Today in history - Nov. 14

According to the Associated Press syndicated feature - "Today in history - Nov. 14" - which has been printed in newspapers across the country

"In 1906, 100 years ago, actress and dancer Louise Brooks was born in Cherryvale, Kan."



HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LOUISE BROOKS !

Marian Marsh

Marian Marsh, petite film star of the 1930's, has died. I always liked her bangs. Here is an excerpt from the New York Timesarticle on her death.

Marian Marsh, 93, Petite Star of ‘Svengali,’ Dies

By MARGARLIT FOX

Marian Marsh, a Hollywood actress of the 1930s and early ’40s best known for starring opposite John Barrymore in the 1931 melodrama “Svengali,” died on Thursday at her home in Palm Desert, Calif. She was 93.

Ms. Marsh, who was known by her married name, Marian Marsh Henderson, died in her sleep, her daughter, Cathy Scott, said.

Mr. Barrymore handpicked Ms. Marsh, then a teenage bit player, for the role of Trilby, the virginal young singer who falls under Svengali’s control. The film was based on “Trilby,” the 1894 novel by George du Maurier.

A petite blond actress described by critics of the day as doll-like, Ms. Marsh was also known for her performance opposite Edward G. Robinson in “Five Star Final” (1931). She played Sonya to Peter Lorre's Raskolnikov in “Crime and Punishment” in 1935. Her last film role was in the 1942 comedy “House of Errors.”

Ms. Marsh was born Violet Ethelred Krauth on Oct. 17, 1913, in Trinidad, West Indies, where her parents ran a chocolate factory. The family moved to the Boston area when she was a child. After her older sister, Jean, became a bit player in Hollywood — she worked first as Jean Morgan and later as Jean Fenwick — the family relocated to California.

Following her sister into acting, Ms. Marsh began her career in the late 1920s as Marilyn Morgan. Under that name, she had a small role in “Hell’s Angels,” the 1930 war drama directed by Howard Hughes.

Pandora's Box in San Rafael

Last night I attended the screening of Pandora's Box at the Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael, California. (That's about 45 minutes north of San Francisco - across the Golden Gate Bridge.) Peter Cowie, author of the just released must-have new book,Louise Brooks: Looking for Lulu, gave some introductory remarks. He told how he came to meet Louise Brooks. And what her life was like in the 1970's while living in Rochester, New York. Cowie discussed Brooks' brief affair with Charlie Chaplin. And, Cowie made some interesting references to the existentialist author Jean-Paul Sarte and the Bauhaus artist Herbert Bayer - both of which I hope to ask him about tonight, when I host him at the Balboa Theater in San Francisco. I will be meeting him for dinner before hand - so there will be time to talk!

Tonight on IFC

Tonight on the Independent Film Channel, Lulu on the Bridge (1998), the Louise Brooks / Pandora's Box - "inspired" film.

A seemingly magic stone leads an aging, injured musician into love with a young, aspiring actress.
Cast: Harvey Keitel, Mira Sorvino, Willem Dafoe, Gina Gershon, Mandy Patinkin, Vanessa Redgrave, Victor Argo, Don Byron, Richard Edson, Kevin Corrigan.

Director(s): Paul Auster.
Producer(s): Sharon Harel, Jane Barclay, Ira Deutchman, Peter Newman, Greg Johnson, Amy Kaufman , Amy J. Kaufman.
Writer(s): Paul Auster

This Sunday in Witchita

Don't forget, this Sunday in Witchita: Louise Brooks' Centennial Birthday Bash, a viewing of two films by the Kansas-born silent film star, 2-4:30 p.m., Wichita Public Library, 223 S. Main. Free. Information, 316-261-8500.  Longtime LBS member Amanda Howard has a display of some of her Louise Brooks' treasures on display. Check it out!

What a Lulu!

from today's San Francisco Chronicle website. The two area Louise Brooks screenings were the e-pick of the week!

