The "Bookmobile Lady" was the better known name of
David Letterman's
Emmy award winning set designer
Kathleen Ankers. Sadly Ms Ankers passed away in 2001.
The
bookmobile piece would be introduced with a bit of tinkling youthful music and Letterman would chime in "You know by that familiar theme music it's time for another edition of the NBC Bookmobile's New Books. See for yourself what everyone else is reading these days." Ms. Ankers, as the NBC Bookmobile Lady, would then be ferried into the
Late Night studio on a forklift driven by
the Gruff But Lovable Gus. From behind a desk the NBC Bookmobile Lady would show Letterman bizarre recent additions to the NBC bookmobile. Some books introduced over the years were:
It's rumored that one book featured on the bookmobile segment called
Dictionary of Euphemisms for Describing Meryl Streep actually upset Streep and she cancelled an appearance.
When Letterman moved to
CBS Ms. Ankers, like many of the show's behind-the-scenes workers, followed. In the CBS incarnation of Letterman's talk show, Ms. Ankers played "Helen, the Ill-Tempered Ticket Lady". No longer the sweet, lovable bookish type, she was a foul-mouthed ticket lady who would rattle off a string of paint-peeling curses to anyone who asked her a question. Although the televised version bleeped out the swear words, a studio audience member reported her actual rant was:
"Oh,
fuck me! Eat shit you
son of a bitch shitbag! I feel like a goddamn
cocksucking sewer animal in here! Oh,
piss off! Go fuck you!"