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Val Lewton Quote

I love the quote attributed to Val Lewton, “Filmmaking is akin to writing on water”, and want to use it. I need a citation though. Anyone know where it comes from?

No-one? I know I read it in an article – not written by Lewton – but I can’t find it now. Surely this is a quote that should be famous…Anybody got something similar?

Polaris​DiB

over 1 year ago

Hilariously, this thread is already the top Google hit for “val lewton filmmaking is akin to writing on water.”

—PolarisDiB

Well, you tried, didn’t you?. At least you did that. (NMCB kicks bin over in frustration and stalks off.)

Polaris​DiB

over 1 year ago

NMCB, it might be an apocryphal quote, so in that case you may be able to use it with acknowledgment to that effect, depending on what you are writing.

—DiB

The first chapter of my PhD thesis…just trying things out.

Jerry Johnson

over 1 year ago

http://books.google.com/books?id=YN7x4VAurkYC&pg=PA4&lpg=PA4&dq=val+lewton+%22writing+on+water%22&source=bl&ots=P4Ca-UvzIo&sig=colWZr3Wxa0-g58ZUNzYg7QTf9s&hl=en&sa=X&ei=tlstT6SfCIWw0QHfq-nJCg&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=val%20lewton%20%22writing%20on%20water%22&f=false

Great find. That’ll do her, I reckon.

christo​pher sepesy

over 1 year ago

It was U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, when after seeing Birth of a Nation said it was like seeing, “a tale writ by lightening.”

I don’t know if that helps.

clockworkdaisyblues

over 1 year ago

writing on water, sounds like blown away but memory remain…