Quotes by Lauren Bacall (September 16, 1924)

Lauren Bacall Quotes

- A man's illness is his private territory and, no matter how much he loves you and how close you are, you stay an outsider. You are healthy.

- A woman isn't complete without a man. But where do you find a man - a real man - these days?

- Find me a man who's interesting enough to have dinner with and I'll be happy.

- I am essentially a loner.

- I am not a has-been. I am a will be.

- I don't sit around thinking that I'd like to have another husband; only another man would make me think that way.

- I figure if I have my health, can pay the rent and I have my friends, I call it 'content.'

- I think your whole life shows in your face and you should be proud of that.

- I used to tremble from nerves so badly that the only way I could hold my head steady was to lower my chin practically to my chest and look up at Bogie. That was the beginning of The Look.

- I wish Frank Sinatra would just shut up and sing.

- I'm not a sedentary person. I've always been active.

- Imagination is the highest kite one can fly.

- In Hollywood, an equitable divorce settlement means each party getting fifty percent of publicity.

- It's inappropriate and vulgar and absolutely unacceptable to use your private life to sell anything commercially.

- Looking at yourself in a mirror isn't exactly a study of life.

- Stardom isn't a profession; it's an accident.

- They're guys who want to screw around all the time, which interests me not at all. God knows we've done that, been there, and we don't want to do that any more.

- When you talk about a great actor, you're not talking about Tom Cruise.

- You can't start worrying about what's going to happen. You get spastic enough worrying about what's happening now.

- Generally women are better than men -- they have more character. I prefer men for some things, obviously, but women have a greater sense of honor and are more willing to take a chance with their lives.

- Find me a man who's interesting enough to have dinner with and I'll be happy.

- You can't start worrying about what's going to happen. You get spastic enough worrying about what's happening now.

- Imagination is the highest kite one can fly

- You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and blow.

- I am not a has-been. I am a will be.

- I think your whole life shows in your face and you should be proud of that.

- Looking at yourself in a mirror isn't exactly a study of life.

- I am essentially a loner.

- I figure if I have my health, can pay the rent and I have my friends, I call it 'content.'

- They're guys who want to screw around all the time, which interests me not at all. God knows we've done that, been there, and we don't want to do that any more.

- In Hollywood, an equitable divorce settlement means each party getting fifty percent of publicity.

- I wish Frank Sinatra would just shut up and sing.

- I used to tremble from nerves so badly that the only way I could hold my head steady was to lower my chin practically to my chest and look up at Bogie. That was the beginning of The Look.

- 'You know you don't have to act with me, Steve. You don't have to say anything, and you don't have to do anything. Not a thing. Oh, maybe just whistle. You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and blow.'

- People should tell your children what life is all about -- it's about work.

- Stardom isn't a profession; it's an accident.

- When you talk about a great actor, you're not talking about Tom Cruise.

- When a woman reaches twenty-six in America, she's on the slide. It's downhill all the way from then on. It doesn't give you a tremendous feeling of confidence and well-being.

- His whole behavior is so shocking,

- I'm not a sedentary person. I've always been active.

- She's not a legend, ... She can't be a legend at whatever age she is. ... You have to be older.

- I don't sit around thinking that I'd like to have another husband; only another man would make me think that way.

- I'm not the public.

- The purity of Jewish upbringing is the restrictions that one carries through life being a "nice Jewish girl" -- what a burden!

- A man's illness is his private territory and, no matter how much he loves you and how close you are, you stay an outsider. You are healthy.

- It's inappropriate and vulgar and absolutely unacceptable to use your private life to sell anything commercially, but I think it's kind of a sickness.

- I have a built-in antenna.

- I'm a fan. My grandchildren are fans. I wish I'd written the books.

- If I'm a legend, I'm dead. Do you want me to be dead? Legends are of the past.

- The star at 82. I have no respect for celebrities, and I object to being called one, so don't try it! I'm an actress, not a celebrity.

- I just don't understand not working. I'm such a ham. I love hiding behind other characters. I find that it gives me freedom.

- I hope Bogie knew how much I loved him, how much he meant to me, how I highly valued him. I've had another life since then, but he was my first love, and you never forget your first love.

- On her co-star Humphrey Bogart, writing in her 1978 autobiography 'By Myself'. I'm lucky to get it! I don't have big choices.

- On her role of Natalie Van Miter in 2007 movie 'The Walker'. It feels better having an escort. I don't have many escorts in my life. But I don't like to enter rooms by myself. Literally. So I understand from that point of view why that exists. It's great to have one person that does not judge you and you can kind of confide in.

- On 2007 movie 'The Walker', which is about a society escort who squires rich Washington wives around town. Sometimes I get very nostalgic because he died very young and he didn't have a chance to see his children grow at all. But on the other hand, because he never aged he's more alive than ever to more generations. He'd have never believed this.

- On her first love Humphrey Bogart. You have to have a way to cope, to get through the rest of your life. You have disappointments, people hurt your feelings, friendships dissolve for no reason… all kinds of weird things can happen in life and you better learn how to deal with it. And the way to deal with it is to laugh at yourself.

- It's all about money nowadays. There's no accent on quality, on standards, and they don't write parts for women anymore. When I first went into pictures, women absolutely ran the show. Bette Davis practically owned Warner Brothers. She was my favourite. Every time she's on television, I love to watch her work.

- They're all too self-involved, y'know? And they're so unaware of what goes on anywhere else.

- On today's stars, in 2007 interview.

- I just have to keep going as long as I can.

- Aged 82, as she works on movie 'Wide Blue Yonder', set in a retirement home. A woman isn't complete without a man. But where do you find a man - a real man - these days.

- Generally women are better than men -- they have more character. I prefer men for some things, obviously, but women have a greater sense of honor and are more willing to take a chance with their lives.

- Find me a man who's interesting enough to have dinner with and I'll be happy.

- You can't start worrying about what's going to happen. You get spastic enough worrying about what's happening now.

- Imagination is the highest kite one can fly.

- You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and blow.

- Playing character Slim in 1944 movie 'To Have and Have Not'. I am not a has-been. I am a will be.

- I think your whole life shows in your face and you should be proud of that.

- Looking at yourself in a mirror isn't exactly a study of life.

- I am essentially a loner.

- I figure if I have my health, can pay the rent and I have my friends, I call it "content".

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