Make No Little Plans: Daniel Burnham and the American City

Readers may recognize Daniel Hudson Burnham (1846–1912) as one of the main figures in Erik Larson's 2003 bestseller, The Devil in the White City, which recounted the dastardly deeds of a serial killer set against the backdrop of the 1893 World's Fair—with its famed “White City” designed by Burnham. While it may not be quite as exciting—no murders here— filmmaker Judith Paine McBrien's PBS documentary, narrated by actress Joan Allen, presents a fine profile of Burnham's career, beginning in Chicago, where he designed some of the nation's first skyscrapers despite a lack of formal training. Burnham moved beyond discrete structures, however, when he accepted the task of overseeing the construction of the Columbian Exposition (aka World's Fair). Burnham followed that triumph up—not only accepting commissions throughout the country (and beyond), but also becoming one of the earliest urban designers in the United States, completing comprehensive plans for the remaking of Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. Although all were shelved for reasons of economy, these remakes were instrumental in the development of the urban planning profession. Burnham's slavish devotion to the classical style has been criticized by some, but he was undoubtedly the preeminent American architect of his time. And while Burnham might have ultimately been more talented craftsman than inspired genius, Make No Little Plans—which deftly combines archival materials with scholarly interviews—does a fine job of conveying the man's personal energy and substantial professional achievements. DVD extras include bonus interviews. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Swietek)