Louise Brooks Society: January 2024

Monday, January 29, 2024

Pandora's Box, starring Louise Brooks, at Film Forum in NYC Feb 14 - Feb 20

In a previous Louise Brooks Society blog post, I noted that the 2009 restoration of Pandora's Box will receive a theatrical release through Janus Films. This release is meant for exhibitors like the Toronto Silent Film Festival - who will be screening the 2009 restoration on April 12 in Canada. See the prior LBS blog for details.

As it turns out, the Janus theatrical release will debut at Film Forum in New York City on February 14. And what's more, the film is set to run an entire week, through February 20. More about this historic event can be found HERE.

Here is some additional information about this week long screening from the Film Forum website.

Germany, 1929
Directed by G.W. Pabst
Starring Louise Brooks, Fritz Kortner, Francis Lederer
Music by Peer Raben
Approx. 141 min. DCP Restoration.

Sex in the City — Weimar Berlin: in the wake of Louise Brooks’ patent leather-bobbed Lulu, men set up sleek Deco love nests, ruin themselves gambling, and commit both murder and suicide, as she moves from kept woman, showgirl, Lesbian love interest, widow, convicted criminal, fugitive, and possible sex slave; amid a bustling backdrop of life in post-war, pre-Hitler Germany. Pabst’s adaptation of the Wedekind plays plucked Brooks from a waning career as Hollywood flapper to European art film goddess. One of the last masterpieces of the cinema’s most exciting era — with Brooks’ Lulu taking her place as one of the screen’s most enduring creations. Orchestral musical score composed by Peer Raben.

Restored from the best surviving 35mm elements at Haghefilm Conservation under the supervision of the Deutsche Kinemathek, with the cooperation of George Eastman Museum, and the collaboration of the Cinémathèque Française, Cineteca di Bologna, Czech Film Archive, and Gosfilmofond

With support from the R.G. Rifkind Foundation Endowment for Queer Cinema

The Film Forum page also quotes the esteemed film critic David Thomas. It's a rather delicious quote.

“ONE OF THE MOST COMPLETE, ECSTATIC, IMPETUOUS AND RECKLESS PERFORMANCES ANYONE HAD EVER GIVEN ON SCREEN! [Brooks] makes Marlene Dietrich in THE BLUE ANGEL seem coy and calculated… Brooks is a flame fluttering in the wind of her own breath. She is danger as it had not been seen or felt before.”
– David Thomson, Moments That Made the Movies

Want to lean more? A big, juicy page about Pandora's Box can be found on the new and improved Louise Brooks Society website. Click on the film title to access the LBS filmography page devoted to the movie.

I would say more, but I need to get back to work on my next book, Lulu in America: the Lost History of Louise Brooks and Pandora's Box. This book, which I hope to have completed later this year, explores the film's rich, textured and improbably undocumented history in the United States, including New York City. The basis for my book is an article, “'Sin Lust Evil' in America: Louise Brooks and the Exhibition History of Pandora’s Box (1929)," which I wrote for Film International last April. Stay tuned to this channel for updates.

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 © 2024. Further unauthorized use prohibited. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Sunday, January 28, 2024

Sunday Silents Presents Pandora’s Box (1929), starring Louise Brooks, in Rosendale, NY

One week from today, Pandora's Box, starring Louise Brooks, will be shown at the Rosendale theater in Rosendale, New York. This screening, part of the theater's Sunday Silent series, will feature live musical accompaniment by Marta Waterman. More information about this February 4th event can be found HERE.

There was an article about this screening in the local Shawangunk Journal, which can be found HERE. According to the Rosendale theater website: "In this acclaimed German silent film, Lulu (played to perfection by the luminous American actress Louise Brooks) is a young woman so beautiful and alluring that few can resist her siren charms. The men drawn into her web include respectable newspaper publisher Dr. Ludwig Schön, his musical producer son Alwa , circus performer Rodrigo Quast and Lulu’s seedy old friend, Schigolch. When Lulu’s charms inevitably lead to tragedy, the downward spiral encompasses them all. Marked by GW Pabst’s innovative, atmospheric direction and a surprisingly modern storyline, Pandora’s Box ultimately owes its power to Louise Brooks’ monumental, iconic performance.

Sunday Silents is made possible by the generous support of Jim Demaio, State Farm Insurance Agent, New Paltz. $6 | NR | With live accompaniment by Marta Waterman | 1 Hour 49 Minutes."

