Happy New Year from the Louise Brooks Society

Happy New Year from the Louise Brooks Society. Here's a 'swonderful picture of Louise Brooks in a celebratory mood.

A follow-up to my previous blog post, which I hope everyone will check out, highlighting the top Louise Brooks news & stories of the year. It concerns the word of the year. Merriam-Webster went with “authentic” (a brilliant choice IMHO) and the Oxford University Press named “rizz,” a riff on charisma. 

I wish to put forth my own suggestion, "achievement." I think those top ten selections all represent forms of achievement, the efforts and the dedication and the hard work of various individuals and organizations. Is there an antonym to achievement? I think so. I would suggest bloviate.

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.

Top Louise Brooks News & Stories of 2023

Like me, you may have noticed some of the annual "top news stories of 2023" features showing up in newspapers, magazines, and on TV. I saw one the other day, and that got me to thinking about the top news stories of the year regarding Louise Brooks. I decided to come up with my own list, my own top 10 list. 

These news stories include the release of a new DVD-Blu-ray, a book, a few screenings and other happenings. I've ranked them based on what I perceive to be their relative importance. I also included three items with which I was directly involved. That may not seem objective to some, in the journalistic sense, but as the legendary radio broadcaster and author Wes "Scoop" Nisker once said, "If you don't like the news, go out and create some of your own."

1) Lulu in Hollywood included on the Hollywood Reporter's list of the 100 greatest film books of all time (October 12, 2023) -- read more

2) Pandora's Box released on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK (October 30, 2023) -- read more 

3) The Street of Forgotten Men: From Story to Screen and Beyond published (August 7, 2023) -- read more

4) Earliest known image & mention of Louise Brooks in a European publication found (December 26, 2023) -- read more

5) The new restoration of The Street of Forgotten Men screened at the Museum of Modern Art in NY (August 7, 2023) -- read more

6) An article, "Sin Lust Evil' in America: Louise Brooks and the Exhibition History of Pandora’s Box,"  published by Film International (April 23, 2023) -- read more

7) The rarely shown Hugh Hefner funded restoration of Pandora's Box screened at the Paramount Theater in Oakland, California (May 6, 2023) -- read more

8) Arena: Louise Brooks, a 55 minute 1985 BBC documentary is screened on BBC Four for only the second time since its broadcast in 1986. (December 7, 2023) -- read more

9) The Diary of a Lost Girl, with a musical accompaniment by harpist Elizabeth-Jane Baldry, is shown at the Stroud Arts Festival in the UK (October 29, 2023) -- read more

10) A chocolate Louise Brooks appears on "Bake Off: The Professionals," a UK television show. (September 6, 2023) -- read more

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Interestingly, four of these items involve England. I guess Louise Brooks has a following there, just as she does in France and Germany. There were other candidates for my list of top Louise Brooks stories of 2023 -- such as the Chicago screening of The Show Off on January 10th, the Beggars of Life screening at the Film Forum in New York City on January 22nd, the rare screening of A Girl in Every Port down under at the Majestic Theatre in Pomona, Australia on August 12th, or the airing of LouLou (aka Pandora's Box) on French television on October 18th. DidI miss something? Let me know.

All in all, it was a good year for fans of Louise Brooks. Next year, 2024, looks to be as promising, if not more so....

I know of at least one new book which will be published in 2024, and possibly two or three. A book I plan on completing and publishing next year is Lulu in America: the Lost History of Louise Brooks and Pandora’s Box. This forthcoming book explores the film’s rich, textured and improbably undocumented history; it is based on the long article I wrote for Film International, "'Sin Lust Evil' in America: Louise Brooks and the Exhibition History of Pandora’s Box (1929)". Here is a draft cover design.

Fans of Louise Brooks can also look forward to at least one or likely two DVD releases. In the wings is the already announced William Powell / Philo Vance Collection from Kino Lorber Classics. It includes the 1929 Louise Brooks film, The Canary Murder Case. I am looking forward to this release, which I briefly blogged about back in August.

Another release forthcoming in 2024, with which I am involved, will include a disc of (previously unreleased on home video) film(s) featuring Louise Brooks !!! as well as other shorts and fragments featuring the actress which have not been screened in public for nearly 100 years !!! Admittedly, I was gobsmacked when I saw what is planned - as I had never seen some of this material before. I can't and won't say more about this project, as it has not yet been announced. But let's all look forward to 2024 and what good things may come. Happy new year from the Louise Brooks Society.

