The reminiscences of bennett cerf by bennett cerf and phyllis cerf wagner 1977, hardcover at the best online prices at ebay. Bennett cerf, random house publisher and whats my line panelist tony bennett born anthony dominick benedetto american singer of popular music, standards and jazz bennett robert godley b. A writer and television personality, cerf was also an active editor and enthusiastic promoter of the writers published by his company, random house. Penguin random house, publishing house formed by the merger of penguin and random house in 20. Famous ghost stories bennett cerf snippet view 1944. He became known to most americans in his generation from his appearances as a panel member on the television game show, whats my line from 1951 to 1967.
Random house founder bennett cerf, as skillful storyteller and. Bennett cerf 18981971 helped to shape the american publishing business into what it is today. The book is made up of chapters of bennett cerfs the cofounder of random house life, stories, and thought processes. I couldnt resist shooting a jolly jet through the tiny perforation in that screen. Cerf s biggest projects was the random house dictionary of the eng lish language, a 2. Bennett cerf in his office at random house, new york, 1953. Famous ghost stories bennett cerf snippet view 1946. Bennett alfred cerf may 25, 1898 august 27, 1971 was a publisher and cofounder of random house. Cerf is quoted as saying, we just said we were going to publish a few books on the side at random, which suggested the name random house. Cerf died in 1971, at his 42acre country home in mount kisco.
By 1932, james joyces ulysses had been banned from the usa on grounds of obscenity. Bennett cerf of random house speaks at this 1952 book and author luncheon. Very good in brodart, 28 pages, author cofounder of random house bennett cerf, artist roy mckie, illustrated wcolor drawings on 27 pages, questions and answer riddles, children, riddles, 40. Dear donald, dear bennett by bennett cerf, donald klopfer. Cerf managed to change sarnoffs mind, and continued to appear on the network show until its 1967 cancellation. Donald klopfer and bennett cerf had been partners in random house for seventeen years, but donald decided that he had to become a part of an even greater endeavorthe defeat of nazi germany.
Bennett cerf was born in 1898 in manhattan and graduated from columbia university with a degree in journalism. Claim this business 410 8481900 favorite more directions sponsored topics. Published james joyces ulysses in the us after winning landmark supreme court obscenity case. Bennett cerf was one of the founders of the publishing firm random house. It turns out that random house cofounder bennett cerf and his wife, actress turned dr. He was one of the cofounders of the publishing firm random house. An upper east side townhouse once home to bennett and phyllis cerf founder of random house and an editor of dr. The joker i wish all your computers, tablets, ithings, etc. Cerf was also known for his own compilations of jokes and puns, for regular personal appearances lecturing across the united states, and for his television appearances in the panel game show.
A third generation new yorker, cerf was born in 1898, growing up with friends such as broadway composer richard rodgers and donald klopfer, cerfs future business partner. An incomparable raconteur, possessed of an irrepressible wit and an abiding love of books and authors, cerf brilliantly evokes the heady days of random houses first decades. His list of authors included eugene oneill, william faulkner, sinclair lewis, john ohara, truman capote, christopher isherwood and andre malraux. An incomparable raconteur, possessed of an irrepressible wit and an abiding love of books and authors, cerf evokes the. Bennett alfred cerf may 25, 1898 august 27, 1971 was an american publisher and cofounder of the american publishing firm random house. Bennett cerf biography, birth date, birth place and pictures. Bennett cerf presents a memoir of the making of a great publishing house and its founder. A biography of bennett cerf under contract to random house expected publication fallwinter 20212. The reminiscences of bennett cerf kindle edition by cerf, bennett, cerf, christopher.
David sarnoff, chairman of rca when it owned nbc and random house, urged cerf to quit the cbs whats my line. Bennett cerfs pop up riddles book random house vintage. Bennett cerf oral history notable new yorkers part 2. In the 1930s he led a successful challenge against censorship in the united states. Bennett alfred cerf may 25, 1898 august 27, 1971 was an american publisher, one of the founders of american publishing firm random house. In 1927 they began publishing books other than modern library titles as random house, of which. Penguin random house inc 400 bennett cerf dr westminster.
