Guest alex kellner was the name that my uncle, alexander korda, was born with and which he changed when he moved to biewd past as a University Student because it sounded deeply jewish. At first he spelled it corda, then he changed it toor host who was sir alex korda . Guest he was perhaps at the prototypical Film Producer also film director. Directed hit first film at a teenage age in 1914, and directed at least 100 and perhaps twice as many movies during the course of his life and produced i dont know how many, many, many, many. Europe, United Kingdom, and of course in hollywood, when he was there. He was an affable genius, and being his nephew was a fulltime excitement. Host what was his influence on you . Guest he, your father, and your other uncle . Guest well, you know, first of all, an enormous respect for talent of any kind. By definition. People were good at making films, got at recognizing talent, even though they dont share it themselves. And secondly, although they were inte
Where the biggest radio industry in the world was created, up to broadway. Thats where the entertainment is. Thats where bing crosby is. Thats where jack benny is. His lifelong rival, and they were truly lifelong rivals, tsarnaev with bill paley. Paley is the son of very rich cigar making family. The family started in the ukraine. By the time they moved from chicago to philadelphia, they had made it. He went to wharton school. His dad basically bought him the station. He hated him for that. And he dated nonjewish girls. These two guys would battle for supremacy in radio, television, and then Color Television for the next half century. Its paley who links it permanently to advertising. The only business in the country supported entirely by advertising. Somebody wrote him a letter and said im getting this great entertainment, great music, who do i pay. Nobody. Paid for by advertising. And paley then hooks up with Duke Ellington. In 1928, he signs up washington, d. C. s Duke Ellington who
Talk im not good at power point. Well, this is not the supreme city. Its not the book i originally set out to write. And the original idea was to do the whole city. All five boroughs and stretch it out from world war i to world war ii. But without trying to be too cute, i took too big of a bite out of the apple. And i discovered doing my Research Within the larger story i had intended to tell. Its an unfold story, actually. Its been told in bits and pieces, but its never stitched together as a compelling historical narrative. And that story is the rise of the sudden and spectacular rise of midtown manhattan in the 1920s. Which was an urban backwater before 1919. There wasnt a single skyscraper above 42nd street. And by the end of the decade, by the end of the 1920s, almost half of new york skyscrapers were in midtown. Its one of the great building booms not only in the history of the United States, but in the history of the world. This eruption, almost, that occurs in these years. And
About, midtown manhattan, and a couple preliminaries before we roll into this illustrated talk. I like that better than power point as a term. Im not good at power point. Its not that im a luddite. Im just not good at technology. Im just a technological idiot. Well, this is not the supreme city is not the book i originally set out to write. The original idea was to do the whole city, all five boroughs, and stretch it out from world war i to world war ii, but without trying to be too cute, i took too big a bite out of the apple, and i discovered as i was doing my research that there was i was really drawn to a really compelling story within the larger story i had intended to tell, and its an untold story actually. Its been told in bits and pieces, but its never been stitched together as a compelling historical narrative, and that story is the rise of the the sudden and spectacular rise i should say of midtown manhattan in the 1920s which was an urban backwater before 1919. There wasnt a
Feats that are now a comic symbols of new york city. This event was hosted by the new york public library, and last about 90 minutes. Thank you, lois. I want to thank the library for organizing this event. Can you guys hear me in the back . Can you hear me now . No . Yes . I will speak loudly. It is great to be in the city, lecturing on the city that he wrote about. In the very place in the city that you wrote about midtown manhattan. A couple of preliminaries before we roll into this illustrated talk. I like that better than powerpoint, as a term. Im not good at powerpoint. Luddite, im im a just a technological idiot. Not the book i originally set out to right. The original idea was to do the whole city. All five boroughs, and stretch it out from world war i to world war ii. Cute, itrying to be too took to bigger bite out of the apple. I discovered, as i was doing my research, that i was really drawn to a really compelling story within the larger story i had intended to tell. It is an