The historic Rosendale Theatre is a three-story, 260-seat movie theater and performance venue in Rosendale Village, a hamlet and former village in the town of Rosendale in Ulster County, New York. The building was opened as a casino in 1905, and began showing films in the 1920s. I did a quick search to try and find any record of this charming old venue having shown any of Louise Brooks' American silent films in the 1920s, but was unable to track down any listings. However, back in 2017, the theater screened the other 1929 Louise Brooks film, Diary of a Lost Girl. More about that 2017 event can be found HERE.

Saturday, January 27, 2024

Restoration of Pandora's Box to Receive Theatrical Release

The recent restoration of Pandora's Box, the acclaimed 1929 silent film starring Louise Brooks, will receive an American theatrical release through Janus Films on February 14th. (This release is meant for exhibitors like the Toronto Silent Film Festival - who will be screening this version of the film on April 12. See the prior LBS blog. )

Seemingly, hopefully, a Criterion Collection DVD / Blu-ray can't be far behind - though no specific release information has been posted. I emailed Janus but have yet to hear back. More information about this exciting news can be found HERE.

Unless I am mistaken, this same version of the film was recently released on Blu-ray in the UK by Eureka Entertainment. (See my Pop Matters article on that release). It was restored from the best surviving 35mm elements at Haghefilm Conservation under the supervision of the Deutsche Kinemathek with the cooperation of George Eastman Museum, the Cinémathèque Française, Cineteca di Bologna, Národní filmový archiv, and Gosfilmofond. As I stated in my Pop Matters article, in all likelihood, this restoration is the best version of the film we may see in our lifetime.

However, I noticed one significant difference. Notably, the Eureka release run time was given as 133 minutes. The run time on this version is given as 141 minutes. Below is the Janus Films trailer for those who would like a sneak peak.

While I am very excited that this 2009 restoration of Pandora's Box will be screened and hopefully released in the United States, I am concerned about some of the SLOPPY writing found in the press materials.

The Louise Brooks Biography included in the Press Notes, for example, is riddled with factual errors. I count five or six. Here is one: Louise Brooks did NOT join the Denishawn Dance Company in Los Angeles, as the biography states. She went to New York City, as stated in the Barry Paris biography and as depicted in The Chaperone.

Likewise, the Production History essay makes a few questionable (read inaccurate) conclusions, as when it claim that "in 2012, the seventeenth San Francisco Silent Film Festival screened Pabst’s completely restored masterpiece in all its glory." Yes, it was glorious. I was there. But to state that the film is "completely restored" suggest this is the film Pabst released in 1929. IT AIN'T. As they stand, these notes should be corrected asap.

I hope that they do not accompany any home video release. As with the marred Eureka release (see this 1-12-2024 LBS blog), the film world doesn't need any more inaccurate information. In this day and age, getting it right is important. Facts matter. And getting it wrong has repercussions. I could imagine someone defending their claim that Brooks went to Los Angles in 1922 or that Pandora's Box is now complete since they saw it on the Janus website, or in the liner notes to a later release. Look what happened to the London Times, when they reviewed the Eureka release and made use of the publicity materials they were no doubt given. They got it wrong because the company they got their press materials from got it wrong.

Want to read more about the film? Visit the Pandora's Box filmography page in the Louise Brooks Society website.

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Pandora's Box, starring Louise Brooks, opens Toronto Silent Film Festival

The Toronto Silent Film Festival has announced that it will screen the 1929 classic, Pandora's Box, as its opening film at its upcoming Festival, which is set to take place April 12-14, 2024. More information may be found HERE.

The event description reads "Today, Pandora’s Box is rightly celebrated as one of silent cinema’s greatest masterpieces. Brilliantly directed by G. W. Pabst, it's a dark, beautiful film filled with meticulous attention to details, fluid camera work, expressive lighting and, of course, the potent performance by Louise Brooks as Lulu. Lulu is a woman who is driven by her desires and in her wake she leaves a trail of destruction and even death.

For many, this is the only performance by Louise Brooks that they've ever seen, and now, with the latest restoration, her beauty, power and presence makes it even more memorable.

133 minutes / Live accompaniment by Marilyn Lerner."

