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The Image of Librarians in Cinema 1917 1999 1st Edition
Ray Tevis Digital Instant Download
Author(s): Ray Tevis; Brenda Tevis
ISBN(s): 9781476611457, 1476611459
Edition: 1
File Details: PDF, 3.12 MB
Year: 2005
Language: english
 The Image of
Librarians in Cinema,
¡9¡7–¡999
 The Image of
Librarians in Cinema,
¡9¡7–¡999
RAY TEVIS and BRENDA TEVIS

McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers

Jefferson, North Carolina, and London
 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGUING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
Tevis, Ray.
The image of librarians in cinema, ¡9¡7–¡999 / Ray Tevis and Brenda Tevis.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 0-7864-2¡50-9 (softcover : 50# alkaline paper)

¡. Librarians in motion pictures. 2. Libraries in motion pictures.

I. Tevis, Brenda. II. Title.
PN¡995.9.L49T48 2005 79¡.43'65202—dc22 20040295¡7

British Library cataloguing data are available

©2005 Ray Tevis and Brenda Tevis. All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form

or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying
or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publisher.

On the cover: Helen Twelvetrees (left) and

Blanche Frederici in Young Bride (¡932)

Manufactured in the United States of America

McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers

Box 6¡¡, Je›erson, North Carolina 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
 In memory of grandparents
Raymond and Verna Tevis
who enabled Ray to attend
Saturday and Sunday matinees at the Liberty Theater
in their hometown of Vandalia, Illinois
 Acknowledgments

Our sincere thanks to Doris Walker Cox, who has provided encouragement and
enthusiastic support for this project continuously since ¡978, the first time we dis-
cussed the subject of “reel” librarians. Also, our thanks to Norman D. Stephens, who
invited Ray to present some of his ideas about librarians in motion pictures at the
Library History Round Table session “Images of Librarianship: What Collecting
Librariana Can Tell Us About Library History,” ¡982 American Library Association
Conference, in Philadelphia.
In ¡98¡, fourteen library science graduate students at Ball State University—Vicki
Addison, Judith Block, Karen Bloom, Debra Fitzpatrick, Joyce Jarrett, John Kihlstrom,
Jill Manis, Jane Potee, Sarah Rines, Davonne Rogers, Jane Schmottlach, Janice Stricker,
Mara Swanson, and Marcia Winscott—participated in Ray’s class “The ‘Reel’ Librar-
ian.” After each showing of eight films dating from ¡932’s No Man of Her Own to ¡978’s
Foul Play, students discussed and evaluated the role and image of the librarian in the
films. These discussions provided a myriad of ideas and insights that influenced the
development of several concepts relating to the stereotypical image of librarians. In
addition to these fourteen students, Susan Bayley, Kathleen Dykstra, Elaine Math-
ews, Jo Ellen Porter, and Teresa Rice completed graduate papers that focused on the
image of librarians in motion pictures.
Several individuals provided invaluable assistance on specific tasks: Jennifer Mor-
ris assisted with the text of several plays at the New York Public Library for the Per-
forming Arts; Margie Stites and Cathy Chung provided second opinions on several
films; and Emalie Wiley, an Arizona licensed cosmetologist, assisted with the
identification of all hairstyles.
The authors must thank the sta›s at the following libraries for outstanding ref-
erence assistance: Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sci-
ences; Archive Research and Study Center, UCLA Film and Television Archives;
UCLA Arts Library; USC Warner Bros. Archives; and USC Cinema-Television
Library. The authors also extend a special thanks to archivist Ned Comstock at USC’s

vii
viii Acknowledgments

Cinema-Television Library, whose reference assistance and attention to detail is

unequalled, and to Claire at Eddie Brandt’s Saturday Matinee in North Hollywood,
whose assistance with photographs is greatly appreciated.
Sta› members at several Phoenix area libraries provided exemplary service. Espe-
cially helpful in locating and obtaining print materials for the authors were Carole
Towles and her entire sta› at the Interlibrary Loan Center, Phoenix Public Library,
and Charlie Smith, Interlibrary Loan, Arizona State Library, Archives and Public
Records.
 Contents

