Back at it, with a new Louise Brooks treasure in hand

I haven't blogged in a month, taking a bit of time off in order to work on my current book project, The Street of Forgotten Men: From Story to Screen. It is coming along splendidly, and I have approximately 122 pages and more than 21,000 words done. The finish line is still a ways off, but is now beginning to come into sight.

This project arose and interjected itself into my life while I was contributing to the restoration of The Street of Forgotten Men (1925), which debuted at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival in May. That was a splendid, even historic event. I wish everyone could have been there to see Louise Brooks in her first film. I have been told that screenings of the restored film will likely take place elsewhere in the Fall. And as for a DVD release, who knows?

While I was at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, I had a chance to meet the esteemed film historians Richard and Diane Kosarski. That was a thrill, not only because they signed a stack of books for me - so cool, but because Richard had met, interviewed and corresponded with Louise Brooks.

I have been in touch with Richard Kosarski since then, and just recently, he sent me a small treasure from his archive which I received today. It is a flyer for a 1982 Louise Brooks retrospective, "Career of a Comet: Louise Brooks." I have scanned it and reproduced it below. The retrospective took place at the Astoria Motion Picture and Television Foundation, which is housed at the old Astoria Studios in Queens, New York, where Louise Brooks filmed The Street of Forgotten Men. Kosarski has long been associated with the foundation.

The retrospective featured a number of Brooks' films, divided into four parts over four days: "Brooks in Astoria" (The Show Off and Love Em and Leave Em), "Brooks in Hollywood" (A Girl in Every Port and Beggars of Life), "Brooks in Berlin" (Pandora's Box and Interview with Louise Brooks - a NYC premiere), and "Brooks Exotica" (Interview with Louise Brooks - reprise showing, Windy Riley in Hollywood, and Overland Stage Raiders). Unfortunately, The Street of Forgotten Men was not shown, as it NOT in circulation then.

Richard also sent a short note, which I will also share with everyone. I hope Richard won't mind. He wrote, "Found this in my archive from 1982. When I sent this to Louise she wrote me to send any info on Windy Riley ASAP, to her editor, because she didn't remember a thing about the picture."

 

 

 This blog is authored by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society (www.pandorasbox.com). Original contents copyright © 2022. Further use prohibited, especially by shithead blog aggregators who have ripped off this blog in the past. How pathetic.