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Jerome Lawrence

Jerome Lawrence Quotes

Playwright

Jerome Lawrence, born on July 14, 1915, was an American playwright known for his profound social insight and unique dramatic style. His most famous work, 'Twelve Angry Men,' co-written with Robert E. Lee, became a classic in the American theater.

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All Inherit The Wind Men Play Writing Thinking Wind Air Ifs Laughter Loses

Famous Jerome Lawrence Quotes

“Buy a Bible!Your guide to eternal life!”

Book:Inherit the Wind: The Powerful Courtroom Drama in which Two Men Wage the Legal War of the Century

Source: Inherit the Wind: The Powerful Courtroom Drama in which Two Men Wage the Legal War of the Century

“When you loose your power to laugh, you loose your power to think straight.”

Book:Inherit the Wind: The Powerful Courtroom Drama in which Two Men Wage the Legal War of the Century

Source: Inherit the Wind: The Powerful Courtroom Drama in which Two Men Wage the Legal War of the Century

“Time and space are awash here.”

Book:The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail

Source: The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail

“A neurotic is a man who builds a castle in the air. A psychotic is the man who lives in it. A psychiatrist is the man who collects the rent.”

Men Science Psychology Air Castles Modern Life Neurotic Psychiatrist Psychotic Castles In The Air Building Castles In The Air

Author:Jerome Lawrence

“It's always such a joy that you wake up in the morning and there's work to do.”

Joy Morning Wake Up Good Day Good Morning Start The Day

Author:Jerome Lawrence

“The aftermath of the war is what inspired us to write many of our plays. The whole reason for our writing Inherit the Wind was that we were appalled at the blacklisting. We were appalled at thought control.”

Writing War Reason Play Whole Wind Inspired Aftermath Inherit The Wind

Author:Jerome Lawrence

“An idea is a greater monument than a cathedral. And the advance of man's knowledge is more of a miracle than any sticks turned to snakes, or the parting of waters!”

Men Ideas Water Greater Miracle Sticks Snakes Monument Parting Cathedrals Inherit The Wind

Author:Jerome Lawrence

“All motion is relative. Maybe it's you who've moved away by standing still.”

Stills Standing Moved Relative Inaction Standing Still Inherit The Wind

Author:Jerome Lawrence

“Progress has never been a bargain. You have to pay for it. Sometimes I think there's a man who sits behind a counter and says, "All right, you can have a telephone but you lose privacy and the charm of distance. Madam, you may vote but at a price. You lose the right to retreat behind the powder puff or your petticoat. Mister, you may conquer the air but the birds will lose their wonder and the clouds will smell of gasoline."”

“Our only competition in the theater is boredom, because if I'm bored with a play, if I'm revolted by a play on stage, with the Broadway prices, especially today, I'm going to walk out and not come back and pay that price again.”

Ifs Play Today Walks Pay Stage Blessing Theater Competition Bored Boredom Broadway

Author:Jerome Lawrence

“Don't have any opinions. They're bad for business.”

Book:Inherit the Wind: The Powerful Courtroom Drama in which Two Men Wage the Legal War of the Century

Source: Inherit the Wind: The Powerful Courtroom Drama in which Two Men Wage the Legal War of the Century

“When you lose the power to laugh, you lose your power to think straight.”

Thinking Humor Loses Laughing Laughter Thoughts And Thinking Power Of Laughter Humour And Laughter

Author:Jerome Lawrence

“Is it possible to be overzealous, to destroy that which you hope to save-so that nothing is left but emptiness.”

Left Emptiness Overzealous Inherit The Wind

Book:Inherit the Wind: The Powerful Courtroom Drama in which Two Men Wage the Legal War of the Century

Source: Inherit the Wind: The Powerful Courtroom Drama in which Two Men Wage the Legal War of the Century

“Cynical? Thats my fascination. I do hateful things, for which people love me, And lovable things for which they hate me. I am a friend of enemies, the enemy of friends; I am admired for my detestability. I am both Poles and the Equator, with no Temperate Zones between.”

People Hate Enemy Zone Cynical Fascination Hateful Hate Me Lovable Equator They Hate Me

Book:Inherit the Wind: The Powerful Courtroom Drama in which Two Men Wage the Legal War of the Century

Source: Inherit the Wind: The Powerful Courtroom Drama in which Two Men Wage the Legal War of the Century

“Thou shalt not steal the shekels of thine audience with a play which doth not let them know what the hell goeth on.”

Knows Play Audience Hell Stealing Goeth

Author:Jerome Lawrence

“The man who has everything figured out is probably a fool.”

Men He Man Fool Inherit The Wind

Book:Inherit the Wind: The Powerful Courtroom Drama in which Two Men Wage the Legal War of the Century

Source: Inherit the Wind: The Powerful Courtroom Drama in which Two Men Wage the Legal War of the Century

“You must not demand the failure of your peers, because the more good things that are around in film, in television, in theater - why the better it is for all of us.”

Film Television Demand Theater Good Things Peers

Author:Jerome Lawrence

“Darwin was Wrong! Man's still an ape.”

Men Stills Apes Wrong Man Inherit The Wind

Author:Jerome Lawrence

“I think enthusiasm is the answer to passionate writing.”

Thinking Writing Answers Passionate Enthusiasm

Author:Jerome Lawrence

“I say that you cannot administer a wicked law impartially. You can only destroy. You can only punish. I warn you that a wicked law, like cholera, destroys everyone it touches - its upholders as well as its defiers.”

Wells Law Prison Tyranny Wicked Cholera

Author:Jerome Lawrence

“All experience helps when you write.”

Writing Helping

Author:Jerome Lawrence

“The whole point of writing is to have something in your gut or in your soul or in your mind that's burning to be written.”

Writing Mind Soul Whole Written Burning Your Soul Guts

Author:Jerome Lawrence

“In no instance is there to be a musical or opera of Inherit the Wind because it doesn't sing. It's an intellectual play.”

Play Wind Intellectual Musical Instance Opera Inherit The Wind

Author:Jerome Lawrence

“If you're going to make a musical, don't cartoon it from the play. Make it better than the play. Have a reason for making it sing.”

Ifs Reason Play Musical Cartoon

Author:Jerome Lawrence

About the Author

Born: July 14, 1915
Died: February 29, 2004
Known for: Playwright
Quotes: 24

Related Topics

Inherit The Wind Men Play Writing Thinking Wind Air Ifs Laughter Loses

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

Inherit the Wind: The Powerful Courtroom Drama in which Two Men Wage the Legal War of the CenturyRelated source material

The Night Thoreau Spent in JailRelated source material

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