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.

A Significant Discovery - Louise Brooks First Ever Pic in a European Publication

Lately, I have been updating, revising, and adding pages to the Louise Brooks Society website. One of the pages I just added, "Louise Brooks at the Café de Paris in London",  focused on the few months the future actress spent in London, England in late 1924 and early 1925. I thought the page was done, and that nothing more might be added, when I made a significant discovery -- thanks to the assistance of my super sister-in-law, Becca. (Becca is not only my wife's sister, but she is also a longtime contributor to & member of the Louise Brooks Society. You can find her name on the LBS website, and in the acknowledgements of the four books I have authored.)

Following her suggestion, I decided to take one more look at the British newspaper databases, something I have looked at a few times before, but not recently. And BOOM, there it was, a mention of Louise Brooks' debut at the Café de Paris in London. This captioned photo appeared on the back page -- the picture page of the Monday, October 20, 1924 London Daily Chronicle. I was bowled over, as this marks the earliest mention and earliest depiction of Brooks in any European publication. Wowza!

After having researched this period in Brooks' life in every which way I thought I might -- from perusing British newspaper databases to visiting the British National Library while I was in London -- I never thought I would find any mention in a British publication of the future actress. After all, as others have pointed out, she was merely an American chorus girl who luckily landed a job in London as a supporting act at an up-and-coming nightclub. Though well known now, the Café de Paris had opened only a few months before Brooks landed there.

My webpage,"Louise Brooks at the Café de Paris in London", details how Brooks got there, and a little of what her life was like in London. On the page, there is another early picture of Brooks which mentions the Café de Paris, which was published in a German magazine in January, 1925. It is Brooks' second mention/depiction in a European publication. Remember, at this time, Louise Brooks hadn't yet appeared in a film, let alone stood in front of a camera.

I looked through the London Daily Chronicle for the next few days, hoping to find some kind of mention as to how things went at the nightclub -- even without a mention of Brooks -- but could find nothing. Here is a screen grab of the page on which Brooks appeared.

I am still a but stunned by having found this image, even if it is just a little something. My quest to find anything related to Brooks time at the Café de Paris has been long in the works. Below is a picture of me at the British Library some ten years ago. It's followed by another of me at the now closed nightclub. Be sure and check out "Louise Brooks at the Café de Paris in London". Thank you Becca!

 

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.

Happy Holidays from the Louise Brooks Society

 Happy Holidays from the Louise Brooks Society !

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.

Herbert Brenon’s The Spanish Dancer (1923)

My review of the new Blu-ray release of The Spanish Dancer was just published by Film International. My review is titled "Florid in a Good Way: Herbert Brenon's The Spanish Dancer (1923)". This Paramount film, directed by Herbert Brenon, stars the wonderful Pola Negri. Check it out HERE.

Besides directing The Spanish Dancer (1923), Brenon also directed Peter Pan (1924), Beau Geste (1926), The Great Gatsby (1926), Laugh, Clown, Laugh (1928) and Louise Brooks' first film, The Street of Forgotten Men (1925). Coincidentally, both the version of The Spanish Dancer found on the Milestone Blu-ray and The Street of Forgotten Men were directed by restored by Robert Byrne, the subject of my previous blog. Byrne is not only a heroic film preservationist, but, he is also a hero to anyone who has an interest in Louise Brooks. 

Besides Pola Negri, The Spanish Dancer also stars the dashing Antonio Moreno (the original, original Latin lover type). Also in the cast are two of Louise Brooks' leading men, Adolphe Menjou and Wallace Beery. Each appeared in two films with Brooks, Menjou in A Social Celebrity (1926) and Evening Clothes (1927), and Beery in Now We're in the Air (1927) and Beggars of Life (1928).

