Showing posts with label articles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label articles. Show all posts

Sunday, June 12, 2022

These Movie People, by Dan Thomas - Louise Brooks edition

In the 1920s, Dan Thomas was a syndicated movie columnist whose articles appeared in newspapers across the country. Thomas' pieces were less gossipy than other columnists, and usually more substantial. He wrote about Louise Brooks on a few occasions.

Thomas' "These Movie People" column profiled various personalities associated with film. On June 12, 1928, he profiled Louise Brooks. This piece, notably, includes bits of an interview Thomas seemingly conducted with the actress.

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This blog is authored by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society (www.pandorasbox.com). Original contents copyright © 2022. Further use prohibited.

Monday, October 19, 2020

Louise Brooks on examiner.com by Thomas Gladysz

The Louise Brooks Society went online in the summer of 1995, around the time amazon.com, Netscape and other pioneering websites first launched. As such, it is among the older surviving websites. One of the goals of the LBS is to "get the word out" about the actress via its website, social media, real world advocacy (screenings, exhibits, books, research, etc...), and online journalism. To mark the 25th anniversary of the LBS, I thought to post links to some of my past articles about the actress. 

This post is a continuation of a mini-series highlighting some of my online journalism. Over the past decade or so, I have written dozens of pieces - perhaps a few hundred, about Brooks and various facets of her life and career. These pieces were published on Huffington Post, examiner.com, PopMatters, Film International, Fandor, City Brights (the blog for SFGate - the website of the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper), Open Salon (the blog for Salon), and elsewhere. The best of my various pieces were collected in my 2018 book, Louise Brooks, the Persistent Star

This post features a selection of my pieces from the now defunct quasi-news site examiner.com. I wrote for this site for a few years, at first as their San Francisco based Silent Film Examiner (covering the lively San Francisco Bay Area scene), and then in addition as their national Louise Brooks Examiner. The site closed down a few years ago, and all of their content disappeared, including hundreds of my articles on Louise Brooks and early film. I was disappointed that my work had vanished, until I found some (but not all) of my examiner.com work was archived on NewsBank, which archives mainstream newspapers. Unfortunately, I can't link to most of the pieces, as they are behind the NewsBank proxy wall. (Your local library may subscribe and provide access to these pieces.)

Pandora’s Box with Louise Brooks shows in Seattle and Toronto.” examiner.com, January 22, 2014.

“Louise Brooks, a magnet of meaning, more popular than ever.” examiner.com,
November 14, 2013.

Beggars of Life with Louise Brooks in England and Italy.” examiner.com, October 6, 2013.

“Louise Brooks stars in new music videos.” examiner.com, May 19, 2013.

“Dodge Brothers set to accompany Beggars of Life at the Aldeburgh Cinema.” examiner.com, April 21 2013.

“Louise Brooks film screens at Andy Warhol Museum.” examiner.com, October 30, 2012.
— the text of the piece has also been archived here

 “Jim Tully takes Hollywood, again.” examiner.com, October 10, 2012.
— the text of the piece has also been archived here

“Louise Brooks and The New Woman in Film.” examiner.com, September 29, 2012.

Pandora’s Box shows twice on July 14, in Chicago and San Francisco.” examiner.com, July 11 2012.

“The Countess Geschwitz.” examiner.com, June 24, 2012.

“Rare screening of Louise Brooks film, Prix de Beauté.” examiner.com, June 23, 2012.
— the text of the piece has been archived here

 “A Girl in Every Port goes to Stanford.” examiner.com, May 1, 2012.

 “Pandora’s Box with Louise Brooks screens at Getty Museum.” examiner.com, April 26, 2012.

 “Dodge Brothers do Beggars of Life.” examiner.com, April 21, 2012.

 “Pandora’s Box in America – A Brief History.” examiner.com, March 26, 2012.

Pandora’s Box screens twice in Cardiff.” examiner.com, February 19, 2012.

