There is no terror in a bang, only in the anticipation of it.

Drama is life with the dull bits left out.

In the documentary the basic material has been created by God, whereas in the fiction film the director is the god; he must create life.

I am scared easily, here is a list of my adrenaline-production: 1: small children, 2: policemen, 3: high places, 4: that my next movie will not be as good as the last one.

A murder without gleaming scissors is like asparagus without the hollandaise sauce - tasteless.

When an actor comes to me and wants to discuss his character, I say, 'It's in the script.' If he says, "But what's my motivation?" I say, 'Your salary.'

There is nothing to winning, really. That is, if you happen to be blessed with a keen eye, an agile mind, and no scruples whatsoever.

Then Madam I suggest you have her dry cleaned. To a woman who complained that the shower scene so frightened her daughter that the girl would no longer shower

I never said actors were cattle. All I said is that actors should be treated as cattle.

I'm a philanthropist: I give people what they want. People love being horrified, terrified.

Blondes make the best victims. They’re like virgin snow that shows up the bloody footprints. 20 February 1977

Give them pleasure — the same pleasure they have when they wake up from a nightmare.

Seeing a murder on television can … help work off one’s antagonisms. And if you haven’t any antagonisms, the commercials will give you some. 15 August 1966

One of television’s great contributions is that it brought murder back into the home, where it belongs. 15 August 1966

I’m frightened of eggs, worse than frightened, they revolt me. That white round thing without any holes … have you ever seen anything more revolting than an egg yolk breaking and spilling its yellow liquid? Blood is jolly, red. But egg yolk is yellow, revolting. I’ve never tasted it.

Television has done much for psychiatry by spreading information about it, as well as contributing to the need for it.

I am a typed director. If I made Cinderella, the audience would immediately be looking for a body in the coach. 11 June 1956

Some movies are slices of life. Mine are slices of cake...

"I don't understand why we have to experiment with film. I think everything should be done on paper. A musician has to do it, a composer. He puts a lot of dots down and beautiful music comes out. And I think that students should be taught to visualize. That's the one thing missing in all this. The one thing that the student has got to do is to learn that there is a rectangle up there - a white rectangle in a theater - and it has to be filled.

To make a great film you need three things - the script, the script and the script.

There is a dreadful story that I hate actors. Imagine anyone hating Jimmy Stewart... or Jack Warner. I can't imagine how such a rumor began. Of course it may possibly be because I was once quoted as saying that actors are cattle. My actor friends know I would never be capable of such a thoughtless, rude and unfeeling remark, that I would never call them cattle... What I probably said was that actors should be treated like cattle.