Louise Rutkowski, Diary of a Lost Girl, album taster

Attention fans of Louise Brooks and fans of contemporary music: Here is an album taster from the Louise Rutkowski recording Diary of a Lost Girl (released February 21, 2014). The artist is an acknowledged fan of the actress.

Turner Classic Movies to air Louise Brooks #silentfilm double bill

As part of its special "From Caligari to Hitler" series, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is set to air two Louise Brooks films on April 27th. Pandora's Box (1929) is set for 8:00 pm, followed by Diary of a Lost Girl (1929) at 10:30 pm. Check your local listings for local times.  More information can be found HERE.

To learn more about these films, visit the Louise Brooks Society film pages devoted to either Pandora's Box or Diary of a Lost Girl.

Diary of a Lost Girl two months from today

The 1929 Louise Brooks film Diary of a Lost Girl will be screened two months from today -- that is June 3rd, 2016 at the Leominster Theatre and Cinema at the Leominster Community Centre in England (that's south of Liverpool. west of Manchester, and north of Bristol. Wurlitza will provide live musical accompaniment.

Diary of a Lost Girl: Louise Brooks' film with accompaniment by Ben Model Jan 31

Don't miss Diary of a Lost Girl, the sensational Louise Brooks' film with live organ accompaniment by Ben Model.

Sunday, January 31st at 2:00pm
Schimmel Center
3 Spruce St, New York, New York 10038
Ticket Prices
Adults $12 | Students $8
Call the box office at (212) 346-1715

Louise Brooks in DIARY OF A LOST GIRL (1929) - with André Roanne, Josef Rovenský, Fritz Rasp; directed by G.W. Pabst. released October 1929 by Pabst-Film. German film, with English intertitles. 116 mins.

"After playing supporting roles in a string of light comedies at Paramount, Louise Brooks went to Germany and made two iconic and darkly dramatic films directed by G.W. Pabst. Her bobbed hair, charm and smoldering screen presence in the midst of the dark stories of PANDORA'S BOX and DIARY OF A LOST GIRL have made Brooks an icon of '20s culture. Her character in DIARY goes from one situation to another attempting to better her life, finding adversity, love, and tragedy."




Live accompaniment by Ben Model, seen here prepping for the event by checking out the Louise Brooks edition of Margarete Bohme's book, The Diary of a Lost Girl (the book that was the basis for the film).

Ben Model, curator of the silent films series, is one of the nation's leading silent film accompanists, performing on both piano and theatre organ. Over the past 30+ years he has created and performed several hundred live scores for silent films on piano and theatre organ, for films lasting anywhere from one minute to five hours. Ben is a resident film accompanist at the Museum of Modern Art (NY) and at the Library of Congress' Packard Campus Theatre. His recorded scores can be heard on numerous DVD/Blu-Ray releases, on TCM and on his YouTube channel. Ben is a regular accompanist at classic film festivals around the U.S.A. and in Norway, and performs at universities, museums, and historic theaters. Ben is the producer and co-founder of The Silent Clowns Film Series, now in its 17th season in NYC. Ben's composed ensemble scores for films by Chaplin and Keaton are performed around the U.S. every year by orchestras and by concert bands. Ben has co-curated a number of film series for MoMA, and also programmed two recent DVD box sets of Ernie Kovacs television shows.

Diary of a Lost Girl (book and DVD) starring Louise Brooks

If you are still looking for just the right gift for the Louise Brooks or silent film fan on your holiday list, may I suggest Diary of the Lost Girl, either the "Louise Brooks edition" of the book that was the basis for the film, or the recently released Kino Lorber DVD or Blu-ray. (Send me your order for both items within the next five minutes and you will receive an autographed copy of each item plus free shipping -- please indicate which format disc you prefer. Offer valid only in the United States.)

Need some convincing? Here are some of the reviews for each item. Don't hesitate. Quantities are limited!

