Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Case Study No. 0119: Unnamed Female Librarian (Breakfast at Tiffany's)

Librery scene
2:13
"but i don't see any books......."
Tags: breakfast attic fan knees
Added: 2 years ago
From: HGLightLee
Views: 142

[arm in arm, Holly Golightly and Paul Varjak enter the New York Public Library]
HOLLY: What is this place, anyway?
PAUL: You said you wanted to sit down, this is the public library ... You never been here?
HOLLY: No. That makes two for me ... I don't see any books.
[he points to the main reading room]
PAUL: They're in there. See?
HOLLY: Mm-hmm.
[he brings her to the card catalog]
PAUL: Each one of these little drawers is stuffed with little cards, and each little card is a book or an author.
HOLLY: [runs her hands across the drawers] I think that's fascinating!
PAUL: [opens one of the drawers] V-A-R-J-A-K.
HOLLY: Really?
[she pulls out one of the cards]
HOLLY: Look! Isn't it marvelous? There you are, right in the public library.
[she reads from the card]
HOLLY: "Varjak, Paul. Nine lives" ... Then a lot of numbers. Do they really have the book itself, live?
PAUL: [pulls out the entire drawer] Sure, follow me ...
[they bring the drawer to the front desk and speaks with an African American male librarian, then the scene fast-forwards to the two waiting on a bench]
PAUL: [as a bell rings and the number "57" lights up on the board] Number Fifty Seven, that's us.
[they get up, and Holly hands a slip to the elderly female librarian at the desk]
HOLLY: [cheerfully] Fifty Seven, please! "Nine lives" by Varjak-Paul!
LIBRARIAN: Shh!
HOLLY: [whispers] Did you ever read it? It's absolutely marvelous!
LIBRARIAN: No, I'm afraid I haven't.
HOLLY: Well, you should ... He wrote it! He's Varjak-Paul, in person!
[the librarian continues preparing the book]
HOLLY: [to Paul] She doesn't believe me. Show her your driver's license, or diner's club card, or something ...
[she turns back to the librarian]
HOLLY: [loudly] Honestly, he really is the author! Cross my heart and kiss my elbow!
LIBRARIAN: [whispers] Would you kindly lower your voice, Miss?
HOLLY: Why don't you autograph it? Don't you think it would be nice? Sort of make it more personal?
LIBRARIAN: [hands her the book] Really, Miss ...
HOLLY: [slides the book to Paul] Go ahead, don't be so stuck up. Autograph it to her!
PAUL: [takes a pen from the desk] Alright, what shall I say?
HOLLY: Oh, something sentimental, I'd think ...
[the librarian looks over and notices him writing in the book]
LIBRARIAN: [loudly] What are you doing? Stop that!
PAUL: Shh!
LIBRARIAN: [whispers] You're defacing public property!
HOLLY: Well alright, if that's the way you feel ... Come on, let's get out of here. I don't think this place is half as nice as Tiffany's!
[Paul leaves the book on the desk and the two exit the library]

---

From earthlink.net:

BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S

Edwards, Blake (Director). Breakfast at Tiffany's. United States: Paramount Pictures, 1961.

Starring: Elvia Allman (Librarian); Audrey Hepburn (Holly Golightly); George Peppard (Paul "Fred" Varjak)
Based on the Novella: Capote, Truman. Breakfast at Tiffany's. London: Hamish Hamilton, 1958.

On an outing together in NYC where each plans to try new things, Holly tells Paul that she has never been inside a library. He explains the card catalog, and when she gets too loud, Holly is asked to lower her voice. They get hands on Paul's book and she insists he autograph it, but he is accused by the librarian of defacing public property. Holly concludes, "I don't think this place is half as nice as Tiffany's." (This entire scene is invented for the film.) In a later scene, Paul finds Holly reading in the library (New York's 42nd Street Library, according to the book, where she researches South America). She wears very dark sunglasses and probably can't see the end of her nose, but one must be fashionable.

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