Tracing Quotations
Dorothy Parker? Pauline Kael? Question for Quote Investigator: The decision to greenlight a movie in Hollywood is complicated and protracted. Those eager to make films experience a mixture of encouragement, uncertainty, delays, and heartbreak. Here are two versions of a germane witticism: These words have been credited to author Dorothy Parker and movie critic Pauline …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Hollywood Is the Only Place Where You Can Die of Encouragement”
Christopher McQuarrie? Charles Baudelaire? Kevin Spacey? Verbal Kint? Keyser Söze? John Wilkinson? William Ramsey? John Fletcher Hurst? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The 1995 movie “The Usual Suspects” contains a memorable line spoken by a guileful character about the existence or non-existence of the Devil. The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the …
Warren Buffett? Jim Rasmussen? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The investment record of Warren Buffett has been astonishingly successful. His reputation for sagacity means that his tongue can transform a prosaic remark into an adage of wry plainspoken wisdom such as the following: Risk comes from not knowing what you’re going. I have seen low …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Risk Comes from Not Knowing What You’re Doing”
Marcel Duchamp? Janet Malcolm? Raul Gamboa? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The artist provocateur Marcel Duchamp proclaimed that he could transform a prosaic object into an objet d’art worthy of display in a museum. He famously accomplished this feat with a urinal he dubbed “Fountain” in 1917. See the picture above. Would you please help …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: If I Call It Art, It’s Art; or If I Hang It in a Museum, It’s Art”
Coco Chanel? Arlene Dahl? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The brilliant fashion luminary Coco Chanel was once asked about the proper application of fragrance to the body, and she gave an entertaining reply about osculation. Would you please help me to find a citation? Reply from Quote Investigator: The earliest evidence located by QI appeared …
Richard Schickel? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The film historian and critic Richard Schickel asserted that men’s refusal to commit to relationships is as prevalent as the common cold. Would you please help me to find the exact phrasing and a citation? Reply from Quote Investigator: In 1983 Richard Schickel reviewed the movie “Terms of …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: That Common Cold of the Male Psyche, Fear of Commitment”
Marilyn Monroe? Sheilah Graham? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Beauty icon Marilyn Monroe’s film career was jeopardized in the 1950s when scandal-mongers reported on her past as a risqué calendar model. Interestingly, her popularity and fame actually grew. When she was questioned about the calendar she responded with a clever and hilarious remark about a …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: It’s Not Quite True I Had Nothing On: The Radio Was On”
Stewart Brand? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Revenues in the recorded music industry and the advertiser-supported newspaper business have collapsed in the past twenty years. I am reminded of the following provocative remark: Information wants to be free. Apparently, this is only part of a larger quotation. Would you please explore the provenance of these …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Information Wants To Be Expensive. Information Wants To Be Free”
Benjamin Franklin? Theodore Edward Hook? Maria Edgeworth? Arthur Wellesley? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The statesman Benjamin Franklin is often credited with the following aphorism. Here are two versions: I have never seen a precise citation which makes me suspicious. What do you think? Reply from Quote Investigator: Benjamin Franklin died in 1790, and the …
Pablo Picasso? Leonard Lyons? Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler? Arthur Koestler? Marshall McLuhan? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The most fascinating anecdote about authenticity that I have ever heard features Pablo Picasso repudiating a painting that he apparently created. Are you familiar with this tale? Would you please explore its provenance? Reply from Quote Investigator: The earliest occurrence …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: So What? I Paint Fakes, Too”