THE LITTLE MERMAID, HAIRSPRAY & More Added to National Film Registry

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden has announced the annual selection of 25 influential motion pictures to be inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.

Added to the list were Disney's beloved "The Little Mermaid," John Waters' "Hairspray," Brian De Palma's adaptation of "Carrie," and the 1950 film version of "Cyrano de Bergerac." Also included were Marvel Studios' "Iron Man" and the unforgettable romantic comedy "When Harry Met Sally."

Selected for their cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation's film heritage, the newest selections include a vibrant diversity of American filmmakers, as well as landmark works in key genres and numerous documentaries.

"Films have become absolutely central to American culture by helping tell our national story for more than 125 years. We are proud to add 25 more films by a group of vibrant and diverse filmmakers to the National Film Registry as we preserve our cinematic heritage," said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. "We're grateful to the entire film community for collaborating with the Library of Congress to ensure these films are preserved for the future."

About The Little Mermaid

"The Little Mermaid," the 1989 film that kicked off Disney's renaissance of animated musical films, has been an iconic part of the nation's culture ever since. Jodi Benson was a young Broadway actress when Howard Ashman, the lyricist and musical visionary behind many Disney films of that period, convinced her to audition for the lead role of Ariel after a Broadway play the two had worked on fizzled.

Some 33 years later in an illustrious career, Benson said she still performs Ariel's big song, "Part of Your World," every week.

About Hairspray

"Hairspray," the quirky story of a plus-sized Baltimore teen and her friends integrating a local television dance show in the early 1960s, wasn't a huge success at first but has gone on to have a life of its own. It was remade as a Tony Award-winning musical on Broadway, a megahit musical film in 2007 and a live TV version in 2016. But in John Waters' 1988 original, it was an 18-year-old Ricki Lake who was first tapped to play the lead role of Tracy Turnblad.

"I didn't even really process that I was the star of the movie," Lake said in a recent interview from her home in Malibu, "until the movie was made and we were seeing right before it came out. I was like, 'Oh, WOW."

Audiences did the same. As the "pleasantly plump" teen misfit, her charming performance gave the nation a cultural marker about acceptance for plus-sized women that reverberates to this day: The heavyset girl could win the dance contest and land the good-looking guy.

"I'm thrilled and honored on behalf of my character and the Walt Disney Company for the Library selecting our very special film," Benson said in an interview. The film "was the last hand-painted, hand-drawn, full-length feature film for the Walt Disney Studios. So that is really amazing and such an honor."

About Carrie

Sissy Spacek, the star of "Carrie," makes her third appearance on the registry, joining her earlier films "Badlands" and "Coal Miner's Daughter." Her role as Carrie White, the telekinetic teen misfit who is abused by her mother and taunted by her classmates, drew an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress and a lasting image in pop culture as a vengeful, blood-soaked prom queen.

She credits Stephen King's novel, the basis for the film, as striking a nerve with teenagers in each generation who are desperate to fit in with their peers for the film's lasting resonance. The other factor, she said, was a superb cast that included Piper Laurie (also nominated for an Oscar), John Travolta and Amy Irving.

"Brian De Palma was just such a wonder to work with," Spacek said in a recent interview, crediting the film's director. "He would tell us exactly what he needed and then he'd say, 'Within those parameters, you can do anything you want. That was just so wonderful."

About Cyrano De Bergerac

Produced by Stanley Kramer and directed by Michael Gordon, this Cyrano De Bergerac was the first U.S. film version of Edmond Rostand's 1897 French play, and the screenplay used a 1923 English blank verse translation by Brian Hooker.

Though critics felt the film suffered from its low budget and appearing too much a stage production, José Ferrer's star-making performance received much acclaim. Bosley Crowther in the New York Times wrote, "Mr. Ferrer plays Cyrano in a style that is in the theatrical tradition of gesture and eloquence.

He speaks the poetry of Rostand with richness and clarity such as only a few other actors have managed on the screen." For his performance, Ferrer won the Oscar for Best Actor, becoming the first Hispanic actor to win the award. Preserved at the UCLA Film & Television Archive.

Preservation funded by Myra Teitelbaum Reinhard, UCLA class of '58, in loving memory of her grandfather Nathan, father Ben and uncle Harry Teitelbaum. Preserved from the 35 mm. nitrate original camera negative and a 35 mm. acetate fine grain master, in cooperation with Paramount Pictures.

Laboratory services by YCM Laboratories. Sound services by DJ Audio and Audio Mechanics. Special thanks to Barry Allen, Eric Aijala, Martha Stroud, Peter Oreckinto and John Polito.

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