This screening will be held at the 150 seat Revue Theater in Toronto, Canada. The Festival describes the event as a "Toronto Restoration Premiere-A TSFF exclusive screening." I've sent them an email for clarification as to the nature of this restoration. I will post-edit an update here when I hear back.

A volunteer run not-for-profit, Toronto Silent Film Festival screens the Silent Film era's most compelling films and pairs them with talented silent film accompanists. Other films set to screened at this year's Toronto Silent Film Festival include The Mark of Zorro (1920), West of Zanzibar (1928), So This is Paris (1926), and Sherlock Jr. (1924).

Saturday, January 20, 2024

Louise Brooks and Bruz Fletcher

This past week, I was working on a page about Louise Brooks and Bruz Fletcher for the Louise Brooks Society website. In case you don't know his name, and I suspect most won't, Fletcher was a nightclub entertainer in the 1930s. He was also gay. I have written about Bruz Fletcher in the past, both on examiner.com in 2010 and here on the LBS blog. He is a fascinating figure.

Brooks plays only a small role in Fletcher's story, though their connection goes beyond social encounters or a few common acquaintances. Brooks and Fletcher once shared a bill in 1935, when Brooks was one-half of the dance team of Brooks and Dario, and Fletcher was a singer of "Super Sophisticated Songs" of his own composition. The two also encountered each other socially, at least once. In 1936, for example, the Los Angeles Times reported Brooks attended a Hollywood costume party at the home a local socialite at which Fletcher was also reported to have been present. And in 1937 and 1938, Brooks went to see Fletcher perform at least five times at the Club Bali in Los Angeles. She may have, and probably did see him other times as well, but on these five occasions, the Los Angeles Times reported her to be among those in the crowd at this small, trendy nightclub.

All this is prelude to saying.... In researching and writing my webpage, I came across a number of clippings which I would have liked to include as illustrations except that they took me a little too far off topic. And so, I thought to include them here, as adjunct documentation.

This piece is a detailed summation of Fletcher's life published at the time of his death.

Fletcher was at best a "minor celebrity," and even though he got his name mentioned in gossip and society columns hundreds of times, the only feature article I came across which discusses him (and his partner Casey Roberts, a three time Academy Award nominee) was a 1929 piece in Picture-Play Magazine which focused on new, young talent in Hollywood. Here is page two of Alice M. Williamson's two-page article "Hollywood's Fourth Dimension." (Fletcher is discussed on both pages, but I included page two here because it pictures Fletcher and his partner! To read a larger scan of the entire article, click on the link at the bottom of my LBS webpage.)

As I mention on my LBS page, Fletcher enjoyed a remarkable, near five year run at the Club Bali in Hollywood. Originally booked for just two weeks in 1935, he proved so popular that he ran until early 1940. In 1938, Los Angeles Times columnist Hedda Hopper wrote that the entertainer had the longest local nightclub run that anyone could remember -- and that was two years before Fletcher's run ended.

Of course, with such a long run, Fletcher got his name in the local papers hundreds of times. Here are a couple of obscure examples. The first is a bit from a student newspaper, the UCLA Daily Bruin. And the second, by Morton Thompson, appeared in the Hollywood Citizen News. The latter is revealing, if I understand the subtext.

Besides being a singer / songwriter and musical accompanist, Fletcher was also an author. He penned two published novels and two staged plays one of which was based on the life of Jeanne Eagels). I came across a few reviews of Fletcher's books and plays (he received both good and bad reviews), as well these two other inconsequential listings, which as a former bookseller and book reviewer, I find interesting. The first is from Variety and dates from 1932. It is a list of recommended or suggested reading from local Hollywood bookstores, and it includes one of Fletcher's novels. As does the second listing, which was published in Hollywood Filmograph, and notes that another of Fletcher's novels would make a good movie.

I will end this blog by posting a screenshot I captured from a documentary on Ernest Hemingway (a favorite writer). The documentary focused on Hemingway's life in Florida and Cuba, and it included some scenes taken within the writer's one-time Cuban home (now a museum). I love these sort of scenes, especially if they include shots of the subject's bookshelves or record collection. This Hemingway documentary did, and so I stopped the scene and took a look. And guess what I found, a record set of Bruz Fletcher's 78rpm recordings -- the second set from the right.

Speaking of making a good movie, if anyone from Netflix or HBO Max is reading these words, let me suggest you turn Fletcher's life into a mini series. It has a little bit of everything....