The Diary of a Lost Girl (book)

“Most certainly a book for all you Louise Brooks fans out there! And silent cinema fans as well.” – Bristol Silents (UK)

“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, Movie Crazy

“You’ve done a beautiful thing.” – Barry Paris, author of Louise Brooks

“Read today, it’s a fascinating time-trip back to another age, and yet remains compelling.” – Jack Garner, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

“It was such a pleasure to come upon your well documented and beautifully presented edition.” – Elizabeth Boa, University of Nottingham (UK)

“Long relegated to the shadows, Margarete Böhme’s 1905 novel, The Diary of a Lost Girl has at last made a triumphant return. In reissuing the rare 1907 English translation of Böhme’s German text, Thomas 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 in all ways it is a volume of uncommon merit.” – Richard Buller, author of A Beautiful Fairy Tale: The Life of Actress Lois Moran

“An amazing forward that chronicles the history of Margarete Bohme’s book … a must for any silent film fan.” — silenthollywood.com

“Historian Thomas Gladysz has done the silent film community an interesting service: He has made available the original English translation of Margaret Bohme’s novel, The Diary of a Lost Girl. To fans of the beautiful actress Louise Brooks, this is a significant contribution indeed. What makes this new book so appealing is the way in which Mr. Gladysz has presented the vintage material. Featuring a scholarly introduction and numerous, wonderfully reproduced stills and rare advertisements, it is a pleasure to behold. It is also obviously a labor of love.” – Lon Davis, author of Silent Lives

Diary of a Lost Girl (DVD / Blu-ray)

"In this masterful restoration, from archival 35 mm elements, DIARY benefits from an incisive commentary by the director of the Louise Brooks Society Thomas Gladysz." -- Stephen Schaefer,  Boston Herald

"This DVD is the best possible restored version, and is beautiful in its imagery, and in Brooks' performance. This new release also benefits from a well-researched and often-fascinating commentary track by Thomas Gladysz, director of the Louise Brooks Society." -- Jack Garner, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

"The Kino blu ray is a beautiful high def transfer.... The insightful audio commentary by Thomas Gladysz offers a wealth of fascinating information about the movie and about Ms. Brooks." -- James L. Neibaur, examiner.com

"G.W. Pabst’s silent German classic is intact, restored and looking great.... Thomas Gladysz’s commentary is thorough and informative." --  Glenn Erickson, trailersfromhell.com

"... a beautiful and masterfully made social drama. ... New to this edition is commentary by Thomas Gladysz, film historian and director of the Louise Brooks Society." -- Sean Axmaker,  www.cinephiled.com

"Diary of a Lost Girl was another torrid, atmospheric collaboration between American actress Louise Brooks and German director G. W. Pabst. The Kino Classics Blu-ray presents the film in a meticulous digital restoration to savor. Recommended.... The disc includes a feature-length Audio Commentary from scholar Thomas Gladysz, director of the long-standing website The Louise Brooks Society. This was a good, informative track revealing lots of interesting tidbits about the production, the lives of the other actors seen on screen, and Brooks' own recollections on the making of the film." -- Matt Hinrichs, DVDtalk

"Thomas Gladysz, director of the Louise Brooks Society, discusses the ambiguous nature of Georg Wilhelm Pabst's Diary of a Lost Girl, the film's visual style and its impressionistic aura, the relationships between the main characters, interesting details from the lives and careers of some of the principal actors, etc." -- Dr. Svet Atanasov, blu-ray.com

"The results are often excellent, with increased image detail that surpasses our hopes for this edition.... The supplementary material includes a new audio commentary by Thomas Gladysz, director of the Louise Brooks Society." -- Carl Bennett, silentera.com

"Diary of a Lost Girl' is a haunting work of filmmaking that I am very glad to see has made its way to Blu-ray in fine form.... Director of the Louise Brooks Society, Thomas Gladysz provides an interesting look at the film, discussing the style of the film, it's reception as well as some of the production details that are known about the film. A solid listen, especially if you're at all interested in learning more about Brooks herself." -- Matthew Hartman, High-Def Digest

