Who said “A film is a petrified fountain of thought.”?

Verified

Jean Cocteau. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceEsquire magazine (February 1961)

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

Source checked · Something wrong? Report a correction

Authors A–Z

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Esquire magazine (February 1961).

APA

Cocteau, J. (n.d.). A film is a petrified fountain of thought. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/29938-a-film-is-a-petrified-fountain-of-thought/

MLA

Cocteau, Jean. “A film is a petrified fountain of thought.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/29938-a-film-is-a-petrified-fountain-of-thought/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Cocteau, Jean. “A film is a petrified fountain of thought.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/29938-a-film-is-a-petrified-fountain-of-thought/.

Related quotes

“It's hard to make a cultural phenomenon every time.”
— John Travolta
Verified"Here he comes (back?) again: Travolta's trick was to make us like him. Now we can't stop" Katrina Onstad, with reporting by Elizabeth Levine. National Post. Don Mills, Ont. (June 6, 2001). · evidenceDetails & citeMovies
“Movies are a fad. Audiences really want to see live actors on a stage.”
— Charlie Chaplin
Movies

More quotes by Jean Cocteau

All 36 Jean Cocteau quotes →