Thank you to Amanda for alerting everyone to the on-line petition
regarding silent films on DVD. The petition hopes to encourage Fox,
Paramount, Warner Brothers, and other major studios to release their
silent films on DVD. I agree. If you can spare a moment, please take a
look, and consider signing yourself. (Wouldn't be great to have Love Em and Leave Em or Beggars of Life on DVD?) The petition can be found at www.petitiononline.com/silentDV
A cinephilac blog about an actress, silent film, and the Jazz Age, with occasional posts
about related books, music, art, and history written by Thomas Gladysz. Visit the
Louise Brooks Society™ at www.pandorasbox.com
Sunday, February 23, 2003
On-line petition
This blog is authored by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society™. Launched in 1995, the Louise Brooks Society is a pioneering website and online archive devoted to the legendary silent film star. The Louise Brooks Society operates with the consent of the Estate of Louise Brooks (Louise Brooks Heirs, LC), and have its permission to use the name and likeness of the actress. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. CONTACT: louisebrookssociety (at) gmail.com
Thursday, February 20, 2003
Two additions to the LBS website
Two recent additions to the Louise Brooks Society web site include: issue number 1020 of the Illustrierter Film-Kurier devoted to A Girl in Every Port www.pandorasbox.com/louisebrooks/archive/g irlportIllFilKur.html
and
issue number 1314 of the Illustrierter Film-Kurier devoted to The Canary Murder Case www.pandorasbox.com/louisebrooks/archive/c anaryIllFilKur.html These additions came about through the purchase of material on eBay.
and
issue number 1314 of the Illustrierter Film-Kurier devoted to The Canary Murder Case www.pandorasbox.com/louisebrooks/archive/c
This blog is authored by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society™. Launched in 1995, the Louise Brooks Society is a pioneering website and online archive devoted to the legendary silent film star. The Louise Brooks Society operates with the consent of the Estate of Louise Brooks (Louise Brooks Heirs, LC), and have its permission to use the name and likeness of the actress. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. CONTACT: louisebrookssociety (at) gmail.com
Monday, February 17, 2003
Websites worth visiting
One web sites used in the compilation of the LBS bibliographies can be found at www.ancestry.com
This genealogy site contains a database of scanned historic newspapers
which are searchable by - in effect - keyword. Normally, individuals use
this resource to locate family records, but I have found it to be a
valuable resource for film research.
So far, searches on ancestry.com have turned up a handful of articles, captioned photographs, advertisements and film reviews in small town newspapers across the United States. The result are citations from the Zanesville Times-Signal from Ohio, the Appleton Post-Cresent from Wisconsin, the Helena Indepenedent from Montana, etc. . . . Among the fascinating and sometimes rather surprising items which came to light are a February, 1925 captioned photograph mentioning Brooks return to New York from London aboard the S. S. Homeric; an interesting December, 1925 article
"Follie's Girl Sues to Supress Her Very Artistic Photographs;" a mention in a 1940 syndicated gossip column that "Louise Brooks, ex-star, is teaching the rhumba and La Conga in Wichita, Kansas;" and a small town newspaper advertisement from the mid 1950's (long after Brooks was forgotten by just about everyone) evoking glamorous movie stars of the past who started as showgirls.
[ Other similar, searchable newspaper archives include www.newspaperarchive.com and www.paperofrecord.com. Each of these sites have produced interesting material, and each is worth a visit if you are interested in family history or genealogy. Please note: Each of the previously mentioned sites require subscription.]
Silent film buffs and history buffs alike will want to check out the web site for British Pathe (located at www.britishpathe.com ). British Pathe made short newsreel films beginning around the turn-of-the-century. Thousands of these short two and three minute films are now available on-line (in a low resolution format) and can be viewed for free! There is fascinating stuff here . . . . Though there is no Brooks material, one can view vintage film of Chaplin, Fairbanks, and Valentino. For example, there is footage of Valentino's funeral in New York City, which Brooks attended. (A sobbing Poli Negri can be glimpsed, as well as Douglas Fairbanks Sr. as pallbearer.) Try searching by key words like "Charleston," "flapper" or "cinema" for other interesting material.