Acknowledgments vii
Preface 1

1. Reel Librarians in Silent Films, ¡9¡7–¡928 3

2. The Stereotypical Image, ¡932–¡959 16
3. Continuance of the Stereotype, ¡960–¡979 95
4. A Plethora of Librarians, ¡980–¡999 138

Afterword 189
Filmography A: Films Considered for
Inclusion in the Narrative 193
Filmography B: Films Not Considered for
Inclusion in the Narrative 207
Chapter Notes 211
Selected Bibliography 219
Index 225

ix
 Preface

As librarians, the authors are keenly aware of the stereotypical image of librari-
ans and the angst it creates. Although it engenders and energizes lively discussions
among librarians, the image appears immune to change. It has remained relatively
static throughout the twentieth century, and just as the book, for which librarians
are caretakers, has remained static in format for centuries, it is unlikely that the image
of librarians will undergo any precipitous change.
Our focus is the stereotypical image of twentieth century librarians in motion
pictures, primarily in American and British films but also in several Australian and
Canadian films that were released theatrically in the United States between ¡9¡7 and
¡999. Because of the scope of this subject, not every film with a reel librarian is
included in our discussion. In addition, the following categories of film are not con-
sidered: historical adventure–drama films; adult sexually explicit (erotica) films; prison
dramas with inmates or security o‡cers portraying librarians; science fiction and fan-
tasy films (with non–twentieth century reel librarians); made-for-TV films; and direct-
to-video films. Films that were presented at film festivals but not subsequently released
to theaters are designated as direct-to-video films. In the case of several motion pic-
tures, the theatrical release status could not be ascertained; the authors include in
their discussion a minimal number of these films.
In surveying reel librarians, the authors include the total character of the librar-
ian as emphasized in the film—for example, personal attributes, socio-economic con-
ditions, and entanglements with the opposite sex. Critical comments relating to the
overall quality of each film are limited; in some instances, the authors refer to the
opinions of film critics.
The films of the twentieth century contributed significantly to the development
and then to the continuation of the image, primarily because every generation dur-
ing the century attended movie theaters in great numbers. During every decade,
filmmakers provided filmgoers the opportunity to see actors portraying librarians.
One reel librarian wearing eyeglasses and sporting a bun hairstyle appeared in a ¡92¡

1
2 Preface

film; two years later, in ¡923, the old age of a librarian—she was 38—was the focus of
a film.
The depiction of librarians in sound films began quite ominously. Within the
first three minutes of Forbidden (¡932), two youngsters watching librarian Lulu Smith
(Barbara Stanwyck) arrive for work yell at her from across the street, “Old lady foureyes!
Old lady foureyes!” This opening salvo in the first sound film to feature a librarian,
to a great extent, defines the image of librarians in sound films. The depiction remains
intact, but rather than assailing the image in such a verbally abusive manner, filmmak-
ers approach the image with explicit emphasis on visual characteristics—for example,
appearing elderly and wearing eyeglasses.
Reel librarians from the ¡930s through the ¡990s mirrored many of the same
fundamental traits, creating and perpetuating a stereotype that filmgoers recognize
instantly. Many filmmakers simply used this stereotypical image, which, for all prac-
tical purposes, is a convenient commodity that can be projected on screen with min-
imal e›ort. However, a small number of filmmakers rejected this image and depicted
librarians in a manner that even working librarians applauded.
To delineate the progression of the cinematic depiction of librarians, the authors
begin with the silent era and proceed to the twenty-first century. A majority of the
films from the silent era are lost, and a great number of the films from the first three
decades of sound films, the ¡930s to the ¡950s, are di‡cult to locate or are also lost.
At some time in the future, many of the films designated as “lost” may be recovered
and, consequently, may revise some of our present assumptions. The extant films
from these decades, however, provide a su‡cient number of reel librarians to discern
the attitude of filmmakers toward librarians and their occupation. One problem the
authors encountered with these films is the lack of complete cast credits; reel librar-
ians in supporting roles are often not identified. Later in the century, however,
filmmakers included everyone in the cast list; oftentimes in these films, the authors
could not identify the librarian in the film, even though an actor received credit for
the role. The authors detail more extensively the films that feature a reel librarian in
a leading role and the films that are most di‡cult to locate and view—those from the
silent era and the ¡930s, ¡940s, and ¡950s. The majority of films, but most certainly
not every film, from the last four decades of the twentieth century is available.
 ¡
Reel Librarians in Silent Films,
¡9¡7–¡928