A Girl in Every Port screens in Berkeley.” examiner.com, January 22, 2012.

“Louise Brooks lights up screens in Bay Area and beyond.” examiner.com, January 16, 2012.

“Pandora’s Box to screen in Dubai.” examiner.com, November 20, 2011.

“Polish film history, with a nod to Lulu, surveyed in book.” examiner.com, October 29, 2011.

“New Lou Reed – Metallica album inspired by Lulu plays.” examiner.com,
September 22, 2011.

“Rare Louise Brooks film to screen in Chicago.” examiner.com, June 29, 2011.

 “Talking with The Dodge Brothers.” examiner.com, April 8, 2011.

 “Two Louise Brooks films to be screened with live musical accompaniment.” examiner.com, April 7, 2011.
— about screenings in England and Ireland

“Louise Brooks film featured at Toronto Silent Film Festival.” examiner.com, April 3, 2011.

“Remembering Richard Leacock.” examiner.com, March 29, 2011.

 “Lulu character featured in new play, Mlle. God.” examiner.com, February 6, 2011.

Pandora’s Box, with Louise Brooks, screens on TCM.” examiner.com, January 27, 2011.

Beggars of Life, by Jim Tully, back in print.” examiner.com, December 29, 2010.

 “Louise Brooks films celebrated in Paris.” examiner.com, December 23, 2010.

“Toronto Silent Film Festival to screen It’s the Old Army Game.” examiner.com, December 22, 2010.

 “Louise Brooks & Bruz Fletcher: Camped, Tramped, Riotous Vamps.” examiner.com, December 16, 2010.

Diary of a Lost Girl screens at National Gallery of Art.” examiner.com, December 9, 2010.
— quoted on Alt Film Guide

“Yuna Yang Fashion Designs Louise Brooks.” examiner.com, December 4, 2010.

 “Love Em and Leave Em screens in Rochester, NY.” examiner.com, November 4, 2010.

 “Rare documentary part of Louise Brooks celebration.” examiner.com, October 27, 2010.

Beggars of Life screens again in Los Angeles.” examiner.com, October 21, 2010.

“Louise Brooks’ private journals to be revealed.” examiner.com, October 2, 2010.
— tweeted about by Roger Ebert and Neil Gaiman (see below)

 


“Rare Louise Brooks film to screen in Niles.” examiner.com, September 21, 2010. 

 “A Beggars of Life revival redux.” examiner.com, September 27, 2010.

“New restoration of Pandora’s Box announced.” examiner.com, September 8, 2010.

The Show-Off screens in Los Angeles July 10.” examiner.com, July 8, 2010.

“Canary Murder Case screens in Rochester, NY.” examiner.com, June 9, 2010.

“Six questions with the Dodge Brothers.” examiner.com, May 23, 2010.

“Louise Brooks’ film centerpiece of 2010 Silent Film Festival.” examiner.com, May 21, 2010.

Pandora’s Box, with Louise Brooks, screens in SoCal.” examiner.com, May 17, 2010.

“Diary of a Lost Girl, with Louise Brooks, screens in Brooklyn.” examiner.com, May 11, 2010.
— my first piece under the moniker of the national “Louise Brooks examiner”

“Rufus Wainwright pens tribute to silent film star Louise Brooks.” examiner.com, January 12, 2010.

Louise Brooks and Pandora’s Box still attract.” examiner.com, June 30, 2009.

“Louise Brooks stars in Los Angeles series.” examiner.com, April 30, 2009

 

Thursday, October 15, 2020

Louise Brooks articles on various websites by Thomas Gladysz

The Louise Brooks Society went online in the summer of 1995, around the time amazon.com, Netscape and other pioneering websites first launched. As such, it is among the older surviving websites. One of the goals of the LBS is to "get the word out" about the actress via its website, social media, real world advocacy (screenings, exhibits, books, research, etc...) and online journalism. To mark the 25th anniversary of the LBS, I thought to post links to some of my past articles about the actress. 

