Another nifty new Louise Brooks related find #2

During this pandemic era, I continue to stay home and conduct what research I can over the internet. And recently, I came across a few items which I had never seen before. I thought I would share them with readers of this blog. Here is the second installment in a short series of new finds.

This new find has to do with Louise Brooks' return to Hollywood, following her time in Europe during which she made three films. Brooks had spent some time in New York City, but to mark her return to Hollywood proper, her old friend George Olsen threw her a party - a party to which the public was seemingly invited as this event was advertised.

Earlier in the month, newspaper across the country ran the headline that Brooks would go to work for Columbia pictures and would star in a Buck Jones' western, hence the tagline "Brilliant Columbia Star." That didn't work out right away, and it would be six years before Brooks appeared in a Buck Jones film (Empty Saddles, from Universal) or seven years in a Columbia picture  (When You're in Love, starring Grace Moore). Nevertheless, this was a chance for fans to welcome Brooksie back to Hollywood, provided they made reservations at Olsen's. 

Besides the mention of Columbia studios, the clipping shown below is also notable in that it was one of the few mentions of Pandora's Box in any Los Angeles newspaper at the time. It also incorrectly notes that Brooks had worked for UFA. She did not.

George Olsen, after whom Olsen's Culver City nightclub was named, was a popular bandleader and a prolific recording artist. He signed with the Victor label in 1924, and remained one of Victor's most popular bands until 1933. (I have a couple of CD's of his music.) Notably, one of the musicians who was a member of his band in 1930 was the singer-saxophonist Fred MacMurray, who passed on his way to eventual movie and television stardom. I don't know if Olsen's band, let alone the future Double Indemnity / My Three Sons star was present at Brooks' party, but it is possible.

Olsen and Brooks likely knew each other through their time together in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1925. Sometime during Olsen's appearances with the Follies (in 1924 and 1925), he met and in 1926 married singer Ethel Shutta, a friend of Brooks who also appeared in the 1925 Follies as well as Louie the 14th. And here is where it gets interesting....

The group of dancers seen in the 1931 Brooks' film Windy Riley Goes Hollywood were recruited from the chorus of George Olsen’s Culver City nightclub. And what's more, that film starred Ethel's brother Jack Shutta, a stage performer making his screen debut in the title role of Windy Riley. Jack Shutta, by the way, was also the manager of Olsen's nightclub! 

To end this blog, here is Double Indemnity / My Three Sons star Fred MacMurray singing "I'm in the market for you" with George Olsen's jazz / dance band.

A nifty new Louise Brooks related find #1

During this pandemic era, I continue to stay home and conduct what research I can over the internet. And recently, I came across a few items which I had never seen before. I thought I would share them with readers of this blog. Here is the first installment in a short series of new finds.

This new find has to do with the time Louise Brooks and her Mother, Myra Brooks, almost crossed paths in Hollywood, of all places. The late 1920's were a busy time for both women. Louise was making films on the east coast, and beginning in 1927, in and around Los Angeles, California. Her Mother was a public speaker with engagements around the Midwest. 

On April 19, 1929, Louise departed New York City for Europe aboard the Ile-de-France. She was headed to Paris, where she was engaged to begin work on Prix de beaute. A few days earlier, Brooks' mother had arrived in Los Angeles, where she was set to give a series of "self-improvement" themed talks. Between April 15 and May 25, Myra Brooks was engaged to speak on "agelessness and the necessity and method of keeping youthful" and "What Every Woman Wants to Know" at the Studio of Philosophy in Hollywood. As with her talks elsewhere, promotional coverage sometimes mentioned that the speaker was the mother of a famous actress.

Over the years, I have uncovered a handful of articles about Myra Brooks' talks in Benton Harbor, Michigan (near Chicago), in Kansas, and as well listings for various engagements in scarce Chautauqua publications. However, this is the first time I have uncovered any documentary material related to her Hollywood engagements. Here are three advertisements for Myra Brooks' Hollywood talks.

 

I haven't been able to find anything about the Studio of Philosophy in Hollywood. Does any reader of this blog know anything more? To give some context, on the pages where the above clippings appeared there were articles and advertisements for Theosophy, Christian Science, and various Catholic and Christian movements and groups - even dieting. Today, I suppose, these self-improvement movements with a spiritual flavor might be called "pop psychology."

To me, it's interesting that both Louise and her Mother strove throughout their lives to make sense of the world. Myra seemed to do this through self-improvement and self-empowerment. Louise seemed to do this by reading, not only philosophy but also history and biography, and by writing in her journals and by writing letters. I think, Louise's writing was her way of explaining the world to herself.

