The royal treatment

This past weekend, my husband and I watched My Week with Marilyn (2011), an adaptation of Colin Clark’s chronicled week with Marilyn Monroe as she filmed The Prince and the Showgirl with Sir Laurence Olivier in 1956. This was by all accounts a tense set.

We were so surprised — and pleased — when a reel librarian showed up. And a royal librarian at that! I can confirm hand-clapping and shouts of glee in the Snoek-Brown household.

So almost an hour into the film, Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams, so well-deserving of the Oscar nomination for her channeling of Marilyn) plays hooky with Colin (Eddie Redmayne) for a fun-filled afternoon, romping through parks and the lawns of Eton College. After Marilyn asks what’s next, he suggests Windsor Castle, a formal residence of the Queen. And you KNOW how anything royalty-related is like catnip to us Americans.

Let’s listen in as they attempt to get into Windsor Castle (see above). The British bodyguard starts us off:

Smith:  Detective Chief Superintendent Smith. I’m escorting this lady and gentleman for the day. They’d like to look around the castle.

Security guard [not having any of it]:  I need a contact name for the book.

Smith [to Marilyn]:  You don’t know Her Majesty, by any chance?

Marilyn:  Yes, we met at a movie premiere. She said my dress was pretty.

Security guard:  I don’t think that quite does it, sir.

Colin:  My godfather works here. He’s the royal librarian. Sir Owen Morshead.

And they’re in! Name-dropping a librarian gets them into the Queen’s castle. Let me repeat that, for full effect. Name-dropping. A. LIBRARIAN. Gets. Them. Into. The. QUEEN’S. Castle. I’ve never been prouder.

As the pair humbly walk into the royal library, we get a lovely overhead shot. It’s all red leather and dark wood. (Click here for more info and pics about the Royal Collection.)

Then we meet the Royal Librarian himself, Sir Owen Morshead, as played by Sir Derek Jacobi. Here’s a side-by-side comparison.

Sir Owen Morshead

Sir Derek Jacobi as Sir Owen Morshead

Except for the difference in facial hair, the resemblance is quite decent. Jacobi seems to capture the twinkle in Morshead’s demeanor, and both look quite distinguished and dapper in their suits and ties. The real Morshead (1893-1977) served as Royal Librarian from 1926 through 1958.

Sir Owen is quite pleased to see his godson, greeting him with, “Colin, my boy! Come in! Forgive the dust.” And with only the time it takes for another breath, Sir Owen immediately starts charming Marilyn (see right).

Sir Owen:  Oh, you are very pretty, my dear.

Marilyn:  Oh [obviously pleased]. Gee, I’d sure like to read all these books.

Sir Owen:  Well, luckily, one doesn’t really have to. A lot of them just have pictures in.

Then he shows them some priceless sketches and drawings of famous artists, including Holbein (a sketch of a daughter of one of the king’s courtiers) and Da Vinci (mentioning Mona Lisa, the “lady with the funny smile”). Love the detail of the white gloves for handling archives!

After impressing her with art, Sir Owen smoothly seizes the opportunity to name-drop the Queen. Clever librarian.

Sir Owen:  The Queen’s sorry to have missed you.

Marilyn: Really? [eyes wide]

Sir Owen: Oh yes, why she was only saying to me the other day, ‘What must it be like to be the most famous woman on earth?’

Sir Owen then provides the icing on top of the cake, by showing them into a room with a lovely, intricate dollhouse. Marilyn swoons over it and makes believe the family inside is her family. She seeks Sir Owen’s permission to touch (see below), and he affirms her wishes with a smile, “Yes, of course.” The last shot we get of the Royal Librarian is one of him smiling, obviously pleased at a woman’s girlish delight.

Note:  The dollhouse is known as Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, built by British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens between 1921 and 1924. You can explore the dollhouse online here.