Another free site worth checking is the silent film database at the American Film Institute (located at www.afi.com/catalog ). There, you will find details on each of Brooks' silent films. Information on Brooks' later sound films is available only to AFI members.
So far, searches on ancestry.com have turned up a handful of articles, captioned photographs, advertisements and film reviews in small town newspapers across the United States. The result are citations from the Zanesville Times-Signal from Ohio, the Appleton Post-Cresent from Wisconsin, the Helena Indepenedent from Montana, etc. . . . Among the fascinating and sometimes rather surprising items which came to light are a February, 1925 captioned photograph mentioning Brooks return to New York from London aboard the S. S. Homeric; an interesting December, 1925 article
"Follie's Girl Sues to Supress Her Very Artistic Photographs;" a mention in a 1940 syndicated gossip column that "Louise Brooks, ex-star, is teaching the rhumba and La Conga in Wichita, Kansas;" and a small town newspaper advertisement from the mid 1950's (long after Brooks was forgotten by just about everyone) evoking glamorous movie stars of the past who started as showgirls.
[ Other similar, searchable newspaper archives include www.newspaperarchive.com and www.paperofrecord.com. Each of these sites have produced interesting material, and each is worth a visit if you are interested in family history or genealogy. Please note: Each of the previously mentioned sites require subscription.]
Silent film buffs and history buffs alike will want to check out the web site for British Pathe (located at www.britishpathe.com ). British Pathe made short newsreel films beginning around the turn-of-the-century. Thousands of these short two and three minute films are now available on-line (in a low resolution format) and can be viewed for free! There is fascinating stuff here . . . . Though there is no Brooks material, one can view vintage film of Chaplin, Fairbanks, and Valentino. For example, there is footage of Valentino's funeral in New York City, which Brooks attended. (A sobbing Poli Negri can be glimpsed, as well as Douglas Fairbanks Sr. as pallbearer.) Try searching by key words like "Charleston," "flapper" or "cinema" for other interesting material.
Another free site worth checking is the silent film database at the American Film Institute (located at www.afi.com/catalog ). There, you will find details on each of Brooks' silent films. Information on Brooks' later sound films is available only to AFI members.
This blog is authored by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society™. Launched in 1995, the Louise Brooks Society is a pioneering website and online archive devoted to the legendary silent film star. The Louise Brooks Society operates with the consent of the Estate of Louise Brooks (Louise Brooks Heirs, LC), and have its permission to use the name and likeness of the actress. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. CONTACT: louisebrookssociety (at) gmail.com
Saturday, February 15, 2003
More updates
Just added is the RadioLulu Playlist, a page on the News of Lulu website. Also updated is the Dancer & Showgirl bibliography on the LBS website.
This blog is authored by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society™. Launched in 1995, the Louise Brooks Society is a pioneering website and online archive devoted to the legendary silent film star. The Louise Brooks Society operates with the consent of the Estate of Louise Brooks (Louise Brooks Heirs, LC), and have its permission to use the name and likeness of the actress. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. CONTACT: louisebrookssociety (at) gmail.com
Wednesday, February 12, 2003
Louise Brooks bibliographies
One of the most valuable assets of the Louise Brooks Society are the
many annotated bibliographies which help document the life and career of
the actress. Most importantly, these bibliographies help organize the
vast amount of written material about the actress, including vintage
reviews of her films. The bibliographies contain not only numerous
citations, but also links to select articles. Additionally, many of the
citations are annotated with a brief quote or passage which in
themselves make for interesting reading. These web pages - all of which
are a work in progress - can be accessed at http://www.pandorasbox.com/louisebrooks/b ibliographies.html
So far, material has been gathered from the places most important to the story of Louise Brooks - Cherryvale and Wichita, Kansas, New York City, Los Angeles, California, Berlin, Germany and Rochester, New York.
Articles and film reviews are also being gathered from newspapers in nearly two dozen of the largest American cities of the 1920's - as well as select metropolitan areas in the then less populated South, Southwest and Far West. Taken together, these many articles offer a perspective on the actress in the words of her contemporaries. Additionally, many fascinating and previously unknown articles and bits of information have been uncovered. Work on the bibliographies has been going on for nearly two years, with another nine to twelve months of effort (research, interlibrary loans, reading microfilm, etc...) already mapped out.
