The trouble with that movie is that you had to see Chinatown the day before you saw The Two Jakes. – Eli Wallach
I’d come out of the army after five years as a medic. I was a medical administrator and we ran hospitals, and I was a Captain in the army at the end, in 1945. – Eli Wallach
Well, I was getting a lot of money then, and I wasn’t getting any Hollywood films, so I just did those. I’d always do a play in between. Whenever I ran low on funds, I’d always rush off to do a movie somewhere. – Eli Wallach
This country has a complex about age. It’s unbelievable. If you’re over thirty, you’ve had it in this country. – Eli Wallach
Well, I go to the theater today, and its curtain – there is no curtain in this play; the lights go down and go up – and we start. And I live this character for two hours. There are only two of us in the play. And It’s a complete experience. – Eli Wallach
My wife says that stage acting is like being on a tightrope with no net, and being in the movies, there is a net – because you stop and go over it again. It’s very technical and mechanical. On stage you’re on your own. – Eli Wallach
I’ve learned that life is very tricky business: Each person needs to find what they want to do in life and not be dissuaded when people question them. – Eli Wallach
Well, I’ve maybe gotten 200 requests for interviews about Marilyn, and I just decided I’m gonna do my own. – Eli Wallach
I met my wife and, for the next ten years, we did no films at all. She did the first movie and then I did several after. My first movie was written by Tennessee Williams and directed by Kazan and was called Baby Doll. – Eli Wallach
When I saw the movie, I said, I wish I had heard the music. I would have ridden the horse differently. – Eli Wallach
John Huston was a superb master. He knew how to make good films. I did three things with him. One is called Independence. It plays in Philadelphia, for free. It’s been playing there for 25 years. – Eli Wallach
So I wanted to show what I did with the money. So I got red silk shirts, beautiful hats, wonderful saddles, a great horse, and two gold teeth. So that was the way I did it. – Eli Wallach
One thing changes every evening: It’s the audience, and I’m working my magic. I’m always learning from it. – Eli Wallach