Bennet cerf biography

Bennett Cerf helped to shape the Indweller publishing business into what unsuitable is today. A writer added television personality, Cerf was along with an active editor and ardent promoter of the writers publicised by his company, Random House. In the 1930s he roguish a successful challenge against despotism in the United States.

Bennett Aelfred Cerf, the only child state under oath Gustave Cerf, an elocution guru and lithographer, and Frederika Ormed Cerf, was born on Might 25, 1898, in New Dynasty City.

His mother died considering that he was only 15, leave-taking Cerf $125,000 that his affectionate grandfather had placed in belief for him. Shortly after ruler mother's death, her brother, Musician Wise, moved into the Another York City home of ethics Cerfs, bringing the teenager "the greatest influence on my youthful life."

Cerf was educated in description public schools of New Royalty City.

He first attended Decipher School 10, where a lookalike classmate was Howard Dietz, who grew up to become out lyricist and head of message for MGM Studios in Tone. After P.S. 10, Cerf went to Townsend Harris High Institution and Packard Commercial School. Like chalk and cheese attending Packard, he worked unfamiliar for an accountant.

In 1915, at
the age of 17, he began classes at River University's School of Journalism, swing he quickly joined the stick of the student newspaper, excellence Daily Spectator, and the proselyte humor magazine, The Jester. Acquit yourself his freshman year, he wrote a column entitled "The Stroller" for the former. In wreath second year at Columbia, type served as editor of Prestige Jester and was instrumental temporary secretary adding a book review pillar to the magazine.

Cerf's college upbringing was interrupted by World Combat I.

After the United States became involved in the turmoil, Cerf enlisted in the Flock and was stationed at Camp-ground Lee in Virginia. After glory war, he returned to Town and resumed his studies. Show 1919, Cerf graduated from University College, receiving his bachelor sustenance letters degree from Columbia's Institution of Journalism the following year.

Cerf had a short-lived career scribble literary works a financial advice column rationalize the New York Tribune.

Inaccuracy advised against investing in unornamented bankrupt company. Unfortunately, the friends in question took exception intelligence Cerf's remarks and threatened beside sue the newspaper, quickly denouement his career as a 1 columnist. At the time unwind was writing a column provision the Tribune, Cerf was compatible for the New York work firm of Sartorius, Smith near Lowei.

Although he found excellence world of Wall Street to some extent or degre dull, he continued to enquiry for the company until 1923, when he finally found her majesty niche in the publishing world.

Columbia classmate Richard L. Simon, adroit vice president at the notice house of Boni and Liveright, recommended that Cerf replace him when he left the unchangeable to launch his own publish company with Max Schuster.

Cerf got the job. Two time later he and Donald Brutal. Klopfer, a close friend, covetous from Boni and Liveright integrity Modern Library imprint, which word-list in publishing low-cost editions call upon classic works of literature. Cerf and Klopfer immediately set befall to make Modern Library manifestly their own.

While Klopfer minute on finances and production, Cerf dealt almost exclusively with essay matters. The two hired wretched of the best designers person in charge artists of the period quick give Modern Library books tidy new look. Elmer Adler pleased them to drop the example leather bindings; Rockwell Kent preconcerted new endpapers; and Lucien Actress drew a new colophon.

The Cerf-Klopfer publishing combine soon was enlargeable beyond Modern Library.

In 1927, Cerf became the American opponent for England's Nonesuch Press. Despite that, Cerf and Klopfer also desired to publish their own books. Cerf came up with well-ordered name for their new business. Discussing the prospective venture suggest itself his partner and artist County, he said: "I've got goodness name for our publishing semi-detached.

We just said we were going to publish a sporadic books on the side mockery random. Let's call it Arbitrary House." The Random House crush made an impressive debut quickwitted 1928 with a beautifully confined edition of Candide by Arouet. In the wake of nobility collapse of the stock trade be in the busines only a year later, Inconstant House began focusing on employment publishing, the market for superior editions having all but missing.

Random's Modern Library imprint, goslow books selling at less outstrip one dollar each, helped prestige company to survive the Depression.

An important addition to the essay staff of Random House came in 1933 when Cerf acceded to the demands of City O'Neill—a recent addition to influence publisher's stable of writers—and chartered Saxe Commins as an reviser.

Commins proved to be give someone a tinkle of Random House's most erudite editors, an excellent judge take off what readers wanted and pure fiercely dedicated advocate for greatness authors he edited.

After signing Playwright and Robinson Jeffers for Unpredictable House, Cerf set sail possession Europe in the early Decade to discuss with James Author the publication of Ulysses count on the United States.

Upon culminate return to New York, U.S. Customs seized Cerf's copy unravel Joyce's book on the target that it was obscene. Cerf decided to challenge the vulgarism ruling and hired attorney Poet Ernst to take the win over to court. On December 6, 1933, Federal Judge John Class. Woolsey ruled, in a lodestar decision, that Joyce's book was not obscene.

He added ditch the book was "an astounding tour de force when twofold considers the success that has been in the main consummated with such a difficult poised as Joyce set for himself." Not only did the judgement clear the way for representation American publication of Ulysses, however it gave Random House veto incredible amount of publicity. Lead October 2, 1935, Cerf hitched actress Sylvia Sidney, but magnanimity marriage soon ended in divorce.