The disc's product description reads: "Pola Negri (The Wildcat) was already an international star. Antonio Moreno (The Searchers) was her equal in terms of talent and sex appeal. The director Herbert Brenon (Beau Geste) was one of the greatest directors of his day and he was assisted by his cinematographer, James Wong Howe (Hud). Together, they created one of the great romance epics of the silent era. Restored by Eye Filmmuseum, The Spanish Dancer (1923) is a joy to behold. The film is action-packed, witty, and romantic with huge sets and a cast of thousands. Brenon keeps the adventure going full steam ahead while Negri and Moreno show why they were huge stars of their day. Includes a new orchestral score by Bill Ware!" There is also an audio commentary by film historian Scott Eyman, an interview with the composer Bill Ware, and a restoration demonstration.

As I say in my article, The Spanish Dancer likely isn't Brenon's very best film (among a treasure chest full of gems), but still, it is well worth watching. Here are a couple more pics from the film, courtesy of Milestone, who sent me a review copy of the disc.

Adolphe Menjou (left) and Pola Negri in a scene from The Spanish Dancer

Kathlyn Williams and Wallace Beery (right) in a scene from The Spanish Dancer

The Spanish Dancer is available on Blu-ray through Milestone and is available on amazon.com and other major retailers.

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.

A BIG thank you to Robert Byrne, friend to Louise Brooks and the Louise Brooks Society

I wish to offer a BIG thank you to Robert Byrne, friend to Louise Brooks and the Louise Brooks Society and to all the silent cinema. On a recent visit to San Francisco and the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, I met up with Byrne, a film preservationist extraordinaire, to thank him for writing the foreword to my recent book, The Street of Forgotten Men: From Story to Screen and Beyond. I also thanked him, on behalf of Louise Brooks fans everywhere, for restoring not only The Street of Forgotten Men, but also Now We're in the Air. Pictured just below if a snapshot of Rob and I taken after he gave me a limited edition giphoscope in recognition of my help in the restoration of Now We're in the Air.

Byrne has done a lot for anyone who likes Louise Brooks, as well as for those who are interested in silent film. He has worked behind the scenes and restored a bunch of worthwhile silent films, and, he has done so much else. His website devoted to coming attaction glass slides from the silent era is amazing. Among the films he worked on was The Spanish Dancer, a 1923 Herbert Brenon film starring Pola Negri which I just watched on Blu-ray and just reviewed for Film International. It is a new release from Milestone. Rob Byrne and I also talked about what each of us were currently working on, as well as some future projects.

One other reason we also got together was because Byrne told me he had something for me that he wanted me to have. That something turned out to be really nifty Canary Murder Case poster, which he gifted to me. Wow. I am gobsmacked. Thank you Rob!

The poster is for a three day, February showing of The Canary Murder Case at the Empire theater in Helston, England. In case you are not familiar, and I wasn't, Helston is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England in the United Kingdom. This screening likely took place in 1930. Though the film was released in the United States in February of 1929, it usually took a number of months to a year for American films to come into circulation overseas, even in English speaking England. 

I tried my best to pin down the details regarding this particular screening, looking through Helston area newspapers for listings and advertisements, but I couldn't find anything related to The Canary Murder Case. That isn't surprising, as small theaters in small towns (in both the United States and overseas, including England), didn't always advertise their films. These locales were small enough that the locals came or didn't come to the theater based not necessarily on what was showing, but on their desire for entertainment.

Though I couldn't find anything about The Canary Murder Case, I did find a little something about the Empire. It still stands! And, movies are still shown there, although the 1914 theater itself has undergone significant changes and has a reduced number of seats. In case you are wondering, the movie showing there now is Wonka. Here is a snapshot I found online of what the theater looks like.

I will conclude this post by saying thank you to Robert Byrne and by posting a photo of my new poster hung on the wall, next to a department story display piece depicting William Powell (the star of The Canary Murder Case), and a large San Francisco Silent Film festival poster depicting Louise Brooks in Pandora's Box. It too was a gift from Rob Byrne. They make a nice trio. (My apologies for the glare.)

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.

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.

Louise Brooks books from the Louise Brooks Society

Looking for something good to read? Want to learn more about Louise Brooks and her films? Looking for the perfect gift for the silent film buff or Louise Brooks fan on your holiday list? Check out one or more of these Louise Brooks Society publications.