During the early decades of the twentieth century, American communities were
constructing libraries across the country, primarily as a result of the benevolence—
more than $45 million—of Andrew Carnegie, to provide residents with books and a
place to educate themselves. At the same time, the film industry was constructing the-
aters (motion picture palaces in large metropolitan areas and small, less ornate movie
houses in other cities) and producing motion pictures to placate the insatiable pub-
lic appetite and demand for entertainment.
As film companies required an inexhaustible supply of stories and ideas for their
productions, it was inevitable that librarians, as well as other occupational classes,
would appear as screen characters in some of these productions. The process of
defining and establishing the characteristics of reel librarians in silent films began in
¡9¡7 with A Wife on Trial and ended in ¡929 with The Spirit of Youth. During this thir-
teen-year period, reel librarians displayed many of the visual characteristics and occu-
pational tasks that film librarians of the sound era would not only duplicate but also
greatly exaggerate, creating the stereotypical image that remains widely and easily rec-
ognizable.
The first silent film to feature a librarian, A Wife on Trial (¡9¡7),1 was based on
Margaret Widdemer’s best-selling romance novel of ¡9¡5, The Rose-Garden Husband.
Leo Pierson adapted Widdemer’s novel for the screen and his storyline parallels Wid-
demer’s novel rather accurately; the aberrations that occur are minor and innocuous.
Pierson, in addition to writing the screenplay, appears as Allan Harrington, the male
lead in the film. Mignon Anderson2 stars as librarian Phyllis Narcissa Braithwaite,
the film’s leading female role.
A Wife on Trial was directed and produced by Ruth Ann Baldwin, one of Holly-
wood’s early feminist writers, directors, and producers. She received a favorable com-
ment for her work on this film from one reviewer: “[Baldwin] is to be congratulated

