Frank Lloyd Wright interview

good evening what you're about to witness is an unrehearsed uncensored interview my name is Mike Wallace the cigarette is Phillip Morris but Mike Wallace interview tonight we go after the story of one of the most extraordinary men of our time you see him behind me he's 88 year old Frank Lloyd Wright perhaps the greatest architect of the 20th century and in the opinion of some Americans for most social rebels according to a story in Life magazine not many years back the fellow architects have called him everything from a great poet to an insupportable windbag the clergy have deployed his morals creditors have deplored his financial habits politicians his opinions and will get Frank Lloyd Wright's views on morals politics religion and architecture in just a moment my guest opinions are not necessarily mine the stations are my sponsors Philip Morris incorporated but whether you agree or disagree we feel sure that none will deny the right of these views to the broadcast and now to our story admire the Frank Lloyd Wright hey Liam as a man 100 years ahead of his time now 88 years old he's still designing homes and buildings which are revolutionary including plans for a mile-high skyscraper the wikis have no buyers yet but just as radical as Frank Lloyd Wright the architect is Frank Lloyd Wright the social critic mr. Wright before we go any further I'd like to chart your attitudes specifically by getting your capsule opinions as an architect or as a social critic of the following first of all organized Christianity my organizer Christianity doesn't need organizing according to the master of it the great master point of all time didn't want it organized it II didn't you say that para por if you were gathered together in my name there is my church therefore you were just a scene just as soon see your religion on organize well that may be Who I am building this synagogue and Philadelphia a Unitarian Church in Madison a Greek Orthodox Church in Milwaukee and a Christian Science church in California are you a religious man yourself I've always considered myself deeply religious you go to any specific church yes I go occasionally to this one and then sometimes to that one but my church I put a capital N on nature and go there all right sir what do you think spell God but the G don't you I spell God with the G you will spell it by its power nature with an end Kevin what do you think of the American Legion mr. Wright I never think of it as I can help it what do you mean better they're professional lawyers aren't they I'm against war always have been always will be and everything connected with it as an animal to me I've never considered necessary and I think one war or they've reached another and I think I've been borne out by the reading of history have no one war always has that in its intestines another and another has another that's right be forewarned if you're not for war why are you for warriors we will come back both to organized religion and the American Legion I'm trying right now just to get capsule opinions as a sort of chart against which to play the rest of the interview the third capsule opinion I'd like from you and then we'll go on to the things mercy killing what do you think of it I figured if it's mercy killing I'm for it when you say if it's mercy killing you mean well I think if killing is merciful why not kill if the person be sure there is merciful well if a person is considerably advanced in age is at a point where he or she no longer appreciates understand life is in constant pain you believe the doc we should have written a notification no oh you would not well I think if they were encouraged of the ill and suffering and tolerable agony and they could there was no possible hope for them I think a mercy killing would be a mercy killing you think then the bullet oh that a doctor for instance who understands the situation has the right to take a light of the patient under those orders to the right I do not know he was speaking legally am i speaking legally I know I'm speaking morally morally I think he would have the right all right with that pepper background Laurel is the question my dear my moral isn't enough there's a great difference between morals and ethics the question is ethically as he derived so far as I'm concerned morals are only those of the moment profession of the day what is immoral today won't be moral day after tomorrow and the day after that ethically you believe he has the rightful ethically I would say right and intolerable suffering live bill there was no home if there was no hope with those three opinions as background let me ask you this if I may you obviously hold some fairly unconventional even unpopular ideas mr. right what do you think I'm unaware of it at home what do you think of the average man in the United States who has little use for your ideas in architecture in politics in religion they are figuring them to come and learn the average man the common man I think that you have sometimes called him part of the mob a part of them all is the basis of I think the common man has responsible to the drift toward conformity now that is going to ruin our democracy and is it not according to our Democratic faith I believe our democracy was Thomas Jefferson's idea I mean I think Thomas Jefferson's idea was the right idea that we were headed for a genuine aristocracy an aristocracy that was innate on the man not on not his by privilege but his by virtue of his own virtue his own conscience his own quality and that by that we were going to have the rule by the greatest in the best well now that the common man is becoming a little jealous of the uncommon man and H I fell about the other day he's getting to the point where he said well what's the punk got we ain't got he just get the breaks there so now that's going to ruin the common man