I'm 5 9, and there were two stars in my life who didn't mind that I was taller than they - George Raft and John Garfield.

I had to do a tango with Raft and I learned to dance in ballet shoes with my knees bent.

Raft told me how to walk with him in a scene: We'd start off in a long shot normal, and about the time we got together in a close-up, I'd be bending my knees so I'd be shorter.

Of course, in later years, I'd studied acting more than ever before - mostly with the late Stella Adler, who was marvelous! - but in my earlier years, I couldn't afford to do this.

I didn't know I was doing film noir, I thought they were detective stories with low lighting!

I got to know Sterling Hayden fairly well. He was a quiet man, who got more complicated as the years went on.