3
4 The Image of Librarians in Cinema, ¡9¡7–¡999

upon the artistic presentation of this story….” He labeled the picture a “cheerful,
Pollyanna type” that “will please the average audience immensely.”3
Phyllis, a 25-year-old children’s librarian, works in a public library and receives
the respect of the children who enjoy the attention and care that she bestows upon
them. They respond by calling her “the teacher with the pretty smile” and “the lib’ry
teacher.”4
On her librarian’s salary, Phyllis has few dollars for discretionary spending, but
she constantly dreams of a rose garden—a bed of roses similar to what she had while
growing up with her parents (now deceased) in New England. A rose garden is now
beyond her humble lifestyle. A wealthy elderly couple, Mr. and Mrs. Horace de Guen-
ther (L. M. Wells and Julia Jackson), had met and befriended Phyllis when she began
working in the library, several years before she became a children’s librarian. She was
a frequently invited guest and diner at the de Guenthers’; they were so enthralled by
the charm of Phyllis that they invited her to live with them, but she had refused.
One day, Mr. de Guenther enters the Children’s Department and invites Phyl-
lis to dinner. During Phyllis’ visit to the de Guenthers, they o›er her an opportunity
to leave the library for money, a rose garden, and a husband. The de Guenthers ask
Phyllis to marry and care for Allan Harrington, whose legs are paralyzed, confining
him to a wheelchair. Allan’s paralysis began after a serious automobile accident for
which he was directly responsible and which resulted in the death of his fiancée. The
Harrington family is wealthy, and Allan’s mother prefers to find someone like Phyl-
lis to marry and care for Allan rather than hire a nurse. This is an urgent matter, as
she is elderly, ill, and near death.
Phyllis promises the de Guenthers that she will seriously consider this proposal.
Upon returning to the boardinghouse where she lives, Phyllis is accosted by a tenant
who lives on the same floor, a “masher” whose obnoxious behavior is more o›ensive
than on earlier encounters. This event, coupled with the advantages of wealth, includ-
ing the acquisition of the long-dreamed-about rose garden, provides the incentive for
Phyllis to accept the proposition. She marries Allan within the week, shortly before
his mother dies.
As a librarian, Phyllis’ wardrobe is meager but serviceable. Now as Mrs. Har-
rington, she has the time and funds to obtain a fashionable wardrobe and refresh her
appearance; she is an attractive brunette who enjoys her marriage and all of its accou-
trements.5
Although Allan and Phyllis enter their marriage as a convenience for both—he
for the care and she for the rose garden, the couple begin a relationship that ends
with love but not without misfortune. Allan enjoys the companionship and comfort
that Phyllis extends, but he becomes so jealous when he misinterprets her conversa-
tions with one of his college friends, Dr. John Hewitt (uncredited), that he suggests
the marriage be annulled. Phyllis agrees but only reluctantly. Before the annulment
occurs, however, Phyllis, walking in the early evening, is followed home and attacked
at the entry door by her old nemesis, the masher from the boardinghouse. While she
is screaming for help, Allan manages to stand and walk a few steps to help his valet
Wallis (George C. Pearce) subdue the assailant. Allan realizes that his paralysis is
primarily mental, rather than physical, and that he can overcome his self-induced
 ¡. Reel Librarians in Silent Films, ¡9¡7–¡928 5

seven-year-long paralytic a·iction. The incident reinforces their love and commit-
ment to one another.
A Wife on Trial portrays Phyllis as a poorly paid, hard-working librarian with a
work ethic that continues in marriage; she showers her attention upon Allan instead
of the children who enjoyed her stories. The decision to leave the library was made
quickly; the luxury associated with the marriage was more than she could ever hope
to obtain if she remained at the library. Phyllis marries not for the love of a man but
for the vision of a better life. Over time, however, the couple develop a love for one
another, and the film has an upbeat, happy ending.
Phyllis is the first reel librarian to appear in a sequel film, The Wishing Ring Man
(¡9¡9),6 which is based on Widdemer’s ¡9¡7 romance novel with the same title.7 The
storyline occurs approximately seven years later than A Wife on Trial and focuses on
the romantic complexities between Joy Havenith (Bessie Love) and Dr. John Hewitt
(J. Frank Glendon), the college friend of Harrington who appeared as a supporting
character in A Wife on Trial. The Harringtons, portrayed this time by Dorothy Hagan8
and Colin Kenney, and their two children are supporting characters. Phyllis’ previ-
ous occupation as librarian, in all probability, was neither evident nor mentioned in
the film.9
Two years after Phyllis appeared as the first reel librarian, A Very Good Young Man
(¡9¡9)10 featured a male library employee as its leading character. The movie, based
on Martin Brown’s Broadway play with the same title, is a romantic comedy and stars
popular actor Bryant Washburn,11 a handsome, dimpled chinned, 30-year-old lead-
ing man who excelled in this genre. Washburn is LeRoy Sylvester,12 a screen charac-
ter who, as one reviewer observed, “is too good to be true, so good that even his best
girl won’t marry him. ‘Go out and be naughty,’ she says to him, and Bryant starts
with results that kept the crowd … hilarious for an hour.”13
LeRoy works at a public library and his moral character is above reproach,
prompting his girlfriend’s mother to argue that men who do not frolic and philan-
der before marriage will certainly do so after marriage. His girlfriend, Ruth Douglas
(Helene Chadwick), refuses to marry him because of her mother’s objections, telling
him that “all good men break out after marriage. Grandfather flirted, father gambles
and uncle drinks. I don’t trust you; you are too good.”14 If LeRoy is to marry Ruth,
he must soil his exemplary moral character in order to eliminate the objections voiced
by her mother, his future mother-in-law.
LeRoy progresses through a series of adventures, actually misadventures, to soil
his reputation. The plans he devises to corrupt his moral character are simple and
straightforward. The implementation of each plan goes awry, leaving LeRoy’s angelic
reputation intact. One of his plans is to get arrested for gambling. Before going into
a gambling hall, he telephones the police, expecting to be arrested when the police
raid the establishment. Before the police arrive, however, he wins a great deal of
money and the proprietor pays him to leave. Later, when the police finally catch up
with LeRoy, they thank him for tipping them o› about the location of the gambling
hall. This e›ort is representative of his inability to soil his reputation and his inep-
titude in carrying out a simple plan. When LeRoy confesses his failures to Ruth, she
agrees to marry him, even though his moral character remains unblemished.
6 The Image of Librarians in Cinema, ¡9¡7–¡999