Happy Birthday to Louise Brooks

 Happy Birthday to Louise Brooks, who was born on this day in 1906 in Cherryvale, Kansas. 

Film buffs are celebrating in Zurich, Switzerland, where a major retrospective is coming to an end. Read all about it in a big new article, "Lulu Forever: the 2020 Louise Brooks FilmPodium Retrospective (Zurich)," on FILM INTERNATIONAL. 

New Find 4 - an Unknown Louise Brooks Film Cameo?

There is still a lot of interesting Louise Brooks & silent film material yet to discover. This post is the fourth in an ongoing series highlighting some of the newly found material I have just recently come across while stuck at home due to the coronavirus. With time on my hands, I have turned to picking through some of the many online databases and archives - some of which are newly accessible (due to the physical restrictions put on researchers because of the coronavirus), and some of which I am returning to in order to more thoroughly explore their holdings. As I am always finding out, it pays to not only have more than one set of key words to search under, but to look in the most unlikely places. You never know what you will find. Be sure and follow this blog for more discoveries in the coming weeks.

In 1926, Paramount released Fascinating Youth; the studio filled the film with its "Junior Stars" - including Charles "Buddy" Rogers (in his feature debut), as well as Thelma Todd, Josephine Dunn, Jack Luden, Iris Grey and others. It was an ensemble effort which was meant to feature and promote recent graduates of the Paramount Pictures acting school. Sam Wood directed, while Robert Benchley helped pen the titles. In addition, a number of established Paramount stars also made cameo appearances in the film, including the one and only Clara Bow. Some of the other well known Paramount talent who appear in Fascinating Youth include actors Richard Dix, Adolphe Menjou, Lois Wilson, Percy Marmont, Chester Conklin, Thomas Meighan, and Lila Lee, as well as directors Lewis Milestone and Malcolm St. Clair. AND POSSIBLY, LOUISE BROOKS?

I recently came across an article about the film which mentions Louise Brooks' "minor role" in Fascinating Youth. The article is Bill Reilly's "The School for Scandalous Success," which appeared in Moving Picture World on March 13, 1926. Seemingly, the article was written after the author saw the film premiered at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in New York City on March 2nd, following a banquet and the Paramount school graduation exercises. Brooks' name is highlighted in the piece below.

Brooks' possible cameo was news to me! I searched out and read a number of other magazine and newspaper articles about the film, and only a few mentioned some of the prominent stars who appear in bit parts. This brief write up in Photoplay lists them, and is likely one of the sources for the very same credits found on IMDb and Wikipedia.

This considered review in Picture Play magazine (shown below) also mentions some of the big names in the film, but not all, and not Louise Brooks. Sally Benson, the reviewer who penned this piece, especially liked Chester Conklin's role, but curiously didn't mention emerging superstar Clara Bow.

Shown below are Chester Conklin and Clara Bow in a scene from the 1926 Paramount Pictures production, Fascinating Youth.

Few newspaper articles (which are typically shorter and less detailed) mentioned cameos by the big name stars. One that did appeared in the Washington Evening Star on July 7, 1926. The author changes the standard line-up of stars ever so slightly, adds Ralph Lewis, and misspells Lois Wilson's name. The Evening Star article, shown below, also mentions that the film offered "behind-the-scenes glimpses of Paramount's Long Island Studio."

A similar piece in the Boston Globe mentions Adolphe Menjou, Richard Dix, Lois Wilson, Clara Bow and Percy Marmont. While a May 10 review in the Brooklyn Times-Union notes only Adolphe Menjou, Richard Dix, and Lois Wilson. However, the latter piece does ad some interesting detail to the roles played by the name stars. It is excerpted here, beginning with "The rather vapid story tells of a young man threatened...."

Of all the few dozen magazine and newspaper articles I looked at, only Bill Reilly's "The School for Scandalous Success" mentions Louise Brooks. I wonder why? Was it a simple mistake? Did Reilly confuse a similar looking background actor with Brooks? Or did Reilly confuse Clara Bow (who isn't mentioned) with Brooks, a not uncommon mistake? We may never know....

Compared to Menjou, Dix, Marmont and the other Paramount actors said to have appeared in Fascinating Youth, Brooks was little known. Their cameos were deliberate, meant to ad star luster to a film whose cast featured talent who hadn't made a name for themselves. If Brooks made an appearance in the film, it was in all likelihood accidental.

