Skyscraper

1959 0h 22m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 12

Documentary

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Nominated for an Academy Award, this live-action short film playfully chronicles the construction of the Tishman Building at 666 Fifth Avenue in New York City.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Shirley Clarke
Writers: John White
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 6

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 22-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

ERA

Did you know

67 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Shirley Clarke shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0053282 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

Only 12 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Shirley Clarke directs. Shirley Clarke cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 22-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
267 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Editor Shirley Clarke shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5IMDB entry: tt0053282 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
6Only 12 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Editing: Shirley Clarke
Runtime: 22 min · 0h 22m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: Skyscraper (1959)

Also by

Shirley Clarke

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-02-10
★ 6/10
Somehow I couldn't help but think, here, that the buildings that were being demolished were considerably more characterful than the glass and concrete structures that were replacing them. Anyway, this short documentary introduces us to a building crew and to the activities of those tasked with the construction and assembly involved in putting up New York's Tishman Building on 5th Avenue. From the surveyors, architects, draughtsmen through the entire excavation and occasionally quite perilous construction process we see it rise like the proverbial phoenix. It's quite watchable this, but the director has a bit of a penchant for too much crooning and what might even pass for some early rap, before we get some natural sound and images of the site-clearing and the building. Interestingly, they take the debris to New Jersey to help infill the marshland there. Technology and manual labour work closely together and luckily we cram most of this extended process into a 20 minutes that is peppered with a lively narration from those responsible for doing the work - indoor and out. I still get slightly acrophobic watching these folk walking tight-rope shaped steel girders hundreds of feet in the air. Not a job - or a watch - for the feint hearted! Who knew 20% of the costs went on the air-con installation, or that the fitting took as long as the frame?

Production companies