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The Street of Forgotten Men: From Story to Screen and Beyond (softcover 1st edition)
by Thomas Gladysz

-- The Street of Forgotten Men: From Story to Screen and Beyond is a 380 page deep dive into the history of one film, the 1925 silent, The Street of Forgotten Men. A popular and critical success at the time of its release, the film is based on a story by a noted writer, made by a significant director, shot by one of a greatest cinematographers, and features a fine cast which includes a future screen legend at the beginning of her career (Louise Brooks)  The story of the film is told in rich, historical detail — not only the film’s making, critical reception, and exhibition history but also its surprising legacy. Along with dozens of rare images and vintage clippings, this new book contains all manner of documents from the story on which the film was based to censorship records to a French fictionalization of the film to detailed credits and trivia, and even a review by a candidate for sainthood.

The Street of Forgotten Men: From Story to Screen and Beyond features forewords by Robert Byrne, whose restoration of The Street of Forgotten Men saved it from an undeserving obscurity, and film historian and Oscar honoree Kevin Brownlow, who revealed little known details about the film drawn from his correspondence with Louise Brooks.

AUTOGRAPHED copies available direct from the author @ $35.00 (includes shipping & handling within the USA). To place an order via PayPal, please send an email to louisebrookssociety AT gmailDOTcom 

 

Or buy online from Amazon.com (USA) // Barnes & Noble // Bookshop.org // Books-a-Million

 

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Louise Brooks, the Persistent Star (softcover 1st edition)
by Thomas Gladysz

-- This 296 page book brings together 15 years work by the Director of the Louise Brooks Society. Gathered here are the author's best articles, essays, and blogs about the silent film star and her films—Beggars of Life, Pandora’s Box, and Diary of a Lost Girl—each are discussed, as are many other little known aspects of Brooks’ legendary career. With many rare illustrations.

“Historian Thomas Gladysz has put together a number of his articles and essays from the past 15 years for the book Louise Brooks: The Persistent Star. Gladysz is the director of the Louise Brooks Society, and his detailed essays will be fascinating reading for any fan of the iconic actress.” — Lea Stans, Silentology

“… this (fully illustrated) book proves that ‘the persistent star’ is a perfect accolade.” — Tara Hanks, author of The Mmm Girl and Wicked Baby

AUTOGRAPHED copies available direct from the author @ $22.50 (includes shipping & handling within the USA). To place an order via PayPal, please send an email to louisebrookssociety AT gmailDOTcom

 

Or buy online from Amazon (USA) | Bookshop.org | Powells | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million 

 

Or, buy the English-language edition from Amazon Australia | Brazil | Canada | France | Germany | India | Italy | Japan | Mexico | Netherlands | Poland | Singapore | Spain | Turkey | United Arab Emirates | United Kingdom

 

The English-language edition is also available from Saxo (Denmark) | Open Trolley (Indonesia) | MightyApe (New Zealand) | Bol.com (Netherlands) | Archiwum (Poland) 

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Beggars of Life: A Companion to the 1928 Film (softcover 1st edition)
by Thomas Gladysz 

-- This first ever study of Beggars of Life looks at the film Oscar-winning director William Wellman thought his finest silent movie. With more than 50 little seen images, tons of information, detailed credits, trivia, and a foreword by William Wellman, Jr. A must read for every fan. 

“I can say (with head bowed modestly) that I know more about the career of director William A. Wellman than pretty much anybody … but there are things in Thomas Gladysz’s new book on Wellman’s Beggars of Life that I didn’t know. More important, the writing is so good and the research so deep that even when I was reading about facts that were familiar to me, I was enjoying myself hugely.” — Frank Thompson, author of Nothing Sacred: The Cinema of William Wellman

“This highly readable book will deepen your enjoyment and understanding of a silent Hollywood classic.” — Pamela Hutchinson, author of Pandora’s Box (BFI Film Classics)

AUTOGRAPHED copies available direct from the author @ $13.50 (includes shipping & handling within the USA) / A very few copies signed by both Gladysz and William Wellman Jr. are also available @ $75.00 (includes shipping & handling within the USA). To place an order via PayPal, please send an email to louisebrookssociety AT gmailDOTcom

 

Or buy NEW from Amazon (USA) | Bookshop.org | Powells | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

 

Or, buy the English-language edition from Amazon Australia | Brazil | Canada | France | Germany | India | Italy | Japan | Mexico | Netherlands | Poland | Singapore | Spain | Turkey | United Arab Emirates | United Kingdom

