Now we'll continue our WNYC Centennial series,

100 Years of 100 Things.

Today is number 95, 100 years of movies set in New York City.

And with me for this is James Sanders. He's an architect,

author, filmmaker, co-writer with Rick Burns of the PBS series, New York, a documentary film.

Do you see that ever? And it's companion book, New York, and illustrated history. And spot

on relevant to this. He's also the author of the 2001 book, Celluloid Skyline, New York, and the Movies.

James, always great to have you.

Welcome back to WNYC.

Thank you, Brian.

It's like coming home.

And let me say that you break up the last hundred years of film in New York City into four movements.

So let's start with the first.

The silent film era before and during

the 1920s, 100 years ago. Why were New York City and silent films a good match?

Well, the movies were born in New York American movies, at least. When Hollywood was still

basically, you know, orchard fields and completely empty, the very first filmmakers

were beginning to invent the art of film on the streets of New York in around 1900 to

1910.

Is there a first major New York City movie that kind of sets the scene for other filmmakers

to say, wow, that works.

Well, there were a whole bunch that were shot. They were fairly short. Well, actually,

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