
While our people is still illiterate, the most important arts for us are cinema and circus.
—Vladimir Lenin, 1921
There is only one thing that can kill the Movies, and that is education.
—Will Rogers, 1949
***
19
As quoted, without a date, in several generally reliable collections, starting not later than 1993.
20
“To express” or “to fake”?—see also the next two quotes.
21
A similar line is attributed to Daniel Schorr, but its first record is only circa 1992. Later, these
quips were twisted by many, including George Burns.
On Arts, Entertainment, and Internet
117
—Ralph Richardson, 1946
Acting is the most minor of gifts and not a very high-class way to earn a living. Shirley
Temple could do it at the age of four.
—Katharine Hepburn
19
Acting is not being emotional, but being able to express emotion.
20
—Kate Reid, 1988
Acting is a form of deception, and actors can mesmerize themselves as easily as an
audience.
—Leo Calvin Rosten, 1941
Honesty. That’s the main thing in the theater today. Honesty… and just as soon as I can
learn how to fake it, I’ll have it made.
—Celeste Holm, 1962
21
Even supposing a young man of appreciable mental powers to be lured upon the stage, […]
his mind would be inevitably and almost immediately destroyed by the gaudy nonsense
issuing from his mouth every night.
—H. L. Mencken, 1920
***
You can take all the sincerity in Hollywood, place it in the navel of a firefly and still have
room enough for three caraway seeds and a producer’s heart.
—Fred Allen, 1959
The modern film […] requires no contribution from the audience but a mouthful of
popcorn.
—Raymond Chandler, 1962
While our people is still illiterate, the most important arts for us are cinema and circus.
—Vladimir Lenin, 1921
There is only one thing that can kill the Movies, and that is education.
—Will Rogers, 1949
***
19
As quoted, without a date, in several generally reliable collections, starting not later than 1993.
20
“To express” or “to fake”?—see also the next two quotes.
21
A similar line is attributed to Daniel Schorr, but its first record is only circa 1992. Later, these
quips were twisted by many, including George Burns.
On Arts, Entertainment, and Internet
117