Nobody can be exactly me. Sometimes even I have trouble doing it.
It's one of the tragic ironies of the theatre that only one man in it can count on steady work - the night watchman.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote humorously highlights the irony of job security in the theater industry, where only the night watchman has a stable position.
Tallulah Bankhead's quote reflects on the unpredictable nature of work in the theater, where actors may struggle for consistent roles and job security while emphasizing the irony that the night watchman, often an overlooked figure, is the only person guaranteed steady employment. This speaks to the broader themes of unpredictability and the often precarious nature of careers in creative fields, infusing the observation with a touch of humor about the situation.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a speech about the challenges of pursuing a career in the arts.
More from Tallulah Bankhead
All quotes βI'd rather be strongly wrong than weakly right.
They say it's the good girls who keep diaries. The bad girls never have the time. Me, I just wanna live a life I'm gonna remember even if I don't write it down.
Fill what is empty, empty what is full, and scratch where it itches.
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The highly motivated people in society are the ones causing all the trouble. It's not the lazy unmotivated folks sitting in front of a TV eating potato chips who bother anyone.
It is ludicrous to read the microwave direction on the boxes of food you buy, as each one will have a disclaimer: THIS WILL VARY WITH YOUR MICROWAVE. Loosely translated, this means, You're on your own, Bernice.
The proverb says, "Born lucky, always lucky," and I am very superstitious. As a small boy I was notoriously lucky. It was usual for one or two of our lads (per annum) to get drowned in the Mississippi or in Bear Creek, but I was pulled out in a 2/3 drowned condition 9 times before I learned to swim, and was considered to be a cat in disguise.
Don't talk to me." "Why not?" "Because I want to fix that in my memory for ever. Draco Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret.