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his biography Best OF


page 52
Spencer Tracy gave me some advice.. It's a great profession, as long as nobody catches you at it

page 77
John Boorman is the best director I've ever worked with but i felt something amiss at the Deliverance reunion. John wanted me to come to ireland in 1973 to play the lead in zardoz. i wasn't crazy about the script so i didnt go. i think he felt i let him down. if i could do it over i would

page 83
Bill McKinney was one strange dude. Early mornings You'd see him running nude through the sprinklers on golf course

One night myself and Ned Beatty had a few drinks and he confessed he regretted ever doing the movie

Ned's performance in that scene is devastating. He should have won the oscar

page 84
Deliverance was a rough shoot, an adventure. It was the most fun I've ever had

when i asked John (Boorman) why we were shooting in sequence he said in case one of you drowns

page 88
it isn't clear whether Drew is shot or commits suicide. Ronny told me he'd decided for his own purposes that Drew was neither shot nor suicide but the victim of some kind of accident

page 89
Barbra Streisand called Boorman and asked to see a rough cut because she said i want to see a man raped for a change

if i had to put one of my movies in a time capsule it would be deliverance

page 92
The catholic church condemned me. It was a total fiasco. It was one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made and it cost deliverance the oscar recognition it deserved

page 99
Lee Marvin hated senseless violence. If the violence looked too easy he believed it becomes an invitation to try it

Deep down and he'd probably slug me for saying it Lee was a gentle man

page 128
Sinatra once told Shirley MacLaine i wish someone would hurt you so i could kill them for you

i knew the guys who kidnapped Frank's son. I met them through Ryan O'Neal

page 151
Clint and i both went to italy to make spaghetti westerns in the 60s he got sergio leone and i got navajo joe

Dino De Laurentis had the most dangerous eyes i ever saw

I've played every indian but pochahontas

page 154
Sergio Corbucci was all about body count. He figured that if he killed more people than clint then Navajo joe would make more money

page 156
clint is so relaxed on set people think he's about to doze off but that's just a game he plays

Clint has a temper. we were in a bar one time a woman came in and said something to him that he didn't like. She poured a beer over his head. he didn't say anything he just stood up picked up a beer and poured it over her head. Then he picked up another and another. He poured four maybe five beers all over her. The he walked away.

page 160
Dick Benjamin couldn't direct clint because he was scared to death of him

page 161
a rumor started that i had AIDS my makeup man and dentist refused to touch me

i have never been suicidal in my life but had i died at that time it would have been okay with me

So many friends deserted me but some stayed Dom Deluise Ann Margret Charles Nelson Reilly Charley Durning Angie Dickinson Jon Voight Hal Needham Clint Johnny Crason Liz taylor and about five hundred stuntmen

page 190
when Sally won her oscar for places in the heart she said you like me you really like me!! she was making a reference to a scene in norma rae but nobody got the joke. Sally got slammed for it. That line has been dogging her ever since

page 192
when people thought i had AIDS sally did a playboy interview. When asked whether or not i had AIDS she said "There's always been something going on about Burt" what the hell did she mean? she sent me a note of apology saying she's been flippant . We haven't been in touch since i wish i could turn back the clock. i lover her but we couldn't make it work. It's the biggest regret of my life

page 195
i like Donald (Trump) but i hold onto my wallet when we shake hands.
He was interested in only two things: making money and publicity.
i pray he never gets the chance to do to the USA what he did to the USFL

page 205
Ann Margret looks fragile like a porcelain doll but she's tough as nails

page 209
i had a crush on Ruby Dee

page 216
i didn't like the character (Jack Horner)
i can't respect a man who doesn't respect women

page 218
the first shot in boogie nights in one of the longest in movie history
Have you timed this? i asked Paul its longer than citizen kane!!! its three seconds longer he said

page 219
off camera Julianne moore is exactly what she seems.. bambi's mother

page 220
i got along with the cast except Thomas Jane. he was getting physical with people. when he put his martial arts moves on me i said "Don't push me because i push back"

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page 221
and the oscar goes to robin williams. as robin ran towards the stage i saluted him. He claimed i flipped him the bird

That night i locked myself in my hotel room and shut off the phone. Jon Voight called to commiserate but per my instructions the switchboard wouldn't put him through. Jon being Jon he came to my hotel borrowed a waiters uniform and carried a room service tray into my room. i was in bed reading a book and didnt notice him.. He threw himself on the bed and kissed me square on the mouth. We spent the rest of the night laughing. Jon can always make me laugh

page 234
people think marlon was the best actor ever, i wouldn't go that far

i worked in television with his sister Jocelyn. She thought i looked like him. Its the main reason i grew a mustache

page 238
Bruce Dern's an amazing actor, he can do it all
he should have won the oscar for Nebraska

page 245
Ryan O'Neal was dating farrah fawcett and i had a crush on her. I have to admit i was kind of hoping they would break up. When they did and i finally went out with her i turned into inspector clouseau

page 251
even though Duke won the oscar for true grit i dont think he got the respect he deserved. i was at a meeting of the Screen Actors Guild and i said we should do something to celebrate duke waynes career and they all laughed

page 255
Cary Grant's fans used to send a few bucks in cash to cover postage for an autographed picture. Every day when the mail arrived Cary would come out and hold the envelopes up to the sun. if they contained money he'd take it out, put it in his pocket and throw the rest away

he told me "Burty be yourself and have a good time. When it stops being fun walk away"

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page 286
I've done more than a hundred movies. I'm proud of maybe five of them.

after warren and jack passed on godfather i was up for it. marlon threatened to quit if i came in

in 1977 when i was the top box office draw francis ford coppolla said he wanted me for the title role in Tucker. i flew to san francisco and over a long dinner we made plans for the film. The next morning francis showed me seven different endings for apocalypse now and asked me which one i liked

a few days later someone called from paramount and said they wanted to make Tucker but not the five other projects francis had pitched them. He was using me to bootstrap his other films. We never spoke again.

page 287
i was the first choice of john mcclane in die hard but i passed. i dont regret turning down anything that bruce willis took

page 288
i wanted to call Peter and ask to play the cop in Witness (1985) but couldnt bring myself to do it

page 289
i had to pass on the kevin kline part in Soapdish because Loni would have poisoned me

page 294
i always wanted to go down swinging

I'm old but i feel young and there's one thing you can never take away.. nobody had more fun than me

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