Sound Bites!

CLINT EASTWOOD, accepting, at age 62, the best director award for “Unforgiven.”

“The trouble with living so long is you know so many people, and you can’t remember their names. You get a little flustered.”

* AL PACINO, best actor for “Scent of a Woman.”

“Recently a young girl came up to me. I was at a function for the South Bronx, which is where I’m from. She said that I had encouraged her. That’s not necessarily by my work, but by the fact that we came from the same place. I can’t forget that girl and I can’t forget the kids out there who may be thinking tonight--if he can do it, I can do it . . . I’d like to thank the academy for giving us the gift of encouragement.”

* EMMA THOMPSON, best actress for “Howards End,” on her role as Margaret Schlegel.

“I ‘d like to thank E.M. Forster for writing her, James Ivory for asking me to play her, Ismail Merchant for paying me to play here--which seems very unnecessary at this point. I might have to give back the money.”

* PHILIPPE ROUSSELOT, the Frenchman who won best cinematography for “A River Runs Through It.”

“This is the first thing I ever caught in a river.”

* ELIZABETH TAYLOR, who received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her role in AIDS research and relief.

“I am so proud of the work people in Hollywood have done to help so many others--like my dearest, gentle Audrey (Hepburn). While she is now in heaven, forever guarding her beloved children, I will remain here as rowdy an activist as I have to be and, God willing, for as long as I have to be.”

* DUSTIN HOFFMAN, responding to a glance from his “The Graduate” co-star Anne Bancroft, while presenting best screenplay awards in New York.

“Are you trying to seduce me?”

* NEIL JORDAN, after rushing to the stage to collect his original screenplay award for “The Crying Game.”

“Sorry. I didn’t know these nominations were coming up. I was in the bathroom when I heard it.”

* BILLY CRYSTAL, on the 20-foot Oscar statuette--which Crystal rode bareback--that Jack Palance dragged in by his teeth to open the show.

“Boy, I hope he doesn’t park that in Roseanne and Tom’s spot.”

* BILLY CRYSTAL, on the theme, “Oscar Salutes Women and the Movies.”

“Ironically, 1992 has been a very poor year for women’s parts. One of the most talked-about parts was Sharon Stone’s in ‘Basic Instinct.’ ”

* JACK PALANCE, before presenting the best supporting actress award to New Yorker Marisa Tomei in “My Cousin Vinny.”

“This is the first time in the history of the Academy Awards that five foreign actresses are up for the same award: four from England and one from Brooklyn.”

* SEAN FERRER, accepting the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for his mother, Audrey Hepburn, who died Jan. 20 of cancer.

“She believed every child has the right to health, to hope, to tenderness and to life . . . I dedicate this to the children of the world.”

* FEDERICO FELLINI, accepting an honorary award for his life achievements.

“I come from a country, and I belong to a generation for which America and movies were almost the same thing. And now to be here with you, my dear Americans, makes me feel at home. I want to thank all of you for making me feel this way.”

* SUSAN SARANDON, referring to more than 200 Haitians now being quarantined at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, because they have the AIDS virus. “We’d like to ask our government officials in Washington to admit that having HIV is not a crime and to admit these people into the United States.”

* RICHARD GERE, who is Buddist, encouraging the 1 billion people worldwide watching to focus their chi on Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping.

“If something miraculous and really movie-like could happen here, where we all could send love and truth and a kind of sanity to Deng Xiaoping right now . . . he would take his troops from Tibet and allow these people to live as independent people again. So send this thought out.”