Vintage Film 🎥: Storm Center (1956)

Few things make my blood boil more than self-appointed moralists and politicians imposing book bans throughout our country. As a child I deeply resented growing up in a strict religion that attempted to control everything it’s members read – among so many other things! With this in mind, I fully understand concerns from parents and others that not all reading material is appropriate for all ages – especially where public school students are concerned. However, there are vigorous attempts by smarmy politicians and “do-gooders” to foist these restrictions on everyone. While book banning and censorship is hardly anything new, widespread attempts (often successful) to implement these bans in the 2020s are a serious threat to our civil liberties right now!

Censorship and repression of reading materials are especially alarming in our age. Book bans have a much wider reach now compared to previous eras. In the 21st century the ramifications of bans are more profound because they include the spectrum of electronic media. Not surprisingly, the most controversial aspects of bans and censorship are when they lock horns with teaching curriculum — and those imposing these restrictions en masse (most notably in Florida schools) win out out more often than not.

To make this clear: while every parent has the prerogative to decide what is objectionable or not for their own children to partake of — this does not give them the right to decide the same for other people’s children! The efforts of so-called guardians of public morals to extend these bans beyond public schools to higher education and library systems are particularly infuriating. Book censorship has a long, shameful history in this country going all the way back to the colonial era. However, the most noteworthy and widespread bans started in the 19th century and are accelerating today.

Among the most controversial bans of the past was Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852) by Harriet Beecher Stowe, an anti-slavery novel which deeply offended the sensibilities of the slave-holding southern states. Another noteworthy case involved On The Origin Of Species (1859) by Charles Darwin (theory of evolution) for daring to directly disagree with the biblical account of creation. This eventually led to Tennessee high school teacher John T. Scopes being convicted of violating a state law against teaching this theory in a highly sensationalized 1925 trial.

The bogeyman of Storm Center had nothing to do with slavery or evolution. Nor was it about what should or should not be taught in public schools. The contemporary 1950s setting of the film is focused directly on the most politically charged subject of that age. Few issues of the middle 20th century were more explosive than communist infiltration (or the exaggerated perception of it) into every aspect of American life including all levels of politics and education. In Storm Center a small-town librarian, Alicia Hull (Bette Davis) is a long time widow who has devoted her life to the operation and maintenance of the local public library branch for many years in a New England community without any major controversies – so far.

As a widow she has had plenty of time to encourage children to develop an appreciation for reading and learning. She is also eager for a new children’s wing to soon be added to the main library building in town. However, there is a major string attached before this project can be green-lighted. The members of the town council (all male,incidentally) request that she remove a title from circulation called The Communist Dream as they have received some complaints finding it objectionable and subversive. Ultimately, after a great deal of debate she refuses to comply with this on principle. Unfortunately, this stand gets her terminated and she becomes the town pariah, branded as subversive despite being an upstanding citizen her entire life.

The most distressing consequence of this sorry outcome is the emotional damage caused to Freddie Slater, a young boy who was especially drawn to her mentoring. As Freddie already had a troubled home life, the loss of his friend and mentor puts on his shoulders the added weight of feeling betrayed by Hull. Sadly, he ends up hating her and the library and everything it stands for. The library as featured in Storm Center brought back good memories of my own childhood as one of those reassuring solid stone or brick structures reminiscent of those built across the nation by the Andrew Carnegie, a wealthy industrialist renowned for his philanthropy.

These libraries were often the showcase in many small towns with Ivy clinging to the walls, solid wood interiors, and filled with rich leather bound volumes that as Mrs. Hull explained to Tommy early in Storm Center “contain the secrets of the world.” In many of these places outside of the big metropolitan areas these libraries may have been the only source of cultural activities as is the case in Storm Center. They provided (and still do in some instances) the focal point of community life. So, what happens to the library at the climax of Storm Center is all the more tragic for that (but there won’t be any spoiler here!)

Storm Center is not only important because it brings the ugliness of book banning, censorship and Communism to the fore, but also illustrates how irrational fears and ignorance destroy reputations and livelihoods. Although Storm Center is fictional, the story was based on the account of a real-life librarian from Oklahoma who fought against censorship in her town. It shouldn’t be lost on anyone that the banning and burning of books in some cases have presaged more terrible events — like the Holocaust and World War Two for instance. On a less dramatic note, it will still be very interesting to see what the outcomes will be with regards to a record number of bans occurring across the United States during the last three years.

I for one, will be following these developments more closely to see if any of this censorship makes it to the Supreme Court. What reading material becomes objectionable? By what criteria? Whose community standards take precedence in this matter? As Hull was rightfully concerned in Storm Center, where does it end? When is she going to be asked to remove more books? What will the next excuse be? All vitally important questions indeed!