FRANK CAPRA

In our film profession you may have Gable's looks, Tracy's art, Marlene's legs or Liz's violet eyes, but they don't mean a thing without that swinging thing called courage.

A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something.

Scriptwriting is the toughest part of the whole racket... the least understood and the least noticed.

I made mistakes in drama. I thought drama was when actors cried. But drama is when the audience cries.

Don't follow trends, start trends.

Compassion is a two way street.

If you want to send a message, try Western Union.

My advice to young film-makers is this: don't follow trends, start them!

Film is one of the three universal languages, the other two: mathematics and music.

Whenever a situation develops to its extreme, it is bound to turn around and become its opposite.

The dignity and importance of the individual. I try to hang on to that in all my films.

I think of the medium as a people-to-people medium, not cameraman-to-people, not direction-to-people, not writers-to-people, but people-to-peopleYou can only involve an audience with people. You can't involve them with gimmicks, with sunsets, with hand-held cameras, zoom shots, or anything else. They couldn't care less about those things. But you give them something to worry about, some person they can worry about, and care about, and you've got them, you've got them involved.

Someone should keep reminding Mr. Average Man that he was born free, divine, strong; uncrushable by fate, society, or hell itself; and that he is a child of God, equal heir to all the bounties of God; and that goodness is riches, kindness is power, and freedom is glory. Above all, every man is born with an inner capacity to take him as far as his imagination can dream or envision-providing he is free to dream and envision.

Most ideologies of the world are not for the individual. They're against the individual. Communism, fascism. Any kind of an ism - almost - they're against the individual.

Do not help the quick moneymakers who have delusions about taking possession of classics by smearing them with paint.

Friend, you are a divine mingle-mangle of guts and stardust. So hang in there! If doors opened for me, they can open for anyone.

The Oscar is the most valuable, but least expensive, item of world-wide public relations ever invented by any industry.

I think the human spirit is a real powerful spirit. It has no limits and it has no ends. And I hate to see it put in any kind of box - pink or green.

I have a feeling that demonstrations don't accomplish anything. That they become fads. I also feel that demonstrations wouldn't go on unless there is a TV camera. That part of it all is performance for the media. I didn't know whether they are completely honest.

All you can do is learn the skills of movies. Neither colleges nor anyone else can teach you creativity. They can teach you abilities to work with - you know how to use the gifts you've been born with.

The best pictures are yet to be made.

When you get to political machines that can control a state, then you're really into organized crime - almost. You're fighting a political mafia.

Capitalism is supposedly free enterprise. Supposedly about the free individual. But capitalism itself is so massive that the guy on the street gets caught in paying rent, taxes, and he doesn't own himself at all.

My films must let every man, woman, and child know that God loves them, that I love them, and that peace and salvation will become a reality only when they all learn to love each other.

Man is a unique individual. He can never be put in a system where he becomes just another notch. Another nail.