London-New York Eye To Eye

BBC Four Collections -

archive programmes chosen by experts.

For this collection, Simon Jenkins has selected programmes

celebrating the people and places of London.

More programmes on this theme and other BBC Four collections

are available on BBC iPlayer.

HARMONICA MUSIC PLAYS

London is a great place to live in but a hell of a place to visit.

New York is a great place to visit but a hell of a place to live in.

I visited both, I've lived in both and I like both.

These are skyscrapers.

Skyscrapers start at the bottom and go up.

I think that about covers that subject.

There's the Empire State Building, the world's tallest.

On a clear day, from the top of this building,

you can see the people who came up in the lift with you.

Look at those people way down there.

Look mighty large, don't they?

Those empty taxi cabs, and just when you don't happen to want one.

This is the United Nations building where the delegates wear headphones

so that they can be insulted in their own language.

That's the Lever building. They sell soap.

People who live in glass houses shouldn't sell soap. Or throw moss.

Or have I got that wrong?

The Brooklyn Bridge leading to Brooklyn.

For those contemplating suicide,

the Brooklyn Bridge is an absolute must.

The House of Parliament, where the speeches, like the River Thames,

just keep rolling along

and where it all will end, pavane only knows.

And I think your policemen are wonderful.

I wish this was commercial TV,

then I could plug the fact I wrote the music for...

MUSIC: "Genevieve" by Larry Adler

London has a reverence for age

and yet is always on the lookout for new faces.

A view from one of the Palace Guards.

GUARDSMAN BARKS ORDER

LARRY PLAYS A DIRGE

Sorry, wrong band.

Notice something about that band? They're all brunettes.

I wonder if this is just coincidence.

For the benefit of American audiences,

these are London buskers, street entertainers.

I thought that being a busker was easy

and once, for a bet, I tried being one around 1937.

I played to the queue at the old Holborn Empire

and I regret to tell you I got no money whatsoever.

What you've seen so far

has been more or less a tourist view of London and New York.

Now, this is more like the New York I remember.

Anybody see that last play by Samuel Beckett?

Here's the heart of New York's fashion world -

glamorous, glittering, gay.

Ladies, for you!

But with all its faults, New York is a law-abiding city(!)

There he stands, the inscrutable East.

And here's some of the scrutable West - west London.

Boy, are they scrutable.

Big hands, too. Look at the way they're holding that camera.

Even I wouldn't do that...I think.

Now why does this shot remind me of the Beveridge Plan?

This is real New York-type New York, Washington Square.

A very rare shot showing Epstein at work.

Not Sir Jacob Epstein, Sam Epstein. Nice kid.

She's engaged, she's lovely, she uses bubblegum.

Yes, New York is a law-abiding city(!)

You, sir, take a card. Any card.

This is London's Trafalgar Square,

named after the famous Tube station that runs underneath.

Here, pigeons come from all over the world to feed the people.

No matter what the season,

the pigeon will always find crowds of eager, hungry tourists.

Some indeed so tame, they'll eat right out of your beak.

Hey, Mac, any messages?

Call me an outsider if you like

but I can take my fountains or leave them alone.

My feeling is, when you've seen one fountain...

Not only that, if you happen to have hydrophobia,

fountains are bad for you.

I should play Autumn Leaves at this point, but the tune is copyright.

That's why I'm making up all my own music.

Through the magic of BBC Television,

we were fortunate to get a shot of the Mayflower

setting out on her heroic voyage across the Atlantic.

Well done, o valiant vessel!

Manhattan is an island.

Gee, I wish I'd said that.

To take a ferry boat ride to Staten Island is one of the few things -

in fact, one of the last things -

that can still be done in New York for a nickel.

Oh, Lord, here come those damn skyscrapers again.

This is the Statue of Liberty.

It hasn't been fingerprinted...yet.

That little fella's really got guts, eh? Come on, boy. Sic 'em!

That's the Queen Mary. I was on the maiden voyage of that ship.

You'd better stick around, I'm full of fascinating information like that.

I was on the maiden voyage of... I know you heard it before.

I just wanted to hear it again.

