--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'd hire the devil himself as a writer if…" description: "\"I'd hire the devil himself as a writer if he gave me a good story.\" — Samuel Goldwyn" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0f/samuel-goldwyn-3156_devil_i-d-hire-the-devil-himself-as-a-writer-i_1849923.jpg" --- # I'd hire the devil himself as a writer if he gave me a… ![“I'd hire the devil himself as a writer if he gave me a good story.” quote by Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0f/samuel-goldwyn-3156_devil_i-d-hire-the-devil-himself-as-a-writer-i_1849923.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0f/samuel-goldwyn-3156_devil_i-d-hire-the-devil-himself-as-a-writer-i_1849923.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0f/samuel-goldwyn-3156_devil_i-d-hire-the-devil-himself-as-a-writer-i_1849923.jpg) > “I'd hire the devil himself as a writer if he gave me a good story.” [Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even the devil could be hired if he delivers a compelling narrative. **In simple terms:** Great stories outweigh the source. Key Takeaway Prioritize story quality over creator. Themes creativity storytelling ethics Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - publishing - film writing - content creation Key Concepts literature media production Questions to Reflect On - Would you accept any source for a good story? - What ethical lines would you draw? A Different Perspective Compromising ethics for story may have reputational risks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [Good story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-story/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Readers themselves, I think, contribute to a book. They add their own imaginations, and it is as though the writer only gave them something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-kinnan-rawlings/readers-themselves-i-think-contribute-to-a-book-they-add-their-own/) [Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-kinnan-rawlings/) > [To hell with the cost, if it's a good story, I'll make it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/to-hell-with-the-cost-if-it-s-a-good-story-i-ll-make-it/) [Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/) > [I'll continue doing 'Jingle Belle' as long as I've got a good story for her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dini/i-ll-continue-doing-jingle-belle-as-long-as-i-ve-got-a-good-story-for/) [Paul Dini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dini/) > [I'm not just a feel-good story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquem-griffin/i-m-not-just-a-feel-good-story/) [Shaquem Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquem-griffin/) > [If it's a good story or if it's a character I want to act in, I end up wanting to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwak-dong-yeon/if-it-s-a-good-story-or-if-it-s-a-character-i-want-to-act-in-i-end-up/) [Kwak Dong-yeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwak-dong-yeon/) > [Audiences want great story telling; it's why white people watch my show 'Black in America.' It's why black people watch 'Latina in America.' All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soledad-o-brien/audiences-want-great-story-telling-it-s-why-white-people-watch-my/) [Soledad O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soledad-o-brien/) > [A good story cannot be devised; it has to be distilled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/a-good-story-cannot-be-devised-it-has-to-be-distilled/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [A good story will keep you wondering about what's happening, what's going on, where does this go? Now it's going to go that way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fede-alvarez/a-good-story-will-keep-you-wondering-about-what-s-happening-what-s/) [Fede Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fede-alvarez/) > [It's a terrible thing that your life turns into a good story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/it-s-a-terrible-thing-that-your-life-turns-into-a-good-story/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [We’re built to deal with death, disease, failure, struggle, heartbreak, problems. It’s what separates us from the animals and why we envy and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-maron/we-re-built-to-deal-with-death-disease-failure-struggle-heartbreak/) [Marc Maron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-maron/) > [ I love the idea of longevity in this career. But \[producing\] is not about, "Let me do this because this might happen 20 years… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlize-theron/i-love-the-idea-of-longevity-in-this-career-but-producing-is-not/) [Charlize Theron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlize-theron/) > [Most of the stories I have go downhill quickly. In all honesty most of the good stories I have, no one else would think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jd-era/most-of-the-stories-i-have-go-downhill-quickly-in-all-honesty-most-of/) [JD Era](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jd-era/) > [“A good story is like a good bowel movement: it's only really satisfying once it's ended, because if you just keep going eventually your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yahtzee-croshaw/a-good-story-is-like-a-good-bowel-movement-it-s-only-really/) [Yahtzee Croshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yahtzee-croshaw/) > [It's all still about having a good story. You have to have a good story as your anchor, as your main focus. So for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/it-s-all-still-about-having-a-good-story-you-have-to-have-a-good/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [As a rule, I don't worry about genre. I just want to tell a good story, with characters that interest me and my readers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/as-a-rule-i-don-t-worry-about-genre-i-just-want-to-tell-a-good-story/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) ## More by Samuel Goldwyn > [If I were in this business only for the business, I wouldn't be in this business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/if-i-were-in-this-business-only-for-the-business-i-wouldn-t-be-in/) [Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/) > [If I look confused it is because I am thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/if-i-look-confused-it-is-because-i-am-thinking/) [Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/) > [Don't worry about the war. It's all over but the shooting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/don-t-worry-about-the-war-it-s-all-over-but-the-shooting/) [Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/) > [Having integrity...means being completely true to what is inside you - to what you know is right...what you feel you must do, regardless of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/having-integrity-means-being-completely-true-to-what-is-inside-you-to/) [Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/) > [For your information, I would like to ask a question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/for-your-information-i-would-like-to-ask-a-question/) [Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/) > [Don't pay any attention to the critics - don't even ignore them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/don-t-pay-any-attention-to-the-critics-don-t-even-ignore-them/) [Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/) > [I never liked you, and I always will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/i-never-liked-you-and-i-always-will/) [Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/) > [They stayed away in droves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/they-stayed-away-in-droves/) [Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/) > [Television has raised writing to a new low.