'Pandora's Box' (Sat/11)
What a Lulu!
Kansas-born Mary Louise "Brooksie" Brooks went to New York to become a dancer, joined the Ziegfield Follies and then headed west, and Hollywood -- though she despised the movie-making culture -- was never the same. Shortening her name to Louise Brooks, she created a screen persona of a magnitude hard to imagine today: Her slinky on-screen and off-screen wardrobe was a model for the glamorous garments that have been ubiquitous in Tinseltown ever since, and her pageboy hairstyle became all the rage. And it is this movie that she was and has ever since been identified with -- G.W. Pabst's German silent film "Pandora's Box" (also known as "Lulu," after its title character's name), about a man-eating vamp. Indeed, the scandal that ensued in response to the provocative movie nearly killed her career; she made only 10 mostly forgettable films after that, seldom receiving top billing, and retired when she was only 32 years old. The Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center marks the centenary of her birth with a screening of her signature film, introduced by film historian Peter Cowie, author of "Louise Brooks: Lulu Forever." Cowie will also appear Sun/12 at the Balboa Theater, to give a short talk and presentation preceding a surprise Louise Brooks feature. -- Mark Nichol, special to SFGate
 Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center, 1118 Fourth St., San Rafael; 7 pm; $6-$9.25; (415) 454-1222.

p.s. I am planning on making a give-away "limited edition" reproduction movie herald for the Balboa event, which will be distributed at the door. It will make a nice keepsake.

p.s.s. I am also working on a powerpoint presentation, which provided all goes according to plan, will be screened prior to the event. It will be accompanied by a special selection of Louise Brooks related music.

Louise Welsh

The other night, I attended an reading / booksigning for Louise Welsh, the author of the recently released contemporary noir, The Bullet Trick. Its a terriffic new novel set in contemporary Berlin, London and Glasgow. (The author is Scottish, and she read here in San Francisco at a pub called the Edinburgh Castle.) During her talk, she mentioned that the Berlin section of the book was a riff off of the Frank Wedekind plays, namely Lulu. Welsh also mentioned Louise Brooks, and her admiration of the actress. I spoke with her afterwords, and gave her a Louise Brooks button. Welsh is very cool - and her two earlier books, The Cutting Room and Tamberlaine is Dead - are well worth checking out.

Homage to Lulu: 100 Years of Louise Brooks

"Homage to Lulu: 100 Years of Louise Brooks"  
an exhibit at the San Francisco Public Library
November 4, 2006 through January 5, 2007

Main Branch, Fourth Floor, Steve Silver Beach Blanket Babylon Music Center

"Homage to Lulu: 100 Years of Louise Brooks" celebrates the centenary of the silent film star Louise Brooks (1906 - 1985). Now considered an icon of the Jazz Age, Brooks' popularity today rivals that of her more celebrated contemporaries. On display are dozens of vintage objects - including books, magazines, sheet music, postcards,and related ephemera - which tell the story of her life and films.

Highlights include American and French photoplay editions (the movie tie-in editions of the 1920's), an editorial comic strip explaining the scandalous circumstances behind Brooks' affair with Charlie Chaplin, Brooks' inspired novels, a jumbo-size lobby card, and a full-page newspaper advertisement for "Show Girl" - the Brooks-inspired novel which became a hit stage play and the long-running comic strip "Dixie Dugan."

This exhibit - organized by Thomas Gladysz and the San Francisco-based Louise Brooks Society - coincides with many other events taking place around the San Francisco Bay Area and the world. More info at sfpl4.sfpl.org/news/exhibitions.htm

Here are some snapshots I took of "Homage to Lulu: 100 Years of Louise Brooks" - both as it was being installed and after it opened. Hopefully, this gives a sense of the scope of the exhibit, which is currently on display at the San Francisco Public Library. The hardest thing was figuring out what to include and what to leave out. There were some things that I was eager to share, like the full-page Sunday color comic of "Dixie Dugan," and the various compact discs, 45's and long playing records (LP's) I've collected over the years which feature an image of Louise Brooks.

I would be pleased to hear from anyone who sees this exhibit. Let me know what you think. There is also a stand with a comments book. The stand also has fliers for Louise Brooks-related events in the Bay Area.

Nov 2006 events

This month - November 2006 - is shaping up to be a truly remarkable month for Louise Brooks. The world celebrates the actress, who was born on November 14, 1906 in the small town of Cherryvale, Kansas. There are screenings and film festivals taking place across the United States and Europe. There are two new books being published. There are two DVD's being released. There are two exhibitions devoted to the actress. And there are other events and happenings taking place which celebrate the life and legend of Lulu.

