Oscar Levant was born on December 27, 1906, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.His parents were immigrants from Russia and were traditionally Jewish. After the death of his father, he moved to New York and studied under a notable Polish composer and pianist, Zygmunt Stojowski.Oscar Levant then studied under Arnold Schoenberg, who was an Austrian-American composer, music theorist, teacher, painter, and writer. He was in his late teens when he first appeared in a short film, with the prominent personality, Ben Bernie.Oscar Levant became one of the best pianists in the Hollywood industry and in the United States of America in the ’40s. Levant composed music for many films and also starred in films such as, ‘An American In Paris’, ‘The Barkleys Of Broadway’, ‘The Band Wagon’, ‘Rhapsody in Blue’, and ‘You Were Meant For Me’. The Levant was also the host of the ‘The Oscar Levant Show’.The comedian was widely known for his mordant character and witty personality, and also earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He also released three memoirs, ‘A Smattering Of Ignorance’, ‘The Memoirs Of An Amnesiac’, ‘The Unimportance Of Being Oscar’. Here are some of the humorist’s well-known quotes.Best Oscar Levant QuotesThese quotations will offer you an insight into the witty and comic personality of the very talented music composer, Oscar Levant.“There’s a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line.” - ‘An Irreverent Compendium of American Quotable Notables’ by Cleveland Amory, 1959.“Every time I look at you I get a fierce desire to be lonesome.““A pun is the lowest form of humor—when you don’t think of it first.““I’m a concert pianist, that’s a pretentious way of saying I’m unemployed at the moment.““I never read bad reviews about myself, because my friends invariably tell me about them.““In some situations, I was difficult, in odd moments impossible, in rare moments loathsome, but at my best unapproachably great.““I don’t like to play the piano. It makes me too attractive."“It’s not a pretty face, I grant you. But underneath its flabby exterior is an enormous lack of character.” - ‘The Memoirs of an Amnesiac’, 1965, and ‘The Dictionary of Biographical Quotation of British and American Subjects’ by Richard Kenin and Justin Wintle, 1978.“Talent’s like a baby. Wrap it up in wool and it goes to sleep.““I’m going to memorize your name and throw my head away.““Ballet is the faeries’ baseball.““When I was in my prime, I was an egomaniac and didn’t allow my wife to buy the best sardines–the King Oscars–which bear my name. I felt there should be only one king in my house.““So little time and so little to do.““I’m controversial. My friends either dislike me or hate me.““I’m a study of a man in chaos in search of frenzy.““I don’t drink liquor. I don’t like it. It makes me feel good.““It’s an advantage having a limited output. When George Gershwin is asked to play his repertoire, he plays all evening. I just play ‘Lady Play Your Mandolin’ and I’m through.““I never watch the Dinah Shore show- I’m a diabetic.““I’ve stepped on too many toes on the way down.““George, if you had to do it all over, would you fall in love with yourself again?““I played an unsympathetic part – myself.“Famous Oscar Levant Quotes(Explore more exciting quotes by one of the best American pianists and composers of all time!)Oscar Levant gave some of the best piano performances throughout multiple movies. He became a sought-after composer as well, so here are some of his most notable quotations.“The only difference between the Democrats and the Republicans is that the Democrats allow the poor to be corrupt, too.““Behind the phony tinsel of Hollywood lies the real tinsel."“First I brush my teeth and then I sharpen my tongue.” - ‘The New Speaker’s Treasury Of Wit And Wisdom’, Herbert Victor Prochnow, 1958.“I envy people who drink - at least they know what to blame everything on."“You can’t possibly hear the last movement of Beethoven’s Seventh and go slow.” - Oscar trying to talk his way out of a speeding ticket.“An epigram is only a wisecrack that’s played at Carnegie Hall.““I was once thrown out of a mental hospital for depressing the other patients.““A symphonic conductor should reconcile himself to the realization that, regardless of his approach or temperament, the eventual result is the same — the orchestra will hate him.““I once said cynically of a politician, He’ll double-cross that bridge when he comes to it.““I had always resented sleep as an intrusion on my nocturnal self-pity.““There are two sides to every question: my side and the wrong side.““Happiness isn’t something you experience; it’s something you remember.““I have given up reading books; I find it takes my mind off myself.““When I can’t sleep, I read a book by Steve Allen.““How long have you been working for that virtuoso of the magic violin? I don’t mean that as a compliment. I only say a magic violin because when he plays it, everyone disappears.““I think a lot of Bernstein - but not as much as he does.““Apropos of nothing, I asked [Truman] Capote, “Are you for integration?” He said, “Yes, are you for integration?” I said, “I’m for disintegration… personal disintegration.“Motivational Oscar Levant QuotesThese statements by Oscar Levant reveal his transparent sense of understanding with sarcasm, take a look yourself!“What the world needs are more geniuses with humility, there are so few of us left.““Happiness isn’t something you experience, it’s something you remember.““It’d be nice to please everyone but I thought it would be more interesting to have a point of view.““I’ve changed, I’m nice to people and I’m not so self-centered. What I’m trying to do now is think of the other person. The only trouble is, I’ve found that the other person thinks only of himself.““He uses his music as an accompaniment to his conducting.““I am no more humble than my talents require."“I have seizures of momentary sanity.”
Oscar Levant was born on December 27, 1906, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.