 

The English-language edition is also available from Saxo (Denmark) | Open Trolley (Indonesia) | MightyApe (New Zealand) | Bol.com (Netherlands) | Archiwum (Poland)  | Waterstones (UK)
 
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Now We're in the Air (softcover 1st edition)
by Thomas Gladysz

-- This companion to the once "lost" 1927 film tells the story of the film’s making, its reception, and its discovery by film preservationist Robert Byrne. With two rare fictionalizations of the movie story, more than 75 little seen images, detailed credits, trivia, and a foreword by Byrne. A must read for the discriminating fan. Your purchase helps support the LBS.

 

“The absolute final word on the film from the world’s foremost expert on Louise Brooks. Thoroughly researched and expertly written, oh, and did I mention lavishly illustrated? If you love silent film and if you love Louise Brooks (and who doesn’t) you really should pick up a copy for your library.” — amazon.com review

AUTOGRAPHED copies available direct from the author @ $18.50 (includes shipping & handling within the USA)

 

Or buy NEW from Amazon (USA) | Bookshop.org | Powells | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

 

Or, buy the English-language edition from Amazon Australia | Brazil | Canada | France | Germany | India | Italy | Japan | Mexico | Netherlands | Poland | Singapore | Spain | Turkey | United Arab Emirates | United Kingdom

 

The English-language edition is also available from Saxo (Denmark) | Open Trolley (Indonesia) | MightyApe (New Zealand) | Bol.com (Netherlands) | Archiwum (Poland) 

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The Diary of a Lost Girl (Louise Brooks edition)
by Margarete Bohme (author) and Thomas Gladysz (editor)

-- The 1929 film, Diary of a Lost Girl, is based on a controversial and bestselling book first published in Germany in 1905. Though little known today, it was a literary sensation at the beginning of the 20th century. By the end of the 1920s, it had been translated into 14 languages and sold more than 1,200,000 copies - ranking it among the bestselling books of its time. Was it - as many believed - the real-life diary of a young woman forced by circumstance into a life of prostitution? Or a sensational and clever fake, one of the first novels of its kind? This contested work - a work of unusual historical significance as well as literary sophistication - inspired a sequel, a play, a parody, a score of imitators, and two silent films. The best remembered of these is the oft revived G.W. Pabst film starring Louise Brooks.

This corrected and annotated edition of the original English language translation brings this important book back into print after more than 100 years. It includes an introduction by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society, detailing the book's remarkable history and relationship to the 1929 silent film. This special "Louise Brooks Edition" also includes more than three dozen vintage illustrations.

“In today’s parlance this would be called a movie tie-in edition, but that seems a rather glib way to describe yet another privately published work that reveals an enormous amount of research and passion.” — Leonard Maltin

“Gladysz makes an important contribution to film history, literature, and, in as much as Böhme told her tale with much detail and background contemporary to the day, sociology and history. This reissue is long overdue, and a volume of uncommon merit.” — Richard Buller, author of A Beautiful Fairy Tale: The Life of Actress Lois Moran

NEW from Amazon (USA) | Bookshop.org | Powells | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | or in person at George Eastman Museum (Rochester, NY) | Larry Edmunds (Hollywood, CA)

 
Or, buy the English-language edition from Amazon Australia | Brazil | Canada | France | Germany | India | Italy | Japan | Mexico | Netherlands | Poland | Singapore | Spain | Turkey | United Arab Emirates | United Kingdom
 
The English-language edition is also available from Saxo (Denmark) | Open Trolley (Indonesia) | MightyApe (New Zealand) | Bol.com (Netherlands) | Archiwum (Poland)

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.

It has taken me 24 years to get ahold of this clipping

Just recently, I was updating the history of the Louise Brooks Society. The ABOUT page on the Louise Brooks Society website contains the story behind its launch in 1995, how I chose its name, its mission statement, and some of the things the LBS has achieved over the years. I was doing so because there are people on the interweb who suggest the Louise Brooks Society doesn't really exist, and that I am not its founding Director. Sounds ridiculous, I know. (BTW, I call myself its director because "director" is a movie term. It's not a grandiose moniker, and certainly more fitting than anything else I could come up with.)