"The movie is subtle and spellbinding—qualities not obvious in inferior prints. Like the earlier disc, it includes Brooks’ unremarkable comedy Windy Riley Goes Hollywood, a talkie short in lousy shape. A new extra is an informative commentary by historian Thomas Gladysz." -- Michael Barrett, popmatters

"If you think you’ve seen sordid, a characterization meant as a compliment, do not go through your movie life without seeing this second of two masterpieces that were filmed in almost boom-boom fashion by Germany’s G.W. Pabst — both starring misused-by-Hollywood Louise Brooks, whose legend is based near-exclusively on these collaborations. The most you can say against Diary of a Lost Girl is to concede its ranking just a sliver behind the previous year’s teaming on Pandora’s Box — that one about as good as the movies get." -- Mike Clark, HomeMedia Magazine

"Brooks is a remarkable screen presence, lighting up Diary's tale of an innocent girl taken advantage of by men and then punished for it.... It would be rare when any film ever was as good as the silent greats at their best, films like this one." -- Michael Giltz, HuffingtonPost

"After “Pandora’s Box,” director G.W. Pabst and actress Louise Brooks teamed up for one of the most stunning melodramas of the silent era. Beautifully restored to its original running time, the Berlin-shot film follows a naive pharmacist’s daughter as she is seduced and abandoned by her father’s assistant. Placed in a horrific home for wayward girls, she escapes only to wind up in a brothel. Way ahead of its time, “Diary” tackles provocative themes of sexuality and exploitation while providing Brooks with a role that helped defined her career. Extras: commentaries and a Brooks short from 1931." -- Amy Longsdorf, Delaware County Daily Times

Louise Brooks Society event in San Francisco on November 14

A special event celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Louise Brooks Society and the release of the new KINO DVD and Blu-ray of The Diary of a Lost Girl will take place in San Francisco at 2:00 pm on Saturday, November 14th. (Which also happens to be Louise Brooks birthday.) The event will take place at Video Wave, a video rental business of special significance to the history of the LBS.

Video Wave is now located at 4027 24th Street in the Noe Valley neighborhood of San Francisco. Recently, the San Francisco Chronicle featured the business. Read the article HERE.

Mark your calendars. This a meet and greet event. There will be NO screening, as reported in an article in the Noe Valley Voice. Thomas Gladysz, Founding Director of the LBS will be present signing copies of the new Diary of a Lost Girl DVD / Blu-ray (which features Gladysz's audio commentary) along with copies of his earlier book, the "Louise Brooks edition" of The Diary of a Lost Girl. Each will be for sale.

Here is a listing for the event which ran in the UK on the Brenton Film website: http://www.brentonfilm.com/event/louise-brooks-society-20th-anniversary-celebration

Diary of a Lost Girl screens in the UK

Diary of a Lost Girl, starring Louise Brooks, will be shown in Newnham, UK on Friday, November 6th at 7 pm -- with live musical accompaniment by Wurlitza. This should be fun. Check it out if you live in the area.

More great reviews for the KINO Lorber Diary of a Lost Girl starring Louise Brooks

More good reviews for the new KINO Lorber DVD & Blu-ray of Diary of a Lost Girl continue to trickle in. Yesterday, Stephen Schaefer wrote in the Boston Herald:

"Among the silent cinema’s style icons the sole rival to Greta Garbo is America’s Louise Brooks who never attained the stature of the glum Swede but whose remarkable memoir, the 1982 LULU IN HOLLYWOOD, single handedly revived her reputation and insured her position for posterity.  A Kansas born dancer/actress Brooks is known for epitomizing the Roaring Twenties flapper with her distinctive bobbed haircut.  She is revered for the two 1929 films she made in Europe for G. W. Pabst, PANDORA’s BOX about the femme fatale Lulu who destroys every man who comes into sphere until she is murdered by Jack the Ripper and DIARY OFA LOST GIRL (Blu-ray, Kino Classics, unrated).  DIARY has Brooks a lost soul, seduced, disowned, imprisoned in a “home” for wayward women and ending up in a swank brothel.  In this masterful restoration, from archival 35 mm elements, DIARY benefits from an incisive commentary by the director of the Louise Brooks Society Thomas Gladysz.  There is also, strangely and surprisingly and happily enough, an 18-minute sound short Brooks made in 1931, WINDY RILEY GOES HOLLYWOOD.   Brooks was 78 when she died in 1985, three short years after her book was published."

