Honestly, girls, I don't know what made me think about this, the other day, or realize it sooner!!!! As you know, and has been mentioned, by not only just me, the depiction of librarians on film has gotten a bad rap over the years. There was that bun haired scold in "Citizen Kane" (1941), who not only was some ice cold fish, but a true disciple of Radclyffe Hall!!!!!!!! Most notable, of course, is Donna Reed as Mary Hatch, in the nightmare sequence of "It's A Wonderful Life;" (1946); a man (Jimmy Stewart, no less!!!!!!!) embraces her, and she runs and screams!!!!!!!! Then there is that prissy, Clifton Webb wannabe in "Sophie's Choice" (1982), who sets a new low for professional stupidity!!! And how about that scared, fluttery thing, at the opening of "Ghostbusters???????????" Not to mention the still far too pretty Shirley Jones as Marian in "The Music Man!!!!!"
Of course , not everyone in the librarian profession is like this, at all!!!!! Yet, sadly enough, based on what I have seen, it is embarrassing for me to say that many are!!!!!!!!
But there is one librarian on film who defies all these cultural stereotypes, and comes into his own as a heroic character, and he is easily forgotten. That is Jason Robards as Charles Halloway in the 1983 film version of Ray Bradbury's classic novel, "Something Wicked This Way Comes!!!!!!!!!"
Part of the reason he is forgotten is that the film itself has become so. Released almost 30 years ago, in 1983, it remains the Disney Studios' darkest venture into ominous territory. Robards is matched brilliantly by Jonathan Pryce as Mister Dark, the evil impresario of the carnival that comes to town, and claims several of its inhabitants, including spinster school teacher Miss Foley, played brilliantly by Mary Grace Canfield, in the most chilling sequences of all. Looking like she might play librarians of yore, Canfield's Miss Foley pays the most terrible price for violating cultural stereotypes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Though the film is flawed, which I discovered on a recent viewing, it is so dark and mysterious, the carnival sequences are brilliant, and so are the small town shots of Fall, though they look like a film set. But it works for the film. But it is the tug of war between good and evil with Halloway and Mr. Dark that gives the film its grit. And this is no repressed librarian, honey!!!!!! He is in a loving, long term marriage with his wife, he has enormous knowledge, and, most important, empathy!!!!! And it is these very combination of qualities that enables Halloway to save the boys and the town from Mr. Dark. This story brings new meaning to the phrase "killing with kindness!" And it inverts the librarian stereotype, making a hero out of Mr. Halloway. Whom Robards brilliantly portrays!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yet, because the film played only a week in theaters, and remains largely forgotten except by more astute folk like me, lambs, it hardly gets noticed, as does Halloway's image as a heroic librarian!!!!!!!!!!!
So, I offer Jason Robards as Charles Halloway as a notable exception to the stereotype!!!! Then, of course, there is Parker Posey as Mary in "Party Girl!!!!!!!!!!!"
What an archive those two could cook up, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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