Music, in the past few years... anything singable or understandable is square. Ethel Merman More Quotes by Ethel Merman More Quotes From Ethel Merman At one time I smoked, but in 1959 I couldn't think of anything else to give up for Lent so I stopped - and I haven't had a cigarette since. Ethel Merman cigarettegiving-upthinking Be yourself -- it's the one thing you can do better than anyone else. Ethel Merman love-your-childrenbeing-yourselfcan-do I remember Tallulah (Bankhead) telling of going into a public ladies' room and discovering there was no toilet tissue. She looked underneath the booth and said to the lady in the next stall, 'I beg your pardon, do you happen to have any toilet tissue in there?' The lady said no. So Tallulah said, 'Well, then, dahling, do you have two fives for a ten?' Ethel Merman nexttworooms I can never remember being afraid of an audience. If the audience could do better, they'd be up here on stage and I'd be out there watching them. Ethel Merman audiencestageremember Any audience that gets a laugh out of me gets it while I'm facing them Ethel Merman audiencelaughing Broadway has been very good to me. But then, I've been very good to broadway. Ethel Merman very-goodbroadwayhas-beens I've made a wonderful living playing that theatrical character - the professional brassy dame Ethel Merman dameswonderfulcharacter There's such a thing as theater discipline. One player doesn't appropriate another's inventions Ethel Merman inventiondisciplineplayer Now what kind of an attitude is that, 'These things happen?' They only happen because this whole country is just full of people who, when these things happen, they just say, 'These things happen,' and that's why they happen! We gotta have control of what happens to us. Ethel Merman attitudecountrypeople I told her that there was something about Christmas carols that always brought tears to my eyes. I added that I also cry at weddings. To me weddings are very solemn occasions. I should have cried at a couple of my own. Ethel Merman weddingcouplechristmas Eisenhower was my war hero and the President I admire and respect most Ethel Merman presidentherowar Always give them the old fire, even when you feel like a squashed cake of ice. Ethel Merman hockeyicefire I've never cooked. I can't do much more in the kitchen than make a cup of tea and some toast. Ethel Merman kitchencupstea I wouldn't change one thing about my professional life, and I make it a point not to dwell on my mistakes Ethel Merman professional-lifehousemistake I can hold a note as long as the Chase National Bank. Ethel Merman notesi-canlong Everything's coming up roses - for me. Ethel Merman valentines-dayvalentinerose I take a breath when I have to. Ethel Merman breathsbreathing Cole Porter had a worldwide reputation as a sophisticate and hedonist Ethel Merman hedonistreputation Who's happy these days? Ethel Merman these-days At a flea market I always head for the junk jewelry table first. Ethel Merman fleasjunktables