While the day before that, Amy Longsdorf, wrote in the (Cherry Hill, NJ) Courier-Post:

"Diary of a Lost Girl (1929, Kino, unrated, $30) After “Pandora’s Box,” director G.W. Pabst and actress Louise Brooks teamed up for one of the most stunning melodramas of the silent era. Beautifully restored to its original running time, the Berlin-shot film follows a naive pharmacist’s daughter as she is seduced and abandoned by her father’s assistant. Placed in a horrific home for wayward girls, she escapes only to wind up in a brothel. Way ahead of its time, “Diary” tackles provocative themes of sexuality and exploitation while providing  Brooks with a role that helped defined her career."

Kurt Gerron and Diary of a Lost Girl

My audio commentary for the new Kino Lorber DVD / Blu-ray of Diary of a Lost Girl has been getting very positive reviews. It has been described as "insightful" by a well regarded film historian, as "thorough and informative" by an Emmy nominee, and as "well-researched and often-fascinating" by a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who knew Louise Brooks.

The most recent review, a rather thoughtful piece on amazon.com, called it "excellent" - though they did have a few complaints: "The Kino Blu-ray comes with an excellent full-length audio commentary by Thomas Gladysz, the director of the Louise Brooks Society, which is an online info archive devoted to Brooks. Unfortunately, there are many long stretches of silence during the commentary. Gladysz talks about the actors and crew, the film's artistry, the historical background, and the social climate at the time the movie was made. At one point, he recommends that we check out a  documentary on the life of one of the minor actors in the movie, Kurt Gerron (who plays the portly, friendly figure of the brothel), but didn't mention the title of the documentary. That film is the 2002 Oscar-nominated feature documentary "Prisoner of Paradise", about Gerron's life and career that were cut short by the Nazis."

I stand corrected. And I am truly glad that attention has been called to this outstanding actor and personality. Here is that documentary, which includes a clip from Diary of a Lost Girl.

Diary of a Lost Girl screens in NYC on Jan 31

The new restoration of Diary of a Lost Girl (as seen on the new KINO DVD & Blu-ray) will be shown in New York City at the Schimmel Center at Pace University (home to "Inside the Actor's Studio") on January 31, 2016. Ben Model will provide musical accompaniment. More information about this special event can be found HERE.

Here is what film series description of the film. "After playing supporting roles in a string of light comedies at Paramount, Louise Brooks went to Germany and made two iconic and darkly dramatic films directed by G.W. Pabst. Her bobbed hair, charm and smoldering screen presence in the midst of the dark stories of PANDORA'S BOX and DIARY OF A LOST GIRL have made Brooks an icon of '20s culture. Her character in DIARY goes from one situation to another attempting to better her life, finding adversity, love, and tragedy."

------

BTW: the Neue Gallery in NYC just purchased a couple dozen copies of the "Louise Brooks edition" of The Diary of a Lost Girl by Margarete Bohme (edited by Thomas Gladysz) for their museum giftshop. If you are looking to check out the book that was the basis for the film, copies can be found there. Their current exhibit, "Berlin Metropolis: 1918-1933" features a work by Rudolph Schlichter, the husband of Speedy Schlichter, who appears in The Diary of a Lost Girl.

Diary of a Lost Girl screens in Berlin, Germany today

American intersex-born, genderqueer performing artist, painter, independent curator, composer, and writer Vaginal Davis will presents Diary of a Lost Girl / Tagebuch Einer Verlorenen at Arsendal in Berlin, Germany today -- Sunday, October 26th at 8:00 pm. More information may be found HERE.