Although only a couple of minutes long, this is a lovely scene, due mostly to Jacobi’s reel depiction of a notable real librarian. An Information Provider, certainly, but one with real kindness and heart. Sir Owen says all the right things to make the “most famous woman on earth” feel special and at home in a queen’s palace. He flirts a little, shows her a picture of the daughter of a king’s courtier (this resonates, because we later find out she has never known who her father is), and a doll’s house (so she can imagine a family). He fulfills her need to be admired and loved and listened to, without even knowing it. And looks mighty dapper doing it!

And BONUS:  Perhaps you were wondering what Marilyn Monroe was wearing when she met Queen Elizabeth II? You KNOW that’s the first thing I looked up. :) Enjoy.

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Glasses on, glasses off

Summer of the Monkeys is one of those youth classics that I never got around to reading, mainly because Wilson Rawls’s other classic, Where the Red Fern Grows, devastated me. It was good, don’t get me wrong, but I remember lots and lots of crying over that book at a young age. Also, both books kind of remind me of the classic book and movie Old Yeller, which I can only think about through a haze of tears. Um, spoiler alert.

Anyways…. this Class III movie is set in the late 1800s/early 1900s and about a teenage boy, Jay (Corey Sevier), trying to earn money to buy a pony. And then his world gets turned upside down by a batch of circus monkeys who escaped during a train crash. The early part of this film focuses on the boy’s home life on the farm, and about 20 minutes in, Jay makes fun of his sister reading a book: “Talk to ME about tall tales. You and your stupid books. Everything I know, I learned by goin’ out and doin’ it.”

Yeah, we’ll see about that.

Turns out, Jay doesn’t know how to connect with those circus monkeys by just “going’ out and doin’ it.” Cue grandpa’s advice to check out the town library. Bless you, Wilford Brimley, you’re the best. ♥

So almost an hour in, we take a trip along with Quaker Oats grandpa and Jay to the Ridgewell town library (see right). This scenario reminded me a bit of the library scene in The Magic of Ordinary Days. The purpose of the scene is the same, as this small-town public library serves a vital function as a source of info for both its local and rural users.

And we get a lot of nice shots of the one-room library interior, which looks quite bright and cheery and welcoming. There’s a stove in the middle, a few chairs and tables, bookshelves along the back, oil paintings, all against a backdrop of off-white and green.

We also get nice close-ups of the reel librarian (Beverly Cooper). She’s blonde (again, kind of visually similar to the reel librarian in The Magic of Ordinary Days), middle-aged, and dressed in a period costume of puffed sleeves, high collar, long skirt, and cameo brooch. Her hair is pulled back in a bun, and of course, a pair of glasses complete her reel librarian uniform. I love the details of the quill pen and the large lamp on the Circulation desk. What I don’t love so much? The QUIET sign just inside the front door (see below).

Let’s listen in as Jay walks into the library for the first time.

Jay:  Howdy, ma’am.

Librarian:  Shh.

[Everybody looks up]

Jay (in a whisper):  I’d like to see all the books you have on monkeys.

Librarian:  Could you be more specific?

Jay:  Well, I’m trying to trap a bunch of ‘em. They’re from the train wreck a few weeks back. My grandpa thought that if I read up on ‘em, it’d help me out.

Librarian (taking off her glasses): Why don’t you have a seat? I’ll bring some material over to you.

Jay:  Thanks.

It’s interesting to note the librarian’s different facial expressions, which seem to change depending on whether or not she’s wearing glasses. Maybe she feels she has more authority when wearing spectacles? That she can’t smile unless the glasses are off?

Exhibit A, glasses on (click each image to view a larger version):

Exhibit B, glasses off:

So Jay sits down at a table beside a young girl (see below) and looks more than a little bit overwhelmed and out of his comfort zone. In the next shot, the librarian brings over a large stack of books, “This should get you started.” The boy looks up with big eyes and picks one up with a bewildered expression. There’s no explanation from the librarian about what’s in the books or how to use them. Sorry to say, this is an example of what NOT to do during a reference interview.

