MovieChat Forums > Thirteen Days (2001) Discussion > JFK and Zane Grey

JFK and Zane Grey

posted 14 years ago by curlew-2
4 replies | jump to latest

One (perhaps very bad) habit I have while watching films is trying to identify what books are on the shelves in the background of a scene (private memo to filmmakers: filling a shelf with volumes of Readers Digest Condensed Books DOES NOT necessarily promote an air of literacy). With this in mind: does anyone know if John Kennedy was particularly fond of Zane Grey westerns? In the scenes involving the Oval Office, it looks as if there's a complete set of the Walter J. Black hardcover edition of Grey's works occupying one entire shelf.

"I'm not reckless . . . I'm skillful!"

[–] pe81171 14 years ago

Ironically, Eisenhower was a big Zane Grey fan. I believe one of the last books he was reading near the time of his death was a Zane Grey book that can still be viewed at his home in Gettysburg, PA.

I don't know about Kennedy being a big Zane Grey fan, though. I know one time Kennedy gave a list of books he was reading and one of them was 'From Russia with Love' which helped give James Bond even more of a boost.

Frank: Just a man.
Harmonica: An ancient race.

[–] curlew-2 14 years ago

I'll have to see if I can find the title of the book in Eisenhower's home.

I knew about the Kennedy/Ian Fleming connection, but I haven't spotted anything like editions of the Bond novels anywhere in a film (or documentary) dealing with JFK. Makes me wonder if "From Russia With Love" is one of the titles in the White House Library?

(I seem to recall hearing somewhere that Kennedy was reading a paperback edition of the novel.)

I know Reagan was a big Louis L'Amour fan. I've never heard, though, if the Presidents were allowed (or inclined) to place favorite fiction within the Oval Office. I saw the spines of those books in "Thirteen Days", and they so resembled the classic hardbound editions of Grey's work, and I thought it would've been interesting if Kennedy had such a fondness for Grey that he'd include an entire set of novels in his office (or if, as you pointed out, perhaps the set was a legacy of the Eisenhower days).

Note to filmmakers: yes, people go to movies and actually notice this sort of detail!

And thanks, by the way. I wasn't expecting a response to my query so soon.

"I'm not reckless . . . I'm skillful!"

[–] pe81171 14 years ago

Your welcome. Very interesting that you noticed this that trivia. I would have no idea that those were Zane Grey novels there.

Also during the film, Kennedy mentions one of my favorite books on World War I 'The Guns of August' which won the Pulitzer Prize for History that year. Really excellent book that holds up to this day.

Frank: Just a man.
Harmonica: An ancient race.

[–] curlew-2 14 years ago

Allow me to hastily mention that I'm not 100% certain those are Zane Grey books on the shelf. On the other hand, they closely resemble the Black hardcover editions which were released in the 60s. I'd need to get a much closer look at the spines and see if there're blue bands on the red title squares.

"I'm not reckless . . . I'm skillful!"