This post marks the beginning of a mini-series highlighting some of my online journalism. Over the past decade or so, I have written dozens of pieces - perhaps a few hundred, about Brooks and various facets of her life and career. These pieces were published on Huffington Post, examiner.com, PopMatters, Film International, Fandor, City Brights (the blog for SFGate - the website of the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper), Open Salon (the blog for Salon), and elsewhere. The best of my various pieces were collected in my 2018 book, Louise Brooks, the Persistent Star

This mini-series continues with scattered pieces on various sites including City Brights, Film International, and Open Salon -- as well as various festival program essays and program notes including the San Francisco Silent Film Festival and University of Wisconsin Cinematheque.

The Chaperone marks a return to Berkeley for Louise Brooks.” Berkeleyside, April 30, 2019.

Louise Brooks Returns to Ann Arbor.” Ann Arbor Observer, April 22, 2019.

Never the Victim: Louise Brooks and The Chaperone.” Film International, .

It’s The Old Army Game – W.C. Fields and Louise Brooks in Ocala Florida.” Silent Locations, July, 2018.
— I contributed to this three part series of posts on John Bengtson’s film blog 

The BFI Re-Opens Silent Film Pandora’s Box.” PopMatters, December 7, 2017.

A World Turned Over: Wellman’s BEGGARS OF LIFE.” University of Wisconsin Cinematheque, November 28, 2017.

Louise Brooks, Lost Girl.” Brattle Theater / Film Notes, August 27, 2017.

Now We’re in the Air Travels the World.” San Francisco Silent Film Festival, Summer, 2017.
— program notes, published in the Festival program

Windy Riley Goes Hollywood.” Fandor, January, 2016.
— seemingly no longer online

“A dense atmosphere of intense emotions: Diary of a Lost Girl (1929).” Fandor, November, 2015.
— seemingly no longer online

A Girl in Every Port: The Birth of Lulu?” University of Wisconsin Cinematheque, December 2, 2013. 

Downton Abbey – the Louise Brooks connection.” San Francisco Silent Film Festival blog, January 27, 2013.

Pandora’s Box.” San Francisco Silent Film Festival, Summer 2012.
— program essay in festival booklet

Lulu by the Bay: Louise Brooks is legend in Pandora’s Box.” SFGate, July 12, 2012.
— this piece later ran in SF Sentinel

Sid Kay’s Fellows – Music in Pandora’s Box.” San Francisco Silent Film Festival blog, June 26, 2012.

Pandora’s Box and the Celluloid Closet.” SFGate, June 23, 2012.

Author of Louise Brooks novel, The Chaperone, comes to Bay Area.” SFGate, June 22, 2012.

Thomas Gladysz’s most treasured book.” San Francisco Chronicle, July 10, 2011.
— this piece also appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper (see below)


“Before Greg Mortenson and Three Cups of Tea.” Open Salon, April 21, 2011.
— a Salon editor’s pick, sadly no longer online

A Girl in Every Port.” Starts Thursday!, January 1, 2011.
— guest blog

The Diary of a Lost Girl: Brief history of a banned book.” Open Salon, September 24, 2010.
— sadly no longer online

American Venus.” Starts Thursday!, August 3, 2010.
— guest blog

The American Venus.” San Francisco Silent Film Festival blog, November 23, 2009.
— I launched the SFSFF blog, and was their regular blogger for a few years

Galley Talk.” Publisher’s Weekly, July 28, 2006.
— a write-up of Peter Cowie's Louise Brooks: Lulu Forever

 Louise Brooks.” In Encyclopedia of the Great Plains, edited by David J. Wishart, University of Nebraska Press, 2004.
— I wrote an entry for this regional reference work


Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Louise Brooks on Huffington Post by Thomas Gladysz

The Louise Brooks Society went online in the summer of 1995, around the time amazon.com, Netscape and other pioneering websites first launched. As such, it is among the older surviving websites. One of the goals of the LBS is to "get the word out" about the actress via its website, social media, real world advocacy (screenings, exhibits, books, research, etc...) and online journalism. To mark the 25th anniversary of the LBS, I thought to post links to some of my past articles about the actress.