Saturday, January 13, 2024

Kickstarter for the Louise Brooks - inspired Dixie Dugan novels

I realize this is last minute, but longtime Louise Brooks Society supporter Beth Ann Gallagher just alerted me to an incredible Kickstarter campaign to bring three Louise Brooks-inspired Dixie Dugan novels by J.P. McEvoy back into print. More about this Kickstarter campaign, which runs through January 18th, can be found HERE.

As Brooks' devotees may know, Show Girl was the first novel to feature a major character or story-line inspired by the actress. First serialized in Liberty magazine in 1928 (and quickly published in book form by Simon & Schuster), Show Girl told of the life and adventures of a character named Dixie Dugan. That novel and its two follow-up books, Show Girl in Hollywood and Show Girl in Society, proved especially popular. So much so that they spawned a long-running comic strip which lasted into the 1960s, "Dixie Dugan," as well as a stage play, Show Girl, and two movies which unfortunately did not star Louise Brooks.

Here is a wonderful newspaper ad for the novel's serialization in Liberty magazine, when the visual identity of Dixie Dugan was closely aligned with the look of the actress. (A few of these illustrations, as well as some of the early comic strips, were based on films stills from Brooks' first films, such as The American Venus.)

Nevertheless, I pledged $29.00 toward this worthy campaign, for which I will receive a copy of the book and have my name listed on an acknowledgements page. I already own vintage copies of these books, including one signed by McEvoy, but am looking forward to receiving this omnibus edition. Yowza, yowza, yowza.

Here is some more information about this Kickstarter campaign from it's page.

"Between 1928 and 1932, J. P. McEvoy published six ingenious novels that unfold solely by way of letters, telegrams, newspaper articles, ads, telephone transcriptions, scripts, playbills, greeting card verses, interoffice memos, legal documents, monologues, song lyrics, police reports, and radio broadcasts. Three of them, collected here for the first time, record the wild career of a jazz baby named Dixie Dugan (modeled on actress Louise Brooks, whom McEvoy knew). The best-selling Show Girl tracks Dixie's zigzagging path to success on Broadway; in Hollywood Girl, she heads out West for further risqué adventures, and impulsively marries a rich playboy; in Society, Dixie mingles with high society both in Europe and the U.S. before returning to Hollywood to resume her show-biz career."

"Beneath the novels' hellzapoppin' energy and jazzy lingo, however, McEvoy exposes the dark underside of the times: sexual predation, tabloid journalism, political corruption, the rise of religious fundamentalism, and the fatuous lifestyles of the rich and famous. But it's the blend of humor and bite, of success and failure, of ridicule and irony—shaken and stirred with linguistic and formal ingenuity—that makes The Dixie Dugan Trilogy "a madcap, mordant masterpiece," as critic Steven Moore writes in his informative introduction. Out of print since the 1930s, these "avant-pop" novels deserve a revival."

Friday, January 12, 2024

The Troubled History of Pandora’s Box, a review of the new Blu-ray release starring Louise Brooks

Pop Matters has just published my new piece on Pandora's Box, the once controversial 1929 film starring Louise Brooks. My article is a review of the recent Eureka Entertainment release of the film on Blu-ray in the UK. My article can be found HERE.

Pandora’s Box has long had a troubled history. There have been controversies, censorship, and critical disdain, as well as the loss of the original negative. The film that has come down to us today is only an approximation of the film G.W. Pabst made in Germany during the silent era. Yet still, it remains a powerful piece of early cinema. Over the years, versions of the film have been released on VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray all around the world. The best of them, up until now, may well have been the Criterion Collection release from 2006.

As I mention near the beginning of my article, "This release is notable on a couple of accounts. It marks the film’s first-ever release on Blu-ray in England, and it marks the first-ever release anywhere of the Hugh Hefner-funded Martin Koerber-~~Deutsche Kinemathek~~ George Eastman House restoration completed in 2009. In all likelihood, this 133-minute, 2K digital restoration is the best version of the film we may see in our lifetime."

As a silent film buff, as Louise Brooks fan, and as an admirer of G.W. Pabst's film, I am very glad that Eureka released the film on Blu-ray; however, I am just as disappointed in some of the bonus material included in this limited edition release. To learn exactly what disappointed me, and what I had to say about it, you will have to read my article, "The Troubled History of Silent Film Pandora’s Box."

