Fallingwater: A Conversation With Edgar Kaufmann, Jr.

Perhaps the most famous house in America, architecturally speaking, Fallingwater (a river runs through it, literally) was commissioned by Edgar J. Kaufmann in 1934 and was designed and built by Frank Lloyd Wright between 1934 and 1937. In this interview with Edgar Kaufmann, Jr., who passed away in 1989, filmmaker Kenneth Love traces the genesis of the project, the modifications made by either the senior Kaufmann or Wright, and the greater understanding of the ingenious qualities of the house which Kaufmann, Jr, recognized over the years. Archival footage, additional interviews with the original builders, and a beautifully filmed tour of the house make this an engaging film regardless of whether one has an overarching interest in architecture or not. For a look at a stormier collaboration between the senior Kaufmann and Wright, check out Frank Lloyd Wright: The Office for Edgar J. Kaufmann (VL-5/93). Recommended. (R. Pitman)