So far, material has been gathered from the places most important to the story of Louise Brooks - Cherryvale and Wichita, Kansas, New York City, Los Angeles, California, Berlin, Germany and Rochester, New York.
Articles and film reviews are also being gathered from newspapers in nearly two dozen of the largest American cities of the 1920's - as well as select metropolitan areas in the then less populated South, Southwest and Far West. Taken together, these many articles offer a perspective on the actress in the words of her contemporaries. Additionally, many fascinating and previously unknown articles and bits of information have been uncovered. Work on the bibliographies has been going on for nearly two years, with another nine to twelve months of effort (research, interlibrary loans, reading microfilm, etc...) already mapped out.
This blog is authored by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society™. Launched in 1995, the Louise Brooks Society is a pioneering website and online archive devoted to the legendary silent film star. The Louise Brooks Society operates with the consent of the Estate of Louise Brooks (Louise Brooks Heirs, LC), and have its permission to use the name and likeness of the actress. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. CONTACT: louisebrookssociety (at) gmail.com
Tuesday, February 11, 2003
Need research help in Atlantic City
Do you live near Atlantic City, New Jersey ? If so, the Louise Brooks
Society needs your help! The LBS would like to track down newspaper
articles which appeared in the Atlantic City Evening Union.
However, the only source for that paper on microfilm is the Atlantic
County Historical Society (located at 907 Shore Rd., Somers Point, NJ
08244 phone 609-927-5218). And unfortunately for the LBS - which is
located in San Francisco, California - that institution does not loan
its holdings.
As a member of the Denishawn Dance Company, Louise Brooks performed at the Apollo Theatre in Atlantic City in October, 1923. (The Denishawn engagement ran October 15th through the 23rd.) Nearly two years later, in September of 1925, the Miss America contest was held in Atlantic City. That event provided the backdrop for Brooks' second film, The American Venus. (Participants in the contest began arriving around September 7th, and Fay Lanphier - who is starred in the film - was crowned on September 12th.)
The LBS would like to track down any and all articles, reviews or clippings about the Denishawn performance, relevant articles about the Miss America contest (especially if the making of The American Venus is mentioned), and reviews of the movie after its showing in Atlantic City in January or February of 1926. Certainly, the Atlantic City Evening Union gave coverage to one or all of these events. (Another possible source for clippings is the Atlantic City Daily Press - though it is uncertain if this newspaper was being published in the mid 1920's.) Please email the LBS if you are able to help with this special research project. The LBS would be happy to reimburse individuals for photocopies made from microfilm.
As a member of the Denishawn Dance Company, Louise Brooks performed at the Apollo Theatre in Atlantic City in October, 1923. (The Denishawn engagement ran October 15th through the 23rd.) Nearly two years later, in September of 1925, the Miss America contest was held in Atlantic City. That event provided the backdrop for Brooks' second film, The American Venus. (Participants in the contest began arriving around September 7th, and Fay Lanphier - who is starred in the film - was crowned on September 12th.)
The LBS would like to track down any and all articles, reviews or clippings about the Denishawn performance, relevant articles about the Miss America contest (especially if the making of The American Venus is mentioned), and reviews of the movie after its showing in Atlantic City in January or February of 1926. Certainly, the Atlantic City Evening Union gave coverage to one or all of these events. (Another possible source for clippings is the Atlantic City Daily Press - though it is uncertain if this newspaper was being published in the mid 1920's.) Please email the LBS if you are able to help with this special research project. The LBS would be happy to reimburse individuals for photocopies made from microfilm.
This blog is authored by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society™. Launched in 1995, the Louise Brooks Society is a pioneering website and online archive devoted to the legendary silent film star. The Louise Brooks Society operates with the consent of the Estate of Louise Brooks (Louise Brooks Heirs, LC), and have its permission to use the name and likeness of the actress. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. CONTACT: louisebrookssociety (at) gmail.com
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