Hume Cronyn - quotes
Quotations relating to Hume Cronyn.
[Hitchcock] told a story very, very well, and he told it almost always in visual images. Hitch pretty much had a film made... up here [in his head] before he ever got on the set. In fact, he used to say work on the set, the actual filming was so boring. It was the creative elements and solving challenges that absolutely fascinated him.
— Hume Cronyn (2000)
Casting
I went out to California and I was shown into a big waiting room at Universal. I was sitting there waiting, and then the producer of that film, Jack Skirball, came walking through this crowded room, spotted me, came over and said, "Is your name Cronyn?" I said, "Yes," and he said, "Oh, dear. I'm so sorry. I think we've brought you here under false illusions. You are much too young. However, you're here, so you'd better meet Mr Hitchcock." And eventually I was shown into the presence, and there sat Hitch, all 300 pounds of him. He was at his very heaviest then. He had his hands tucked under his armpits like that with his thumbs straight up, I remember that. He started right in by saying, "Have you been in Sonoma County?" And I said, "No, sir." He said, "Well, it's in Northern California. It's the heart of the wine-growing district. At the end of the shooting each day, we will walk out into the vineyards, we will seize the bunches of grapes, and we will squeeze the juice down our throats." Then he went on to say, "We'll mess around with make-up, put grey in your hair. Maybe you should wear glasses." Then he said, "What are you going to do? Are you going to stay in California, or are you going back to New York?" "What?" There was no talk about my being too young, no talk about yes or no, no maybes or "We'll let you know". It seemed that I had this part. Sure enough, I did.
— Hume Cronyn (2000)
Film Production
I had a scene at the dining table with Teresa Wright. She said something to me. I was shocked and offended, and I stood up and stepped back from her. And, uh, Hitch said, um, "That's fine, Hume, but when you stand up don't step back." I'm not about to argue with Mr Hitchcock. We shot the scene and he said, "Cut! Hume, you stepped back again." I said, "I'm sorry, sir, but it feels so uncomfortable." He said, "Alright, then let's shoot it again. You stand up, you step back, and we'll have a comfortable actor with no head." And then he... After we'd got this shot, he said something which was worth remembering. He said, "The camera lies, you know, and when it does, you have to learn to accommodate it."
— Hume Cronyn (2000)
keywords: Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Teresa Wright, and production