Come on, have another skyscraper. Take two, they're small.

At least in London they're small.

We wanted to show you some of London's historic ruins,

but we couldn't get just the people we wanted

so we're showing some bomb sites, St Paul's.

You know, that sort of thing.

This is William Shakespeare,

author of Kiss Me, Kate and many other hit shows.

What secrets have we here?

Could this be the new Budget?

This is part of the old Roman wall of London.

It is not for sale to Mike Todd.

Here's the Portobello Road market,

for sale to Mike Todd or anybody else.

A typical British scene.

This man calls his stall the Cheap and Nasty.

That's what I like - truth in advertising.

# Please sell no more drink

# To my father. #

Jamaica rum, eh?

Hold that monocle. Hold it. Don't lose it!

He's lost it.

Spode...

What are you giving me, Spode? Spode my eye.

Do you know, for one moment,

I honestly thought that dog was stuffed.

This gentleman, who is now a picture restorer,

used to call himself Rembrandt.

He was a lightning sketch artist in music hall.

Music hall?!

Whatever became of that?

I don't know anything about art, and what's more,

I don't know what I like.

Buffeted by wind, waves and the full fury of the elements,

onward, ever onward, the valiant Mayflower sailed.

There's something about getting behind the wheel of a car

that can make a monster out of the meekest Mitty or milk toast.

How do you like that for alliteration?

But haven't you ever wanted to take all the other cars on the road

and make them look like...

this?

This man has found true happiness.

Please! Not while I'm eating.

I'm sorry. I really shouldn't talk while his mouth is full.

Do you realise that if all these cars were laid end to end

they'd look like Piccadilly at 5.30? Do you?

I don't know why it is, but I just don't like the expression

on these cars' faces. I think they're snobs.

This one for example.

And you!

Well, that's what you get for showing off and I'm glad.

Glad, do you hear me?

This is taken from one of the gravestones

in London's Highgate Cemetery.

I wonder why he wrote the music on a gravestone.

I'd have used manuscript paper. But then I'm mad.

You know what I'm going to have on my gravestone? "Here lies Larry Adler.

"Who?"

Got to hand it to these rich people, they really know how to live.

My audience doesn't seem to be getting the message.

Hmm.

Taxi!

Taxi!

Oh, heck. Missed it.

Fascination yet, 42nd Street.

Here's where they have the striptease.

On film anyway. The real stuff is verboten.

I don't know what they mean about strip cos here it says only 70% off.

"A nature film about violets. Bring the kiddies."

Look! Living commercials.

This man has a hole in the head.

This man is carrying A Hole In The Head.

Broadway. The gay, white way.

Except that it ain't gay and it ain't white

and there ain't no legitimate theatres on it.

They're all here on 45th Street.

"No ugly overhang." Whatever do they mean?

Look! Those sailors walked right past those girls!

I could understand it if the sailors walked right past THESE girls.

Although let's be fair, I think what they're probably doing

is being initiated into their college sorority.

Honey, aren't you happy?

And still she sailed onward, ever onward.

Would she make Plymouth Rock?

Would she make Brighton Rock?

Piccadilly, which this is, and Times Square

have something in common.

Gaudy, not neat.

See that sign over there, "This man is wanted"?

In this neighbourhood, it also applies to girls.

This cinema can't make up its mind.

Is its main attraction Macmillan or Brigitte Bardot? Quel dilemma.

Did you know that in sculpture a bust means a head?

By the way, have you read any bad books lately?

"Ole"?

That's for a bull.

Doesn't this take you back?

Gay Vienna, the waltz,

the grace.

Man, dig that crazy gavotte.

When he grows up, he's going to be a tic-tac man.

# Did you ever get the feeling

# That you wanted to go?

# And then you got the feeling That you wanted to stay. #

This girl has gone.

This one hasn't arrived yet.

Pity to hit the bottle at that age.

This one is being sent by special delivery.

Oh, I beg your pardon. I thought you'd gone.

This is a fan.

This is a cool cat.

This is a fountain.

And as the Mayflower slowly sinks in the west with all hands,

we in London say,

"Good night, New York."