Glasses are off. That means I get to smile.

In the next shot, after some time has passed, we see a closeup of the materials all scattered on the desk, including a book entitled Young People’s Natural History (a real book! click here to view more info through WorldCat), plus a copy of a Ridgewell Chronicle news article about the train wreck. Obviously still overwhelmed, Jay turns to the young lady at his table — because she’s more approachable? — about how to pronounce some French words in the article. After they talk some more (the young lady is extremely helpful), the library bell dings, cutting to a disgruntled look from the librarian. The glasses are back on!

After the young lady leaves, the librarian steps back into frame, taking off her glasses.

Librarian: The library is closing, young man. You can leave the books where they are. (She starts clearing up, stacking books, putting lids on ink bottles, etc.)

Jay turns back and asks:  Ma’am? That young lady who was sitting across from me? She come here much?

Librarian:  I see her from time to time.

Jay:  Thank you very much.

Librarian:  Come back again.

Jay:  I believe I will.

The scene ends with a shot of the librarian hugging some books to her chest, smiling (see above, in Exhibit B). She looks pleased, and the scene ends on a positive note. Jay uses the info to locate the monkeys and return them to the circus. Sure, the librarian’s an Information Provider, but she really wasn’t all that helpful. It was the young lady who really helped the boy out. And it’s because of her, NOT the librarian, that Jay wants to return to the library.

After he climbs back in the buggy with his grandpa, Wilford Brimley, bless him, sums it all up for us.

Grandpa:  You say it was the young lady who helped you?

Jay:  Yeah.

Grandpa:  Oh.

Oh, indeed.

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BONUS! Random conversations

Randomness

Randomness (Photo credit: thesimplegood)

Here’s a snippet of a random conversation I had at a Cinco de Mayo bash/housewarming party last weekend. I shared this story with my husband (who was also at the party), and he suggested I share it on this blog, as well. So blame him — or go over to his blog and say hi. :)

So having gotten past the “what do you do?” start of a conversation with this random guy, we were transitioning into the “what do you do for fun?” section. I happened to mention that I love movies, and I have a blog about librarians in film.

His reaction? A micro-expression of confusion, and then, “That’s…”

[I was mentally filling in/hoping for words like interesting or cool or hey, even weird. That's a compliment in Portland.]

“… selfish.”

My reaction? Most likely a micro-expression of confusion, and then, “So what? Who better to look at portrayals of librarians than an actual librarian?”

“Huh. Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Damn straight!

We never got to the “what’s your name?” part of the conversation, but whatever. Thanks, random guy, for contributing to this blog. And for reaffirming my love for this blog. Bless.

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Advertising the reel librarian

There are a fair number of films featuring leading roles for reel librarians, but how are they depicted in the movie posters for those films? Are the words librarian or library even mentioned on the posters? Intrigued, I took a look at movie posters for movies in the Class I category, films in which the protagonist or other major characters are librarians. It wasn’t until after the first draft of this post that I realized I had chosen at least one film from each decade, spanning the 1930s through the 1990s. So meta.

So let’s take a peek at advertising the reel librarian through the decades, shall we? :)

Notes: I’ve arranged the following in order of the U.S. release dates. Also, click the poster thumbnails to view larger images of the posters, almost all of which are available through Amazon.com.

Forbidden (1932)

Read more about the movie and basic plot by clicking here. Click each poster thumbnail to view a larger image in a new window.

Tagline:  Her greatest dramatic role!

This illustrated movie poster highlights star Barbara Stanwyck and her glamorous look seen later in the film, NOT the “old lady four eyes” side depicted in the first part of the film. This was quite early in her movie career, so it’s interesting that the studio was already heavily promoting her as a major star. Stanwyck had gained notice the year before, in the 1931 Night Nurse (saving two children from Clark Gable in a rare villainous turn!), but she was still a year away from Baby Face (1933) and five years away from her first Oscar nomination in 1937, for Stella Dallas.

