CORNWALL — Celebrating the 100th anniversary of The New Yorker magazine, Cornwall Library hosted a screening of “Top Hat and Tales; Harold Ross and the Making of The New Yorker,” directed by Cornwall local Adam Van Doren.
Made in 2001, and narrated by American actor Stanley Tucci, the documentary tells the story of Harold Ross, founder of The New Yorker, and the early days of the magazine that began in 1925.
A crowd of 40 people took their seats for the screening Saturday, July 19, but due to technical difficulties the showtime was delayed. Fortunately, a Lakeville Journal intern was present with an extra copy of the documentary, which was signed by Van Doren moments prior.
The film began, chronicling the successes and struggles of Ross and his magazine. It shows how the people of New York were quickly drawn to the cover art and cartoons. Ross pushed his writers with meticulous edits and continuously improved the quality of the publication over time.
With its stories big and small, the magazine captured the metropolitan lifestyle of New York City. Stories ranged from random, such as missing hat wires under theater seats, to historic, dedicating an entire magazine to the dropping of the A-bomb on Hiroshima. The New Yorker’s ability to adapt kept the magazine alive.
Ross, originally from Aspen, Colorado, brought an outsider’s perspective to his work. He never assumed anyone’s quality of work based on how famous they were. When asked about hiring Ernest Hemingway as a writer, Ross replied, “Is he any good?”
The audience of the screening shared laughs and moments of awe as cartoons from the magazine showed on screen. Rich history and comical stories were brought to light by the documentary.
Following the end of the film, Van Doren was interviewed by Alex Prud’homme, a writer with works published in The New Yorker. Their conversation further examined the film and the inspiration behind making it.
“Originally I was going to do the entire history of The New Yorker but that was very cumbersome. I decided to focus on a story that had a beginning and an end and that is Harold Ross,” Van Doren said.
He was struck by Ross’s fanatic perfectionism, or as Van Doren explained, “He wanted to have his hands in everything, a control freak is what we would say now.”
He said Ross was singularly focused on the magazine and “worked himself to death” in 1951.
His dedication created a cultural icon that has stood for a century.
