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" 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

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

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" There's a fine line between patriotism and corn. "

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

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

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" Relax! Life is beautiful! "

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" My roots are documentaries. "

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" 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

" 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

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

David L. Wolper

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

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

" 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

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

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 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

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

David L. Wolper

" 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

" 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

" 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

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

David L. Wolper

" 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

" 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

" 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

" 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

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

David L. Wolper

" I can possibly say I have entertained and educated more people than anyone else in the world. "

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

" 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

" 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

" 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