The competitor to be feared is one who never bothers about you at all, but goes on making his own business better all the time. 

Pick up a camera. Shoot something. No matter how small, no matter how cheesy, no matter whether your friends and your sister star in it. Put your name on it as director. Now you're a director. Everything after that you're just negotiating your budget and your fee.

Every formula of every religion has in this age of reason, to submit to the acid test of reason and universal assent. 

The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once.

They say President Wilson has blundered. Perhaps he has, but I notice he usually blunders forward.

What's right about America is that although we have a mess of problems, we have great capacity - intellect and resources - to do some thing about them.

Yellow journalism is turning into such a deep shade of yellow that it could put jaundice to shame.

A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider god-fearing and pious. On the other hand, they do less easily move against him, believing that he has the gods on his side.

Sometimes, I feel like one who is on the sidelines, who has missed life itself.

Little pools of water tend to become stagnant and useless, but if they are joined together to form a big lake, the atmosphere is cooled and there is universal benefit.

I am never going to have anything more to do with politics or politicians. When this war is over I shall confine myself entirely to writing and painting. 

You know, in the film making business no one ever gave you anything.