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" I did not intend for there to be an incisive historical lesson in 'North and South.' Basically, it's just a good, juicy story. "

David L. Wolper

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" My philosophy as a filmmaker is to inform and entertain at the same time. And when I went away from documentaries into miniseries like 'Roots,' I did the reverse. Instead of just entertaining, I want to inform at the same time. "

David L. Wolper

" For a two-hour movie on a 20-day shooting schedule, it's O.K. to have an actor who's a pain in the neck. "

David L. Wolper

" I had been an independent entrepreneur from the beginning, and I felt I could do it myself. I didn't want to get a job. "

David L. Wolper

" I was the first independent to walk in with a documentary. "

David L. Wolper

" I couldn't get my first film on the air. The first film I did was called 'The Race For Space,' about the U.S.-Soviet space race. The networks had a policy that I found out about the hard way. I even had a sponsor for my program, but the networks wouldn't put it on because it was independently produced. "

David L. Wolper

" Motion pictures are a director's medium. Broadway is a writer's medium. Television is a producer's medium. I picked a medium I could control. "

David L. Wolper

" I have to do popcorn for movies. I can do more important things for television. You're going down when you're making a movie, not going up. "

David L. Wolper

" You need an actor who can maintain a character over a long period of time. If you have a weak actor, it won't be obvious in two hours, but you'll begin to see his weaknesses over four or five days. "

David L. Wolper

" Sometimes if you tell me what a story is about in just a few sentences, I can tell you if it's going to be a success. "

David L. Wolper

" I make it happen. Who bought Alex Haley's book 'Roots' for TV? Me. I hired the director, hired the writer. I put them all together. I'm like the chef. If I mix all the ingredients right, it's going to taste terrific. If I don't, it's not going to come out good. "

David L. Wolper

" I don't call four hours a miniseries. "

David L. Wolper

" My main contribution has been that I have educated and entertained people at the same time. "

David L. Wolper

" Continuity is a wonderful thing, and it is a very rare thing in show business. "

David L. Wolper

" I don't want to make an 'Animal House.' I'm not interested in making 'Ghost Busters.' "

David L. Wolper

" I liked the clear morality of 1941, when you had no doubt about good and evil. There was a lot of idealism, people fighting for a cause. People are searching for morality today. "

David L. Wolper

" People don't buy and sell art based on the personality of the artist. Or there wouldn't be much art bought and sold. "

David L. Wolper

" I believe a mini-series has two audiences. The first is the media. Then I go for the television audience. "

David L. Wolper

" My initial goal for the 1984 opening ceremonies was a show that would be majestic, inspirational, and emotional - a 20 goosebump experience. "

David L. Wolper

" Some psychiatrist told me I was interested in sculpture because I dealt in flat surfaces and needed something with dimension. "

David L. Wolper

" My definition of a producer is 'the man with the dream.' "

David L. Wolper

" What prevailed was that it was a family story, so it didn't matter what the color. It was also the perfect subject matter for a miniseries: A best-selling book, a generational story, a social problem - they all made 'Roots' what a miniseries should be. "

David L. Wolper

" You have to say, 'We think it's going to work. Let's go with it.' Either you're going to kill the world, or you're going to fall on your rear end. "

David L. Wolper

" My roots are documentaries. "

David L. Wolper

" Somebody said something funny to me the other day. They said, 'Wolper, until two weeks ago, your tombstone was going to say, 'David Wolper, the man who produced 'Roots.' I think the tombstone now has a new inscription. It's going to be 'David Wolper, the man who produced the opening ceremony of the 1984 Olympics.' "

David L. Wolper

" I don't fall in love with inanimate objects. I don't bond with them. I only fall in love with people. "

David L. Wolper

" I believe that religion and politics should not mix. Both should be a part of somebody's life - but not together. "

David L. Wolper

" I've asked every grammar schoolteacher in the nation to have their students write on the meaning of the Statue of Liberty. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the winning kid got up to the microphone and, in front of the world, had to dig into a pocket to pull out a crumpled sheet of paper containing the words that would move us all? "

David L. Wolper

" I'm not a kid trying to make an impression in the business. I do have 600 films out there that are playing constantly. "

David L. Wolper

" The minute I went into business, I was a success, and I've done well ever since. "

David L. Wolper

" If people perceive 'Roots' to be a black history show, nobody is going to watch it. "

David L. Wolper