In short, I point to factual errors and the inclusion of images that are 1) not from Pandora's Box, and 2) not Louise Brooks.

Regarding my first point, the use of images from Diary of a Lost Girl in a booklet about Pandora's Box; I should mention something I didn't mention in my that article -- that Eureka is not alone in this blunder. Criterion beat them too it years ago in the booklet which accompanied their 2006 release of an earlier restoration of the film. See page 48 of "Reflections on Pandora's Box", the booklet which accompanies the Criterion box set.

Regarding my second point, the use of images in a video essay about Louise Brooks which do not actually depict Louise Brooks; I don't know why, but Pop Matters didn't run the images in question, which I submitted to them along with my article. Nevertheless, here they are -- two images of two girls, both of whom happen to have bobbed hair and resemble, in a general way, the future actress. I would guess both images date from the 1920s.Both are anonymous images from the time, one a studio portrait, the other a snapshot.

Despite my reservations regarding some of the bonus material, this Eureka release is something special – and is recommended. It is worth noting that it is a limited-edition release numbering only 3,000 copies. If you’re thinking of purchasing a copy of this silent film masterpiece, don’t hesitate – even if that means purchasing a multi-region Blu-ray player to view it, as I did.

As I allude to in my Pop Matters article, I was fortunate enough to have seen this version of Pandora's Box on the BIG screen of the Castro theater as part of the 2012 San Francisco Silent Film Festival. Read more about that historic screening in "The Preservationist and the Playboy: Restoring Pandora’s Box," an article in the 2012 SFSFF program. I remember sitting next to Brooksie (fellow Louise Brooks devotee and Camille Scaysbrook.), and both of us being thrilled at this print of the film -- as if we were seeing it anew. By the way, I wrote an essay on the film for that year's SFSFF program, which you can read HERE.

You can see the look of awe on my face when I met the production team behind the Hugh Hefner-funded Martin Koerber-~~Deutsche Kinemathek~~ George Eastman House restoration of Pandora's Box, David Ferguson (left) and Angela Holm (right). That's me in the middle looking gobsmacked. I thanked them for their great work, and we spoke a little about what went into this restoration. I recall David called me "the keeper of the flame."

We all make mistakes. I know, I make plenty of them. I hope I don't come off too complainy, either in my Pop Matters article or in this follow-up blog, but the inaccurate stuff I see online -- not to mention all of the clickbait, fake news, and sloppy reporting -- irritate me. In this day and age, getting it right is important. Facts matter. And getting it wrong has repercussions, as when a seller lists a picture of Louise Brooks on eBay which isn't Louise Brooks, and then it gets retweeted or posted on Facebook, or when the London Times reviewed the Eureka release of Pandora's Box and ran a scene still from Diary of a Lost Girl.

Thursday, January 11, 2024

Diary of a Lost Girl to screen in UK with Raga pianist

The once controversial and still sensational Louise Brooks film, The Diary of a Lost Girl, will be screened in the UK on June 11, 2024 at the National Centre for Early Music in Tork, England. This screening will feature a live musical accompaniment by New York based Raga pianist Utsav Lal. More on this event can be found HERE.

And here is what the event website says:

Trailblazing pianist Utsav Lal scores rarely-shown gem starring Louise Brooks.

A masterwork of the German silent cinema whose reputation has only increased over time, Diary of a Lost Girl traces the journey of a young woman from the pit of despair to the moment of personal awakening. Directed with virtuoso flair by the great G.W. Pabst, Diary of a Lost Girl represents the final pairing of the filmmaker with screen icon Louise Brooks, mere months after their first collaboration in the now-legendary Pandora’s Box.

The Music

New York based Raga pianist Utsav Lal’s innovative performances have been acclaimed by audiences at Carnegie Hall, Southbank Centre, and around the world. He will improvise a unique live score for this screening.

Monday, January 8, 2024

Yes, the Louise Brooks Society really does exist

Believe it or not, but there is a person on the internet who is suggesting that the Louise Brooks Society doesn't exist -- not really, kinda, perhaps, maybe; or they wish it didn't exist, or something. But since we live in a fact based universe, let me take a few minutes and prove that it does exist by using the historical record.

