My Magic Carpet of Films

Summary:From his introduction: A ride on a magic carpet is a wonderful thing. It allows you to see the past, the present and takes you into the future. It can give you new perspectives, offer up lessons and provide you with wild adventures. A magic carpet can give you a passport to almost anywhere and so it is with my magic carpet of films. My journey started when I was eighteen months old, in 1916, and continues right up into the 21st Century. It has made it possible for me to meet and work with people from all walks of the motion picture industry. It has taken me to many wonderful places around the globe. It has provided me with a career that extends from the silent days of films, called flicks, to the present era of blockbusters and high tech special effects movies. During this time, I have seen the silent films become talkies and talkies give way to surround-sound. I have seen picture shows go from black and white to color, from ten minute one-reelers to three-hour epics. I have seen film change from celluloid to digital and cameras go from hand-cranked to computerized. I have seen movies presented on a single screen enhanced by organ music give way to multiplexes and home theaters with THX. I have seen movies stars' careers rise and fall and the emphasis on celebrities in our culture. I have seen directors become as famous as their leading actors. I have seen the cost of a movie ticket go from 5 cents to over $10 and box office grosses now reported in the news along with the weather report. A lot has changed in the motion picture industry during my lifetime-good and bad-but one thing remained constant, my love of what I have done. Perhaps it was my destiny, a combination of fate and timing, an early start in the business and my adventurous attitude, that gave me an opportunity to work with some of the most talented individuals in the business and kept me an active part of the industry for so many years. But how do I share with you my story that spans nine decades? Perhaps, to keep things in perspective, let's go back in time on my magic carpet to the beginning