In the Broadway play LeRoy worked at a brass bed factory while in the film he
is a librarian. LeRoy’s change of occupation is justifiable, especially if the rationale
for change was that such an exemplary moral lifestyle is more convincingly portrayed
by a librarian.15
The first two reel librarians—Phyllis Harrington and LeRoy Sylvester—establish
several important characteristics that will continue to be associated with reel librari-
ans. Phyllis portrays a competent and talented children’s librarian whose e›orts are
appreciated by the library’s young patrons. LeRoy, however, demonstrates a propen-
sity for ineptitude in non-library situations, a characteristic that both men and women
reel librarians will emulate with similar comedic results in future films. Both reel
librarians are young and attractive, and both seek marriage. Phyllis establishes a behav-
ioral pattern that becomes a common theme in motion pictures with reel librarians
throughout the twentieth century—single woman librarian leaves library employment
for love, marriage, or both.
A year later, ¡920, the first of two silent film versions of Emerson Hough’s ¡9¡7
novel about life in a small town, The Broken Gate, was released; the second version
appeared in early ¡927. Both pictures retained the novel’s title16 and reviews indicate
that both pictures followed Hough’s storyline.
The novel and films narrate the soap opera life of Aurora Lane (Bessie Barriscale
in the ¡920 release, and Dorothy Phillips in the ¡927 release), Spring Valley’s milliner
who, twenty years earlier, had a son and refused to identify the father. The young boy
was sent away immediately; he was never told the name of either his mother or his
father. His room, board, schooling, and college expenses were scraped together by his
mother and the town’s librarian (identified as Julia Delafield and portrayed by Eve-
lyn Selbie17 in the ¡920 release, and identified as Julia Fisher and portrayed by Flo-
rence Turner18 in the ¡927 release19), who assumed the role of the boy’s aunt. After
graduating from college, Aurora’s son travels to Spring Valley to visit Julia, and dur-
ing this visit, he learns that Aurora is his mother. The townspeople of Spring Valley
are upset about the developing relationship between Aurora and the young man, as
the town’s residents do not know that they are mother and son. Aurora’s son is accused
of a murder but escapes prosecution when the village’s mentally retarded youngster
admits that he committed the murder.
Wid’s Daily, commenting on the ¡920 film, stated that “Hough’s story is such an
uninteresting a›air” containing “a lot of unpleasant occurrences, many of them
implausible and … lacking in real dramatic strength.”20 Variety echoed similar reser-
vations about the ¡927 release: “A tiresome picture about the small town lives of small
and mean people … even after it gets into melodramatic speed … it does not grip….
It will have to be a pretty dumb fan clientele that will take the picture seriously.”21
Julia is a supporting role in both films; the two actors who portrayed Julia were
over 40 years of age. An adaptation of the ¡927 screen presentation described Julia’s
physical appearance and life: “Her face was pale, her chest hollow, her hair scraggy—
and besides that she was lame. No man had ever wanted her. She spent her life marking
down dates in the back of books and handing them across the counter of the Spring
Valley Public Library.”22 Julia, in both films, continues the role of the poorly paid,
hard-working reel librarian established in earlier films. She is physically handicapped
 ¡. Reel Librarians in Silent Films, ¡9¡7–¡928 7