Thru November 21, 2006: The Verlag Filmarchiv Austria is sponsoring a multi-film tribute - "Louise Brooks - Tribute zum 100. Geburtstag" - at the Metrokino in Vienna, Austria. /// More info at http://www.filmarchiv.at/ 

Thru November 26, 2006: The Silent Theater company has extended their stage production of "Lulu" (the Wedekind play done as a silent film a la Louise Brooks in "Pandora's Box"). Performances run Thursdays through Sundays through the end of the month at the Victoria Theater in San Francisco. November will be the last month to see this play in the City by the Bay, where it has enjoyed a widely acclaimed three-month run. /// More info at http://www.victoriatheatre.org/

Thru January 5, 2007: "Homage to Lulu: 100 Years of Louise Brooks" - an exhibit sponsored by the Louise Brooks Society - is on display at the San Francisco Public Library. /// More info at http://sfpl4.sfpl.org/news/exhibitions.htm

November 5, 2006: The Three Rivers Film Festival in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania screens "Pandora's Box" (1929) at the Regent Square Theater. Pianist Philip Carli will provide live piano accompaniment, and Louise Brooks biographer Barry Paris will introduce the film.

November 5, 2006: Bristol Silents in Bristol, England will screen the silent version of "Prix de Beauté" (1930). Before hand, there will be an onstage conversation between  Paul McGann and Kevin Brownlow, who promises to show never before seen color home movie footage of Louise Brooks from the 1960s!  More info at http://www.bristolsilents.org.uk/

November 6, 2006: The seldom seen comedy, "Love 'Em and Leave 'Em" (1926) will be shown at the Museum of the City of New York. This special event is sponsored by the Silent Clowns Film Series. More info at http://www.silentclowns.com/nowshowing.html 

November 6, 2006: The G.W. Pabst film, "Diary of a Lost Girl" (1929), will be shown at Free Library of Philadelphia at 2 pm.  More info athttp://www.library.phila.gov/index.htm

November 7, 2006: Peter Cowie's new book, "Louise Brooks: Lulu Forever" is due in bookstores. Events with the author are planned in select cities across the United States. More info at http://rizzoliusa.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780847828661

November 7, 2006: "A Girl in Every Port" (1928) will be shown at the George Eastman House in Rochester, New York. Philip C. Carli will provide live piano accompaniment. /// More info at http://dryden.eastmanhouse.org/wordpress/films/a-girl-in-every-port/

November 8, 9, 10, 2006: Reportedly, the Slovenska kinoteka - a film archive located in Ljubljana, Slovenia - will celebrate the Louise Brooks centenary with a series of screenings. Further details have not been confirmed. Any Slovenian fans out there planning to attend?

Nov. 11, 2006 through February 18, 2007: "Hollywood Lost: The Power of Louise Brooks" will be on exhibit at the George Eastman House in Rochester, New York. /// More info at http://www.eastmanhouse.org/exhibits/container_56/index.php

November 11, 2006: Peter Cowie will give introductory remarks prior to the screening of "Pandora's Box" (1929) at the Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael, California. Afterwords, Cowie will sign copies of  "Louise Brooks: Lulu Forever." /// More info at http://cafilm.org/films/692.html

November 12, 2006: The Wichita Public Library will screen two Louise Brooks films as part of it's "Louise Brooks Centennial Birthday Bash" at the Central Library. Festivities start at 2:00 pm.  /// More info at http://events.publicbroadcasting.net/kmuw/events.eventsmain?action=showEvent&eventID=468251

November 12, 2006: Peter Cowie will give a short talk as part of "Celebrating Louise Brooks: An Evening of Rare Films" at the Balboa Theater in San Francisco, California. This event starts at 7:30 pm. Special guests, door prizes, Louise Brooks give aways and more will round out the evening. Afterwards, Cowie will sign copies of "Louise Brooks: Lulu Forever." This special event co-sponsored by The Booksmith and the Louise Brooks Society. /// More info at http://www.balboamovies.com/news/index.html#louise