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/television-has-raised-writing-to-a-new-low/) [Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/) > [I never put on a pair of shoes until I've worn them at least five years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/i-never-put-on-a-pair-of-shoes-until-i-ve-worn-them-at-least-five/) [Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/) > [Include me out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/include-me-out/) [Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/) > [ \[when asked by his secretary if she should destroy all files that were over ten years old\] Yes, but keep copies. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/when-asked-by-his-secretary-if-she-should-destroy-all-files-that-were/) [Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/) > [A Hospital isn't any place to end up being sick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/a-hospital-isn-t-any-place-to-end-up-being-sick/) [Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/) > [Too caustic? To hell with the costs, we'll make the picture anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/too-caustic-to-hell-with-the-costs-we-ll-make-the-picture-anyway/) [Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/) > [Modern dancing is old fashioned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/modern-dancing-is-old-fashioned/) [Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/) [Explore all 138 Samuel Goldwyn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/) ## More Devil quotes > [“The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose, Sergeant,’ Anthony Payne replied. ‘That is from The Merchant of Venice, but it holds great truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arnold/the-devil-can-cite-scripture-for-his-purpose-sergeant-anthony-payne/) Michael Arnold > [Alimony - the ransom that the happy pay to the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/alimony-the-ransom-that-the-happy-pay-to-the-devil/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“Beauty is not only a terrible thing, it is also a mysterious thing. There God and the Devil strive for mastery, and the battleground…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/beauty-is-not-only-a-terrible-thing-it-is-also-a-mysterious-thing/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [The devil has been defeated, stop trying to defeat him. What we have left is the fight of faith, and it's a good fight!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-oyakhilome/the-devil-has-been-defeated-stop-trying-to-defeat-him-what-we-have/) [Chris Oyakhilome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-oyakhilome/) > [You gonna take the case?" It's not a case. It's a missing person. Sort of." You're gonna have a devil of a time finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/you-gonna-take-the-case-it-s-not-a-case-it-s-a-missing-person-sort-of/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [Your head's like mine, like all our heads; big enough to contain every god and devil there ever was. Big enough to hold the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/your-head-s-like-mine-like-all-our-heads-big-enough-to-contain-every/) [Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/) > [And so it is, that both the Devil and the angelic Spirit present us with objects of desire to awaken our power of choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/and-so-it-is-that-both-the-devil-and-the-angelic-spirit-present-us/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Remember that Abraham Lincoln was a Whig far longer than he was a Republican. As a whole, the Whigs looked upon banks and corporations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-c-guelzo/remember-that-abraham-lincoln-was-a-whig-far-longer-than-he-was-a/) [Allen C. Guelzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-c-guelzo/) > [Wine is the first weapon that devils use in attacking the young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-jerome/wine-is-the-first-weapon-that-devils-use-in-attacking-the-young/) [St. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-jerome/) > [“I tend to agree with that little devil more and more these days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-casey/i-tend-to-agree-with-that-little-devil-more-and-more-these-days/) [Elle Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-casey/) > [This is the gift of your species and this is the danger, because you do not choose to control your imaginings. You imagine wonderful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/this-is-the-gift-of-your-species-and-this-is-the-danger-because-you/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > [“The devil?” Jason heaved the tick over his shoulder like a collier with his sack. “Satan. The adversary. The enemy of the plan of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/the-devil-jason-heaved-the-tick-over-his-shoulder-like-a-collier-with/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [God never talks. But the devil keeps advertising, Father. The devil does a lot of commercials.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/god-never-talks-but-the-devil-keeps-advertising-father-the-devil-does/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [If it was a sin for you to choose me . . . then I would go to the Devil himself and bless him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/if-it-was-a-sin-for-you-to-choose-me-then-i-would-go-to-the-devil/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist”—Charles Baudelaire “The second greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/the-greatest-trick-the-devil-ever-pulled-was-convincing-the-world-he/) [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) [Browse all 4,283 Devil quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'd hire the devil himself as a writer if he gave me a good story.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Samuel Goldwyn" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/i-d-hire-the-devil-himself-as-a-writer-if-he-gave-me-a-good-story/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Devil" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/i-d-hire-the-devil-himself-as-a-writer-if-he-gave-me-a-good-story/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0f/samuel-goldwyn-3156_devil_i-d-hire-the-devil-himself-as-a-writer-i_1849923.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0f/samuel-goldwyn-3156_devil_i-d-hire-the-devil-himself-as-a-writer-i_1849923.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0f/samuel-goldwyn-3156_devil_i-d-hire-the-devil-himself-as-a-writer-i_1849923.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'd hire the devil himself as a writer if he gave me a good story.” — Samuel Goldwyn", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Samuel Goldwyn", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'd hire the devil himself as...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/i-d-hire-the-devil-himself-as-a-writer-if-he-gave-me-a-good-story/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/i-d-hire-the-devil-himself-as-a-writer-if-he-gave-me-a-good-story/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```