because the uncommon man is his vision and I believe what you call the common man is what I call the common man a man who believes in nothing you can't see and you can't see anything you can't put his hand on would you agree with New York to progress would you either block the progress would you agree with me that a pretty fair share of our audience tonight either can't or doesn't want to understand modern art like the paintings of Picasso or modern music let's say by Stravinsky possibly they don't even know don't even want to or cannot understand you Oh what do you think of these people who either don't understand or don't care I don't think their letter as far as I'm concerned I don't think they're for me and I should I agree for them what do you what do you personally think of of of Picasso some modern no let's not say the cops'll what do you think of modern painting but some people say the cursor but he's a very good instance with what rather than go specific here I'd like to talk about modern painting some people say that they look like scrambled eggs some people say that serious modern music sounds like a bad night in a boiler Factory I would like to know your opinion of modern here in all those reactions and don't you think we all see as we are and our reactions will be that reaction which is most characteristic of us ourselves and every time we express a reaction of the sort we give ourselves away somebody said the museum out here on Fifth Avenue looked like a washing machine this one is Gordon that's one of my buildings well I've heard a lot of that type of reaction and I've always discounted it as worthless and I think it is what do you think it's volatile talent I think so where does an immense big clever individual he's a he's artistic somewhat of an artist not a great artist easy when I think cursive is a great artist you saw devour Dali a great public relations specialist probably are you I don't think so because I've never heard very much which way the public was going on what was the matter with you said many years ago that you would someday be the greatest architect of the 20th century have you reached your goal well no I think I never said it well I've done a considerable amount of leading by you and about you this week and I don't think that it's a good deal of doubt about the fact that over the years you have said it not once but many times maybe in that monsters and they've maybe not that specific form you know I may not have said it right but I may have felt it you do feel about it so and becoming to say that I should be careful about it I'm not as crude as I am generally reported to be I believe like as matter of arrogance now what is arrogance what is that arrogance is something a man possesses on the surface to defend the fact that he hasn't got the thing that he pretends to have arrogant Bluff in other words arrogance can sometimes be a shell to protect the inner man - can it not even though that inner man has a good deal well it's a pretty brittle shell didn't you in a sense suggest that about the teacher whom you love best of all was Sullivan did you not say that he was a shell with considerable substance but that he had this arrogant shell love to protect himself no that's another one of those things I don't think he'd had it I think he was just playing great trading himself that would test for arrogance and I think any man who really has faith in himself will be dubbed arrogant as fellows I think this would happen to me in other words this article for instance from which I will quote now Philadelphia Inquirer magazine section October 18 1953 said as follows some quarters have denounced light as an impractical visionary and a pompous windbag yeah how do you feel about such criticism mr. Wright doesn't affect me particularly doesn't bother me not a bit you always have to consider the source from which these things come now if somebody I deeply respected had said such a thing I would be worried I would felt bound because feel hurt but I was at peace in a newspaper going into the goodness of the streets the next day I don't think it counts too much you say if somebody you deeply respected said that is it unfair of me to ask you specifically whom you do deeply respect to us on the current scene I respect any man or woman who respect himself sufficiently to tell the truth no matter what our boo Atlanta and is it wrong with me to ask you specifically who you Frank Lloyd Wright admire respect there are so many of those people names where would I begin I don't know that's up to you sir if you've ever allowed and respected my old master Lewis Sullivan in spite of his faults I think if you're going to admire and respect anybody you will have to put up with a few folks won't you I know I think there's no unremitted unremitting consecration of opinion to any individual because we all have something to apologize for don't you think all of us yes I understand laments of such thing you have in your mouth now this cigarette is that something as you P leg apology apologizing for that's all I enjoy can I offer you one that's just the point may I offer you want no thank you I wouldn't know how to smoke it have you never thought sir yes I smoked about six months got it yeah well I won't go to the story this isn't cricket oh it's perfectly all right some do some don't I believe this cigarette smoker his solace all right I understand that last week in all seriousness you said if I had another 15 years to work I could rebuild this entire country I could change the nation I did say that and it's true having had now the experience going with the building of 769 buildings the square easy for me to shake them out of my sleeve and it's amazing but I could do for this country and so magazine has offered me the whole magazine design a new capital for the country it ought to be done of course you don't