and treated as contemptuously as Aurora by the residents of Spring Valley. She demon-
strates unselfish compassion for Aurora’s son, assisting with the finances needed to
support him and to send him through college.
In ¡92¡, two years after LeRoy Sylvester appeared on movie screens, another male
librarian, but one with a very blemished moral character, appeared in director John
Ford’s western The Freeze-Out (¡92¡).23 The film stars noted western actor Harry Carey
as Ohio, the Stranger, who soon after arriving in Broken Buckle is busily battling the
town’s entrenched criminal element. His intent is to open a gambling house, but he
abandons the project in favor of establishing a school and library in the building.
The Stranger selects Bobtail McGuire (J. Farrell MacDonald24), Broken Buckle’s peren-
nial town drunk, to be librarian. One reviewer was very harsh on the film: “It has no
excuse in a picture theatre accustomed to program features of merit…. For a group
of actors to participate in a picture that does nothing more than try to imitate some
of the early Hart pictures … invites failure.” The same reviewer, however, managed to
find and praise one bright spot in the film: “It was MacDonald who romped away
with the acting honors as the town drunk. A better screen interpretation of a man
saturated with wood hootch hasn’t been seen in a long time.”25 Evidently, the most
entertaining moments of this picture dealt with the antics of an alcoholic who is ele-
vated to the position of Broken Buckle’s librarian by the Stranger, the town’s newest
resident. Obviously this situation added a comedic touch to the film, and this type
of happening—town drunk appointed to a high civic position, most often sheri›26—
is a familiar scenario of the western film genre.
A month after the appearance of The Freeze-Out, director William DeMille’s pic-
ture, The Lost Romance (¡92¡),27 was released. The film follows the romance of librar-
ian Sylvia Hayes (Lois Wilson28). Sylvia receives two proposals of marriage, accepting
the proposal of a young physician, Allen Erskine (Conrad Nagel), and rejecting the
o›er of a young explorer, Mark Sheridan (Jack Holt). Over the next six years, Sylvia
and Allen have a child, but slowly the romance of the marriage disappears. When
Mark returns from a six-year trip to Africa, he and Sylvia rekindle the spark of their
earlier romance and inform Allen of their love. Allen agrees to permit Sylvia to leave
him, but Allen’s aunt, Elizabeth Erskine (Fontaine La Rue), in an attempt to keep
the couple together, arranges for the young boy to disappear for a short period of
time. Unaware that the boy is safe, Allen and Sylvia believe their son has been kid-
napped and is in danger. Upon the return of their son, Allen and Sylvia recognize
that no real threat existed, but having shared moments together while believing their
son was in danger, they realize that they are truly in love and their romance is very
much alive.
Sylvia appears in one library scene.29 Standing on a three-step ladder shelving
books, she is daydreaming about her vacation which starts the next day. Rather than
shelving books, she is listening intently to Elizabeth telling stories to the library’s
young patrons. While Sylvia listens to Elizabeth’s stories, she fails to notice that sev-
eral adults have formed a line at the library desk, all wanting to exchange books. The
library supervisor (Mayme Kelso30), alarmed at the number of patrons requiring ser-
vice, goes for Sylvia, motioning to the patrons that they will be served momentarily.
Sylvia, seeing the librarian, begins to shelve books more quickly; she puts one book
8 The Image of Librarians in Cinema, ¡9¡7–¡999