By March of 1926, Brooks had achieved a certain degree of renown in New York City - when Fascinating Youth was screened at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. While not yet known nationally as an actress, Brooks was known around NYC as a showgirl & personality, having performed with both the George White Scandals and Ziegfeld Follies. She had also gotten her name and picture in local papers on numerous occasions. Perhaps Reilly knew her or knew of her and recognized her and gave her a shout-out? We may never know....

While it is unlikely Brooks appeared in Fascinating Youth (based on scant evidence = one mention in an article in a film magazine), it is not impossible. According to friend and film historian J. B. Kaufman, who authored a stellar article "Fascinating Youth: The Story of the Paramount Pictures School," Fascinating Youth was in production "between 23 November and 24 December 1925. Then the location shooting started the week after Christmas and lasted until mid-January 1926." According to articles from the time, location shooting on Fascinating Youth was done in the Adirondacks, while  the earlier work was done at Paramount's Astoria Studio on Long Island, and as well, possibly, in Greenwich Village, as some articles mention.

At the time Fascinating Youth was being made, Brooks was also in New York City, and was set to begin work on A Social Celebrity. Brooks' third film was directed by Mal St. Clair, starred Adolph Menjou, and featured Chester Conklin - each of whom made a cameo in Fascinating Youth. Production work on A Social Celebrity began on December 21, 1925 and continued through the third week of January, 1926. Like Fascinating Youth, the Brooks' film was shot at Paramount’s Astoria Studios on Long Island, with location work done elsewhere on Long Island (in the village of Huntington) as well as in Manhattan.


Today, Fascinating Youth is considered a lost film. And truth be told, we may never know who else - including Louise Brooks - may have made an appearance in the film, no matter how brief. She was in the right place at the right time, but we may never know....

Book recommendations from the Louise Brooks Society

If you are stuck at home due to the coronavirus pandemic and are wanting to catching up on your reading... may we recommend the following books on Louise Brooks, silent film, and early Hollywood. Many, but not all, of these titles are available through local independent bookstores like Powell's Books in Portland, Oregon, national chain stores like Barnes & Noble, online stores like amazon.com, or specialty shops like Larry Edmunds in Hollywood. The latter was written up here in the previous post. Some of these titles, especially those published by larger publishers, might also be available as an e-book through your local library.

Before getting into books on the silent and early sound era, let's look toward the Louise Brooks bookshelf. Three essential books any fan will want to read are the biography by Barry Paris and Louise Brooks' own volume of memoirs, Lulu in Hollywood. Both are still available thanks to the efforts of the Louise Brooks Society, which helped bring them back into print. I would also recommend both Jan Wahl's wonderful Dear Stinkpot: Letters From Louise Brooks, and Pamela Hutchinson's recently reissued Pandora's Box (Die Büchse der Pandora), from BFI Film Classics. And, I might also put in a plug for a few of my recent books, Louise Brooks, the Persistent Star (a collection of essays), Beggars of Life: A Companion to the 1928 Film, and Now We're in the Air: A Companion to the Once "Lost" Film.

There are a few other titles available, like Peter Cowie's Louise Brooks: Lulu Forever and Roland Jaccard's Louise Brooks: Portrait of an Anti-Star, but they are out of print and a bit harder to track down. Tom Graves' My Afternoon with Louise Brooks is also of interest, and I've written about it a number of times here on the Louise Brooks Society blog. Otherwise, be sure and check out the Books for Sale table here on the blog for even more related and recommended titles. On a final note, let me add that a title like Louise Brooks: Her men, affairs, scandals and persona is a pile of crap, and unless you like stepping in dog-shit, I would avoid it all together.

Among the new and recent releases realted to the silent and early sound era, I would recommend Rediscovering Roscoe: The Films of “Fatty” Arbuckle, by Steve Massa. I recently wrote it here on the LBS blog. It is an interesting read, and not only because Arbuckle directed Louise Brooks in a 1931 short, Windy Riley Goes Hollywood.

Also recently released and more than deserving of a read is Donna Hill's Rudolph Valentino: The Silent Idol, His Life in Photographs. As Kevin Brownlow remarked, "Besides being superbly researched, Silent Idol is filled with outstanding photographs, [and] given the standard of reproduction they deserve. I recommend it wholeheartedly."

If you find yourself drawn to the exoticism of early Hollywood, then you will likely find yourself drawn to the Agata Frymus' Damsels and Divas: European Stardom in Silent Hollywood (Rutgers University Press). Film scholar Michael Williams stated, "Written with engaging clarity and scholarly vigour and founded on first-class archival research, Damsels and Divas is a hugely welcome addition to scholarship on Hollywood stardom in the 1920s. The book shines much-needed light on the extraordinary careers of European female stars Pola Negri, Vilma Bánky and Jetta Goudal as well as the discourses of ethnicity, gender and class that shaped the firmament in which they, as Frymus puts it, ‘shone briefly, but very brightly’."