This post marks the beginning of a mini-series highlighting some of my online journalism. Over the past decade or so, I have written dozens of pieces - perhaps a few hundred, about Brooks and various facets of her life and career. These pieces were published on Huffington Post, examiner.com, PopMatters, Film International, Fandor, City Brights (the blog for SFGate / San Francisco Chronicle), Open Salon (the blog for Salon), and elsewhere. The best of my various pieces were collected in my 2018 book, Louise Brooks, the Persistent Star.

This mini-series begins with my pieces on Huffington Post. Back in the day, I contributed numerous pieces not only to the national Huffington Post website but also to their once regional news sites (San Francisco, Detroit, New York, Denver, Los Angeles). I even had three pieces on Huffington Post UK.

Louise Brooks, the Persistent Star.” Huffington Post, August 22, 2017.

Long Missing Louise Brooks Film Found.” Huffington Post, March 30, 2017.

Opera with Louise Brooks inspired character debuts in Chicago, and it’s not Lulu.” Huffington Post, February 20, 2017.

getTV Premieres Rare Cary Grant film.” Huffington Post, May 4, 2016.

Lulu in New York: Pandora’s Box at Film Forum.” Huffington Post, March 16, 2016.

Live365 is Dead, Long Live RadioLulu.” Huffington Post, January 27, 2016.

Louise Brooks Celebration in San Francisco.” Huffington Post, November 13, 2015. 

Lulu-mania Sweeps New York City.” Huffington Post, November 9, 2015.

Danger and Desire: 6 Great Lulus.” Huffington Post, November 9, 2015.

Rick Geary’s New Comic, Louise Brooks: Detective.” Huffington Post, July 7, 2015.

Louise Brooks Returns to Detroit in Pandora’s Box.” Huffington Post, March 26, 2015.

Hobo Author Jim Tully Celebrated in New Documentary on PBS.” Huffington Post, February 11, 2015.

A Glastonbury First.” Huffington Post, June 24, 2014.
— published on Huffington Post UK

Natalie Merchant’s ‘Lulu’ Latest Pop Tribute to Silent Film Icon Louise Brooks.” Huffington Post, May 19, 2014.

Louise Brooks’ Star Shines Brighter Than Ever.” Huffington Post, November 4, 2013.

Pandora’s Box Plays Out Doors in Newcastle.” Huffington Post, August 28, 2012.
— published on Huffington Post UK

Louise Brooks Stars in Beggars of Life.” Huffington Post, July 30, 2012.

Louise Brooks Cover Girl and Secret Muse of the 20th Century.” Huffington Post, June 6, 2012.

Louise Brooks and Silent Film Star in Montreal.” Huffington Post, May 21, 2012.

Louise Brooks Celebrated in London.” Huffington Post, April 11, 2012.
— published on Huffington Post UK

Louise Brooks Is Lulu in Pandora’s Box.” Huffington Post, March 22, 2012.

Strange Silent Film Screens in Syracuse.” Huffington Post, March 15, 2012.

Beggars of Life with Louise Brooks Screens in New York.” Huffington Post, February 17, 2012.
— published in New York City section; tweeted about by Roger Ebert (see below)

Howard Hawks Retrospective in Berkeley.” Huffington Post, January 11, 2012.   

Jim Tully Revival: Hobo Author Back in Print.”Huffington Post, December 8, 2010.

Dear Stinkpot: Letters from Louise Brooks by Jan Wahl.” Huffington Post, October 13, 2010.

Louise Brooks Journals to be Revealed, and Perhaps Published.” Huffington Post, October 11, 2010.

A Lost Girl, a Fake Diary, and a Forgotten Author.” Huffington Post, August 26, 2010.