No Man of Her Own (1932)

Read more about the movie and basic plot by clicking here. Click each poster thumbnail to view a larger image in a new window.

No taglines necessary; the title says it all, right? (Sigh.)

Clark Gable gets some adoring looks, along with the prominent name-above-the-title attention on these posters. No hint that the glamorous Carole Lombard depicted in these ads plays a librarian. The real-life romance between Gable and Lombard didn’t begin until four years after this film — which, incidentally, tells you a lot about this film.

Adventure (1945)

Read more about the movie and basic plot by clicking here. Click the poster thumbnail to view a larger image in a new window.

Tagline:  Gable’s back and Garson’s got him!

This poster seems to visually echo the 1939 instant classic Gone With the Wind (click here to view a sample). This make sense, especially considering that both films starred Clark Gable and were directed by Victor Fleming. And Gone With the Wind was a massive hit. This movie? Not so much. The poster doesn’t reveal anything about the plot, which is quite similar to 1932′s No Man of Her Own (see above), Gable’s earlier foray into sweeping reel librarians off their sensible heels. The poster instead emphasizes its leading stars, Clark Gable and Greer Garson, and their so-called chemistry by featuring a kiss (which turns out kind of creepy-looking, no?). Unfortunately, the movie does not live up to its adventurous title.

Good News (1947)

Read more about the movie and basic plot by clicking here. Click each poster thumbnail to view a larger image in a new window.

Tagline:  M-G-M’s Terrific Technicolor Musical!

I had seen the first movie poster before — the one with no slogan or tagline — but was intrigued by the second, longer poster. Both feature leggy females, but wow, the legs on that second poster! Despite the similar hair color of the leggy blonde, I strongly doubt it’s a depiction of star June Allyson, as she built a film career on her chirpy “good girl” persona. It looks like a pin-up exaggeration of a movie theater usherette, trumpeting the news of “M-G-M’s Terrific Technicolor Musical!” Both posters feature bright colors and the promise of romance, with nary a sight of the college library where the two co-stars meet. See this post to view the song they sing while closing up the library.

Storm Center (1956)

Read more about the movie and basic plot by clicking here. Click each poster thumbnail to view a larger image in a new window.

Taglines:

  • Bette Davis hits the screen in a cyclone of dramatic fury!
  • In all the years, no picture has said this!

Those taglines say a whole lot of nothing, don’t they? And what was the “long-awaited event” highlighted in that fourth poster? Maybe the decades-long return of silent screen star Mary Pickford, who was originally set to play reel librarian Alicia Hull? Maybe that it took 5 years of delays and title changes (originally entitled The Library) and casting switches to get to the big screen? The storyline is one to make librarians stand up and cheer — standing up to censorship in a small town — but the end result? When even TV Guide describes the film as “dismal,” then you know you got a problem.

But the film looks pretty exciting from the movie posters, right?! It’s all abstract cyclones and burning buildings and face-eating flames, designed by legendary graphic artist Saul Bass (who also put together the very cool title credit sequence for this film, as well as for 1960′s Psycho). Except for that VERY weird poster (perhaps a lobby card?) on the top right, which highlights Bette Davis giving a kid… a lollipop. THUD. Like she’s some kind of smirking dentist instead of a librarian. I’m sure Saul Bass had nothing to do with that oddity.

Desk Set (1957)

Read more about the movie and basic plot by clicking here. Click each poster thumbnail to view a larger image in a new window.

Taglines:

  • Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn… make the office such a wonderful place to love in!
  • Meet the Desk Set… from 9 o’clock coffee to 5 o’clock cocktails — and, oh, those fabulous Christmas parties!