Two other recent titles worth noting are Dan van Neste's They Coulda Been Contenders: Twelve Actors Who Should Have Become Cinematic Superstars (Bear Manor), a highly enjoyable read, and Barbara Tepa Lupack's Silent Serial Sensations: The Wharton Brothers and the Magic of Early Cinema (Cornell University Press). Regarding the latter, Jack Garner (Louise Brooks' friend and former staff film critic at the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle) stated, "Silent Serial Sensations shines an overdue spotlight on a little-known but essential part of cinema history. Barbara Tepa Lupack tells the surprising and rich story of the creative Wharton brothers and their Ithaca studio in this well-researched and engaging history."

And finally, here are some links to some of my past book recommendations and where they were published.

Best Film Books of 2017: Silent Comedy Edition. Huffington Post

Best Film Books of 2017. Huffington Post

The BFI Re-Opens Silent Film Pandora’s Box. PopMatters

Pola Negri: Her films were silent. She wasn’t. Huffington Post

The Case for Marion Davies. Huffington Post

Two Film Historians and Their Lifelong Labor of Love. Huffington Post 

Son of Best Film Books of 2016. Huffington Post
 
Best Film Books of 2016. Huffington Post

Laurel & Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies. Huffington Post

New Book Surveys Jules Verne on Film. Huffington Post

Spooky Film History Books for Halloween. Huffington Post

Best Films Books of 2015. Huffington Post

Best Film Books of 2014. Huffington Post

Best Film Books of 2013. Huffington Post 

Best Film Books of 2012. Huffington Post

The Movies: 10 Must-Read Books Coming This Fall. Huffington Post   

Best Film Books of 2011 Are Biographies. Huffington Post 

Director John Huston – the story of a story-teller revealed in new book. San Francisco Chronicle / SFGate

Walt Disney’s silent inspirations. San Francisco Chronicle / SFGate

Thomas Gladysz’s most treasured book. San Francisco Chronicle

Best Film Books for 2010. Huffington Post 

Dear Stinkpot: Letters from Louise Brooks by Jan Wahl. Huffington Post  

New Chaplin book by Kevin Brownlow. San Francisco Silent Film Festival blog

New book on Edison’s Frankenstein. San Francisco Silent Film Festival blog

Best film books of 2009. examiner.com

Where and how to stream Louise Brooks and silent & classic film from home

Interested in Louise Brooks? Like silent and classic films? Wondering what to watch during these trying times? Here are a few suggestions.... more to come in the following days.

First off, let me recommend Ben Model's “The Silent Comedy Watch Party”.  The premiere episode  will stream live on Sunday March 22 at 3pm EDT (New York, east coast USA). Hosted by silent film accompanist Ben Model and film historian Steve Massa, the one-hour program will present three rare slapstick comedy shorts. The films will be streamed live — Ben Model will accompany them live on piano, and Steve Massa will introduce the films. The show will live-stream on YouTube (scroll down for link and embed). More info HERE.

Time zone info “The Silent Comedy Watch Party”

    Pacific Time – 12 noon
    Mountain Time – 1pm
    Central Time – 2pm
    Eastern Time – 3pm
    Argentina Time – 4pm
    UK/England – 7pm
    Europe/Scandinavia et al – 8pm (20:00)
    Eastern Australia – 3am Monday; Western Australia – 6am Monday
    Japan (Tokyo) – 4am Monday

Yesterday, Forbes magazine ran an article by Sheena Scott titled "Where To Stream Films And Shows For Free". I recommend you check it out. The author surveyed the online offerings from various archives and institutions, including the British Film Institute (BFI) and Cineteca Milano. Regarding the latter, she wrote. 

The Milan Cinematheque was one of the first film archives to have its rich catalogue be available to stream online for free due to the spread of the Coronavirus. Italy is the country most hit by the virus and is now on lockdown. To access the film catalogue, you must first register at this address (click here). Instructions are pretty easy to follow, even if you don’t speak or read Italian.

According to Le Figaro, the number of people who registered increased from 300 to 19,000, four days ago. That number must have by now further increased. The Morando Morandini Collection, named after the Italian film critic, offers over 500 films dated from the beginning of cinema. There is thus an important proportion of silent films, majority of which of course are Italian, with a few added gems from France (see notably an early sound film by Augusto Genina’s Prix de beauté, named Miss Europa in the catalogue, starring the “It” girl of the 1920s Louise Brooks), the U.S. (see for example Paul Leni’s silent classic The Man who Laughs (L’uomo Che Ride) starring Conrad Veidt), and Germany (see, for example, F.W. Murnau’s classic silent Faust).