"Vaginal Davis As Bricktop" by dirty filthy socks from Los Angeles, USA - Vaginal Davis As Bricktop(s). Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vaginal_Davis_As_Bricktop.jpg#/media/File:Vaginal_Davis_As_Bricktop.jpg

Here is the event description: "Since 2008, film expert Vaginal Davis has been inviting audiences to her monthly film evenings. Her anniversaries are dedicated to actress Louise Brooks, this time round in TAGEBUCH EINER VERLORENEN (G.W. Pabst, Germay 1929). Thymian exudes a special attraction to men and falls pregnant. Cast out by her father, robbed of her child, and tortured at the facility where she lives, she ends up in a brothel. "And Louise Brooks", as the Berliner Tageblatt put it, "wanders in silent beauty through the film, scared, defiant, waiting, astonished, much like the girl to whom everything happens." (stss) (25.10.)"

More information about this 1929 film may be found on the Louise Brooks Society filmography page. 

"Louise Brooks As Vaginal Davis" by clean lieder hosen from San Francisco, USA - Louise Brooks As Vaginal Davis. Licensed under CC BY YOU

Early reviews: Louise Brooks' Diary of a Lost Girl on DVD & Blu-ray

The early reviews are in - and so far, so good!

On October 20th, Kino Lorber released the 1929 Louise Brooks' film Diary of a Lost Girl on DVD and Blu-ray. This new release, featuring the recent reconstruction and restoration of the film, marks its first ever Blu-ray release in North America. These first reviewers have been positive in their assessment of the quality of the film (the way it looks) as well as the bonus material, especially the audio commentary by Louise Brooks Society director Thomas Gladysz. Here is a round-up of reviews in case you need to be convinced to get a copy.

"Diary of a Lost Girl"
by Glenn Erickson, October 5, 2015 (trailersfromhell.com)
-- "G.W. Pabst’s silent German classic is intact, restored and looking great.... Thomas Gladysz’s commentary is thorough and informative."

"Unboxing the Silents: Diary of a Lost Girl (1929) on Blu ray"
Fritzi Kramer, October 10, 2015 (Movies Silently)
-- "... the film looks fantastic overall. This edition offers no alternate scores but it does come with a commentary track from Thomas Gladysz from the Louise Brooks Society."

"DVD Review: Diary of a Lost Girl (1929)"
by James L. Neibaur, October 13, 2015 (examiner.com)
-- "The Kino blu ray is a beautiful high def transfer.... The insightful audio commentary by Thomas Gladysz offers a wealth of fascinating information about the movie and about Ms. Brooks."

"Diary of a Lost Girl (Blu-ray)"
by Matt Hinrichs, October 13, 2015 (DVDtalk)
-- "Diary of a Lost Girl was another torrid, atmospheric collaboration between American actress Louise Brooks and German director G. W. Pabst. The Kino Classics Blu-ray presents the film in a meticulous digital restoration to savor. Recommended.... The disc includes a feature-length Audio Commentary from scholar Thomas Gladysz, director of the long-standing website The Louise Brooks Society. This was a good, informative track revealing lots of interesting tidbits about the production, the lives of the other actors seen on screen, and Brooks' own recollections on the making of the film."

"Diary of a Lost Girl Blu-ray"
Dr. Svet Atanasov, October 16, 2015 (blu-ray.com)
-- "Thomas Gladysz, director of the Louise Brooks Society, discusses the ambiguous nature of Georg Wilhelm Pabst's Diary of a Lost Girl, the film's visual style and its impressionistic aura, the relationships between the main characters, interesting details from the lives and careers of some of the principal actors, etc."

"Garner: Louise Brooks' DVD release"
by Jack Garner, October 17, 2015 (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)
-- "This DVD is the best possible restored version, and is beautiful in its imagery, and in Brooks' performance. This new release also benefits from a well-researched and often-fascinating commentary track by Thomas Gladysz, director of the Louise Brooks Society."

"Diary of a Lost Girl (Kino Lorber, NR)"
by Sarah Boslaugh, October 19 2015 (playback:stl)
-- "Above all, the beauty and skill of Brooks shines through.... The film has been remastered in HD from archival 35mm segments, and comes with three extras: an informative audio commentary by Thomas Gladysz, director of the Louise Brooks Society."

