Tag Archives: Class I

In name only? Librarians as title characters

There are quite a few main characters who are reel librarians — see my Class I and II categories — but what about title characters? Film posters and taglines hardly ever mention the librarian occupation (see my “Advertising the Reel Librarian” post), but there are a few reel librarians who serve as title characters, however obscure the connection might appear at first glance.

Let’s explore, shall we? ;)

I’ve listed the films below according to the years released. And it isn’t at all surprising that all the films below, except for one, are found in the Class I and II categories.

Desk Set (1957)

The “desk set” in this classic comedy refer to the librarians in a TV network’s research department, headed by Bunny Watson (Katharine Hepburn).

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965)

The title spy in question is Alec Leamus (Richard Burton), who actually pretends to quit the British Secret Service and defect in this slow burning Cold War drama. As part of his cover as a failed spy, Alec starts work as a librarian at the Institute of Psychical Research. This title role is also one of the few Oscar-nominated reel librarian roles.

You’re a Big Boy Now (1966)

The “big boy” of the title is Bernard Chanticleer (Peter Kastner), a young man who works as a page at the New York Public Library and falls for a go-go dancer (Hartman). A charming, if odd, coming-of-age story that was director Francis Ford Coppola’s master’s thesis from UCLA film school.

The Handmaid’s Tale (1990)

In this dystopian tale, fertile young women are trained as Handmaids and treated as slaves in their assigned households. Natasha Richardson plays the title’s Handmaid, and we learn in one scene that she used to be a librarian before the war and resulting strict social order.

Joe Versus the Volcano (1990)

The “Joe” of the title is Joe Banks (Tom Hanks), an “average Joe” stuck in a thankless job as an advertising librarian for a medical supply company. After learning he has only weeks to live, he embarks on an adventure to sacrifice himself in an island volcano. A typical male Liberated Librarian role.

The Gun in Betty Lou’s Handbag (1992)

In order to get attention and add some excitement to her dull life, a small-town public librarian (Penelope Ann Miller) — the Betty Lou in the film’s title — finds a gun and confesses to a murder she did not commit. The quintessential female Liberated Librarian role.

The Pagemaster (1994)

Scaredy-cat kid Richie (Macaulay Culkin) enters a library to escape a storm—and literally ends up in another world in this half-animated, half-live action film. Although Culkin is the main star, the title character is played by Christopher Lloyd, both the librarian, Mr. Dewey (get it?!) and the Pagemaster, “the keeper of the books, the guardian of the written word.”

Party Girl (1995)

New York party girl Mary (Parker Posey) repays a loan to her godmother by working as a library clerk in a public library. She discovers her vocation (“I want to be a librarian!”) after learning the Dewey Decimal system one night at the library. This is also one of the only films I have found so far that has used the word librarian in its advertising!

Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)

The “drop dead gorgeous” girls in this Class IV film refer to local beauty pageant contestants. There are a couple of small, but memorable, cameo scenes with the 1945 beauty pageant winner, now the town librarian.

“The Librarian” TV trilogy (Quest for the Spear, 2004; Return to King Solomon’s Mines, 2006; The Curse of the Judas Chalice, 2009)

Flynn Carson (Noah Wyle) serves as the title librarian, using his wits and intelligence during globe-crossing adventures to seek out artifacts for the Metropolitan Public Library’s archives.

Any personal favorites? Please leave a comment and let me know.

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Tale of a gothic library

Full disclosure. I first watched this movie, Tale of a Vampire (1992), back in January. Here was my Facebook status afterwards:

That motivation took more than 5 months to come back to me!

And it’s not like the movie is that bad. It is an interesting gothic tale with lots of atmosphere, but both the structure of the story, and underlying motivations of the characters, weaken the film considerably. And while some might call the pace “stately,” for me, it was just SLOW.

There are several scenes set in the library, but I won’t bore you with details of all of them — although I certainly bored myself taking notes on them all!. The only way I could get through this write-up/analysis/whatever-you-want-to-call-it was to break it down into manageable chunks. So here goes:

*SPOILER ALERTS*

What’s it all about?

Anne (Suzanna Hamilton, who looks like a cross between Julia Ormond and Tara Fitzgerald), a woman still recovering from her fiancé’s mysterious death, lands a job at a library specializing in the occult. One of the library’s regulars is Alex (Julian Sands, who plays a tortured romantic soul like no one else), a vampire who believes Anne to be the reincarnation of his lost love. There’s also another mysterious man — there is no other kind in this movie — in a big hat, named Edgar (Kenneth Cranham), who makes up the third in a very bizarre love triangle.

