Quote #2

Mostel: If I appeared there, what if I did an imitation of a butterfly at rest? There is no crime in making anybody laugh. I don't care if you laugh at me. Congressman Jackson: If your interpretation of a butterfly at rest brought any money into the coffers of the Communist Party, you contributed directly to the propaganda effort of the Communist Party. Mostel: Suppose I had the urge to do the butterfly at rest somewhere? Congressman Doyle: Yes, but please, when you have the urge, don't have such an urge to put the butterfly at rest by putting some money in the Communist Party coffers as a result of that urge to put a butterfly at rest.

More from Zero Mostel

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  2. You should have told him (Jewison) to get Topol's son!
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  5. Humor is a sense of proportion and a power of seeing yourself from the outside.
  6. The freedom of any society varies proportionately with the volume of its laughter.
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