really believe that you could succeed in imposing your ideas on but you call the mob right I don't think the mob knows anything of architecture cares anything about it I think it's going to be many many years before the mob will ever get nearer architecture I don't think architecture is for the mob it certainly isn't for education education knows nothing of it and very few architects in the world know anything about it the I've been accused of saying I was the greatest architect in the world and if I had said so I don't think it would be very arrogant because I don't believe there are many if any for five hundred years what we call architecture has been phony tonal in what sense in the sense that it was not innate it wasn't organic it didn't have the character of nature but what in the world if I may make so bold is innate or part of our fiber here in America as a mile high skyscraper and I'm told that you have had on your drawing board for some months now a mile high skyscraper for which you have no buyers up test the drawing board some time ago Patrick on board and there it is why little invite building because they came to me and wanted me to do the highest the highest television tower in the world supported by wire and that was a silly thing I thought so being able to build a mile I'm Billy I said why not build it well for what we do obviously would not want to build a jumpy's of stock would you know television tower would be at the top and there would be a great useful structure which would make all these silly boxes they're trying to make look tall foolish you know they have to go to of them in Central Park to take the whole New York again you could destroy all the rest of it and plant green and grass sync with you to heaven you have a beautiful city the two mile high skyscrapers in Central Park when it end the agony and what would happens there in the case of an atomic attack nothing because the atomic attack would probably do less damage to the viola and end of anything around the town now are you talking scientifically or resistant to the killer how much no sir hi and typically I never talked otherwise how do you square such a mile-high skyscraper with your theories on decentralization mr. right you're four and into cities and end to congestion youngin and the city's put an end to congestion heart and this would help end condition tremendously and that was one of the ideas I had in planting one and then having a great vote of commodity belt around it for all the trucks and trucking and commercialization of mankind would take place say mile away where everybody we have room peace comfort and every establishment would be appropriate to every land it's an idea that I think goes with democracy is that mr. right you don't have much faith in the mob and get untold that you have a good deal of faith in the nations you I do how do you square one with the other well as the nation Jews evolved is it not no I believe the teenager is the teenager and I think with him lies the hope of the future our architecture with us as a matter of the future we don't have it now we haven't had it yet doing a very great extent and we've had letters from TNA all over this nation for five six seven years Amanda Seattle all over and they want to know if they say they've chosen this architecture I represent for their thesis where we kinda send them some helpful material so we're getting out a little pamphlet on we can answer all these letters and sending the pamphlet to them of course they want to help us write their thesis but why have they chosen this architecture well let me ask you this now when there are a few years from now 15 who are going to build a billions of the country the mob the teenagers they're not the mob what is your reaction when I tell you that the nation teenagers bought 11 million Elvis Presley Records last year which which group of youths do you think will inherit this country 15 years from now the Elvis Presley fan or the Frank Lloyd Wright back the Frank Lloyd Wright fans undoubtedly why because they're on the side of nature and the other fans are on the side of an artificial tear that's doomed you believe it I do Time magazine published an article back on November 5th 1951 mr. Wright that has been echoed by social critics ever since time said at that time the most startling fact about the younger generation today is its silence pitchfork silence Charlotte by comparison with a flaming youth of their fathers and mothers today's younger generation is a still small flame it does not issue manifestos make speeches or carry posters usually that's Time Magazine's statement that has been echoed by a good many social critics announcer it's true it incidentally a good deal of the search for the knife and I'm sure that by no means a good share of it is going to be made evidence is came from your new book a testament by Frank Lloyd Wright which is shortly who I'm sure you haven't seen the I got it from your publisher this is an from Look magazine which is going to be out on the stands this week it has a fascinating article now that we only have about three minutes left mr. Wright I'd like your opinion of Charlie Chaplin the comedian and Charlie Chaplin the man not knowing charge it from the man and all annoying the comedian I would say that he has given me more pleasant laugh than ours and any other individual living suppose I have gauntlet and you've heard about Charlie Chaplin anti-americanism briefly perhaps and vaguely I don't what do you mean by anti-americanism if I were to start now answering that question and in as much as we only have three minutes left chances are we could talk just about that for three minutes when you say you what do I mean about American and well for one thing the fact that though he lived here and made it living here are American and McCarthyism is there anything anything more