In our film profession you may have Gable’s looks, Tracy’s art, Marlene’s legs or Liz’s violet eyes, but they don’t mean a thing without that swinging thing called courage.

Capra contrasts glamorous, highly marketable attributes associated with famous stars—Clark Gable’s looks, Spencer Tracy’s craft, Marlene Dietrich’s legs, Elizabeth Taylor’s eyes—with a less visible but decisive quality: courage. In the film industry, where success can seem to hinge on beauty, charisma, or technical skill, he argues that none of these gifts matter without the nerve to take risks, withstand rejection, and make difficult artistic or ethical choices. The phrase “that swinging thing” gives courage a kinetic, almost physical presence, suggesting it is what animates talent and turns potential into achievement. The quote functions as a corrective to celebrity worship: the inner disposition to act boldly is the real differentiator.