I'm generally pessimistic about the dumbing down of America - especially with summer movies.

I thought in terms of the enthusiasm of doing it. I didn't think about whether I was ready.

When you stop to think about it, so many films today where we don't have that kind of contact are films about alienation. About alienated feelings. We are much more alienated from our colleagues nowadays.

You wouldn't think it would but my parents were really balanced about that. When it came time for me to be out of the house and out on my own they were very supportive.

I made my way on to a grey list, a black list even. That's something I'm very proud of, actually.

Victor Young had been hired to write the score for the dances of The Ten Commandments but he became very ill. You were then hired to write the score. But at the same time you'd written The Man with the Golden Arm score.