While working on what I could remember of the history of the LBS, I was going through some old clippings about or mentioning my website. The Louise Brooks Society website was launched in August, 1995. The first media mention and its earliest print reference dates to May 23, 1996, when it was named a USA Today “Hot Site” and mentioned in the newspaper’s syndicated “Net: New and notable” column. Sam Vincent Meddis wrote in USA Today, "Silent-film buffs can get a taste of how a fan club from yesteryear plays on the Web. The Louise Brooks Society site includes interview, trivia and photos. It also draws an international audience."

Some of the other early mentions appeared in the Noe Valley Voice (September 1997), Wired magazine (April 10, 1998), Melbourne Age (April 16, 1998), San Francisco Chronicle (May 3, 1998), and Atlanta Journal-Constitution (May 5, 1998). I have print or digital copies of each.

One of the other early clippings appeared in the February - March 1999 issue of bLink, a magazine published by EarthLink. I knew this piece existed, because I had been contacted by the person who wrote it for a quote. However, I never got a copy of the magazine, and more or less forgot about it. Time passed.... until recently, when I was going through some old clippings about or mentioning my website. I wondered what ever happened to that magazine, and if they had an archive online. They don't. But my search turned up an eBay listing for the very copy I needed. Wowza. I put in a bid, and won!

And so, after 24 years, I am glad to have this nifty clipping, which appears on page 20 of this issue. Like the Wired magazine and San Francisco Chronicle pieces, it acknowledges the role the LBS played in inspiring TCM to go ahead with the Emmy-nominated documentary, Louise Brooks: Looking for Lulu. But more importantly, this clipping is another bit of proof that the Louise Brooks Society does in fact exist (and did so in 1999), and that I am its founding Director.

It was cool to see this piece, especially since it includes a screen grab of the old look of the Louise Brooks Society website.

BTW, for the record, the earliest Wayback Machine capture of the Louise Brooks Society at it’s current domain, www.pandorasbox.com, dates to April 11, 1997. But before that, the earliest archived newsgroup post mentioning the LBS, from October 27, 1995, announces the website. Another, a query from the LBS asking about a screening of Pandora’s Box in Poland, dates to January 29, 1996. Another, from December 31, 1996, announces the move to its new domain at pandorasbox.com, where it has resided since. Each of these posts are part of the Google groups / Usenet Archive.

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.

Happy birthday Louise Brooks (1906-1985)

Happy birthday to Louise Brooks, who was born on this day, November 14th, in Cherryvale, Kansas in 1906.

To celebrate Brooks' birth, I thought I would share a scan of my newest treasure, a tinted arcade card. The front and back of the card are shown below. In all likelihood, this card was obtained from a vending machine located in an amusement park, a store, or some similar venue where one might find other vending machines. And in all likelihood, it cost a penny, one cent.

Like the cherry red tinted Street of Forgotten Men arcade card, which has been shown previously on this blog and is depicted in my new book, The Street of Forgotten Men: From Story to Screen and Beyond, this golden yellow tinted card was issued by the Exhibit Supply Company of Chicago, Illinois. The Street of Forgotten Men card was intended as a promotional item which could also be used as a postcard.

This newest acquisition had a different use, as is shown on its reverse. This card was a kind of coupon. Acquire 50 such coupon cards, clip the corner, and one could redeem a prize, such as an Imp bottle, trick pencil, 7" x 10" Tom Mix photo, or a Babe Ruth or Charles Lindbergh Lucky Pocket Piece. By sending in 100 coupons, one could obtain a Rubber Dagger, Referee's Whistle, or a Charlie Chaplin Squirter, among other valuable prizes. Wowza!

Here is the scan of my arcade card, showing the front and back. The card, obviously, has been clipped. I wonder what the original owner obtained in return? 

This item, which I acquired through eBay, was part of a grouping of other movie star arcade cards which included major or established stars like Pola Negri, Marie Dressler, Vilma Banky, Constance Talmadge,  Marguerite De La Motte, Lila Lee and Gertrude Astor.

There were also cards for up and coming actresses like Carole Lombard, Joan and Constance Bennett, and Ruth Chatterton. Since Lombard's image was printed on one of the cards, and since she didn't have credited roles in films until 1928 and 1929, I am going to guess and say these cards date from around 1929, perhaps 1930 - by which time Brooks fame in the United States was beginning to fade. 

