Louise Brooks Society: June 2022

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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Thursday, June 9, 2022

Louise Brooks as Lulu in Pandora's Box screens 3 times in July

What's better than one screening of Louise Brooks as Lulu in Pandora's Box? How about two screenings? And what's better than two screenings? How about three screenings! In July, the British Film Institute in London, England will screen the classic 1929 film three times during the month, on Saturday July 2, Saturday July 16, and Saturday July 31. More information about these showings can be found HERE. (Tickets go on sale today, June 9.)

According to the BFI: "Louise Brooks dazzles as the dangerously appealing seductress in GW Pabst’s classic adaptation of Frank Wedekind’s Lulu plays."

Saturday 02 July 2022 15:10 NFT3

Saturday 16 July 2022 12:20 NFT1

Sunday 31 July 2022 15:20 NFT1

With Peer Raben score (2 and 16 July) or live piano accompaniment (31 July)

"GW Pabst’s celebrated adaptation of Frank Wedekind’s two plays about the unintentionally destructive actions of the effortlessly seductive Lulu centres on a rightly acclaimed performance by Brooks, who oozes careless vivacity and irresistible charm as Lulu captivates the Berlin bourgeoisie. But the direction is also brilliantly meticulous, making memorable use of Günther Krampf’s fluid camera and expressive lighting."

Of course, Pandora's Box was not always considered a classic in the UK. What follows are a few early clippings from around the time the film was first shown; it was variously censored ("chaotic form") and derided as "liberalistic" and "marxist".

London Observer 8-24-30

Daily Telegraph, 8-14-34

Thursday, June 2, 2022

Louise Brooks - Getting it wrong again and again

There is all kinds of misinformation about Louise Brooks and her films. Some of it goes way back, to the 1920s, and some of it is only a few days old. There are factual errors, like getting a date wrong or misidentifying a character in a film, and there is "fake news" - like the photoshopped nudes in which some idiot has placed Brooks' head on someone else's body. Despite it being kinda pathetic and rather obvious, those images still circulate on eBay and Facebook. . . . Just last week I noticed a picture postcard of Clara Bow on eBay which was identified as Louise Brooks, despite the postcard being labelled as Clara Bow!

For as long as I have been reading about / researching / collecting material about Louise Brooks, I have come across instances of mistaken information about the actress. Perhaps the most famous example is her being credited with a role in The Public Enemy (1931). That belief lingered for decades, and at one time was repeated in the New York Times.

Recently, while looking at some newly digitized vintage newspapers, I came across an instance where the same newspaper got it wrong again and again and again - at least three times and over a period of a few years. I am referring to the Banner-Herald from Athens, Georgia. This first example dates from March 23, 1927, at the time Love Em and Leave Em was showing at the local Palace theater. The captioned picture on the left identified as being Evelyn Brent ain't; and who know who is the women in the advertisement for the film on the right. Perhaps the same beret-wearing actress?

This next example from the Banner-Herald dates from just a few month's later, specifically August 2, 1927. Rolled Stockings was showing at the Palace, and the local newspaper managed to find a flapper-looking type and identify her as Louise Brooks. Which it ain't.

I can't figure out why this happened. Didn't the Banner-Herald have a picture of Louise Brooks on hand which they could use? Or did all youthful, flapper-type actresses look alike to the layout department? Or was the image substituted deliberately? This last example dates from May 17, 1928, at the time A Girl in Every Port was showing at the Palace. And again, an incorrect image is used.

If anyone knows who the incorrectly attributed actresses are, I would appreciate hearing about it. They do seem familiar. . . . Please post a comment.