Tag Archive for "Samuel Goldwyn"

The Art of Words

Some people really have a way with words to point of creating a new art form.  One of these must have been the famous American film director Samuel Goldwyn.  Who said the most extraordinary things, many of which, whilst making perfect sense to him just totally confused those around him (or made them laugh!).  For example there’s the famous phrase, “A verbal contract isn’t worth the paper it’s written on” quoted by thousands of businessmen ever since and “If Roosevelt were alive today, he’d turn over in his grave”.  He also affirmed that,”A bachelor’s life is no life for a single man” and that, “A Hospital is no place to be sick” (where else?). My father is fond of quoting him saying, “Any man who goes to a psychiatrist ought to have his head examined” Samuel Goldwyn died in 1974.  I wonder if there were people at his funeral who fulfilled another of his famous phrases,”The reason so many people turned up at his funeral is that they wanted to make sure he was dead.”

He loathed the advent of television and as regards colour television he famously said, Color television! Bah, I won’t believe it until I see it in black and white”. He also made the comment, “Why should people go out and pay money to see bad films when they can stay at home and see bad television for nothing?” where today the TV may not have changed much but many of the films are truly awesome!  Perhaps, the film-makers today put more work into grooming their stars for success.  As Samuel Goldwyn put it, “Give me a couple of years, and I’ll make that actress an overnight success.“   He was intolerant of fawning staff around him proclaiming,”I don’t want any yes-men around me. I want everybody to tell me the truth even if it costs them their job.” He also said he was willing to admit that he might not always be right, but he was never wrong!

His phrase, “If I could drop dead right now, I’d be the happiest man alive” may have been in 1974 or maybe not.  Well, wherever he is now he must be working on his autobiography since he firmly believed this to be the time to write one as shown in his famous quotation, “I don’t think anyone should write their autobiography until after they’re dead.” Since that would preclude being paid any royalties I think most of us would reply with another of his well-known quips and say, “Include me out.”