Library atmosphere

The library is a major set-piece throughout the film, showcased within the first 5 minutes. In fact, there are so many that I started mentally intoning, “Meanwhile, back at the library…” for the countless, back-and-forth establishing shots. The look of the film is all black and orange and shadows.

The librarian’s desk — first seen in an aerial shot, like a crow’s view? — is quite messy and ornate (reflecting the library itself), with odd-looking busts and statues and shadow boxes all around. The film begins with a line from Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “Annabel Lee,” so the bust, seen below, is a nice touch.

We gets clues about the library throughout the film. Edgar steals some library stationery that has “The Foster Library” stamped along the top. He also describes the library as “fascinating” and later produces a library patron record with the full name, “The Foster Library: Library of Mysticism & the Occult” across the top (see below).

Note: I checked, and that doesn’t seem to be a real library in England. There is a Foster Library in Lincolnshire, but it’s all about archives and local history, not the occult.

You know I had to look that up, right? ;)

The library scenes also emphasize the undercurrent tension of rules and restrictions (and secrets?):

  • Books are reference only, and “it took a great deal of persuading to the archive to let [the rare books] go”
  • There’s a prominent “Silence” sign on the librarian’s desk, visible in a screenshot above
  • There are iron bars everywhere – including an iron banister in front of the reference desk, see below — literally closing off sections of the claustrophobic library set

Twinsies

By this point, I was marveling at how much Anne mirrored the older librarian, Denise (Marian Diamond), but as a younger version. Seriously, take a look at some of these side-by-side shots. Perhaps the film is subtly suggesting what Anne could become without love in her life?

We see quite a few scenes with Anne shelving, picking up books, writing out cards, more shelving, talking with Denise, etc., but things don’t really seem all that busy. But appearances are deceiving, right? (So meta.) Although there is no mention of Anne’s qualifications, there are several scenes of her reading and talking intelligently about poetry, etc., getting the idea across that she is cultured and educated. But it’s obvious she’s not really into the library, as she checks her watch several times while working and says things like, “I’m not terribly busy at the moment” to patrons. She also says later that “I just needed a job, and it came up, so I took it.”

Poor Denise

When helping Alex with a rare book at the beginning of the film (see right), Denise lets him know right away how short-staffed they are. Ahhh, how things haven’t changed.

When Anna shows up at the library for the job interview — an interview the librarian knew nothing about because Edgar had orchestrated the whole thing — the librarian does not waste any time complaining about the staffing situation.

We are terribly short-staffed. I suppose head office must have sent this [letter] out. Either that or I’m getting even more forgetful than I’d thought. It’s overwork, you know. Actually I’m terribly glad to see you. I’ve been on my own for over a month now, and it’s far too much for a single member of staff.

Short-staffed or not, Denise the Librarian has to deal with a lot of weird stuff. But of course, she also works in a library specializing in the occult, so perhaps it’s to be expected. In one scene almost an hour in, Edgar takes away a periodical from an old man, a long-time user of the library, a man who also has a pet mouse in his pocket. (No, I’m not being metaphorical. See below.)

Here’s how this creepy scene plays out:

Denise:  Excuse me. But could you possibly give it back to him? I’m sorry, but he does get so distressed. If you come over to the magazine rack, I’m sure I could interest you in something equally good.

Edgar:  Thank you. This is what I want. I shan’t be a moment.

Denise:  Look, I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t serious.

Edgar:  Oh, this is a public library, isn’t it? [pretends to read for a few moments, then closes the magazine] There. I said I wouldn’t be long.

[Denise hands the magazine to the old man]

Old man [to Edgar]:  I know who you are. I’ve seen your picture somewhere.

Uh, oh. This inauspicious conversation leads to Denise discovering the old man’s bloodied body in the public restroom. I smell a rat…. oh wait, that’s a mouse. Sorry.