Some of the earliest efforts of the LBS at reaching fans of the actress was through posting messages on various bulletin board systems (BBS), listserv’s and newsgroups (Usenet), as well as on AOL and Prodigy, back when those platforms were dominant. The earliest archived & dated newsgroup post mentioning the Louise Brooks Society, from October 27, 1995 (click to show), 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 domain at pandorasbox.com, where it has resided since. Each of these posts are now part of the independent Google groups / Usenet Archive.

The Wayback Machine is a digital archive of the World Wide Web founded by the Internet Archive, an independent nonprofit based in San Francisco, California. Created in 1996, it allows users to go "back in time" to see how websites looked in the past. It is pretty cool. The earliest Wayback Machine capture of the Louise Brooks Society dates to April 11, 1997 (click on the link to verify), while the earliest LBS homepage captured by the Wayback Machine which includes a © copyright symbol dates to June 27, 1998. That's also worth noting.

Notably, the earliest Wayback Machine captures contain a statement noting that the website was launched under that name "Louise Brooks Society" in August 1995. That's my demonstrable claim, which also shows first use of that very specific term.

One of its very first media mentions and earliest dated print reference to the LBS 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. See the clipping below, which notes the site’s early URL. If you think this clipping is fake, then go look it up in a newspaper archive.

Since then and up to the present, the Louise Brooks Society has been mentioned in a number of newspapers, magazines and books published all around the world. The "In the News" page on the LBS website contains a long list of media mentions, many of which are linked to their source.

The LBS has been called "an excellent homage to the art of the silent film as well as one of its most luminous stars” by the New York Times (August 29, 2002), and praised by the likes of Leonard Maltin (August 1, 2005), and the Irish Times, who pointed to the website's "extraordinary day-by-day chronology of her life" (June 2, 2018). In 1998, acclaimed journalist Steve Silberman wrote the first feature story about the LBS for Wired magazine. In "Fan Site Sparks Biopic," he called the LBS "an exemplary fan site" (April 10, 1998). In 2000, syndicated film critic and friend to Brooks, Jack Garner, wrote an article for the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle which stated the Louise Brooks Society is “A fine example of a fan page, a thoughtful, artful site devoted to the life and times of a fabled silent movie legend.” (September 12, 2000). That’s high praise coming from someone once close to the actress.

I mention these media mentions not to humblebrag - as the "LBS denier" has suggested, but to demonstrate that the Louise Brooks Society exists as part of the historical record.... And for the record, some of the books which contain a mention, acknowledgement, or thanks to the LBS include Wild Bill Wellman: Hollywood Rebel (Pantheon, 2015), Sirens & Sinners: A Visual History of Weimar Film 1918-1933 (Thames & Hudson, 2013), Louise Brooks: Lulu Forever (Rizzoli, 2006), Jazz Age Beauties: The Lost Collection of Ziegfeld Photographer Alfred Cheney Johnston (Universe, 2006), German Expressionist Films (Pocket Essentials, 2002), Film ist Comics (Filmarchiv Austria, 1999), Geheimnisvolle Tiefe G.W. Pabst (Filmarchiv Austria, 1998), and others.

Yours truly, Thomas Gladysz, the author of this very blog, was asked to write the entry on Louise Brooks for the Encyclopedia of the Great Plains (University of Nebraska Press, 2004). It can be read online HERE.

Since its founding, the LBS has developed and grown and become a recognized website devoted to just about any film star — silent or sound. The Encyclopedia of Associations, a standard reference work found in many libraries, contains an entry on the Louise Brooks Society in editions of the book published in 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014, and 2017. (There may be others, but I haven't yet come across them.)


the 2013 book	the 2013 entry

What is the Louise Brooks Society? The Louise Brooks Society is a fan site. Or, as I have long claimed, a "virtual fan club in cyberspace." See the website's ABOUT page for its mission statement and history. And also see its ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS page for a list of the community of individuals who have aided the LBS over the years.

The "LBS denier" has made a point of stating that there are other fan clubs (yes, their are other webpages, Twitter accounts, and Facebook pages focused on Brooks), and also suggested there was a fan club that dates back to the 1920s (that's news to me). I recall once seeing fan club membership cards dating back to the silent era for various stars, such as William Haines, but never one for Louise Brooks. If a formal group existed back then, I would sure like to learn about it -- as well as see some proof that it did exist. The "LBS denier" has also repeatedly claimed that the group of friends around Louise Brooks during her years in Rochester formed the first "Louise Brooks Society." That is a nonsensical, ahistorical claim - or in other words, a real stretch.