One of my favorite reel librarian movies ever… and NO mention of the library! True, the library in question is a TV company’s research library, not the first kind of library one thinks of. And there IS a fabulous Christmas party in this film (see this post for a clip). I quite like the title logo and silhouette of the couple kissing over a desk, which gets across the idea that it’s a romantic comedy — a departure from the play, as I outlined in a previous post comparing the play and film versions. This poster, as well as the accompanying lobby cards featured in a previous post, definitely play up the zany comedy angle, and highlight its successful stars. Hepburn and Tracy made 9 films together over 25 years, and this was their next-to-last pairing together.

Rome Adventure (1962)

Read more about the movie and basic plot by clicking here. Click each poster thumbnail to view a larger image in a new window.

Taglines:

  • This was her European plan for learning about love.
  • She wanted to learn about love from a mature, suave Italian with a villa by the sea – until a young, handsome American came along and changed her European plan.

The original title for this film was Lovers Must Learn (read all about it, plus view the movie’s trailer, in a prior blog post here). I wonder how late in the game they changed the title to Rome Adventure, because the whole “learning” aspect is quite prominent in those taglines. Both posters push the romance angle, as well as equate adventure with moped rides. ;) You can also guess the basic plot — and arc of this Liberated Librarian‘s role — in that second poster. But let’s face it, reel librarian Prudence Bell isn’t the main attraction. Italy is!

Only Two Can Play (1962)

Read more about the movie and basic plot by clicking here. Click each poster thumbnail to view a larger image in a new window.

Tagline: Two’s company… three’s a comedy!

This one hails from the UK, with Peter Sellers playing a very sexually frustrated librarian looking for a promotion in all the wrong places. And no, that is not a slam against Wales, the setting of the film. I do like the poster’s primary color scheme (the film is in black & white, so is the poster trying to over-compensate?) and cutesy graphics, which kind of remind me of a children’s book. But maybe that’s not the best thing for a pseudo-sex comedy. Hmmmm……

The Music Man (1962)

Read more about the movie and basic plot by clicking here. Click each poster thumbnail to view a larger image in a new window.

Taglines:

  • We’ve got the man, we’ve got the music, we’ve got “The Music Man”
  • The story of that man and his 76 trombones, and the wonderful, wonderful tune he played on every heart in town!

1962 was a banner year for major reel librarian characters, no?

There are several posters and taglines for this hit musical, which was based on the 1957 hit play by Meredith Willson. This movie immortalized “Marian the Librarian” but the title character is Robert Preston’s Harold Hill, the con man who sweeps the town — and the reel librarian — off their collective feet. The posters play up the comedic, feel-good attitude of the film, and the taglines all focus on the central character, not the librarian.

You’re a Big Boy Now (1966)

Read more about the movie and basic plot by clicking here. Click each poster thumbnail to view a larger image in a new window.

Taglines:

  • The odyssey of a young youth who wants no part of sex. He wants it all!
  • The motion picture that’s happening now!

Oh, those “young youths,” how they tease us! ;) I love the randomness of these movie poster images together. There are the bright colors, kooky graphics mixed in with screenshots, cheesy taglines, cross-eyed hearts. The posters are all so different, yet each also kind of captures the goofy charm of the film in its own way. The only poster that hints at the library setting is the international one, which Amazon.com tells me is the Polish version. That one, with all the hearts, is my favorite. Books = Love. ♥.

Foul Play (1978)

Read more about the movie and basic plot by clicking here. Click each poster thumbnail to view a larger image in a new window.

Tagline:  A new comedy thriller from the creators of “Silver Streak.”

Another major reel librarian character (Goldie Hawn as Gloria Mundy) with no mention of that occupation on the poster. True, the plot moves quickly from the library and into the streets of San Francisco, but Gloria’s resourcefulness begins with kicking some butt with an umbrella while locking up the library. And no, that’s not a metaphor.

The poster highlights the chemistry between co-stars Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn, while the tagline focuses on the accomplishments of writer/director Colin Higgins, who had a hit two years earlier with the comedy-action flick Silver Streak. Higgins also had another cult classic on his filmography, Harold and Maude (1971), and would go on to write and direct the comedy hits Nine to Five (1980) and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982). Smart advertising strategy.