We also get to witness Denise crying over the poor old man, as well as her quite touching concern over Anne’s health. Poor Denise. Odds are good she’ll be short-staffed again soon…

Style vs. substance

In this kind of film, it seemed to me that the character types didn’t matter all that much. The personality traits were kind of all over the place for every character, and motivation was murky at best. If I had to pin down the reel librarian roles, I would say that Denise served more as an Information Provider than anything else, and Anne fits the Spirited Young Girl type the most. She doesn’t really care about the library (“I just needed a job… and I took it”), and is not afraid to express her personal feelings and thoughts. I would argue she’s not a Liberated Librarian, because she doesn’t really change internally (or externally) throughout the story. Although one of the three major characters, her real role is just to react to everybody else.

To me, it seemed like style won over substance overall, and fittingly, the library as a place means more than the librarians within that place. The library serves as a place of information, to be sure, and due to its specialty of the occult, it is a convenient place in this Class I film to connect all the main characters. But this library, however cloistered it appeared, does NOT serve as a safe haven in a harsh, cruel world; in the end, its iron bars cannot hold back secrets or danger or even death.

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It all started with a big list

So if you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know that it all started with my undergraduate thesis, ”A Glimpse Through the Glasses: Portrayals of Librarians in Film.” Click here for more info on that, finding movies, as well as more about the inspiration behind my personal interest in reel librarians.

I’ve mentioned before about starting out with 47 titles for that undergrad thesis, so maybe I should share those titles with you sometime.

How about now? ;)

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

And looking back, that initial list contains a decent cross-section of librarian films, ranging from librarians as major characters (Classes I and II) to bit parts (Classes III and IV) to even a case of mistaken occupation (Class V). Click each title below to find out more info about each movie, its major plot and cast of reel librarian(s).

Enjoy!

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Reel Librarian Style: The ladies of Desk Set

Continuing from my previous post, here are some inspiration boards celebrating the style of the Desk Set ladies. 

Peg (Joan Blondell), Ruthie (Sue Randall), and Sylvia (Dina Merrill), seen below, are assistant librarians in a TV network’s research library. They are smart, sassy, and feminine, which their wardrobes reflect. Favoring timeless ’50s silhouettes of full skirts and cinched waistlines, they wear dresses as well as separates (cardigans, twinsets, sweaters). Although their clothing is quite simplistic in shape, the color choices are quite bold and striking. Bottom line, their collective style is both classic and comfortable. Perfect for the modern librarian!

There are two inspiration boards below, one highlighting dresses, and another of separates.

Desk Set ladies (separates)

Desk Set ladies (dresses)

Desk Set ladies (dresses) Polyvore set


Which reel librarian would YOU like to see next for a Reel Librarian Style post?

Comparing two desk sets (and I don’t mean furniture)

The Desk Set - title page

Yes, it’s obvious by now that Desk Set (1957) ranks as one of my favorite librarian films (see here, here, here and here), with some of my favorite reel librarian characters ever. Of course, I would say my bias is justified by the excellence of the film itself, but that’s up for you to decide.

I’ve seen the film many times, but until now, I had never read the play it’s based on, The Desk Set, written by William Marchant. It premiered on Broadway in October 1955 and ran for 297 performances, through July 1956. So I found out our library consortium had a copy of the play — because I looked it up. ;)

It’s a delightful play! It’s significant to note how many lines and scenes from the play were directly transferred onscreen — including all of the reference questions. Perhaps because the screenwriters didn’t want to do any extra research?!

Intrigued, I set out to compare the play and film. Below are my (totally unscientific) findings. *SPOILER ALERT*

Advertising

Play Film

Broadway playbill for The Desk Set

Movie poster for the U.S.

Setting & Structure

Play Film
3 acts: Introduction to characters and interview of Miss Watson (Act I); the Christmas party (Act II); and the installation of Emmarac (Act III) Most of this color film takes place in the library, but it adds locales (and resulting scenes), including Mr. Azae’s office, the roof of the building, and Bunny’s apartment. See this website for a rundown of the different sets.
1 locale: The reference department library of a large broadcasting company Side note: The UK title for this film was His Other Woman. Decidedly odd — and misleading — title.

Library set

Play

The stage set
Film

The movie set

Main characters

Play Film
Librarians: Bunny Watson (head librarian and office manager); Peg Costello; Ruthie Saylor; Sadel Meyer The same basic cast of characters, but Sadel Meyer is changed to Sylvia Blair, and Abe Cutler becomes Mike Cutler
Richard Sumner, efficiency expert (and nephew of Mr. Azae, the head of the station); Abe Cutler, executive at company, referred to as Bunny’s boss (Act I, p. 17) There is no mention of Richard Sumner being related to the company president (because Spencer Tracy was older in real life?)