In 1925 he acquired the modern library with donald klopfer, providing the foundation for their next publishing venture, random house. Penguin random house inc 400 bennett cerf dr westminster md 21157. Bennett cerf, one of the coun trys foremost book publishers, died late friday night at his estate in mount kisco, n. Manhattan townhouse that was longtime home of phyllis cerf. He is the father of sesame street writer christopher cerf he was parodied by sesame street with the character bennett snerf a cofounder of random house publishing, cerf authored nearly a dozen books, and one of the stories in the book famous ghost stories which he edited was adapted. Random house was founded in 1927 by bennett cerf and donald klopfer, two years after they acquired the modern library imprint from publisher horace liveright, which reprints classic works of literature. Bennett cerf, eminent publisher and punster, was a founder and chairman of random house books, a writer and editor of many humor books, and a popular. Best known as publisher and founder of random house. Bennett cerf, eminent publisher and punster, was a founder and chairman of random house books, a writer and editor of many humor books, and a popular panelist on televisions longrunning game show, whats my line. Animal riddles by cerf, bennett and a great selection of related books. In 1925, cerf and his friend donald klopfer brought the rights to boni and liveright and went into business for themselves. One sunday the minister was detained and the boy volunteered to say the prayer in his stead. Bennett cerf helped to shape the american publishing business into what it is today.
So recounts bennett cerf in this wonderfully amusing memoir of the making of a great publishing house. Cerf was known for his compilations of jokes and stories, and for his regular appearances on the panel game show whats my line. Under his leadership, publishing entered the 20th century and random house became the worlds largest englishlanguage trade book publisher. Bennett alfred cerf was a publisher and cofounder of random house. In the 1930s he led a successful challenge against censorship in. We just said we were going to publish a few books on the side at random. They tell about a fifteenyearold boy in an orphans home who had an incurable stutter. The reminiscences of bennett cerf cerf, bennett, cerf, christopher on. Yet his importance was surely greater as a publisher than it was as a retailer of quips and puns, for it was his random house that broke the. Bennett cerf 18981971 was famous for his appearances on whats my line. At random by bennett cerf overdrive rakuten overdrive. Random house was founded by americans bennett cerf and donald s. Cerf was also known for his own compilations of jokes and puns, for regular personal appearances lecturing across the united states, and for his television appearances in the panel game show whats my line. Bennett cerf project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks.
A lot of it is gleaned from oral interviews with cerf, so some of the stories i picked up this book because i had the good fortune to meet bennett cerf s son chris through the columbia publishing course. The book is made up of chapters of bennett cerf s the cofounder of random house life, stories, and thought processes. He was a parody of bennett cerf from whats my line, father of sesame writer christopher cerf. A tall, pipesmoking, welltailored man with an urbane manner and cheshire cat grin, bennett cerf headed random house, one of the nations most prosperous and prestigious publishing houses for more than four decades. Bennett cerf oral history notable new yorkers interviewed by robin hawkins this interview is from 23rd of january 1968 part 2. The reminiscences of bennett cerf by bennett cerf online at alibris. Klopfer, in 1925 cerf acquired the modern library imprint, which subsequently became a highly profitable series of reprints of classic books. Bennett alfred cerf 18981971 find a grave memorial. Published many giants of 20th century american literature, including william faulkner, james michener, and ayn rand.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. A lot of it is gleaned from oral interviews with cerf, so some of the stories i picked up this book because i had the good fortune to meet bennett cerfs son chris through the columbia publishing course. Deciding to publish a few books at random, they decided to name the new company random house, using as its logo a small house drawn by cerfs friend rockwell kent. Bennett cerf bennett cerf 18981971 helped to shape the american publishing business into what it is today. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading at random. Cerf was known for his compilations of jokes and stories, and for his regular appearances. Bennett cerf american publisher and editor britannica. A major figure of american publishing for more than four decades, bennett cerf died in 1971. Cerf was also known for his own compilations of jokes and puns, for regular personal appearances lecturing across the united states, and for his television appearances in the panel game show whats my line bennett cerf was born and brought up in new york.
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