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" 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
Beginning
Entrepreneur
Job
Related Quotes:
" 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
Film
Air
Way
" 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
Want
Like
Philosophy
" My definition of a producer is 'the man with the dream.' "
David L. Wolper
Dream
Definition
Producer
" 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
Story
Roots
Family
" There's a fine line between patriotism and corn. "
David L. Wolper
Patriotism
Line
Fine Line
" Continuity is a wonderful thing, and it is a very rare thing in show business. "
David L. Wolper
Business
Wonderful
Show Business
" Why is it that if you hit a shot to within a tenth of an inch of the hole, it's a great shot, but if it goes in, it's luck? "
David L. Wolper
Shot
Why
Great
" The minute I went into business, I was a success, and I've done well ever since. "
David L. Wolper
Minute
Success
Well
" Television is like a library. There are a lot of library books in it, and you have to pick and choose what you take out of it. "
David L. Wolper
Library
You
Television
" I don't want to make an 'Animal House.' I'm not interested in making 'Ghost Busters.' "
David L. Wolper
House
Ghost
Interested
" 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
Sometimes
You
Tell
" When they did the Olympics in Seoul - or elsewhere - didn't each host country try to show its greatness to the world viewing audience? "
David L. Wolper
Audience
Greatness
Try
" 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
Roots
Good
Together
" 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
End
You
Work
" We couldn't predict what would happen with 'Roots.' You knew there were powerful moments that were going to affect people. We were making the film while the book was being completed. We were fortunate because the hardcover book was out and on the best-seller list. The heat was still on. "
David L. Wolper
Powerful
Roots
Moments
" I was the first independent to walk in with a documentary. "
David L. Wolper
First
Independent
Walk
" 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
Only
Bond
People
" 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
Movies
Important
Down
" 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
Television
Pictures
Director
" Some psychiatrist told me I was interested in sculpture because I dealt in flat surfaces and needed something with dimension. "
David L. Wolper
Something
Because
Dealt
" If people perceive 'Roots' to be a black history show, nobody is going to watch it. "
David L. Wolper
People
Roots
Nobody
" 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
Pain
Actor
Neck
" I don't call four hours a miniseries. "
David L. Wolper
Four
Call
Hours
" 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
Words
World
Winning
" Relax! Life is beautiful! "
David L. Wolper
Beautiful
Relax
Life
" My main contribution has been that I have educated and entertained people at the same time. "
David L. Wolper
People
Time
Educated
" 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
You
Long
Need
" I can possibly say I have entertained and educated more people than anyone else in the world. "
David L. Wolper
World
Educated
I Can
" 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
Today
Good And Evil
" I believe a mini-series has two audiences. The first is the media. Then I go for the television audience. "
David L. Wolper
Media
Believe
I Believe