Bunny Watson

Fun fact: Bunny’s full name, Bonita, is mentioned in the play (Act III, p. 77). Is it strange that I breathed a sigh of relief that “Bunny” is a nickname?

Play Film
Shirley Booth originated the role on Broadway Katharine Hepburn
   

Librarian qualifications

The discussion of her education and training comes at the beginning of the personal interview (see below) —  a rare inclusion, however brief, of librarian education. Both versions mention a library course at Columbia University.

Play Film
Richard: And what was your training for this kind of work?
Bunny: Just a library course at Columbia University. (Act I, p. 30)		 Richard: Tell me, Miss Watson, what training have you had for your job?
Bunny:  Well, a college education, and after that, a library course at Columbia. I was going to take a PhD but I ran out of money.
In Act III, Bunny mentions, “Oh, my diploma–good old Columbia” as she’s clearing up her office (p. 67) There are several framed documents visible in Bunny’s office, but no specific mention of a diploma — but a master’s degree or certification is implied through her earlier statement of wanting to go on to a PhD

Personal interview

This is an important scene, a battles of the sexes in miniature, in which Richard Sumner asks Bunny Watson a series of questions. He’s basically sizing her up and gauging her intelligence. The scene ends very differently in the play, which surprised me.

Play Film
This scene occurs at the end of Act I and takes place in Bunny’s office. About a half hour in, this scene takes place atop the rooftop of the building, in the cold (adding to the humor)
At the end of the interview, this is Richard’s not-so-complimentary reaction: “I never had anybody quite like you before. We have an extreme classification I’ve never used, but it has to be applied to you. … FREAK!” (p. 34) Said with admiration and genuine warmth, Richard compares her to a “rare tropical fish”

The electronic brain

The room-sized computer in the play and film was based on the real-life ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer), the first general-purpose electronic computer. It was described as a “giant brain” with a slogan of “Making machines do more, so that man can do less”

Play Film
Spelled as Emmarac (Electro-Magnetic Memory And Research Arithmetical Calculator) Everything I’ve found referring to the machine in the film spells it EMARAC (also capitalizing it to make it clear it’s an acronym), eliminating one of the M’s
Richard proudly states, “We figure it will save us in this department alone 6,240 man hours a year” (End of Act II, p. 55, repeated in Act III, p. 61) The same line is used but spoken by Miss Warriner (see below)
Richard gives the machine a nickname, “Emmy” Several nicknames spoken by multiple characters: “Emily EMARAC” (Bunny); “Miss M” and “Miss Emmy” (Miss Warriner); and “Emmy” (Richard Sumner and Bunny)
Bunny stops the noise from Emmarac with a hairpin, annoying Richard (Act III, p. 72-73) Richard fixes the machine with Bunny’s hairpin

Miss Warriner

The computer’s dutiful servant shows up at the end of the Christmas party in both versions, introduced as an electronics expert (but she’s portrayed as a fairly ridiculous and histrionic character).

Play Film
In the beginning of Act III, she’s described as “not yet thirty… but a certain demeanor suggests that permanent spinsterhood is most certainly to be hers” (p. 60). So the spinster in this work is the techie, NOT the librarian! Interesting…

Yep, pretty much as described in the play (click to view larger image)

Librarians vs. computers

Even though the “electronic brain” takes up a huge space in both the play and the film (visually dating both works), the essential conflict in the film — pitting humans against technology — remains. And it seems an endless debate in the library world: are libraries and librarians so easily replaced by computers and online sources? One of the (many) things I love about Desk Set is that the conclusion (you need both!) is STILL relevant today, and just as true.

Play Film
Richard sums up Emmarac’s purpose: “It was not meant to replace you. It was never intended to take over. It was installed to free your time for research” (Act III, p. 75) Richard adds a bit more: “EMARAC is not going to take over. It was never intended to take over. It was never intended to replace you. It’s here merely to free your time for research. It’s just here to help you.”

Happy ending

I was quite surprised that the endings are different! I personally find the film’s ending much more satisfying — a romance between acknowledged equals.

Play Film
Ends with Abe proposing over a dictaphone message and Bunny smiling as she replays the message Abe headed to West Coast, and Bunny and Richard headed for romance. It IS a Hepburn & Tracy film, after all.
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