The Lost Romance (¡92¡). Mayme Kelso (left) is the librarian-in-charge and Lois
Wilson (right) is librarian Sylvia Hayes. Kelso is the first reel librarian to appear
in eyeglasses and bun, while Wilson is the first to use a ladder. (Photograph cour-
tesy of Cinema-Television Library, USC.)
 ¡. Reel Librarians in Silent Films, ¡9¡7–¡928 9

upside down on the shelf and corrects her mistake when the librarian tells her to do
so. Sylvia steps down from the stool, and the librarian informs her, “Your vacation
doesn’t begin until tomorrow, Miss Hayes.” Sylvia lowers her head and goes to the
desk to assist the adults who are awaiting service.
When Elizabeth finishes her stories, she goes to the desk, telling Sylvia, “You’ve
earned a good vacation, my dear. I hope you’ll enjoy it.” Sylvia admits that she has
no money for a vacation, stating that “a vacation with nothing to do isn’t very roman-
tic.” Elizabeth invites Sylvia to visit her home, where she meets Allen and Mark, both
of whom fall in love with her. Sylvia’s library career ends when she accepts Allen’s
proposal of marriage.
Sylvia, as previous reel librarians, is hard working but has little money. She is
single, definitely dreaming of romance, and manages to obtain two proposals of mar-
riage at Elizabeth’s. An attractive brunette (multi-pincurl bang; finger waves across top,
probably a bun at nape), Sylvia wears a long sleeve blouse, sailor collar with bow, and
long skirt. The bespectacled supervisor, a brunette (finger waves in front; bun at nape)
more than two decades older than Sylvia, dresses modestly, wearing dark clothing with
a standing collar. DeMille establishes a precedent in The Lost Romance that becomes
standard cinematic treatment for two women reel librarians in the same scene—the
actress in the leading role is young and attractive, while the second librarian, a sup-
porting actress, is middle-aged and spinsterish in appearance.
Three months later, director Lois Weber’s film The Blot (¡92¡) opened to mixed
reviews. One film historian refers to Weber as “the most important woman director
of the silent era.”31 Weber wrote, directed, and produced The Blot,32 one of her many
films of the ¡920s. Weber’s films are thematic, dealing with social issues—birth con-
trol, abortion, racial prejudice, capital punishment, and other sensitive and contro-
versial topics. The Blot specifically details the inadequacy of salaries for college
professors, but its message is applicable to all public service occupations. Phil West
(Louis Calhern), a wealthy student, clarifies the title of the film when stating to his
father, a college trustee, that “it is a ‘blot’ on the present day civilization that we
expect to engage the finest mental equipment for a less wage than we pay the com-
monest labor.” Phil also confronts his father with the inevitable rhetorical question:
“Why are we so niggardly with our teachers?”
The film focuses on the family of a college faculty member, Professor Griggs
(Philip Hubbard), whose pitiful salary barely sustains his family. The professor’s daugh-
ter, Amelia (Claire Windsor33), works in the local public library; her salary as a librar-
ian makes no discernible impact on the family’s finances.34
Amelia, the leading female character, is a striking young brunette (pincurls with
finger waves) who wears the same long-sleeve white blouse, V-neckline, in all library
scenes, indicating her minimal wardrobe and the stringent finances of the family. A
second librarian (uncredited35) at the public desk is a middle-aged brunette and, like
Amelia, she repeatedly appears in the same dark high-neck long-sleeve blouse. The
cinematic pattern of an attractive actress in major role working with nondescript
actress in supporting role appears here as well.
Amelia and her coworker are occupied with a variety of tasks while working at
the main desk—answering the telephone, checking out books, assisting patrons in
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