Rufus Talks Lulu Plays Denver.”Huffington Post, August 12, 2010.

Beggars of Life Screens Under the Stars.”Huffington Post, August 10, 2010.

‘I Am the Victim of Such a Lascivious Beauty’ Rufus Wainwright on Louise Brooks.”Huffington Post, August 5, 2010.

Loving Louise Brooks : A Student Film You Simply Must Watch.”Huffington Post, July 23, 2010.



Friday, September 8, 2017

Last Saturday's article about Jim Tully and Beggars of Life (and Louise Brooks, too)

Here is a copy of the article which appeared on the front page of last Saturday's St. Marys Evening Leader newspaper, on 9/02/2017.




Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Louise Brooks featured in The Chap magazine

A BIG thank you to The Chap magazine, who sent me a copy of their latest issue. It features an article about Louise Brooks, "Inventing the Girl," which I enjoyed reading.

For those not familiar with the UK magazine, "The Chap takes a wry look at the modern world through the steamed-up monocle of a more refined age, occasionally getting its sock suspenders into a twist at the unspeakable vulgarity of the twenty-first century. Since 1999, the Chap has been championing the rights of that increasingly marginalised and discredited species of Englishman – the gentleman. The Chap believes that a society without courteous behaviour and proper headwear is a society on the brink of moral and sartorial collapse, and it seeks to reinstate such outmoded but indispensable gestures as hat doffing, giving up one’s seat to a lady and regularly using a trouser press."

The new issue is their 90th. "The Chap’s 90th print edition is out now, with Neil Hannon on the cover and a full-length interview inside. We also have a long-overdue profile of Louise Brooks by our resident Doctor of Dandyism; some tips on dress for world leaders, with particular emphasis on how not to dress like Donald Trump; a walk on the wild side of Berlin’s cabaret scene; the life of Eugen Sandow, the Victorian strong man who invented modern bodybuilding.

Sartorial matters covered include bicycle panniers, cardigans and whether slip-on shoes count as proper footwear. We offer a tribute to Albion, loyal Chap adherent who passed away recently; Anthony Newley’s bizarre 1969 film Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness; the launch of new accessories outlet Kit & Kaboodle; the sex scandal that began at a performance of Handel’s Messiah.

Cricket looks at Harold Pinter’s lifelong devotion to cricket, which he thought was better than sex; Laszlo Krass reports from Rome on a plot to steal a valuable Caravaggio; our Parisian correspondent reports from the most elegant stall at the flea market. The Butler advises the gentleman with an embonpoint, Atters rounds up his stable of hirsute beauties and beasts and we crown another King of Chaps."

Order the new issue from www.thechap.co.uk/magazine

My Louise Brooks paperweight holds down the opening pages of "Inventing the Girl."


Wednesday, July 13, 2016

The Long and Short of It: Another Vintage article on Bobbed Hair Styles of Silent Film Stars

And another vintage article on bobbed hair which mentions Louise Brooks (see yesterday's post as well). This one is "The Long and Short of It" by Eileen Bourne. . . . The piece begins, "The young girl of today may look to a Garbo, a Gaynor, a Louise Brooks for coiffure guidance. . . ."

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

To Bob or Not to Bob: Perhaps the Definitive Article on Silent Film Star Hair Styles

Ok, here it is, perhaps the definitive article on silent film star hair styles, "To Bob or Not to Bob," by  Rosalin Haffer. Who bobbed first? Who bobbed last? Who bobbed best? Includes eternal combatants Colleen Moore and Louise Brooks.

Tune in tomorrow for another vintage expose on this still raging controversy.



Friday, April 22, 2016

Louise Brooks declared second most beautiful woman by Carl Van Doren

Back in 1929, a syndicated article ran in newspapers in which the noted literary critic and Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Carl Van Doren declared Louise Brooks the second most beautiful woman in the world. Carl Van Doren was also the brother of critic Mark Van Doren and the uncle of Charles Van Doren, who was famously involved in a television quiz show scandal in the 1950s. Unfortunately, this instance of the article has the wrong image for Brooks.