"Kino Classics 2015 Blu-ray Disc edition"
by Carl Bennett, October 20, 2015, (silentera.com)
-- "The results are often excellent, with increased image detail that surpasses our hopes for this edition.... The supplementary material includes a new audio commentary by Thomas Gladysz, director of the Louise Brooks Society."

"October 20: This Week on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD"
by Silas Lesnick, October 20, 2015 (comingsoon.net)
-- "October 20 also sees the release of Kino Lorber‘s new HD take on Georg Wilhelm Pabst then-controversial 1929 film Diary of a Lost Girl, starring silent film icon Louise Brooks."

"This Week In Home Video: 'The Wolfpack,' 'Z For Zachariah,' and More"
by Vikram Murthi, October 20, 2015 (Criticwire)
-- "Kino Lorber has G.W. Pabst's 1929 "Diary of a Lost Girl" starring Louise Brooks as the daughter of a middle class pharmacist who is sent to a repressive home for wayward girls."

"New DVD and Blu-ray releases for October 20, 2015"
by Ryan Painter, October 20, 2015 (FoxReno)
"Kino gives us Diary of a Lost Girl a dark tale of a young woman thrown out of her home when she becomes pregnant starring Louise Brooks and directed by Georg Wilhelm Pabst (the duo previously teamed for Pandora's Box)."

"Diary of a Lost Girl"
by Gary Tooze, October 20, 2015 (dvdbeaver.com)
-- "Kino include an audio commentary by Thomas Gladysz, the director of The Louise Brooks Society and imparts plenty of information about the tragic star and the production.... Essential Silent Era film - and another strong package - the commentary addition gives it strong value."

Louise Brooks film Diary of a Lost Girl out on Blu-ray

Today, KINO releases Diary of a Lost Girl on Blu-ray and DVD ! Be sure and order your copy.

"The second and final collaboration of actress Louise Brooks and director G.W. Pabst (Pandora's Box), DIARY OF A LOST GIRL is a provocative adaptation of Margarethe Böhme's notorious novel, in which the naive daughter of a middle class pharmacist is seduced by her father's assistant, only to be disowned and sent to a repressive home for wayward girls. She escapes, searches for her child, and ends up in a high-class brothel, only to turn the tables on the society which had abused her. It's another tour-de-force performance by Brooks, whom silent film historian Kevin Brownlow calls an 'actress of brilliance, a luminescent personality and a beauty unparalleled in screen history'."

Special Features: Mastered in HD from archival 35mm elements, and digitally restored; Audio commentary by Thomas Gladysz, Director, Louise Brooks Society; and includes the short Windy Riley Goes Hollywood (1931, 18 Min., featuring Louise Brooks).

• Actors: Louise Brooks, Josef Rovenský, Fritz Rasp
• Directors: Georg Wilhelm Pabst
• Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, NTSC, Subtitled
• Language: German
• Subtitles: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Kino Lorber
• Run Time: 112 minutes

The Diary of a Lost Girl giveaway

In anticipation of the October 20th release of The Diary of a Lost Girl  DVD / Blu-ray from KINO, the Louise Brooks Society is sponsoring an Amazon giveaway of the Louise Brooks edition of The Diary of a Lost Girl book.

All you need to do to enter is to follow the Louise Brooks Society on Twitter. To enter visit https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/5a94de7c942497e8 

"Diary of a Lost Girl" (Louise Brooks edition)

Hosted by:

Louise Brooks ✪ (@LB_Society)

Win a copy of "Diary of a Lost Girl" (Louise Brooks edition)

Prize: The Diary of a Lost Girl (Louise Brooks edition)

Follow @LB_Society to continue.

(or click to confirm you already follow)

You need to authorize the "Amazon" application on Twitter to follow or confirm you follow @LB_Society.

Louise Brooks ✪ has paid for all prizes, sales tax, and shipping. Entry requires an Amazon.com account. Amazon will ship prizes to winners. Your account information is not shared with Louise Brooks ✪ , except winners' names may be made public. Amazon is not a sponsor of this promotion. 

