I once received a letter from a mother ambitious for her daughter. It read: 'I have a perfectly beautiful daughter. She is seventeen years old, five feet three inches tall, and weighs eight stone. Do you think she might succeed in films?' I replied 'Madam, it would be impossible to say, as you did not state her width.'
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- He jokes that the mother omitted her daughter's width, which is crucial for casting in films.
- In plain terms
- Physical dimensions matter for film casting, not just height and weight.
- What can you take from it?
- Specific details matter for practical assessments.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What details actually matter for a job?
- How do we judge suitability?
Another view
Talent often matters more than physical measurements.
More from Alfred Hitchcock
It's only a movie, and, after all, we're all grossly overpaid....
Permalink to quote #28 If it's a good movie, the sound could go off and the audience would still have a perfectly clear idea of what was going on.
Permalink to quote #30 I was an uncommonly unattractive young man.
Permalink to quote #27
Related quotes
'Bosie [from the movie Wilde] was the first part I was ever offered, which I suppose is sort of an insult because he's just the nastiest bastard!'
Jude LawJude Law quote #31 'We're casting for flat-chested tap-dancing freaks.' (from 'Diva')
Jerky BoysJerky Boys quote #69 You should have told him (Jewison) to get Topol's son!
Zero MostelZero Mostel quote #3