Friday, April 8, 2016

Louise Brooks grande vedette


A 1929 article from a French publication.

Friday, January 15, 2016

Light Reading Nearly Spoiled Flapper Scene, by Louise Brooks

"Light Reading Nearly Spoiled Flapper Scene", a 1926 article supposedly by Louise Brooks. It appeared in other newspapers under different titles.


Saturday, October 3, 2015

Louise Brooks in New Zealand #2

A follow-up to yesterday's post, about Louise Brooks related material found in vintage New Zealand newspapers. Here are a couple of nifty clippings which I am sure you will appreciate.







Thursday, October 1, 2015

Louise Brooks: Snake Jewelry Fad Abroad She Reports

This article, "Snake Jewelry Fad Abroad She Reports," ran in newspaper in the United States on October 1st, 1930.


Monday, September 21, 2015

Can you find Louise Brooks?


Pick them out if you can.  That is, if you can find Louise Brooks.


Friday, August 28, 2015

Louise Brooks, one of the most popular of the younger Paramount players

 Louise Brooks, one of the most popular of the younger Paramount players. Clipping from 1927.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

A gathering of silent film articles, part two

I've been writing for examiner.com for 5 years. In that time, I've written hundreds of pieces about film and film culture culture in the silent and early sound era. To mark my fifth anniversary as the San Francisco Bay Area silent film correspondent, I've put together this checklist of some of my favorite pieces. Hopefully, you'll like them too. Here is a selection published from 2019 through 2010.

Early films selected for National Film Registry
December 28, 2010

Sherlock Holmes vs Herlock Sholmes, etc….
December 24, 2010

Revamped website celebrates Nita Naldi
December 17, 2010

Local film preservationist does his bit, and more
December 15, 2010

Two new books offer portraits of early film stars
December 9, 2010

Silent film DVDs: Best new releases of the year
December 8, 2010

Ten best silent film books in 2010
December 6, 2010

Early film star Baby Marie dies at age 99
November 17, 2010

A Century Ago: The Films of 1910
November 11, 2010

Vernon Dent shines with new book, screenings in Niles in November
November 4, 2010

Mystery of the Charlie Chaplin cell phone user, solved?
October 28, 2010

Once lost Northern California film now found
October 26, 2010

Early Warner Bros. Studios
October 12, 2010

Evelyn Brent: The Life and Films of Hollywood’s Lady Crook
October 4, 2010

Rudolph Valentino: The Silent Idol, His Life in Photographs
September 16, 2010

Six questions with novelist Glen David Gold
September 13, 2010

First Ever Oscar to a Film Historian Goes to Kevin Brownlow
August 27, 2010

Chaplin, Chaplin, and more Chaplin
August 19, 2010

Some of the many facets of Polish cinema
August 3, 2010

The art and history of coming attraction slides
July 28, 2010

Six questions with Donna Hill, author of a new book on Rudolph Valentino
July 13, 2010

George O'Brien - a man's man in Hollywood
July 10, 2010

The return of Norma Talmadge
July 5, 2010

Major discovery of silent films announced
June 7, 2010

New encyclopedia of German Cinema
May 19, 2010

Six Questions with . . . now silent film composer Stephin Merritt (of the Magnetic Fields)
April 27, 2010