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Every 400th eligible entry will win, up to 4 winners. This giveaway started October 14,2015 6:53 PM PDT and ends the earlier of October 21,2015 11:59 PM PDT or when all prizes have been awarded.

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Louise Brooks event in San Francisco on November 14th

A special event celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Louise Brooks Society and the release of the new KINO DVD and Blu-ray of The Diary of a Lost Girl will take place in San Francisco on Saturday, November 14th at 2:00 pm. (Which also happens to be Louise Brooks birthday.) The event will take place at Video Wave, a video rental business of special significance to the history of the LBS.

Video Wave is now located at 4027 24th Street in the Noe Valley neighborhood of San Francisco. Recently, the San Francisco Chronicle featured the business. Read the article HERE.

Mark your calendars. Details are still being worked out. Thomas Gladysz, Founding Director of the LBS will be present signing copies of the new Diary of a Lost Girl DVD / Blu-ray (which features Gladysz's audio commentary) along with copies of his earlier book, the "Louise Brooks edition" of The Diary of a Lost Girl. Each will be for sale.

New release: Diary of a Lost Girl first reviews

Diary of a Lost Girl The second and final collaboration of actress Louise Brooks and director G.W. Pabst (Pandora's Box), DIARY OF A LOST GIRL is a provocative adaptation of Margarethe Böhme's notorious novel, in which the naive daughter of a middle class pharmacist is seduced by her father's assistant, only to be disowned and sent to a repressive home for wayward girls. She escapes, searches for her child, and ends up in a high-class brothel, only to turn the tables on the society which had abused her. It's another tour-de-force performance by Brooks, whom silent film historian Kevin Brownlow calls an "actress of brilliance, a luminescent personality and a beauty unparalleled in screen history." - Thomas Gladysz

Germany 1929 112 Min. B&W 1920x1080p (1.33:1) Stereo 2.0
German inter titles with optional English subtitles

DIARY OF A LOST GIRL (Tagebuch einer Verlorenen)
Directed by G.W. Pabst

Based on the novel by Margarethe Böhme Photographed by Sepp Allgeier
With Louise Brooks, Fritz Rasp, André Roanne, Franziska Kinz
Music by Javier Perez de Azpeitia (piano)
Reconstruction and Restoration: Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna;Deutsches Filminstitut - DIF, Frankfurt am Main; Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung, Wiesbaden
Audio commentary by Thomas Gladysz, Director, Louise Brooks Society
Bonus: "Windy Riley Goes Hollywood" (1931, 18 Min., featuring Louise Brooks)


"We are impressed with the image quality of this new home video edition of Louise Brooks' last great film and recommend it enthusiastically to Brooks fans and silent film collectors alike." - Silent Era

"With a good commentary, and a later American short subject starring Brooks.... The Kino Classics Blu-ray of Diary of a Lost Girl is a marvelous reconstruction and restoration. With their plain title cards and tight continuity, German films of this time can be a little abrupt. But the film is surprisingly easy to follow. The inter-titles are in German, with English subs. We’re told that pieces of the picture came from different sources. All blend well save for one obvious recovered censor scene in which Meinert actually lays Thymian down on a bed. Most of the rest of the picture is in great shape. It was indeed strange, recognizing bits of the show from the long-ago screening, but only now having a clue as to what’s going on. . . . The presentation is given a piano score by Javier Perez de Azpeitia, which plays very well. Thomas Gladysz’s commentary is thorough and informative. . . . The commentary tells us everything known about practically everybody who shows up on screen." - Glenn Erickson, Trailers from Hell 

"The Kino blu ray is a beautiful high def transfer . . . The insightful audio commentary by Thomas Gladysz offers a wealth of fascinating information about the movie and about Ms. Brooks" -- film historian James Neibaur,  examiner.com

KINO's new DVD and Blu-ray of The Diary of a Lost Girl starring Louise Brooks

Here I am holding advance copies of the new KINO DVD and Blu-ray of The Diary of a Lost Girl (1929), for which I provided the audio commentary -- and in which are revealed are number of previously unknown and little known facts about the film and its making. Like, the name of the musical group seen performing in the nightclub scene, and the actor (who was James Joyce's friend) who appears in the film who also had a part in the first ever staging of Pandora's Box in Vienna (alongside Frank Wedekind), and the Cabinet of Doctor Caligari connection, and the fact that one scene was filmed in present day Poland, and more.....