than two American and the current is let's talk about mr. Chaplin for just a moment he lived here in this country from good many years made his living here and yet refused to part it is over become a citizen but he abused or something would you say that he was abused I don't know the detail would it be able to say what do you think of general now and wondered why he left the country what do you think of General Douglas MacArthur I think he's a heroic soldier a heroic soldier here lake soldier our hero oh and and heroic soldier I see I'll let hero ex-soldier mind do that is all you want to say about the general I don't know them I don't know the general all right let me ask you this as an intellectual yourself mr. Wright what do you think of President on the allegation and I refused to marry that girl what do you think oh I don't like intellectuals you don't like intellectual why not because their superficial they're up top they're from the top down not from the ground up I've always sweated myself that but I repeat I was from the ground up I mean I I'm trying to figure it out what do you think of President Eisenhower as an intellect well now don't ask me isn't it early because how would I know but he is a hell of a nice hope and one of the nice things I know about it as of my wife voted for him I voted for atmo Stevenson why did you vote the Stevenson as opposed to I was against my conscience but I thought he was too good for the job and I was there he wasn't elected that you voted find on the left I voted for him because I thought he would make a good president but against my conscience because I thought that he was too good for the job I understand that you may still design a dream home for Marilyn Monroe and a husband Arthur Miller for a dream home that is the word that we equally yes well mr. Arthur Miller has asked me if I'd be interested in designing a house for him which would mean mr. mrs. Miller amended yes and for mrs. Miller and mr. Arthur no I'd be very happy to design a house but they haven't asked me in so many words yeah oh I see well may I ask you one last architectural question we have just about ten seconds for an answer to this one mr. Wright what do you think of Miss Munroe as architecture I think miss Munroe lers architecture is extremely good architecture and she's a very natural actress in a very good level thank you to him I don't think she was spoiled by too much training as an actress he going to give me this milk I sincerely hope that you will either I sold it to go rose and my publisher gave it to you and didn't show me a revolutionary in his life as well as in his art Frank Lloyd Wright belongs to what may be of vanishing breed in an age of conformity he remains a defiant North nonconformist he believes in and belongs to himself and I apologize to you tonight or perhaps not having permitted him to bring to you enough of himself Markham and listening to my own epitaph good evening what you're about to witness is an unrehearsed uncensored interview a continuation by popular demand of my interview for weeks back with Frank Lloyd Wright my name is Mike Wallace the cigarette is for the forest but Mike Wallace interview tonight we go after the story of an American Historians may rank with the greatest men of our time and if they did rank in that high Frank Lloyd Wright a pound egotist would be the first to compliment them on their good judgment born in 1869 and now probably the leading architect of the 20th century Frank Lloyd Wright has also been hailed as a prophet in politics religion and morality he's been roundly damned too for his scathing criticism of American culture let's find out why the frank lloyd wright's opinions are not necessarily my own the stations are my sponsors Philip Morris incorporated but whether you agree or disagree we feel the gun will deny the right of these Jews to the broadcast strike first of all let me ask you this you once said if I had another 15 years to work I could rebuild this entire country I could change the nation now would you tell me why should you one man want to change the way of life of more than 170 million people what if I said change the way of life yes when you say I could rebuild this entire country I could change the nation I think the way of life in which the country to which the country is committed leads that change in other words you're saying it's taking place and I see no reason why we didn't tell you since we shouldn't plan it you're saying that practically everyone in the United States is out of step except Frank Lloyd Wright not at all don't say anything of the kind it's isn't there a job to build it's mine and I think they should have a right to look to their architects too for what they should build well as an architect how they should build it as an architect how would you like to change the way that we live I wouldn't start to change so much the way we live that's what we live in and how we live in it yes but you cannot differentiate what we live in and the way we from the way we live we are what we live and where we shift in Butler and we don't really live in we don't really understand what it is to live in organic building with organic character well now organic building organic character these are the words which the mob operon mob aqua see perhaps them have developed very nurture over their suits you better I'm still not I would like pacifically to know what you mean how would you like to change the wait a minute I would like to make it appropriate to the Declaration of Independence to the centerline of our freedom I'd like to have a free architecture I'd like to have architecture that belongs where you see it standing and was a grace to the landscape instead of a disgrace and the letters we received from our clients tell us all those buildings we built for them have changed the character of their whole