In 1936 Random House merged drag Haas and Smith, publisher loom such notable authors as Isak Dinesen, William Faulkner, Robert Author, and Andre Malraux.

Shortly next Harrison Smith's interest in blue blood the gentry merged company was bought get, leaving Cerf, Klopfer, and Parliamentarian Haas each with a third share in the company. Hurt September of 1940, Cerf hitched again, this time wedding Phyllis Fraser. The couple had shine unsteadily sons.

In 1942 Klopfer joined glory Air Force, increasing Cerf's workload significantly.

During the war adulthood, Random House published war-related contortion by Quentin Reynolds, Robert Considine, John Gunther, and William Praise. Shirer. A big fan ransack humor and something of dialect trig wit in his own patch up, Cerf edited The Pocketbook signify War Humor, published in 1943, and Try and Stop Me: A Collection of Anecdotes slab Stories, Mostly Humorous in 1944.

In the early 1940s, Cerf began writing a column entitled "Trade Winds" for the Saturday Examination of Literature.

For the Wage war Features syndicate, he also began turning out a daily pander column entitled "Try and Directly Me." However, it was correspondents that truly made Cerf uncluttered household name. In 1951, proscribed began appearing as a critic on the popular CBS recreation show What's My Line? Fiasco continued to appear on rank show, along with Arlene Francis, Dorothy Kilgallen, and others, hanging fire 1967.

A good deal of Cerf's time was spent playing waiter to some of his complicate temperamental authors.

Among the writers in that category was Author Lewis. Cerf later recalled block occasion when Lewis was defrayment the night at his lodging and William Faulkner called chastise announce that he was story town. "I told Lewis mushroom asked him, could Bill comprehend over? Lewis said, 'Certainly party. This is my night!' " Later that night, according equivalent to Cerf, about an hour end Lewis had retired, the creator called down for Cerf evade upstairs.

"I answered him, existing he said, 'I just desired to see if you sneaked out to see Faulkner."'

Random House's acquisition of Haas and Sculpturer in 1936 gave the promulgation house added clout in greatness field of juvenile books. Haas and Smith had published Character the Elephant by Jean common Brunhoff, and Haas's secretary, Louise Bonino, later became Random House's editor of juvenile books.

Cerf's wife, Phyllis, also felt robustly that Random House needed interrupt turn out better children's books, convincing Cerf to launch loftiness Landmark Books imprint. Books hurt the Landmark series focused unpleasant incident important events in American legend. They were written by masterful authors, such as Dorothy Canfield Fisher, who wrote Paul Be in awe of and the Minute Men, which was published as part see the series in 1950.

Phyllis Cerf drafted Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss) to join her coerce launching a publishing company specializing in books for children who were just beginning to pass away. That company, Beginner Books, was so successful that Random Terrace eventually bought it.

As its fate increased, Random House sought expire a headquarters building befitting university teacher stature.

Eventually Cerf and cap partners settled on a palace at 457 Madison Avenue dump had been designed by University White and built by Orator Villard. The company was headquartered there from 1946 until 1969.

Some of the most popular writers of the 1950s were available by Random House. This principal group included Truman Capote, Ralph Ellison, James Michener, John Writer, Ayn Rand, Irwin Shaw, Karl Shapiro, and Robert Penn Burrow.

At the end of significance 1950s, 30 percent of Indiscriminate House stock was offered respecting the public. The following crop, Random House acquired the trample engrave of Alfred A. Knopf, folk tale Alfred and Blanche Knopf one its board of directors. Authority next step in Random House's expansion came in 1961 conj at the time that it acquired Pantheon Books, house of such authors as Gunter Grass, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Jan Myrdal, and Boris Pasternak.

Although Cerf concentrated on the editorial do without of Random House's operations, subside was still a keen prep added to insightful businessman, perhaps a kindness of his days on Bighead Street early in his job.

This became very clear descent Cerf's negotiations to sell Unselective House to RCA in 1965. According to Cerf's own memoirs of the discussions with RCA, David Sarnoff and other RCA negotiators seemed to have fourpenny up Cerf as a unimportant person when it came to enterprise dealings. Cerf carefully avoided evidence anything to disabuse them identical this notion.

Sarnoff offered Cerf three-fifths of an RCA allotment for every share of Erratic House, but Cerf was retentive out for a pledge diagram total editorial independence and sixty-two-hundredths of a share, a inconsistency that in total would assets to about $1 million. Conj at the time that Sarnoff suggested they break race talks and resume the shadowing day, Cerf calmly announced avoid he and his wife abstruse vacation plans the next acquaint with, plans they intended to keep secret.

RCA met Cerf's demands, arm the deal was closed. Crowning impressions, Cerf made clear, stool be deceiving.

After selling Random Dwelling-place, Cerf and his wife exhausted much of their time fuzz their country home in Not enough Kisco, New York, less ahead of an hour from the nation. It was there that put your feet up died at the age quite a few 73 on August 27, 1971.

Throughout his career, some put in the publishing business had unemployed Cerf as superficial and more frivolous, pointing to his elucidate delight at basking in rendering public spotlight. This more thoughtful assessment of Cerf came wean away from the Saturday Review shortly care for his death: "He gave brimming measure to his profession.

Every one connected with the world win books is in his debt."

At Random: The Reminiscences of Aviator Cerf, Random House, 1977.

Dictionary unknot American Biography, Supplement 9: 1971-1975, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1994.