Oh, and then there is the suggestion that I don't write this blog, or that I employ ghostwriters, or that I didn't write the four books which have my name on them..... none of which, he admits, he has read. These books, by the way, which were published in 2010, 2017, 2019, and 2023, carry the phrase "a publication of the Louise Brooks Society."

Saturday, January 6, 2024

Diary of a Lost Girl to screen in the UK with live musical accompaniment by Wurlitza

The once controversial and still sensational Louise Brooks film, The Diary of a Lost Girl (1929), will be shown in the UK on Saturday, January 20, 2024 with live musical accompaniment by Wurlitza. This special event will be held at the Ocean Studios, Royal William Yard in Plymouth. More information may be found HERE.!

Readers of this blog may well recognize the band's name, as they have accompanied The Diary of a Lost Girl and other silent films a number of times in the past. (The upper left hand corner of this blog contains a search box should you want to look up their past performances.) But what's more, Wurlitza has even released their soundtrack to the G.W. Pabst / Louise brooks film on CD. Your can read about it HERE and HERE.

Here is some additional information about the event from the host website:

RAMP (Real Art Make Print) proudly presents a one-of-a-kind event featuring the critically acclaimed five-piece band, Wurlitza, on Saturday, January 20th, 2024. After a festive break, we are thrilled to reopen Ocean Studios with an unforgettable experience that combines the enchanting allure of silent film with the mesmerizing live soundtracks of Wurlitza.

FEATURED PERFORMANCE: “Diary of a Lost Girl” (1929)
Get ready to be transported to the golden age of cinema with “Diary of a Lost Girl,” a captivating silent film tracing the journey of Thymian, portrayed by the iconic Louise Brooks. Wurlitza will weave their musical magic, offering a unique blend of live soundtracks that bridge the gap between centuries. The film’s story, coupled with Wurlitza’s eclectic mix of music from Beethoven to Kylie Minogue, promises an experience like no other.

ABOUT WURLITZA:
Hailing from St Germans in South East Cornwall, Wurlitza has been enchanting audiences since 2006 with their distinctive live soundtracks. With keyboards, guitars, clarinet, bass, drums/percussion, and 4-part vocal harmonies, they bring a modern twist to classic silent films, seamlessly blending genres from different eras.

Date: Saturday, January 20th, 2024
Time: 6pm (Bar open from 4pm)
Venue: Ocean Studios, Royal William Yard

Tickets: £10 (plus fee)

Thursday, January 4, 2024

Happy Birthday to Matt Frewer (aka Max Headroom)

Happy Birthday to Matt Frewer, the American-born Canadian actor and comedian who for a time also lived and worked in the UK. Frewer has a notable list of film (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids) and TV appearances (Star Trek: The Next Generation) to his credit, but may be best known in certain quarters for his portrayal of Max Headroom in the 1985 TV film and 1987 television series of the same name.

Apparently, if I am reading things correctly, before Max Headroom became an American TV series in 1987, it aired in the UK on Channel 4 in 1985. And, notably, it was on episode 10 of season 1 of the original Max Headroom in which the video for "It Hurts", the last single by The Lotus Eaters, appeared. This LINK contains most of episode 10, but without the Lotus Eaters video, which has been removed for copyright reasons. Other music videos included on that same episode include Ultravox - "Love's Great Adventure", Squeeze - "Is That Love", Go Go's - "Vacation" (also removed for copyright reasons), and Queen - "Radio Ga Ga".

For a time, an excerpt from that particular UK broadcast, showing the Lotus Eater's video with its Max Headroom intro and outro, was floating around YouTube, but now it seems to have disappeared. I recall seeing it online. (I also recall seeing the Max Headroom show on American broadcast TV ever so long ago.) But still, the Lotus Eater's standalone video for "It Hurts" can still be viewed elsewhere. It is a great song. Take a look and you will see why it caught my attention.

"It Hurts" was released in 1985, and charted at number 87 on the UK charts. Nineteen-eighty five was the same year that Louise Brooks passed away, which makes this new wave musical tribute one of the earliest rock / pop tributes to the actress. I am not saying that the song is about Louise Brooks, but certainly the video depicts her.

Notably, this video predates the similar effort by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), whose 1991 recording and video, "Pandora's Box," is clearly inspired by and is about the actress. Watch that video HERE.

