The monster was the best friend I ever had.

You could heave a brick out of the window and hit ten actors who could play my parts. I just happened to be on the right corner at the right time.

[in 1936, on his appeal to children, who empathized with the monster] I don`t really scare them any more than do Jungle Jim, Dan Dunn, Tarzan, and the other heroes of the comic sections.

My wife has good taste. She has seen very few of my movies.

When I was nine I played the demon king in Cinderella and it launched me on a long and happy life of being a monster.

[on whether he resented being typed as a "horror star"] One always hears of actors complaining of being typed - if he`s young, he`s typed as a juvenile; if he`s handsome, he`s typed as a leading man. I was lucky. Whereas bootmakers have to spend millions to establish a trademark, I was handed a trademark free of charge. When an actor gets in a position to select his own roles, he`s in big trouble, for he never knows what he can do best. I`m sure I`d be damn good as little Lord Fauntleroy, but who would pay ten cents to see it?