Showing posts with label Documentary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Documentary. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

BBC broadcast of 1985 Louise Brooks TV Documentary

Arena: Louise Brooks, a 55 minute BBC television documentary will be screened on December 7 on BBC Four for only the second time since its repeat broadcast in 1986. More information about this special historic broadcast can be found HERE.  [Residents of the UK may stream this programme for the next year.]

According to the BBC website, this film explores "the life of one of the most celebrated icons of early cinema. Louise Brooks talks about her days in Paris and Berlin and the harsh retribution exacted by Hollywood."

The programme description reads, "American film actress Louise Brooks has become one of the most celebrated icons of early cinema. Her performance as unrepentant pleasure-seeker Lulu in GW Pabst's Pandora's Box made her a legend, and Brooks's own life had more than a touch of Lulu's reckless abandon about it.

In this episode of Arena, first transmitted not long after her death in 1985, Brooks talks candidly about her greatest days in Paris and Berlin and the harsh retribution that was exacted by Hollywood. Featuring clips from her varied screen performances."

 

THE LEGAL STUFF: The Louise Brooks Society™ blog is authored by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society  (www.pandorasbox.com). Original contents copyright © 2023. Further unauthorized use prohibited. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Documentary based on Jim Tully bio nearing release

The documentary based on the book, Jim Tully: American Writer, Irish Rover, Hollywood Brawler (Kent State University Press), is nearing release. Here's the opening clip.

Monday, March 17, 2014

Watch a Rare Louise Brooks Documentary II

Here is a rare British television documentary about Louise Brooks from 1986, shown the year after the actress died and three years before the release of the Barry Paris biography. Except for a couple of factual errors (such as Louise Brooks married Eddie Sutherland in 1926, not 1927), it is excellent. Contains a bunch of little seen material. Parts one and two were be posted yesterday.


Sunday, March 16, 2014

Watch a Rare Louise Brooks Documentary I

Here is a rare British television documentary about Louise Brooks from 1986, shown the year after the actress died and three years before the release of the Barry Paris biography. Except for a couple of factual errors (such as Louise Brooks married Eddie Sutherland in 1926, not 1927), it is excellent. Contains a bunch of little seen material. Parts three and four will be posted tomorrow.


Thursday, March 2, 2006

Richard Leacock



Just returned from a San Francisco screening of Richard Leacock's wonderful Lulu in Berlin. Shot in 1974 - though not released until the early 1980's, Lulu in Berlin is one of only three filmed interviews with Louise Brooks. If you haven't seen it, you should! Leacock himself was present, and he spoke about his experience filming the actress. I asked him before the film if there was any unseen material. Leacock told me that pretty much everything he shot in Brooks' Rochester apartment some thirty years ago is included in his documentary, as his filmed interview with the actress only lasted some 20 minutes. Lulu in Berlin lasts 50 minutes, with clips from Brooks' films interspersed among her comments.

During the question and answer session after the film, Leacock recounted the circumstances behind the making of this interview film, how much "fun" it was, and how much he adored Louise Brooks. After there filming was complete, the actress made an omlet, and ordered Leacock to go to the liquer store and buy a quart of gin! According to the filmmaker, Lulu in Berlin was shown on the BBC in England (in the 1980's?), though with added dramatic parts depicting Brooks life. Leacock had nothing to do with the added bits, and was dismayed that the BBC altered his film. Has anyone ever seen this "other" version? Leacock also mentioned some earlier footage he shot for a staging of Alban Berg's opera, Lulu. This late 1960's stage production, under conductor Sarah Caldwell, included Edie Sedgwick as Lulu! Just imagine . . . .

During the question and answer session, Leacock also mentioned that he had completed a 400 page autobiography, which is so far unpublished. Presumably, something about his making of Lulu in Berlin would be contained in that book. It was a memorable evening. Were any of the readers of this blog present? For more about Richard Leacock, check out his website at www.richardleacock.com/
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