. . . . All this by way of saying all roads lead to Louise Brooks, and happy birthday to Matt Frewer.

long live Matt Frewer,

Long live Max Headroom.

Long live the Lotus Eaters.

And long live Louise Brooks!

Long live Lulu!

Tuesday, January 2, 2024

Are you a fan of Louise Brooks? Take this pop quiz

Do you consider yourself a fan of Louise Brooks? Are you a BIG fan of Louise Brooks? How much do you know about the actress? How many of her films have you seen? Take this quiz and find out.... Give yourself a point in answer to "yes" for each part of each question. Record your number, and tally a total. And have fun!

1) Which of the following films have you seen at a public screening (in a theater or at a festival)?

The Street of Forgotten Men (1925)
It’s the Old Army Game (1926)
The Show-Off (1926)
Love ‘Em and Leave ‘Em (1926)
A Girl in Every Port (1928)
Beggars of Life (1928)
The Canary Murder Case (1929)
Pandora’s Box (1929)
Diary of a Lost Girl (1929)
Prix de Beauté (1930)
Overland Stage Raiders (1938)

2) Which of the following films have you seen on TV or on home video (VHS / DVD / Blu-ray or even LaserDisc)?

It’s the Old Army Game (1926)
The Show-Off (1926)
Love ‘Em and Leave ‘Em (1926)
A Girl in Every Port (1928)
Beggars of Life (1928)
The Canary Murder Case (1929)
Pandora’s Box (1929)
Diary of a Lost Girl (1929)
Prix de Beauté (1930)
Windy Riley Goes Hollywood (1931)
God’s Gift to Women (1931)
Empty Saddles (1936)
Overland Stage Raiders (1938)

3) How many of the following documentary films have you seen?

Film Firsts: Louise Brooks (1960) – USA television short
Memories of Berlin: Twilight of Weimar Culture (1976)
Lulu in Berlin (1985)
Arena: Louise Brooks (1986) - UK television
Louise Brooks: Looking for Lulu (1998)
E! Mysteries & Scandals: Louise Brooks (1999) – television

4) How many of the following books have you read? (Give yourself one bonus point if you own different editions of any one book.)

Beggars of Life: A Companion to the 1928 Film, by Thomas Gladysz
Dear Stinkpot: Letters from Louise Brooks, by Jan Wahl
Louise Brooks, by Barry Paris
Louise Brooks: Lulu Forever, by Peter Cowie
Louise Brooks: Portrait of an Anti-Star, by Roland Jaccard
Louise Brooks, the Persistent Star, by Thomas Gladysz
Louise Brooks and the "New Woman" in Weimar Cinema, by Vanessa Rocco
Lulu in Hollywood, by Louise Brooks
My Afternoon with Louise Brooks, by Tom Graves
Now We're in the Air: A Companion to the Once Lost Film, by Thomas Gladysz
Pandora's Box, by Pamela Hutchinson
Pandora's Box (Lulu): a film, by G. W. Pabst
The Street of Forgotten Men: From Story to Screen and Beyond, by Thomas Gladysz

5) How many of these other books or plays have you read? (double points)

The Show-Off, by George Kelly
Beggars of Life, by Jim Tully
The Canary Murder Case, by S.S. van Dine
Pandora's Box (Lulu), by Frank Wedekind
Diary of a Lost Girl, by Margarete Bohme

Louise Brooks, Detective, by Rick Geary
The Chaperone, by Laura Moriarty

6) How many of the following have you done?

Bought a piece of vintage Louise Brooks memorabilia
Bought a modern Louise Brooks postcard, photograph, or poster
Collected articles and / or images of the actress
Visited the Louise Brooks Society website
Tweeted, blogged, or posted about the actress

7) A few more bonus questions. Give yourself a point if. . . .

You have read The Parades Gone By by Kevin Brownlow.

You have read another book about silent film or a silent film star.

You have watched a documentary about silent film or a silent film star.

You have watched a silent film starring Clara Bow, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Colleen Moore, etc....

Bonus question: name the photographer
of this magazine portrait of Louise Brooks.

* * * * *

If your scored 10 or few points, it's time to get serious.

If you scored 10+ points, consider yourself a fan.

If you scored 15 or more points, consider yourself a BIG fan.

If you scored 20+ points, consider yourself devoted.