Home
Search transcripts:    Advanced Search
Notable New     Yorkers
Select     Notable New Yorker

Bennett CerfBennett Cerf
Photo Gallery
Transcript

Session:         Page of 1029

Cerf:

It never occurred to us to invest. First of all, remember we had a rule at Random House never to invest in plays. As for Bob, he was a newspaperman. He didn't have much money saved up. He and his wife spent it as fast as they made it. He's been making it in reams, but they live up to it because that's the kind of people they are. They have fun. Money for them is something to spend, which is a great philosophy.

But we've often thought back. That was the day that fortune beckoned us. All that we had to do was put up $5,000. I think that if we had put up $5,000 each, we would have gotten back probably for that $5,000, by this time, at least $300,000. Everybody who went into that show not only became rich on it, but automatically were allowed to participate in all the future Rodgers and Hammerstein shows. That was their first spectacular collaboration.

Q:

Anyway, you were going to meet Sammy Shulman afterwards.

Cerf:

We signed the contract.

Q:

Was this a book of pictures?

Cerf:

No. It was the story of his wartime experiences. Nobody bought it. It was a failure. The reason that I remember it was not the book. The book I've forgotten long ago. It was Oklahoma.

There's a great story I love to tell about Considine.





© 2006 Columbia University Libraries | Oral History Research Office | Rights and Permissions | Help