WOW! As is known, the silent and sound versions of Prix de beauté was released in four different languages. This generous offering - a rare opportunity - from the Cineteca Milano means that fans of Louise Brooks can now watch the silent Italian version of Prix de beauté (1930), one of the actress' great films. Even if you have seen this film before, you will want to watch this version.

Louise Brooks, stuck at home, in the 1930 film, Prix de beauté

Subscribe and stay tuned to this blog for more recommended viewing and reading in the coming days.

Effects of the Coronavirus on the Silent and Classic Film World

The coronavirus has hit the film world, and rightly so, a number of upcoming festivals have been cancelled or postponed. Among the silent & classic film festival which have been effected are the Turner Classic Film Festival (news link) and Toronto Silent Film Festival (announcement link). I recently signed books at the Egyptian theater in Hollywood following it's screening of the 1929 Louise Brooks film Pandora's Box. And just recently, the American Cinematheque has suspended all screenings and public events at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and its sister venue, the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica. Other rep houses and theaters have closed, while other classic film screenings have been can cancelled.

Also postponing it's annual event is the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. Set to kick-off at the end of April, the SFSFF is now set to take place November 11 through November 15 at the historic Castro theatre. The festival added, "We have an exceptional program planned that we look forward to sharing with you. We’ve already announced our restorations of Erich von Stroheim’s Foolish Wives, the delightful Baby Peggy short The Kid Reporter, and the beautiful color-stencil San Francisco, the Golden Gate City. Complete details will be announced in the Fall."

Louise Brooks one-time home, New York state, is a hotspot, and in New York City 75% of non-essential workers have been told to stay home. Here in Northern California, the San Francisco Bay Area is under a "shelter-in-place" order, while Sacramento is under a voluntary "shelter in place". 

With so many Americans at home, it is a good time to catch up on reading, listing to music, or watching favorite films or television shows. (Besides practicing good hygiene and social distancing, it's also valuable to maintain good mental health!) In the coming days, I will put together a few posts of online resources for fans of Louise Brooks and early film. Be part of the smart set and stay home. In the meantime, check out the Louise Brooks Society website.

Louise Brooks Onscreen in Hollywood!

Louise Brooks Onscreen!

Louise Brooks in PANDORA'S BOX PANDORA'S BOX (35mm print) Starring Louise Brooks Saturday, February 29, 2020 - 8:00 PM Egyptian Theatre Hollywood Co-presented by the LA Phil, American Cinematheque and the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles With live musical accompaniment by composer and jazz pianist Cathlene Pineda along with trumpeter Stephanie Richards and guitarist Jeff Parker. Join us at 7:00 PM in the lobby, where author Thomas Gladysz will sign his book, Louise Brooks, the Persistent Star. Part of the LA Phil's Weimar Variations program focused on Germany's Weimar Republic (1919 - 1933) culture. Additional free programs at the Egyptian Theatre earlier in the day. 35 mm! PANDORA'S BOX (DIE BÜCHSE DER PANDORA) 1929, Janus Films, 110 min, Germany, Dir: G.W. Pabst As Henri Langlois once thundered, "There is no Garbo! There is no Dietrich! There is only Louise Brooks!" Here she proves it with one of the wildest performances of the silent era, as the dancer-turned-hooker Lulu who attracts men like moths to a candle. Politicians, titans of industry and the aristocracy are all part of the milieu Lulu inhabits as the story begins; her eventual descent to a criminal underworld underlines the fragility of German society between the wars. The combination of Brooks and director G.W. Pabst ("It was sexual hatred that engrossed his whole being with its flaming reality," she once said) is still astonishing. Tickets Price: $15 General. No vouchers. | 35mm print courtesy of the George Eastman Museum. Preservation funded by Hugh M. Hefner. | Book sales by Larry Edmunds Bookshop. Visit the ADSLA table in the lobby to find out about upcoming events! TICKETS Click above for advance tickets on Fandango or purchase at the box office. Parking: Parking at meters (some are only one hour) and in area lots $15-20. Metro Redline at Hollywood & Highland. Where: Egyptian Theatre 6712 Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood, CA 90028  website  Local Historic Dining: Miceli's Italian Restaurant (1949) Musso & Frank Grill (1919) The Roosevelt Hotel (new restaurants inside a vintage hotel)

Louise Brooks Society books now at Larry Edmunds bookshop in Hollywood

During my recent trip to Los Angeles, I had the chance to visit Larry Edmunds. I've visited the historic bookshop (located at 6644 Hollywood Blvd) many times in the past, but always as a customer. This time, I dropped off copies of three of my books, each of which are now for sale at the famous Hollywood bookshop. The current owner of the shop and I also discussed the possibility of doing an event sometime next year to mark the publication of my forthcoming publication, Around the World with Louise Brooks, as well as to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Louise Brooks Society.

