“There is a point in portraying surface vulgarity where tragedy and comedy are very close.”

[On Marilyn Monroe:] Her body has gone to her head.

The more you kick something that’s dead, the worse it smells.

Eyes are the greatest tool in film. Mr. Capra taught me that. Sure it’s nice to say very good dialogue, if you can get it. But great movie acting – watch the eyes!

The boy’s got a lot to learn and I’ve got a lot to teach.

I couldn’t remember my name for weeks. I’d be at the theater and hear them calling ‘Miss Stanwyck, Miss Stanwyck,’ and I’d think ‘Where is that dame? Why doesn’t she answer? By crickie, it’s me!

Attention embarrasses me. I don’t like to be on display.

Put me in the last fifteen minutes of a picture and I don’t care what happened before. I don’t even care if I was IN the rest of the damned thing – I’ll take it in those fifteen minutes.

My only problem is finding a way to play my fortieth fallen female in a different way from my thirty-ninth.

It’s perhaps not the future I would choose. I still think it’s possible to make a success of both marriage and career even though I didn’t. But it’s not a bad future. And I’m not afraid of it.

[On a dull party:] It was a fête worse than death.

I’m a tough old broad from Brooklyn. Don’t try to make me into something I’m not. If you want someone to tiptoe down the Barkley staircase in crinoline and politely ask where the cattle went, get another girl.

I’m now the Lord of the Brighton Manor.

Egotism – usually just a case of mistaken nonentity.

Just be truthful – and if you can fake that, you’ve got it made.

Sponsors obviously care more about a ninety-second commercial and want to pay you more than any guest star gets for a ninety-minute acting performance.

I’m a tough old broad from Brooklyn. I intend to go on acting until I’m ninety, and they won’t need to paste my face with make-up.

Some people think luxury is the opposite of poverty. It is not. It is the opposite of vulgarity.