life and our whole existence that is different now and it was before well I'd like to do that for the country when you come to New York as you did today and you see did you come by here Cheers chamber and you see the skyline of New York this does not exciting that does not exalt in any young man quite so it does not does not because it never was planned it's all erased for rent and it is a great monument I thank to the power of my and Reid trying to substitute money for ideas I don't see an idea and the whole thing anybody you first they are doing it but still do the ideas obviously it would seem to me that a lot of people want to live together as you point out to make their livings to make money to to enjoy what this large city has to offer and I guess from from time immemorial people have flocked more or less to one spot to exchange ideas as well as good but my dear mark there was a justification for that when there was no other means of communication than by direct personal contact that's when the plan for this city and now originated it originated back there in the Middle Ages when the only way you could have a culture the only way you could get social distinction or any education product was by ganging up but your if our modern and improvements or what shall we call them advantages are advantageous we can't get it here in the city anymore let's move from architecture to individual human beings yourself one of the human beings I'd like to talk about you look there's about a fellow architect and I wonder how much of it also applies to Frank Lloyd Wright you wrote about your former master Lewis Sullivan he said like all geniuses he was an absorbed egocentric exaggerated sensibility vitality boundless this egotism though is more armored than character more shell than substance what you are showing us tonight mr. Wright are you showing us more armored than character more shell and substance hello in the dirt you are what do you say I don't know you well enough nor have I talked to you on earth or to make sense but so therefore I add how would I know I can't be my own judge Jenna well yes I think that each one of us in his own way can be his own judge every word that you say you say because you believe or do you say sometimes at least for calculated effect I think everybody must speak sometimes for calculated attack and I wouldn't an ISO speaking but I have never misrepresented myself anything in connection with me consciously or deliberately alright under all circumstances let's move to some specific opinions in one of your books frank lloyd life on architecture you wrote we can escape literature no way and its entire fabric is branch with sex you papers recklessly skiers sex everywhere every magazine has its nauseating ritual of the girl cover the key and she novel is on the present letter what's wrong with sex mr. right nothing then why do you like what you say would be wrong with you rather than sex fighting right what'd you say I believe it I think that's true and I think that is because we don't have a religion we don't have an architecture we don't have an art of our own we have no culture our own that society is drenched that it is from the bottom up instead of getting something from the belt up very young culture where we'll work young Renata culture we are only a civilization all right we're a young civil as I said it takes time to develop it I don't think we're too young because civilization was going a long time with everybody that ever got here but how do you account for the fact let's go to motive let's go to understandings of why if I thought why we are so preoccupied not with above as you point but point out but would below the belt I can't tell you that haven't you ever thought about no you're just relating upon the fact and not trying to finally ticularly interested in that feature of human character or nature I think I'll have to leave the upper region of the pantaloons to the people themselves I've never been particularly interested in it in what way if any has your attitude towards sex changed over the course of the past 60 70 years I don't think I've ever had an attitude toward it I don't think I've manifested an attitude toward it and I've taken it in my stride for what it was worth and seems to me that somewhere taking let's turn to your political views after a visit to Soviet Russia back in 1936-37 you wrote the following in a publication called Soviet Russia today you wrote I saw something the glimpse I have a blushing people themselves which makes me smile in anticipation this was 20 years ago yeah the Russian spirit huh he said I felt it in the air saw it as a kind of aura about the wholesome maleness of her men and the femaleness of her whimpered freedom already affects these people unconsciously a kind of new heroism is surely growing up in the world in the Soviet you finding show you still feel that I still feel that way and when I came home and wrote that in my autobiography Alexander Woollcott do you remember him I do Alexander was a good friend of our friend the president rose up bruised on and told me that the president had read what I wrote and he said my sentiments exactly well now you are an individualist you certainly believe in freedom in cherish it therefore how can you explain this enthusiasm for a country which even then and certainly now has instituted thought control by terror political purges by blood suppression of intellectuals fewer disassociated government and people are frankly you're putting this question to me personally and I find it very difficult to disassociate government-owned from the difficult I find that government can be a kind of gangsterism and it is in Russia and is lucky to be here if we don't take care of ourselves pretty carefully the kind of gangsterism and instead of being something from a bottom up it's something from the top down