Donald O'Connor Quotes

#1. You see, as far as the man's personality goes, there's no one who can touch Fred Astaire. He's unique.

Donald O'Connor

#2. I didn't smoke. I didn't smoke then, and I don't smoke now. We worked every day - that keeps you in pretty good shape. We could go for a long time in one take. You had to be in good shape with Gene Kelly.

Donald O'Connor

#3. Short people have long faces, and long people have short faces. Big people have little humor, and little people have no humor at all.

Donald O'Connor

#4. I'm not a good choreographer: I can't remember what I put down.

Donald O'Connor

#5. Remember, if you do the same act for 20, 30 years it gets a little boring unless you've got something else going for you ... And the orchestra really kept you going. They'd laugh at all your jokes, even if they'd been hearing them for the last 30 years.

Donald O'Connor

#6. It's so wonderful ... if your whole day is rotten, once they start the music, it seems to melt away.

Donald O'Connor

#7. Going up the walls doing somersaults, that trick took a couple of days.

Donald O'Connor

#8. I was born and raised to entertain other people. I've heard laughter and applause and known a lot of sorrow. Everything about me is based on show business - I think it will bring me happiness. I hope so.

Donald O'Connor

#9. Doing those costume pictures was wonderful.

Donald O'Connor

#10. Dancing is so wonderful. Once they start the music, your whole day, if it's been rotten, seems to melt away. You get carried away in the tune that you're moving to. It's a marvelous catharsis, to be able to get on top and tap dance.

Donald O'Connor

#11. I think you should make more movies, more musicals. I think the public deserves that. I think this country deserves to be able to get out and foster that talent. Give them an opportunity to become stars. I think the whole idea is wonderful.

Donald O'Connor

#12. That is the godawful thing about television today. Performers don't have any place to hit and miss. You're either in or you're out; you don't have a chance to become good at your craft. If you make three pictures in a row and they don't go over, you're out of the business.

Donald O'Connor

#13. They put me in a harness, like a horse, to learn the back somersault. It was weird up there when I put on that harness for the first time. The courage came with practice.

Donald O'Connor

#14. I'd like to thank the Academy for my lifetime achievement award that I will eventually get.

Donald O'Connor

#15. I can picture things, like a painter would, though Im not good at painting, either.

Donald O'Connor