Hoods are good parts because they’re always flashy and attract attention. If you’ve got any ability, you can use that as a stepping stone.
Meaning of the quote
The quote suggests that playing roles of criminals or "hoods" in movies can be a good opportunity for actors. These characters tend to be eye-catching and draw a lot of attention from the audience. If an actor has talent, they can use these flashy roles as a way to showcase their abilities and move on to other, potentially more meaningful parts in the future.
More quotes from Richard Widmark
John Ford was so funny that I couldn’t wait to go to work in the morning.
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There was something about Marilyn. She couldn’t act her way out of a bag, but she became an icon because something happened between her and the lens, and no one knows what it is.
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I was never a part of the Actor’s Studio, because two friends of mine started it in 1947 and by that time I’d gone to California.
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A lot of actors said they hated the studio system, but I loved it. It was like a college; it was a great place to learn.
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I think a performer should do his work and then shut up.
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Ford used to come to work in a big car with two Admiral’s flags, on each side of the car. His assistant would be there with his accordion, playing, Hail to the Chief.
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I felt pretty comfortable with Westerns, apart from the fact I couldn’t ride.
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I loved Jack Ford. I got him in his later days, and he was a total tyrant and a total autocrat and an Irish drunk. But I had a great time.
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Gary Cooper was a good friend. He was a great nature lover. He was like an American Indian, he knew every leaf that was turned over. It was an education to go for a walk with him.
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You have to compromise all the way. The only thing that counts is the result.
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Cheyenne Autumn was received not too successfully. I still think it was a very good movie. It was kinda Ford’s apology for the way he had treated Indians in his past pictures.
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I was playing this horrible part. I didn’t didn’t want to play it because the character was an awful racist. But I’m glad I did it because I met Sidney Poitier.
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Anne Baxter was a very good actress, Donna Reid was great. You couldn’t name an actress I wasn’t crazy about.
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Marilyn was terrible to work with. I was fond of her, she was a nice girl, but she was a damaged girl. She was very difficult. You couldn’t get her on the set; she didn’t know the words.
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Other actors like to rehearse on film-they like 30 or 40 takes. When you get an actor like that, it becomes difficult for me because I’m ready to quit after number two.
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Mankiewicz was a brilliant director.
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Hoods are good parts because they’re always flashy and attract attention. If you’ve got any ability, you can use that as a stepping stone.
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Many of my friends were blacklisted. America should be ashamed of it forever.
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Kazan was an old friend, I met him in 1938. He picked up radio jobs for eating money, so I met him on a couple of radio shows. Later on I was in a play he directed.
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Most movies are made today for teenage boys. Once in a while a good one comes along.
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