The three titles now available at Larry Edmunds are Louise Brooks: the Persistent Star, Beggars of Life: a Companion to the 1928 Film, and Now We're in the Air: a Companion to the Once Lost Film. If you live in or around Los Angeles, this is the place to go to check out these Louise Brooks Society publications (and a whole lot more).

Larry Edmunds Bookshop has been in business for over 70 years. As such, it is one of the last surviving cinema and theatre book and memorabilia stores in North America. It features an inventory of 500,000 movie photographs, 6,000 original movie posters and 20,009 motion picture and theater books. This is the place where film buffs come to shop.

Larry Edmunds Bookshop (photo by Gary Leonard via onlyinhollywood.org)

Larry Edmunds Bookshop opened in 1938, during the last couple years of Louise Brooks residency in Los Angeles. So who knows, perhaps she shopped there at one time or another.

Larry Edmunds Bookshop in 1965 (photo courtesy of Larry Edmunds Bookshop)

p.s. Larry Edmunds is located on Hollywood Blvd, where many stars from the Hollywood Walk of Fame are located. And fittingly, the star located just in front of the bookshop is that of Ray Bradbury, the great writer and lover of old movies.

Some notes on my Louise Brooks presentation at the Rudolph Valentino Memorial

One week ago, on Friday August 23, I delivered the keynote address at the 92nd Rudolph Valentino Memorial Service at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, California. Despite a technical glitch which delayed my talk by a minute or two, things went well. Returning to my seat, noted author and film historian Jeffrey Vance told me "good job." I was pleased. The memorial was a moving experience and a memorable event. I hope those who couldn't attend the event in person watched it online as it streamed live over Facebook. (I am not sure how many watched it this year, but last year more than 4000 people from around the world tuned-in to the event!)

(Left) At the Hollywood Forever Cemetery  (Right) My wife and I at Valentino's crypt shortly before the service

My talk focused on Rudolph Valentino and Louise Brooks, and their little known "history." I shared some rare material on the two actors - including audio material few if anyone alive has heard. As event organizer and host Tracy Terhune said afterword, it was great to hear a first hand account of Valentino in the voice of someone who was there.

(Left) Preparing for the event (Right) The Memorial program

My power point presentation pointed out what the two silent films stars had in common, and that fact that these two Jazz Age personalities did know one another - if only in passing. We know, for   example, that Brooks encountered Valentino - or at least observed him - from afar at parties and social gatherings. She said as much to author Jan Wahl, a friend and correspondent later in life. As I mentioned, Brooks once told Wahl she had observed a neglected Valentino at a party at Gloria Swanson's house in Englewood, New Jersey. Swanson had thrown the party in Rudy’s honor, and even imported a parquet floor for the night so Valentino could dance the tango. According to Brooks, Valentino had a sallow complexion and sat at the bottom of the stairs, unnoticed. My guess is that party must have taken place shortly before Valentino's death.

Brooks was filming in NYC on the day Valentino died, and as I discovered a number of years ago, she attended Valentino's funeral mass. According to the New York Morning Telegraph, Brooks was among the select mourners at this invitation only event. The newspaper singled her out, stating she had “cried unashamed.”

As I also noted, Brooks continued to remember Rudy as the years passed. We know, for example, that in 1938 Brooks went to a revival screening of The Sheik at the Filmarte theatre on Vine Street in Los Angeles. Valentino was also among the personalities from her younger days who are recounted in the notebooks she began keeping later in life.

In 1962, Brooks was living a quiet life in Rochester, New York. She was considered something of a minor celebrity around town, having once been a “movie star.” A local radio station asked the one-time actress to talk about the personalities she had known in Hollywood. Recordings of those programs were long thought lost, if in fact, they were ever put on tape. Last year, however, I uncovered the audio tapes of Brooks’ unedited commentary, and I concluded my talk with two brief excerpts in which Brooks spoke of Valentino, including the last time she saw Rudy, just a couple of weeks before his death.Here is a transcribed excerpt of my excerpts:

