Hollywood: The Selznick Years

Alfred Hitchcock:
Selznick belonged to the school of real picture makers of which there are very few today. But on the other hand, uh, they tell me - although I never experienced this - he could be very ruthless. [Smiling wryly] Maybe one should sum it up by saying he was charmingly ruthless.

Alfred Hitchcock:
[a tongue-in-cheek reading] When I arrived in America about 25 or more years ago, uh, I did receive a, uh, memo from, uh, Selznick. Well, I've just finished reading it, and I, uh, think it would make a good film. In fact, I'm inclined to call it "The Longest Story Ever Told."

Himself, Narrator:
[as "A Tale of Two Cities" clip is shown] For the first time literary classics are filmed with at least the illusion of fidelity to the original.

Gregory Peck:
I said to him once, uh, perhaps he ought to try a simpler picture sometime. Start off with a couple of kids on a park bench and see what he could make out of that... and he said, 'Ohm that's not for me," he said. "The trouble with meis that I-I made my, uh, masterpiece when I was quite a young man, "\'Gone with the Wind.'" He said, "I know that's going to be the lead line in my obituary." He said, "every time I make a picture, I'm trying to top 'Gone with the Wind.'" Well, uh, he didn't... but he didn't because he didn't have to. He made one - among others - but he made one supreme classic film.and, uh, certainly left a very powerful mark on motion picture history and the history of motion pictures.