again but the people have to stand still for it no I don't think they do I think the people are unaware of all these things happening to them I don't think they've appraised them at their true value well don't government's grow out of people mr. right it should but it doesn't it hasn't in Russia and it hasn't here particularly lately it doesn't go out of the people's knowledge of what's good for them what is the nature of the thing they're in there without the intelligence Thomas Jefferson thought would be ours in a democracy we have manifested it we can see now mediocrity rising in the high places you can see how Jefferson's unwillingness to to qualify the vote has resulted in this media rising into high places we're responsible and we are responsible ourselves but we don't wake up to the responsibility we don't take it we're in this where you know a group of men or women who are consciously aware political they will say other principles which were declared by the Declaration of Independence and the responsibility for the development of a conscience that it places upon them you don't find it very far it doesn't manifest in the street it doesn't manifest in the movies it doesn't manifest sometimes in the theater we see a little of it well then in the days that have gone by since our Declaration of Independence we've gone to the Dickens in a handbasket but somebody has been responsible and evidently the people have to be responsible when I say the people the mob whomever people don't arrive at being president or senator or mayor unless they are elected it's perfectly true that there will be no turn to the better until the people awaken to the nature of the thing that has them and so but this matter is not a matter for a tinker it's a matter of something that must be grown and I don't see it growing as Thomas Jefferson thought it would girls by education I think education has been lex and all that thing I believe we have gone to school to learn about ourselves we have gone a school to learn the nature of things and until nature study is the basis of our education we will continue to be in danger of communism of all the isms and mystics in the arts you can name well what's wrong would come is you just tell them is utterly from my standpoint wrong I'm an individualist you love on all of my notice you love the people of Russia but you do not love their government that's right I despise their government and said so I haven't ever heard a word from Russia all these years and it would make them laugh and Russia if they ever heard of it I don't suppose they have that I've been accused of communist exhibitors in my own country mr. I suppose you were approached by one of your students one of your apprentices said yeah without pessimistic about his future because of a hydrogen bomb the threat of war the world general insecurity and he came to you and he said mr. right help me to understand give me something to live by what what could you tell me that's they're all asking me and that's what I'm telling them every Sunday morning and all the time they're working with me I don't put a line on a drawing board that the answer isn't there and they're there but a way of life we live which is the answer to to this very question you're asking that's why these youngsters come to me from all over the world and the answer is the answer is but in yourself within the nature of the thing that you yourself represent as yourself and Jesus said it I think when he said the kingdom of God is within you that's where architectural eyes that's where humanity lies that's where the future we're going to have lies if we're ever momento amount to anything is there now and all we have to do develop it strike you know don't call that the mob I call it human nature and i call that humanity no humanity to me is not a mob mob is a degeneration of humanity the love is you humanity going the wrong way you have faith in you you have no faith in the mom yet you becomes a dolt and turns into a mom or two - understand yes it may but that's our misfortune and that's because they are not properly educated they don't have an opportunity to go right instead of left you right at some small length anyway in your latest book a testament published by the lies and press you write about your religious ideas I understand that you attend no church I attend the greatest of all churches which is and I put a capital N on nature and call it my church and that's by church you love your attitude toward organized religion is one ordinary was made to build churches for other people well I want on this I do what understand why belong to any one Church they couldn't ask me to build a church for them but because my church is elemental fundamental I can build for anybody a church what do you think of church architecture in the United States I think it's of course a great shame because it improperly reflects the idea of religion because it is a parrot and monkey reflection and no reflection of religion let's go to you a little bit - fantastic no no as a matter of fact no one has asked me but I heartily agree can take that to the universities and take it to the kind of atmosphere in which they administer education and get exactly the same trade here well now wait wait I said that I hardly agree and yet something immediately comes to mind when I walk into Saint Patrick's Cathedral and I am NOT a Catholic but when I walk into st. Patrick's Cathedral here in New York City I am enveloped in a feeling of reverence sure it isn't an inferiority complex just because the building is big and I'm not arguing I think not I hope you feel nothing when you go into st. Pat regret regret regret because of what because because it isn't the thing that really represents the spirit of Independence in the sovereignty of the individual which I feel should be represented in our edifice is devoted