“The human mind is inspired enough when it comes to inventing horrors; it is when it tries to invent a Heaven that it shows itself cloddish.”

Evelyn Waugh, Put Out More Flags

“News is what a chap who doesn’t care much about anything wants to read. And it’s only news until he’s read it. After that it’s dead.”

Evelyn Waugh, Scoop

A scene from The Loved One, Tony Richardson’ 1965 screen version of Evelyn Waugh’s satirical novella about Forest Lawn, starring Robert Morse and Liberace. The screenplay is by Terry Southern and Christopher Isherwood:

(This is the latest in a series of arts- and history-related videos that appear in this space each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday)

“Nobody iives forever, and who’d want to?”

Calder Willingham, screenplay for Rambling Rose

From 2014:

The New York theater season is hurtling toward its annual climax. As of this morning, I have thirteen more shows to see between now and April 24, when Cabaret opens and the Tony Awards eligibility period comes to an end. Some I long to see, others I dread, but even if I had good reason to expect them all to be terrific, that would still be too damn much theater.

It is, however, my job to be as receptive as possible to each show, and I take that job quite seriously indeed….

Read the whole thing here.

“If it wasn’t for graft, you’d get a very low type of people in politics! Men without ambition! Jellyfish!”

Preston Sturges, screenplay for The Great McGinty

Noël Coward appears as the mystery guest on What’s My Line? The panelists are Bennett Cerf, Arlene Francis, Dorothy Kilgallen, and Robert Preston and the host is John Daly. This episode was originally telecast live by CBS on Jaunary 12, 1964:

(This is the latest in a series of arts- and history-related videos that appear in this space each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday)

“Television is for appearing on, not looking at.”

Noël Coward, interviewed by Edward R. Murrow on <I>Person to Person</I> (originaly telecast by CBS on April 27, 1956)