Off Beat (1986)

Read more about the movie and basic plot by clicking here. Click each poster thumbnail to view a larger image in a new window.

Tagline: The real life adventures of a make-believe cop.

This movie involves a whole host of oddball reel librarians (star Judge Reinhold included), a case of mistaken identity, satiny cop costumes, a dancing cop routine, show tunes, and a bank heist in which well-timed choreography saves the day. Oh, and roller skates, as highlighted on this movie poster. The poster is the cleverest thing about the movie, and I’m actually glad there’s no hint of librarianship in it, except for the book bag he’s about to trip on.

The Gun in Betty Lou’s Handbag (1992)

Read more about the movie and basic plot by clicking here. Click each poster thumbnail to view a larger image in a new window.

Tagline:  She was a nobody, until someone found… The Gun in Betty Lou’s Handbag!”

Two very different styles of movie posters, with one equally offensive tagline. Although the posters don’t mention her occupation, Betty Lou is a children’s librarian, the “nobody” in the tagline. FAIL.

I actually saw this movie in the theaters, which gives you a clue to how old I am. It’s an odd movie, but I loved it way back when. Mostly because of cute co-star Eric Thal. I don’t recall seeing the first poster — definitely skewed more to adults — so I most likely responded positively to the second poster, which plays up the “screwball comedy” angle.

I also find it interesting that just through these two movie posters, you can see how well her character fits the Liberated Librarian type. First, she’s all about the long hair and timid, “Who, me?” expression, and in the second, it’s all “Look at me!” with the short dress, short hair, and irresponsible backseat driving.

Party Girl (1995)

Read more about the movie and basic plot by clicking here. Click each poster thumbnail to view a larger image in a new window.

Taglines:

  • There’s a new librarian in town!
  • The new queen of the art house

Finally, the word librarian makes it to a movie poster! One more reason to love this film. The posters both feature indie film star Parker Posey (hence, the “queen of the art house” tagline) atop a pile of books, having a fun time as the Party Girl in her chunky high heels and bright layers. So very mid-’90s. She IS the party girl. Ergo, party girl = librarian. These posters make me smile — and not just because I enjoy counting up all the different fonts on that second one. And how befitting are these ads for a movie that features a dance sequence all about learning the Dewey Decimal system? This is truth in advertising. ;)

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Defining ourselves: The whole kit and caboodle

Elton S. Karrmann Library at the University of...

A few years ago, when I worked at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Karrmann Library (see right), a transparency kit called “Defining Ourselves: Myths and Realities for Women in Libraries” got weeded from the collection. Fortunately, I then found the deselected kit in my box — my research interest into librarian portrayals and stereotypes being well-known to our library staff– and I happily found a home for it in my personal collection. :)

The kit was produced in 1980 by the Wisconsin Women Library Workers, written by Donna Barkman and graphics by Marge Loch-Wouters. I was a member of the WWLW during my time in Wisconsin, and you can view their current website here. The kit consists of 18 transparencies and 1 guide with a script and questions. The purpose? To be used in programming on sex roles and stereotyping of women in libraries.

In the slideshow below, I’ve included pics of the script, transparencies, discussion questions, and more.

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I like taking this kit out every now and again. There’s the nostalgia factor, of course, with the fun drawings and heavy ’70s style influence (the guy in the pantsuit and turtleneck is my current fave). But the point is still relevant. Although the focus here is on women in the librarian profession, it’s still all about image and assumptions based on those images. Which of the drawings depicts a “typical” — or rather, “stereotypical” — librarian or library worker? Have times changed all that much?

Let me know what you think and please leave a comment below.

And for those of you who are librarians or library buffs, the kit’s call number was in the HQ’s, specifically HQ 1075, which is the Library of Congress sub-classification for “Sex role.” You can read more details about the “Defining Ourselves” kit in WorldCat here.

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