“It's not a pretty face, I grant you. But underneath its flabby exterior is an enormous lack of character.”

—  Oscar Levant

Describing himself, in lines he contributed to An American In Paris (1951), although officially credited to Alan Jay Lerner, as told in The Memoirs of an Amnesiac (1965); also quoted in The Dictionary of Biographical Quotation of British and American Subjects (1978) by Richard Kenin and Justin Wintle, p. 485.

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "It's not a pretty face, I grant you. But underneath its flabby exterior is an enormous lack of character." by Oscar Levant?
Oscar Levant photo
Oscar Levant 42
American comedian, composer, pianist and actor 1906–1972

Related quotes

“The face is its own fate — a man does what he must —
And the body underneath it says: I am.”

Randall Jarrell (1914–1965) poet, critic, novelist, essayist

"The Knight, Death and the Devil," lines 34-39
The Seven-League Crutches (1951)
Context: Death and the devil, what are these to him?
His being accuses him — and yet his face is firm
In resolution, in absolute persistence;
The folds of smiling do for steadiness;
The face is its own fate — a man does what he must —
And the body underneath it says: I am.

“They thought I suffered from lack of exterior, when I suffered from excess of interior”

Romain Gary book Gros-Câlin

Source: Gros-Câlin

Harry Emerson Fosdick photo

“Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
For the facing of this hour,
For the facing of this hour.”

Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878–1969) American pastor

Source: God of Grace and God of Glory (1930)
Context: God of grace and God of glory,
On Thy people pour Thy power.
Crown Thine ancient church’s story,
Bring her bud to glorious flower.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
For the facing of this hour,
For the facing of this hour.

Aimee Mann photo

“I don't know how to break the news, but
It's pretty clear you'll be asked to choose between
What you lack and what you excuse”

Aimee Mann (1960) American indie rock singer-songwriter (born 1960)

"You're With Stupid Now" · 2008 performance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjwfNAYdBVQ
Song lyrics, I'm with Stupid (1995)
Context: I don't know how to break the news, but
It's pretty clear you'll be asked to choose between
What you lack and what you excuse
In this tug of war
You can't say that they didn't warn you
Though you'd rather that they just ignore you
Cause your devices are not working for you anymore What you want, you don't know
You're with stupid now

Miranda July photo

“Look at the sky: that is for you. Look at each person's face as you pass them on the street: those faces are for you. And the street itself, and the ground under the street, and the ball of fire underneath the ground: all these things are for you.”

Miranda July (1974) American performance artist, musician and writer

“Death and the devil, what are these to him?
His being accuses him — and yet his face is firm
In resolution, in absolute persistence;
The folds of smiling do for steadiness;
The face is its own fate — a man does what he must —
And the body underneath it says: I am.”

Randall Jarrell (1914–1965) poet, critic, novelist, essayist

"The Knight, Death and the Devil," lines 34-39
The Seven-League Crutches (1951)

Willa Cather photo

“Even in harmonious families there is this double life: the group life, which is the one we can observe in our neighbour's household, and, underneath, another — secret and passionate and intense — which is the real life that stamps the faces and gives character to the voices of our friends.”

Willa Cather (1873–1947) American writer and novelist

Katherine Mansfield (1925)
Context: Even in harmonious families there is this double life: the group life, which is the one we can observe in our neighbour's household, and, underneath, another — secret and passionate and intense — which is the real life that stamps the faces and gives character to the voices of our friends. Always in his mind each member of these social units is escaping, running away, trying to break the net which circumstances and his own affections have woven about him.

Jamaica Kincaid photo

“Friendship is a simple thing, and yet complicated; friendship is on the surface, something natural, something taken for granted, and yet underneath one could find worlds.”

Jamaica Kincaid (1949) Antiguan-American novelist, essayist, gardener, and gardening writer
Alan Bennett photo

“I lack what the English call character, by which they mean the power to refrain.”

Alan Bennett (1934) English actor, author

An Englishman Abroad (1983).

Related topics