Title: Tall the American skyscraper and Louis Sullivan /
Authors: Kirchheimer, Manfred; Streetwise Films.
Publisher: Cinema Guild, Inc.,
Year: 2004
Subjects: Sullivan, Louis H.,; Burnham, Daniel Hudson,; Skyscrapers United States History.; Tall buildings United States History.; Architecture United States History; Architecture United States History; Architects United States; Architects United States
Abstract: This documentary tells the story of the rise of the skyscrapers and traces the experiments of the early skyscraper architects, especially Louis Sullivan, the Chicago architect (and mentor of Frank Lloyd Wright) who pioneered skyscraper form. His credo was that "form ever follows function". His elegant buildings, some still standing and featured in the film, bear out his reputation as the father of the skyscraper. Fierce rivals, led by Daniel Burnham, builder of the Flatiron Building, competed with him for favor, money, and power. The progressive designs of the 1880s and 90s once again reverted to historical styles, culminating in the "Cathedral of Commerce", the gothic Woolworth Tower of 1912. The film illustrates the struggle for artistic integrity against the demands of fashion and the client's bottom line. It documents the showdown between Louis Sullivan and Daniel Burnham that changed the future, shaping the modern skyline throughout the world.