4 North Shore Towers Courier n May 2014 Lynda and Morty Schwartz: Love bloomed on Orchard Beach BY FRED CHERNOW Orchard Beach in the Bronx has been called “The Riviera of New York,” stretching for one mile along Long Island Sound in Pelham Bay. It’s been used in movies as a backdrop for young people who meet and fall in love. For our neighbors in Building One, Lynda and Morty Schwartz, this could be their story. They both grew up in the Bronx and first met when a friend of Morty’s was dating Lynda. Months later they met again on Orchard Beach and as they say, “the rest is history.” They have been married for 53 years and have had creative, productive lives, beyond having two children and four grandchildren. After graduating City College as a film major, Morty got a job as an assistant film editor working on diverse projects including dramatic TV programs and the pilot of the very successful comedy, “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” His first network TV credit as a film editor was a 90-minute CBS Sports Spectacular about Grand Prix Racing. For several years, he edited documentaries for CBS and NBC. Later, he was sought after to create TV commercials. “It was the heyday of TV commercials and I found my specialty,” he recalled. “After several years of developing relationships with top advertising agency creatives, I was encouraged to start my own post-production company and accept assignments directly from the agencies.” This proved to work well and he became the prime editor for Revlon and edited all the Toyota commercials. “I formed ‘Filmpower’ in 1969 and assembled a team to support my creative work and service my clients,” he said. Morty edited many award-winning commercials and won numerous CLIO awards — the advertising industry’s Oscar. Over the years, his focus shifted from editing to producing TV and corporate programs. He was involved with a series for Lincoln Center, called “Backstage/Lincoln Center,” and the well-known PBS series “Great Performances,” among many other projects. While Morty was doing all of this, Lynda studied at Pratt Institute and the New School. She pursued a career in art and her paintings can be found in many collections. Her work in oils has been awarded First Prize at the National Association of Women Artists and has been shown at the Hechsher Museum, Chelsea Mansion and the Nassau County Museum of Fine Art. “Color always remains dominant in expressing beauty and inspiring me,” Lynda has been quoted as saying. “Color is also my means of expressing emotion and many of my pieces convey that message.” In addition to her art career, Lynda has been working as a successful interior designer for 35 years. At first, she worked with a partner in their firm “Once Upon a Design.” Eventually, she branched out on her own as “Lynda Schwartz Interiors.” Over the years, her clients have included such well-known performers as Ben Vereen, Mary J. Blige and Russell Simmons. At the present time, her clients include several residents of North Shore Towers. In 2003, after a very successful run of 45 years, Morty decided it was time to close the company and do something else. He began offering his talent and experience to create family history videos for people who want to preserve their story. His clients can pass these videos on to their families or use them for other purposes, such as commemorating a special birthday or honor. These videos are enjoyed now and become a family legacy for future generations. These family histories have become very popular, and Morty provides videos for people all over the metropolitan area. In 2002, Morty and Lynda sold the house they lived in for 45 years in Port Washington PHOTO COURTESY THE SCHWARTZES and moved to North Shore Towers. “We felt NST offered us the opportunity to have a large, beautiful apartment with many amenities and be closer to Manhattan and yet not so far from our roots in Port Washington,” they agreed. As a volunteer at North Shore Towers, Morty has worked with John Virga and Marty Ragusa to create programs spotlighting residents with interesting backgrounds. Many of us have enjoyed seeing resident Danny Cavallo interviewed on Channel 995. Next month’s program, “North Shore Towers: A Spotlight on Us” will feature Nelson Avila and Madalyn Klein. A 40th Anniversary video is in the planning stage. From a humble beginning in Orchid Beach to the height of achievement in Floral Park, Lynda and Morty Schwartz continue to bloom, together.
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