Norman Jewison Quotes

People always tell me, "Gee, you direct so many movies" as if that`s unusual. But I made my mind up when I was young that what`s most important for a director is to keep working. Because how else are you going to learn how to do new things, which - to me - is the whole point. So I make a lot of different movies and I love them all . . . The movies that address civil rights and social justice are the ones that are dearest to me.

(on working with Rod Steiger on In the Heat of the Night (1967)) I`ve never seen a man become a role so much. Two weeks after we started the picture it was almost impossible to talk to (him) because he was in a Southern dialect night and day.

(on Judy Garland) Judy Garland was the most exciting sheer talent I ever worked with. She was so unpredictable, very child-like, very difficult to work with at times, but the rewards were immense.

(on Steve McQueen) I can honestly say he`s the most difficult actor I`ve ever worked with.

(on Cher) Her comic timing is natural and almost infallible. I`ll say so even though she nicknamed me "the curmudgeon." Cher thinks all directors are mad and crazy. She`s right. of course.

Everything Sholom Aleichem talks about in his plays and his short stories is about people, family, man`s relationship with his God, the breaking down of tradition.

As you know, in America there`s no rights for the artist, so whatever films I`ve made kind of belong to the studio, so if they want to remake it they can.

It`s an entire industry focusing on young male viewers that want action and violence. They sell us something that isn`t valid. They`re selling films like a product.

I think you get better as you get older.

In America there`s no rights for the artist, so whatever films I`ve made kind of belong to the studio.

When you deal with a film that takes place in Europe, and you`re going to work in English, you`d better work with European actors.

And even Moonstruck - for some reason the audience were just in the mood for a very romantic film, because it`s one of the few romantic comedies to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar.

I still get a lot of material but I find that as one gets older you get more fussy. You know you`re going spend a year or a year and a half on this and you know there are only so many films in you so you get a little bit more selective.

I think I`ve done pretty well. I`ve had about 46, or 47 nominations from my movies, and my films have won about 12 awards, so I don`t have any complaints.

I`m in the mood for another Moonstruck experience, for another romantic comedy.

But I`ve never met a racist yet who thinks he`s a racist. That`s always the disturbing thing about when we begin to look at ourselves.

But Madonna has a small amount of talent when it comes to movies.

With most British actors, it`s amazing. I think they start with the character on the outside and work in.

We also have a tendency to root for the fugitive. We`re always on the side of the animal being chased.

I don`t like to think that maybe I`m just getting old. I`m not too excited about watching a huge explosion. I`m more interested in people and characters.

I think all Nazis didn`t see themselves as bad people. I`ve never met a racist yet who thought he was a racist. Or an anti-Semite who thought they were anti-Semitic.

Moonstruck... was one of the few romantic comedies to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar.

Michael Caine is a movie star, but he`s also a great actor. I can`t say that about every movie star. It`s the concentration he has.

Betrayal... is my favorite subject.

I work with a lot of movie stars.

And I think all Nazis didn`t see themselves as bad people. I`ve never met a racist yet who thought he was a racist. Or an anti-Semite who thought they were anti-Semitic.

I was really excited to have the opportunity to make Fiddler.

I mean they`re making remakes of my films and I`m not even dead yet! Why would you want to make a remake?

Well, you know the old line - to be nominated is what it`s all about. I think that I`ve done pretty well - I`ve had about 46, or 47 nominations from my movies, and my films have won about 12 awards in total, so I don`t really have any complaints.

Do what you`re told, and everything will be all right.

I`m just a storyteller.

Obviously, In The Heat Of The Night was a landmark movie because the timing was perfect. It was in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement.

A lot of American actors I work with are in character all day long. You can`t talk to them. It`s Method and the whole thing.

I was very disappointed that Denzel didn`t win Best Actor for The Hurricane because I thought he deserved it.

Every generation deals with the breaking down of its tradition, and I think that they rediscovered the film.

When I make a film, I never want the film to become a vehicle of social propaganda. If I wanted to do that, I`d make documentaries.

Look, I`m just a storyteller. When I make a film, I never want the film to become a vehicle of social propaganda.

When you shoot a musical, you`re shooting to lipsynch tracks, so we had to figure out our choreography and work out what we wanted to do with each number before we did it.

I don`t make films to win prizes. I make films to make films.

I`m going to do an adaptation of the Italian film, Bread and Tulips. I really like that film.

We`re always on the side of the animal that`s being chased. We always seem to be on the side of the rabbit or the fox and not on the side of the hounds.

The album for Fiddler really took off. I think it was a combination of John Williams and the score. It was a very classy big album.