November 13, 2006: Around this date, the Verlag Filmarchiv Austria will publish "Louise Brooks. Rebellin, Ikone, Legende" by Günter Krenn and Karin Moser.  /// More info at http://www.filmarchiv.at/show_content.php?sid=152

November 14, 2006: Louise Brooks was born 100 years ago on this date in Cherryvale, Kansas. To celebrate, a Louise Brooks birthday bash will take place at the Victoria Theater in San Francisco. The celebration starts around 7 pm. A special staging of "Lulu" starts around 10 pm. /// More info at http://www.victoriatheatre.org/

November 14, 2006: "The Art of Louise Brooks" will take place at the George Eastman House in Rochester, New York. Author Peter Cowie will discuss the alluring mystery and fascinating career of the Louise Brooks. This presentation will conclude with a question-and-answer session with Cowie and syndicated film critic Jack Garner. After the event, Cowie will sign copies of his new book, "Louise Brooks: Lulu Forever," which features a foreword by Garner. /// More info at http://dryden.eastmanhouse.org/wordpress/films/peter-cowie-and-jack-garner-in-person-special-lecture%e2%80%94louise-brooks-lulu-forever/    After this on-stage presentation, "Pandora's Box" (1929) will be shown a with live piano accompaniment by Philip C. Carli. /// More info at   http://dryden.eastmanhouse.org/wordpress/films/pandoras-box/

November 14, 2006: Portugal's Costa do Castelo Films plans to release "Pandora's Box" (1929) on DVD. This two-disc set will feature the original Portuguese intertitles, as well as bonus material.

November 14, 2006: "Pandora's Box" (1929) will be shown in Campbell Hall on the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara. Michael Mortilla will provide live piano accompaniment. /// More info at http://www.artsandlectures.ucsb.edu/Details.aspx?PerfNum=523

November 14, 2006: Rumor has it that a "little cineclub" in Rome, Italy will show some movies featuring Louise Brooks. Any Italian fans out there planning to attend?

November 15, 2006: Peter Cowie will introduce "The Diary of a Lost Girl" (1929) at the Film Society at Lincoln Center in New York City. The program starts at 6:30. A booksigning will also take place. /// More info at http://www.filmlinc.com/wrt/onsale/luluforever.html
November 17, 2006: Peter Cowie will introduce "Pandora's Box" (the Munich Filmmuseum's new restoration) at The American Museum of the Moving Image in New York City. A reception and book signing will take place from 6:30 to 7:30, and the screening will begin at 7:30 pm. /// More info at http://www.movingimage.us/site/screenings/index.html

November 17 - December 16, 2006: The Filmmuseum in Munich, Germany will mount a major Louise Brooks film retrospective which will include 17 films, as well a rarely seen fragments from "The Street of Forgotten Men" (1925) and "The American Venus" (1926). /// More info athttp://www.stadtmuseum-online.de/aktuell/brooks.pdf

November 20, 2006: A new 35mm print of "Pandora's Box" (1929) will be shown in the student union at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. This free screening starts at 7 pm. /// More info at http://www.aux.uwm.edu/Union/events/theatre/calendar/Fall%2006/world_cinema_fall06.htm

November 21, 2006: "Pandora's Box" (1929) will be released on DVD in the United States by Criterion. This restored version of the film will be accompanied by considerable bonus material. /// More info at http://www.criterionco.com/asp/release.asp?id=358#

November 21, 2006: Coinciding with the ongoing exhibition (see above) at the San Francisco Public Library, Thomas Gladysz (Director of the Louise Brooks Society) will give introductory remarks prior to the screening of "Love 'Em and Leave 'Em" (1926) at the SFPL. This event, which is free and open to the public, begins at 6 pm. /// More info at http://sfpl4.sfpl.org/news/exhibitions.htm

November 28, 2006: A new 35mm print of "Beggars of Life" (1928) will be shown at the George Eastman House in Rochester, New York. Philip C. Carli will provide live piano accompaniment. /// More info at http://dryden.eastmanhouse.org/wordpress/films/new-preservation-beggars-of-life/

November 28, 2006: The National Film Theater in London will screen "Diary of a Lost Girl" (1929) with live piano accompaniment. /// More info at http://www.bfi.org.uk/education/coursesevents/schools/further.html#_Toc139948659