I need help with a Spencer Tracy quote

[Naphtali]

I recently read a quote attributed to Spencer Tracy. I cannot locate my source; I cannot verify it; nor can I remember it exactly. It was approximately as follows:

Whenever actors (an actor) wants to get into politics, he should remember John Wilkes Booth.

Please help me out with the accurate quote and its provenance.

 

[Lulu-in-Ny]

I believe the accurate quote is "Actors who get into politics should remember what happened to John Wilkes Booth". I don't know where it came from, though. As far as I know, it was just something said by Tracy, not a film or anything scripted.

 

[Naphtali]

I believe the accurate quote is "Actors who get into politics should remember what happened to John Wilkes Booth". I don't know where it came from, though. As far as I know, it was just something said by Tracy, not a film or anything scripted.

YES! That is the quote. Do you have any idea when he said it, where, and the circumstances? I maintain a database of unusual quotations, cross referenced, with provenance where possible.

I thought I had read it in the "Wit and Wisdom" section of The Week Magazine within the last two months' issues. But I don't keep them after reading.

 

[Lulu-in-Ny]

No clue, hon... I'd bet that it was an answer to an interview question somewhere. Keep poking around, you'll find it- especially seeing as how it's rather a timely quote. Happy hunting!

 

[SamMarlowPI]

he might've said it at the Democratic National Convention in 1944...he went to it i guess...

 

[Bugsy]

??

Have you tried looking in Bartlett's Quotations or some such reference book. Perhaps you can some information about the quote on Google.

 

[Naphtali]

Have you tried looking in Bartlett's Quotations or some such reference book. Perhaps you can some information about the quote on Google.

Unfortunately, on my reference shelves I have Bartlett's 16th edition, edited by the notorious Justin Kaplan. My other books of quotations are [editions of] Oxford Dictionary of, Respectfully Quoted, or other off topic works.

 

[texasgirl]

I checked in about 5 quotation reference books here in my work library, and no luck