Here is an informational page about the Exhibit Supply Company from the Made in Chicago Museum. And here are examples of a whole bunch of cards from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

If anyone knows more about these specific cards, I would love to here from you. Also, I would be happy to sell any of these cards, either individually or as a group, except for the Louise Brooks card. Make me an offer. My other cards are shown below. Except for the Pola Negri card, each is in very good, though clipped, condition. A few have pencil markings on the reverse.

 

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.

John Wayne & Louise Brooks Night in Russiaville, Indiana

The Kokomo-Howard County Public Library has announced it will screen the 1938 Louise Brooks film, Overland Stage Raiders, on Sunday, November 12 at 6:00 pm. This rare public screening of Brooks last film will take place at the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library (315 Mesa Dr) in Russiaville, Indiana. More information about this free event can be found HERE.

The announcement on a local TV website, WISHTV.COM (Channel 8), states: 

"Join us for a showing of 1938 release "Overland Stage Raiders," starring John Wayne and Louise Brooks. (Republic Pictures). In honor of Howard County Reads book, "The Chaperone" by Laura Moriarty, we will be showing the movie "Overland Stage Raiders." To honor the two movie stars, dress in your western duds or dress like a roarin' twenties flapper!"

That is an unusual pairing! If you can't attend this event and would like to view this little seen film, please note that it is available on DVD and Blu-ray on amazon.com and other shopping sites.

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.

What Notable Women Are Wearing, including Louise Brooks

I am always researching Louise Brooks, and just recently, I came across a newspaper series titled "What Notable Women Are Wearing." From what I could gleam, this nationally syndicated series was authored by Marie Munneux, who was described as an International Illustrated News Fashion Authority. (Her name was not on every piece.) Typically, individual pieces include a feature photo of a well known woman wearing fashionable clothes of the time. 

These notable women might include actresses - like Norma Shearer, Edna Purviance, Yola d'Avril, or Jeanne Eagels, or other famous or well known individuals like Lady Astor, Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, or Belle Bart, a noted astrologist. A paragraph or two of text might tell who the celebrity is, where the picture might have been taken, and describe the clothes they are wearing. 

I found two entries in the series which featured Louise Brooks. Below, I've included two pieces which, although they feature the same content, have a slightly different layout. 

For fun, here are a few of the other entries in the series which I came across, including Joan Crawford, Aileen Pringle, Gertrude Olmstead and the great Pearl White.

I sure wish these late 1920s newspaper fashion pictures reproduced better, but what can you do.... Still, they offer a snapshot into the Jazz Age. The second paragraph in the clipping that follows
pokes fun at the era's fashions, which some thought too revealing.

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.

Day of Silents Announced for Saturday, December 2

The San Francisco Silent Film Festival has announced its annual "Day of Silents" will take place one month from today, on Saturday, December 2 at the Castro Theater in San Francisco. More information may be found HERE.

Star turns by Anna May Wong, Rudolph Valentino, and Pola Negri! Centennial celebration of Harold Lloyd's Safety Last! A brilliant collection of animated shorts by Dave and Max Fleischer, Walt Disney, and other geniuses of the form! And a proto-noir featuring pre-Thin Man William Powell! All in our holiday-season live-cinema event A DAY OF SILENTS, coming to the Castro Theatre, San Francisco on Saturday, December 2. Like SFSFF's annual festival, A Day of Silents showcases a variety of superb titles from the silent era, all set to superb live musical accompaniment by the likes of Wayne Barker and Nicholas White, Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra, and the Sascha Jacobsen Ensemble!

Tickets and Passes are on sale now at silentfilm.org

 

THE PROGRAM:

Saturday, December 2, Castro Theatre

More information, tickets and passes at silentfilm.org

10:00 AM

OF MICE AND MEN (AND CATS AND CLOWNS)

A collection of animated shorts, 1908–1928

Some of the most creative films from the silent era came out of an inkwell! Our collection includes animated shorts from 1908–1928, films that outshine much of what followed. For sheer audacity and pure joy, these films by cartoon masters Including the Fleischer brothers, Pat Sullivan, and Walt Disney, can’t be beat!