Louise Brooks: I have a sweet story to tell you what happened just two weeks before he died.... he was there in New York for the opening of his greatest picture. It turned out to be the Son of the Sheik. And one night I was sitting in the Lido, the most fashionable night club in New York. He came in all alone in his beautiful black tails and his white tie, and his beautiful back hair and his dark skin. He came over to our table. I was sitting with Ben Ali Haggin and his girl, who was a great friend of Rudy’s – Rudy had many, many women friends. She was a beautiful red head in sea green [dress].... He said “will you dance?” So she got up and they went to the dance floor and the band stopped the fox trot. They started to tango. And something happened that we’ve seen in movies that is always something unbelievable.... So they began to dance a tango and of course they were perfect. It was exquisite. This red head in green, floating drapery. Everyone sat down.... All the celebrities in New York went there. It was café society at the time. They couldn’t help it. They all sat down and watched. And finally the dance ended. And again the right thing happened. No one applauded. No one said a word. Rudy brought Irene back to our table. Said "thank you very much." And bowed. Then he walked back to the stairs that led up under the exit sign and walked through the black velvet curtain and disappeared. And nobody said anything. An absolute stillness. They had seen something beautiful, beautiful. It really was an exit in a way.

After the event, a small group went to Tracy Terhune's apartment for a Valentino-appropriate lunch of spaghetti and meatballs. Tracy is the organizer of the current memorial service, its Master of Ceremonies, as well as the grandson of actor Max Terhune. Tracy wowed my wife and I with a tour of his apartment and its many Valentino treasures. He also told us of how his grandfather got started in pictures -- thanks to close friend Gene Autrey -- and what he knew about Max Terhune's role as one of the three mesquiteers in Louise Brooks' last film, Overland Stage Raiders (1938), which starred John Wayne. Below is a picture of Tracy and I which shows off just a fraction of his fabulous Valentino collection.

Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood - Quentin Tarantino & Louise Brooks

During a recent trip to Michigan I found myself in Traverse City, where I went past the historic State Theater, which is owned by documentary filmmaker Micheal Moore. The State was showing Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in ... Hollywood. Out front, in the sidewalk, are the hand prints of a few celebrities who have visited the theater. I noticed the lovely Geraldine Chaplin (the daughter of Charlie Chaplin and the star of one of my all-time favorite films, Doctor Zhivago).

A week later, I was in Los Angeles, and thanks to dear friends had the opportunity to attend a 35 mm screening of Once Upon a Time in ... Hollywood at the historic Beverly Cinema, which is owned by Quentin Tarantino. I enjoyed the film a good deal, and thought I spotted a Louise Brooks-related Easter egg.... shortly after the legendary late 1960s LA nightclub Pandora's Box is depicted in Tarantino's film, a character named Lulu is introduced. Coincidence? Perhaps.

Coincidentally for real, in 1931, the Beverly showed one of the most unusual double bills I've ever come across while researching the career of Louise Brooks. That double bill featured the 1931 Paramount farce It Pays to Advertise (featuring Louise Brooks) and the 1929 German mountain movie White Hell of Pitz Palu (directed by G.W. Pabst during the months between his making Pandora's Box and Diary of a Lost Girl). What the patrons of the Beverly thought of this strange double bill one could only guess.

It is worth noting that Quentin Tarantino gave Pabst's White Hell of Pitz Palu a big shout out in his earlier film, Inglorious Bastards, as seen in the image below. Why, I can't say. Perhaps it's because Tarantino, like G.W. Pabst, is an indie director. And perhaps Tarantino feels an affinity for other independents and film history. Q., if you're reading this, drop me a line.

Louise Brooks presentation at the 92nd Rudolph Valentino Memorial service

On Friday August 23, I will be speaking about Louise Brooks and Rudolph Valentino at the 92nd Rudolph Valentino Memorial service at the historic Hollywood Forever Cemetery (6000 Santa Monica Blvd) in Hollywood, California. I hope those who live in Southern California can make it to this special event. If you can't make it, or live outside the greater Los Angeles area, please note that this event will be broadcast live over Facebook.

During my brief, ten minute presentation, I plan to share some extremely rare material on the subject of Brooks and Valentino - including audio material few if anyone alive has heard. If you are a fan of either Brooks or Valentino (or Gloria Swanson), you won't want to miss it!

At this annual event, fans from all corners of the globe come together to mark the passing of a true talent and film legend. The Valentino Memorial, held each year on August 23rd (beginning at 12:10 p.m., the time of Valentino's death in 1926), is the longest running annual event in Hollywood, pre-dating the Academy Awards. The event is free and open to the public. Arrive early as seats go quickly. For more on this historic event, check out these articles by Allen Ellenberger. And here is a LINK to a Facebook page previewing the memorial from two years ago.