to kosher when you go out into a big forest the towering Pines and this almost a feeling of all that frequently you do get in the presence of nature do you then not feel insignificant do you not feel small in the same sense that I feel small and insignificant on the contrary I feel large I feel it and laws and encouraged intensified and more powerful let's go to because why because in the one instance you are inspired by nature and the other instance you are inspired by an artificial T contrary to nature am i clear you are clear although I must say that I don't agree because whenever whatever inspires whatever inspires the feeling of reverence a feeling a good feeling of under not understanding that's not all dangerous groans now understanding I'd say is good for the inside it's good for the soul maybe very bad very bad where our natures are now so warped in many directions we are so conditioned by education we have no longer and it straight to clean reactions that we can trust and we have to be put in wise and careful what it is we give up to what it is we admire what it is we're inspired by I dare say that the stevedore is inspired by the prostitute to meeseeks I dare say that all these things may be good so far as they go because they are necessary but I wouldn't say that they're what should be I wouldn't say that they were ideal mr. white what is your opinion of the American press I think the American press once upon a time was characterized by individuals great ones strong men men went great purpose strong prejudices of course but also strong values and convictions today I can't see if there is much trend in what we call the newspaper world now that is the word what is the what is the word for this letterpress life the communication into place the whole country lives now on a newspaper everywhere you go there noted in something to read yes well how is it we became so literate all at once how is it now that we are fed spoon-fed everything from A to Z by reading as in reading that by this newspaper that newspaper this magazine that one we don't seem to have any life at all except by reading something we learn nothing except by reading what brought it about I don't know well you certainly are not against eclectic leading to a certain extent I am yes I think you should not read spasmodically I don't think you should read just the sake of reading either I think if I read you to read something that'll teach you build you up strengthen you and be what you need to know what magazines do you lead almost none truly chill then what are the few that you do with time as the one that I got most out of for a long time I used to get the news in time but I don't think they do that it's I've needed it now I don't think over it much lately do you feel I don't feel that I need to get anything of that sort you don't feel that you need the news you don't feel that you have to be all of the general drift in the van I say substance of it but particular it is now you think that you are at any less rebellious less of a radical in your art and life than you were a quarter of a century built right not an awesome only more quiet about it so what do you attribute your warren regard a very good friend of mine once said to me Frank here you don't have to change your shirt front red and stand up and Street and holler about this he said and I began to think it over I think he's right it is you don't have to push hard talk loud in any way get up to defend what you believe in if it is right and if it is good and it is sound it will defend you if you give it a chance you don't have to push it I've never pushed myself I've never turned over my hand to get it clad during my life I have never sought publicity of any kind I've yielded to it because doe-eyed Lewis came to me once when I was rolling the reporters downhill in a kerosene barrel and doing all those things to get rid of them Frankie said these boys have to live don't you understand that you're bringing all this down on yourself just because you haven't got the lip to be kind to them and to see that they have to live just as well as you do and they're sent out here to get something if they don't get it and they get fired he said it takes all kinds Frank to make a world and so I began to give Here I am giving again yes you are and I want you to give if you will the answer to just one more question well are you afraid of death not at all well but how well good manners the guard on out if you won't talk consult them reading you there there's a great friend you leave in person in your personal immortality yes you guys are far as I am immortal I will be immortal to me young it has no meaning something you can know nothing about nothing at all but you look at equality and if you have it you never lose it and when they put you into the box that's your immortality mr. Wright I thank you for spending this half-hour well you're welcome I hope it's been of some interest it hasn't to whoever's been listening but I don't know

Channel: Dᴀʀʟᴜʀ Nᴀᴍsɪʟʟ

Views: 219,638

Rating: 4.9268765 out of 5

Keywords: Frank Lloyd Wright, Architecture (Professional Field), art, politics, society, science, Mike Wallace

Id: DeKzIZAKG3E

Length: 50min 3sec (3003 seconds)

Published: Mon Jan 13 2014

Reddit Comments

[u/umegastar]

Cool how they didn't think that this "lack of culture" would in few decades become the strongest culture in the west, with the help of the mass media.

Also this almost gave me throat cancer, thanks Phillip Morris!

[u/finkleface]

Thought it was interesting that half of his statements were questions.

[u/golfman246]

"Mike, am I listening to my own epitaph?" LOL!

[u/pvh]

This is a fantastic interview. Here's a link to a transcript.

[u/iamthewinner]

"My name is Mike Wallace, the cigarette is Phillip Morris"

[u/inexhibit]

The love this man had for Nature is still admirable.