Leonard Maltin Quotes

Powerful Leonard Maltin for Daily Growth

About Leonard Maltin

Leonard Maltin is an influential American film critic, historian, and educator, best known for his movie guides and television appearances. Born on November 18, 1947, in Chicago, Illinois, Maltin grew up in a family deeply rooted in the world of cinema. His father, Baskin Maltin, was a producer and screenwriter, while his mother, Sylvia Maltin, worked as a film editor. Maltin's interest in movies started at an early age, and he was soon writing movie reviews for his school newspaper. He went on to study Film and Broadcasting at Emerson College in Boston, where he honed his skills as a critic and scholar. In 1968, Maltin joined the Los Angeles Times as a film critic. He gained nationwide recognition with the publication of his first book, "Movie & Video Guide," in 1970. This annual guide to movies and video rentals became a bestseller, setting the standard for movie guides for decades. In addition to his work on the guide, Maltin has written numerous books about cinema, including "Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons" (1980) and "The Great Movie Checklist" (2006). He also served as a film critic for Entertainment Tonight from 1984 to 1995. Maltin has been influential in educating a new generation of film enthusiasts through his work as a professor at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts since 1987. His television appearances include "Leonard Maltin's Movie Magic" (1985-1993) and "Movie Moments with Leonard Maltin" (2008-present). Throughout his career, Leonard Maltin has been a tireless advocate for the appreciation of cinema, providing insights and analysis that have enriched the lives of film lovers worldwide. His work continues to inspire and educate, making him an enduring figure in the world of movies.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"The greatest pleasure of watching films is that they have the capacity to take you to another place."

The quote by Leonard Maltin highlights the transformative power of movies, suggesting that they have the unique ability to transport viewers to different worlds or experiences beyond their immediate reality. This "other place" can be a source of immense pleasure, as it offers an escape from everyday life and allows individuals to explore new realms of imagination and understanding. Through storytelling, movies connect us with diverse characters, cultures, and ideas, providing a universal platform for shared human emotions and experiences.


"I believe movies can help us understand ourselves and our relationships with others, as well as our world."

This quote emphasizes the profound impact that movies have on our understanding of self, relationships, and the world. Movies serve as a mirror reflecting societal norms, individual emotions, and human experiences in a way that encourages introspection and empathy. They provide a platform for exploring complex themes, fostering discussions, and stimulating personal growth, ultimately helping us to navigate our own lives more effectively.


"Cinema at its best offers a unique opportunity for personal and social growth."

This quote highlights that cinema, when at its finest, serves as an exceptional platform for both individual and collective development. It suggests that through the art of filmmaking, viewers can gain insights about themselves, explore new ideas, empathize with others, and broaden their perspectives on life. Furthermore, cinema can stimulate social growth by sparking important conversations, challenging societal norms, and fostering a sense of community among its audience.


"There's always something new to learn in the movies - new ways of seeing things, new ways of thinking about them."

This quote by Leonard Maltin emphasizes the transformative power of cinema, suggesting that movies not only entertain but also inspire learning and broaden our perspectives. Through creative storytelling, films offer unique insights into human experiences, culture, history, and ideas, encouraging us to reconsider familiar concepts in fresh and innovative ways. Essentially, cinema serves as a window to the world, enriching our understanding of life and fostering empathy, curiosity, and intellectual growth.


"The movies remind us that we are not alone, that we share common emotions and experiences, and that we can find strength and understanding in each other."

This quote underscores the universal power of cinema to foster empathy and unity among people. By presenting shared experiences and emotions through stories, films serve as a reminder of our interconnectedness. They offer solace, inspiration, and an opportunity for reflection, helping us find common ground with others despite differences in culture, language, or circumstances. Essentially, movies help bridge gaps and foster understanding among humanity.


Movie theaters still exist in spite of all of the alternatives that are available, video and video-on-demand and DVD and streaming video and all of these things.

- Leonard Maltin

Movie, Still, Available, Spite

Beauty and the Beast became the first animated feature ever nominated for best picture.

- Leonard Maltin

Beauty, Became, Ever, Animated

A Christmas Carol is such a fool-proof story you can't louse it up.

- Leonard Maltin

Christmas, You, Up, Carol

Shakespeare wrote great plays that we're still watching all these years later. Charlie Chaplin made great comedies and they are still as funny today as they ever were.

- Leonard Maltin

Made, Still, Plays, Chaplin

I had the great good fortune to interview Peggy Lee. Her memories of working with Walt Disney and his team were warm and upbeat.

- Leonard Maltin

Fortune, Had, Walt, Interview

Everyone is looking for the sure thing. They are looking to hedge their bet. They think the way to do that is to go with a proven quantity, a remake of something you have already seen. That is their mindset.

- Leonard Maltin

Mindset, Think, Sure, Remake

While it was occasionally done here or there, nobody else had a figurehead like Walt doing it. Jack Warner wasn't on TV. Walt was the boss, but he had a real public profile and he used it to his advantage. And he became a household face.

- Leonard Maltin

Doing, Here, Became, Jack

If I were less than honest as a critic, I think people would spot that right away, and it would destroy my credibility.

- Leonard Maltin

Think, Away, I Think, Right Away

NBC anchor Brian Williams is a standup comic in disguise.

- Leonard Maltin

Anchor, Standup, Williams, Brian

Polar Express is not an attempt to do animation. It is a technology-based film.

- Leonard Maltin

Film, Express, Polar, Animation

Television is what made It's a Wonderful Life the classic it is today.

- Leonard Maltin

Television, Classic, Made, Wonderful Life

I think the people who are making Christmas-themed movies today feel that people are more cynical about Christmas. There's more of an edge.

- Leonard Maltin

Think, Making, I Think, Cynical

Dumbo... makes me cry. Every single time and in the exact same spot. I just have a special affection for Dumbo.

- Leonard Maltin

Cry, Makes, Single Time, Exact

I teach at USC. I have a big class of 360 kids, only about a fifth of whom are film majors. I don't just show the Hollywood blockbusters. I show independent films, foreign films, documentaries.

- Leonard Maltin

Big, Hollywood, Films, Documentaries

When Tim Allen made The Santa Clause, I thought that was a delightful film. It took a modern sensibility but layered onto it a kind of sentiment.

- Leonard Maltin

Clause, Took, Sentiment, Delightful

The last person to stand still and repeat himself was Walt Disney. He refused to repeat himself. So to think that he'd be making the same kind of film in the year 2001 that he made in 1941 is absurd.

- Leonard Maltin

Think, Making, Still, Disney

I'm a lifelong Disney nut.

- Leonard Maltin

Lifelong, Nut, Disney

Los Angeles has the greatest concentration of surviving movie palaces in the United States, yet most residents have never been inside one of them.

- Leonard Maltin

Been, United States, Angeles, Los Angeles

Hollywood executives believe that money is both the be-all and end-all to the moviemaking process.

- Leonard Maltin

Money, Process, Hollywood, Moviemaking

I think people in Hollywood are afraid of sentiment because they think audiences will reject it.

- Leonard Maltin

Think, I Think, Sentiment, Audiences

Audiences deserve better.

- Leonard Maltin

Deserve, Better, Audiences

Quality survives.

- Leonard Maltin

Quality, Survives

Timing in life is everything.

- Leonard Maltin

Life, Everything, Timing

If you're searching for quotes on a different topic, feel free to browse our Topics page or explore a diverse collection of quotes from various Authors to find inspiration.