I wish to thank the event's current organizer and master of ceremonies, Tracy Terhune, for inviting me to speak at the event. Not only is Tracy an authority on the life and films of Valentino, but he is also the author of a book on the remarkable history of the memorial, Valentino Forever: The History of the Valentino Memorial Services. It is a fascinating read. I should also add that Tracy is the grandson of Max Terhune, one of the stars of the Three Mesquiteers series of Westerns which included Overland Stage Raiders (1938), Louise Brooks' final film!

Around the World with Louise Brooks : Paramount's KNX Radio Station in Los Angeles

Who might know more about the Paramount radio station, KNX in Los Angeles? Is it the same, or related to, the KNX super-station currently heard in the LA area? Is there a history of the station or of broadcasting in the LA area that might be consulted? Are there records as to what was broadcast in the late 1920s? (I have looked at old newspaper listings, and they don't reveal all that much.)

I am wondering if Louise Brooks was ever heard on the station, or were one of her films featured? The microphone below pictures Clara Bow and two of Brooks' two-time co-stars, Adolphe Menjou and Wallace Berry.

The other day, I came across a few clippings about the station, which according to the second clipping went on the air on Armistice Day in 1928. These clipping seem to be somewhat at odds with the Wikipedia history of the station in that the station went on the air before 1928 and they don't mention the Paramount connection. Might Paramount have leased air time, or only broadcast at certain times? I would like to learn more. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Here is a clipping which notes the stations 1927 debut, and what was heard on that day.

And here is an article from the San Bernadino County Sun newspaper about the station's launch. There is only little mention of Paramount.

L.A.'s Legendary Restaurants: Celebrating the Famous Places Where Hollywood Ate, Drank, and Played

For a few years at the time in the 1920s and 1930s, Louise Brooks lived in Los Angeles. And, like other residents and celebrities, she frequented the city's various restaurants and nightclubs.

A swell new book from Santa Monica Press, L.A.'s Legendary Restaurants: Celebrating the Famous Places Where Hollywood Ate, Drank, and Played, by George Geary, gives some sense of what it would have been like to dine out in golden age Hollywood.

From the publisher: "L.A.’s Legendary Restaurants is an illustrated history of dozens of landmark eateries from throughout the City of Angels. From such classics as the Musso & Frank Grill and the Brown Derby in the 1920s, to the see-and-be-seen crowds at Chasen’s, Romanoff’s, and Ciro’s in the mid-twentieth century, to the dawn of California cuisine at Ma Maison and Spago Sunset in the 1970s and ’80s, L.A.’s Legendary Restaurants celebrates the famous locations where Hollywood ate, drank, and played.

Award-winning chef, best-selling author, and renowned educator George Geary leads you on a tour of these glamorous restaurants through a lively narrative filled with colorful anecdotes and illustrated with vintage photographs, historic menus, and timeless ephemera. Over 100 iconic recipes for entrées, appetizers, desserts, and classic drinks are included, and all have been updated by Chef Geary for today’s cook and kitchen.

L.A.’s Legendary Restaurants is sprinkled with fun facts and trivia, from Elizabeth Taylor’s craving for Chasen’s chili on the set of Cleopatra, to Bob Hope’s favorite place to enjoy a hot fudge sundae after the Academy Awards, to the restaurant where a table was sawed off to accommodate a pregnant Lana Turner, to the soda fountain counter where composer Harold Arlen wrote “Over the Rainbow” for The Wizard of Oz.

The book runs the gamut of L.A.’s restaurant scene, covering not only the fashionable, high-priced eateries favored by the Hollywood cognoscenti, but also the drive-ins, drugstores, nightclubs, and bars frequented by the average Angeleno. What book on L.A. restaurants would be complete without tales of ice cream sundaes at C. C. Brown’s, cafeteria-style meals at Clifton’s, late-night breakfasts at Ben Frank’s, or mai tais at Don the Beachcomber?

Most of the locations in L.A.’s Legendary Restaurants no longer exist, but George Geary has brought their memories back to life. And with Chef Geary’s updated recipes, we can still enjoy many of the same iconic dishes that kept customers coming back to their favorite haunts again and again."

The book is organized by when each restaurant was in business. (A few still are.) Early film buffs will enjoy the images of movie stars likeCharlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard, Harold Lloyd and Mildred Davis, Norma Shearer, Thelma Todd, Constance Bennett, Claudette Colbert, Carole Lombard, and the Marx Brothers as they ate out at the Pig 'n Whistle, Brown Derby, Musso and Franks, Romanoff's, Clifton's Cafeteria, Schwab's Pharmacy and elsewhere.