The discs release on October 20th. And, there will be a release party in San Francisco on November 14th (Louise Brooks birthday) at Video Wave in Noe Valley at 2:00 in the afternoon. Details to come.

Don't miss out. Pre-order your copy today! Oh, and here is the trailer.

Louise Brooks' Diary of a Lost Girl on Blu-ray one month from today

One month from today, KINO will release Diary of a Lost Girl on Blu-ray and DVD! Be sure and pre-order your copy today. Here are some details.

"The second and final collaboration of actress Louise Brooks and director G.W. Pabst (Pandora's Box), DIARY OF A LOST GIRL is a provocative adaptation of Margarethe Böhme's notorious novel, in which the naive daughter of a middle class pharmacist is seduced by her father's assistant, only to be disowned and sent to a repressive home for wayward girls. She escapes, searches for her child, and ends up in a high-class brothel, only to turn the tables on the society which had abused her. It's another tour-de-force performance by Brooks, whom silent film historian Kevin Brownlow calls an 'actress of brilliance, a luminescent personality and a beauty unparalleled in screen history'."

Special Features: Mastered in HD from archival 35mm elements, and digitally restored; Audio commentary by Thomas Gladysz, Director, Louise Brooks Society; includes the short Windy Riley Goes Hollywood (1931, 18 Min., featuring Louise Brooks).

• Actors: Louise Brooks, Fritz Rasp, Valeska Gert
• Directors: Georg Wilhelm Pabst
• Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, NTSC, Subtitled
• Language: German
• Subtitles: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Kino Lorber
• DVD Release Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2015
• Run Time: 112 minutes

Diary of a Lost Girl with Louise Brooks screens in Buffalo on Sept. 1st

Diary of a Lost Girl, starring Louise Brooks, screens in Buffalo, New York on September 1st. The G.W. Pabst directed film is among the offerings in the fall 2015 edition of the Buffalo Film Seminars, the popular, semester-long series of film screenings and discussions hosted by UB faculty members Diane Christian and Bruce Jackson.

Each session of the Buffalo Film Seminars (BFS) begins at 7 p.m. in the Amherst Theatre, 3500 Main St. in the University Plaza, directly across the street from the South Campus. More information on the series HERE.

The series opens tomorrow with Georg Wilhelm Pabst’s controversial 1929 drama Diary of a Lost Girl. Legendary silent screen actress Louise Brooks stars as young girl who is raped by the clerk in her father’s pharmacy. She becomes pregnant, is rejected by her family, and must fend for herself in a cruel world.

Seen the movie and want to read the book? Be sure and check out the Louise Brooks edition of The Diary of a Lost Girl, by Margarete Bohme. his book was the basis the 1929 film. And what's more, this book contains a long introduction detailing the history of this singular book as well as its relationship to the G.W. Pabst directed film. And there are many illustrations as well. More information HERE.

Louise Brooks film Diary of a Lost Girl coming on Blu-ray

I am pleased to let everyone know that KINO will be releasing the 1929 Louise Brooks film, Diary of a Lost Girl, on Blu-ray in the Fall. And that this new release will feature audio commentary by yours truly, Thomas Gladysz. 

Below is a sneak peak at the cover art. The print on the Blu-ray is the Murnau Stiftung restoration (the best we are likely to ever get). My commentary will reveal a number of previously unknown bits about the cast and film - like the fact that the actor who plays the elder Count Osdorff was a friend of James Joyce and had a role in the original stage production of Pandora's Box alongside author Frank Wedekind! And then there is the Cabinet of Doctor Caligari connection....