From the day it opened, on October 1, 1907, the lavish 19-story French
Renaissance building on the southeast corner of Fifth Avenue and Central
Park South was simply the grandest hotel in the world. It's no wonder
that the Plaza's lavish interiors and exteriors have remained
sought-after settings for films, TV shows, commercials--even music
videos--as well as home to the most significant social events of their
day.
It's no surprise that many of the films shot there have become beloved
classics, from Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest; to everybody's
favorite tear-jerker, The Way We Were; to Neil Simon's uproarious
Plaza Suite and Barefoot in the Park. In those and dozens of others,
the Plaza's own special magic was stirred into Hollywood's heady mix and
the results were timeless.
In Starring the Plaza, a labor of love conceived and created by
pop-cultural historian Patty Farmer, the hotel shines in a new light: a
Klieg light, as it were. Page after page of moments captured from
movies, plays, TV shows, parties, premieres, and press events form a new
kind of chronicle of New York's favorite landmark. Readers will find all
their favorite Plaza-on-film moments here--plus a few they might not
have been aware of. There are even some Hollywood recreations of the
place included--Plaza Pretenders--but it's clear that no amount of movie
magic could ever beat the real thing.
From Shirley MacLaine scaling the Pulitzer Fountain to a frizz-headed
Barbra Streisand handing out political leaflets, the Plaza has
co-starred with the best in the business. And from Liz Taylor to the
Beatles, anyone who is anyone has stayed there, partied there, and
who-knows-what-else there. Yes, that's really the grand lobby in Home
Alone 2, the Oak Bar in North by Northwest, and the Persian Room in
Sabrina.
Starring the Plaza is the first-ever visual celebration of the Plaza
on stage, screen, and in society, and author, Patty Farmer, has scoured
the archives to show it off in all its glory. Legendary movie star Mitzi
Gaynor provides the Foreword and discloses a few of her own adventures
at the iconic hotel.
