"he director passed off the phrase as one of his "Machiavellian quips," not to be taken seriously. "Let us say, rather, that actors are a necessary evil," he cautioned, with a straight face. "As a matter of fact, I couldn't work if I weren't on friendly terms with them; I'll bend over backward every time. Besides, I get into each picture I make, if only for a couple of seconds—so I'm probably a frustrated actor at heart myself."

“I deny that I ever said actors are cattle. What I said was, "Actors should be treated like cattle.”

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

“Actors are cattle. I've always said actors are cattle. In fact, Carole Lombard once built a corral on set and put three live calves into it, in recognition of my feelings. I tell them that, and treat them as such, and we get along fineǃ”

“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 is like the invention of indoor plumbing. It didn't change people’s habits. It just kept them inside the house.”

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