Georges Méliès - Cinemagician of the early movies
April 23, 2010

Starstruck stunning
April 21, 2010

New book on silent mystery and detective movies
March 23, 2010

Edison's Frankenstein - It's Alive
March 18, 2010

Silent-era actress Dorothy Janis dies at age 100
March 12, 2010

Mack Sennett's fun factory
March 9, 2010

Robert Birchard's universal history
February 23, 2010

Silent film star Karl Dane revealed in new book
February 15, 2010

Kevin Brownlow's Photoplay Productions now online
February 9, 2010

Early Western films featured in new book
January 21, 2010

New book on Portland theaters joins illustrated series
January 1, 2010

Best DVDs of 2009
December 21, 2009

Best film books of 2009
December 15, 2009

Francis X. Bushman - King of the Movies revealed in new book
November 6, 2009

Celebrating Carla Laemmle and early Universal
October 28, 2009

Sad tale of Oakland comedian told in new book
October 8, 2009

Six silent films not on DVD that should be
August 27, 2009

Silent films among new Warner Archive offerings
August 23, 2009

Six questions with . . . film historian Jeffrey Vance
July 9, 2009

Reviving the art of silent film, one note at a time
May 25, 2009

The Silent Cinema in Song
May 19, 2009

Cinematic new novel depicts Charlie Chaplin and silent film era
May 12, 2009

Chaplin biographer to speak in San Francisco
May 8, 2009

When Hollywood came to town
April 28, 2009

Father of JFK recalled as Hollywood mogul
April 10, 2009

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

A gathering of silent film articles, part one

I've been writing for examiner.com for 5 years. In that time, I've written hundreds of pieces about film and film culture culture in the silent and early sound era. To mark my fifth anniversary as the San Francisco Bay Area silent film correspondent, I've put together this checklist of some of my favorite pieces. Hopefully, you'll like them too. Here is a selection published from 2011 through 2014.

Ramona at San Francisco Silent Film Festival
May 24, 2014

Best Silent Film Books of 2013
December 30, 2013

Mary Pickford Scholar Speaks about New Book
January 29, 2013

Best Film Books of 2012
December 28, 2012

Jim Tully takes Hollywood, again
October 10, 2012

Ty Burr on Gods Like Us: On Movie Stardom and Modern Fame
September 27, 2012

An interview with Baby Peggy: The once and future darling of New York
September 5, 2012

Baby Peggy makes a comeback
September 2, 2012

Frank Thompson's The Commentary Track reveals film history 
August 19, 2012

Silent era screenwriter Frederica Sagor Maas dies at age 111
January 8, 2012

Scrapbook novel depicts 1920s story
December 26, 2011

Best silent film books of 2011
December 11, 2011

Theaters of the San Francisco Peninsula highlighted in new book
November 19, 2011

Walt in Wonderland
August 11, 2011

David Thomson’s New Biographical Dictionary of Film
March 10, 2011

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Louise Brooks: A Glastonbury First


Over the years, there have been great performances and historic moments at the annual Glastonbury Festival. This year should be no different.
Along with predictions of rain, there are rumours that Prince will make a surprise appearance. The five day festival, which runs through Sunday, June 29, features an eclectic line-up of musical acts; scheduled to perform are Arcade Fire, Lily Allen, Jack White, Robert Plant, Lana Del Ray, The Black Keys, Foster the People, Blondie, Yoko Ono, Dr. Feelgood, Dolly Parton, Nick Lowe, Suzanne Vega, and the tUnE-yArDs, among others.
One act breaking new ground are the Dodge Brothers, a five man quartet (I'll explain later) that play a sometimes exuberant, sometimes raucous hybrid of country blues, rockabilly, jugband and skiffle. Some have called what they play roots music, others call it Americana. Whatever it's called, it rocks.
On Saturday, June 28, the Dodge Brothers are set to become the first band to accompany a silent film at Glastonbury. The film is Beggars of Life (1928). Directed by the great William Wellman the year after he made Wings (the first film to win an Academy Award), Beggars of Life is a American drama about a lovely girl (the beautiful Louise Brooks) dressed as a boy who flees the law after killing her abusive stepfather. On the run, she rides the rails through a hobo underworld where danger is always close at hand.
Based on a novelistic memoir by hobo author Jim Tully, the film also features future Oscar winner Wallace Berry and the early African-American actor Edgar "Blue" Washington. Girls dressed as boys, race mingling, pastoral life gone wrong, and desperation among the glitz and glamour of the Twenties -- there is a lot of friction in Beggars of Life. In her book, 100 Silent Films, BFI curator Bryony Dixon calls it a movie to "wallow" in. And indeed, Beggars of Life is rich with mood, tension, sentiment, harrowing danger, and beauty. Dixon has noted, "Never has a film and a band been more perfectly matched than Beggars of Life and the Dodge Brothers - deep dish Americana, rail-riding hoboes and Louise Brooks - they were made for each other."