Fantasmagorie (1908, d. Émile Cohl)

How a Mosquito Operates (1912, d. Winsor McKay)

Adam Raises Cain (1922, d. Tony Sarg)

Amateur Night on the Ark (1923, d. Paul Terry)

Bed Time (1923, d. Dave and Max Fleischer)

Felix Grabs His Grub (1923, d. Pat Sullivan)

A Trip to Mars (1924, d. Dave and Max Fleischer)

Vacation (1924, d. Dave and Max Fleisher)

Alice’s Balloon Race (1926, d. Walt Disney)

Felix the Cat in Sure Locked Homes (1928, d. Pat Sullivan)

Live music by WAYNE BARKER and NICHOLAS WHITE

12:00 NOON

THE WILDCAT (Die Bergkatze)

1921, d. Ernst Lubitsch

Pola Negri, Victor Janson, Paul Heidemann

Before director Ernst Lubitsch left Germany to ply his famous ‘Touch’ in Hollywood, he made a series of comedies that gave hints at what was to come. The Wildcat is his last German comedy and his most riotously zany. Subtitled ‘A Grotesque in Four Acts,’ Wildcat makes use of extravagant set design and eccentric frame shapes that lend a surrealistic edge to its antic energy. Pola Negri’s Rischka leads a gang of mountain bandits who ambush Lieutenant Alexis (Paul Heidemann) on his way to the local fortress, leaving him pant-less (and smitten) on the ice. Film writer John Gillett called the film “both an anti-militarist satire and a wonderful fairy tale.”

Live music by MONT ALTO MOTION PICTURE ORCHESTRA

2:15 PM

THE EAGLE

1925, d. Clarence Brown

Rudolph Valentino, Vilma Banky, Louise Dresser

Clarence Brown's rousing film displays a perfect blend of elements—romance, swashbuckling, a modicum of humor, and the great Rudolph Valentino! Not to mention the splendid production design by William Cameron Menzies and gorgeous camerawork by George Barnes. After Valentino's Russian lieutenant rejects the amorous attentions of Catherine the Great (Louise Dresser), she orders him arrested. Instead, he flees and becomes a masked avenger intent on righting the wrongs visited upon his father and his countrymen by loutish nobleman Kryilla Trouekouroff (James A. Marcus). But the nobleman has a beautiful daughter (Vilma Banky)...

Live music by WAYNE BARKER

4:15 PM

PAVEMENT BUTTERFLY (Großstadtshmetterling)

Germany/Great Britain, 1928/1929, d. Richard Eichberg

Gaston Jacquet, Anna May Wong

Luminous Anna May Wong goes from a fan-dancing carnival act to an artist garret and finally to the French Riviera where she accompanies a wealthy art patron around Monte Carlo, draped in haute couture. Wong left Hollywood in search of roles more fitting her talents than the racially-circumscribed ones at home. This Weimar title showcases her magnetism—when Wong is onscreen, you can't look away.

Live music by the SASCHA JACOBSEN ENSEMBLE

7:00 PM

SAFETY LAST!

1923, d. Fred C. Newmeyer, Sam Taylor

Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis

Harold Lloyd's bumpkin salesclerk comes up with a publicity stunt that will bring attention to his department store and earn him the money to marry his sweetheart—scale the 12-story building like a human fly! Shot in downtown Los Angeles, the stunt has given us one of the most iconic images of the silent era—Lloyd precariously hanging over the city street, dangling from a broken clock. James Agee wrote: "Each new floor is like a new stanza in a poem; and the higher and more horrifying it gets, the funnier it gets."

Live music by MONT ALTO MOTION PICTURE ORCHESTRA

9:00 PM

FORGOTTEN FACES

1928, d. Victor Schwertzinger

Clive Brook, William Powell, Olga Baclanova

Heliotrope Harry (Clive Brook) and Froggy (William Powell) are partners in crime—genteel armed robbery—at least until the cuckolded Harry commits an even bigger offense. Before Harry goes to prison, he leaves his baby girl on the doorstep of a wealthy couple to keep her out of the clutches of his no-good wife Lilly (Olga Baclanova) and tasks Froggy with keeping close tabs. But Froggy is no match for Lilly...

Live music by the SASCHA JACOBSEN ENSEMBLE