All I need is the opportunity,' I said confidently. He smiled. 'Seventeen's very young, and you look even younger.' I shrugged off-handedly. 'That's a question of make-up.' Karno laughed. That shrug, he told Sydney later, got me the job.

More than machinery, we need humanity.

I've not taken like acting lessons or anything but it doesn't mean I don't need to because I'm sure I do.

I always have a full-length mirror next to the camera when I'm doing publicity stills. That way, I know how I look.

That is why, no matter how desperate the predicament is, I am always very much in earnest about clutching my cane, straightening my derby hat and fixing my tie, even though I have just landed on my head.

What a sad business, being funny.