For the record, Beggars of Life is not the first silent film shown at Glastonbury. That honor belongs to Metropolis (1927), which was first screened in the 1980s. The Dodge Brothers, however, will be the first band to play live music to accompany a silent. It is something they've done before.
The Dodge Brothers are Mike Hammond (lead guitar, lead vocals, banjo), Mark Kermode (bass, harmonica, vocals), Aly Hirji (rhythm guitar, mandolin, vocals), and Alex Hammond (washboard, snare drum, percussion). Joining the band at Glastonbury and elsewhere when they accompany silent films is composer and silent film accompanist Neil Brand, a regular at London's National Film Theatre.
According to founder Mark Kermode, who doubles as film critic for The Observer, "all this started because Neil Brand approached us with the idea of playing to silents as they used to with local pickup bands. Neil can do this as he's a solo performer, but we were concerned about doing this as a band, and whether our music would fit with the films. He said 'Trust me - it'll work'. I've found that as long as I can see Neil's left hand I can follow what he's doing. The more we play silent films the less we use our cue sheets and the more we play to the film itself. This means that every performance is different."
Over the last few years, the Dodge Brothers have accompanied Beggars of Life around the UK, including well received gigs at BFI Southbank, The Barbican London, National Media Museum, and other venues. Aly Hirji, who performs under the name Aly Dodge, recently remarked "As we'd played to silent films all over the country, I thought it was time we took it to Glastonbury. I contacted the festival and they happened to be looking for something that would be different enough to draw an audience from the big music stages on Saturday night." Even if the band draws only a fraction of the estimated 175,000 people expected to attend the Festival, Glastonbury's Pilton Palais Cinema Marquee should prove their largest audience to date.
For those keeping track, the Dodge Brothers are not the only Glastonbury performer with a connection to Louise Brooks. (The silent film star is becoming something of a rock icon.) Also set to perform at this year's Festival on Sunday is Caro Emerald, whose 2013 "Tangled Up" video features three hard-to-miss images of the actress, one of which is the poster forPandora's Box (1929). And then there is Metallica, who perform Saturday. In 2011, they collaborated with Lou Reed on Lulu, their oblique, noisy riff on the legendary character played by Brooks in the film version of Pandora's Box.




The Glastonbury Festival is a five day music festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contemporary music, the festival hosts dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts. More at www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk
------

This piece by Thomas Gladysz was originally published on the UK Huffington Post in the entertainment section, where it rose as high as the #1 featured blog post.

Friday, June 27, 2014

Where and Why Miss Louise Brooks Draws the Line

A follow up to yesterday's post: Newspapers around the country ran an illustrated article on the draped nudes scandal entitled ''Where and Why Miss Brooks Draws the Line.'' This widely syndicated article ran in the Sunday supplement & Sunday magazine section of various papers, including the Philadelphia Inquirer, Washington Post, and Sacramento Union. For a larger scan of the article, see  www.cartoonretro.com/louise/brooksmodestysm.jpg
What was all the fuss about? The following nude image (right) appeared in the December, 1925 issue of Artists & Models magazine.


Monday, June 23, 2014

Louise Brooks articles on San Francisco Chronicle website

For about a year, I blogged for the San Francisco Chronicle website, SFGate. I wrote about all kinds of stuff, movies, books, authors, local history, and more. And of course, I wrote about Louise Brooks whenever I could. Here is a check list of some of my Louise Brooks-related articles.

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