Recently finished reading The Talmadge Girls by Anita
Loos. This book is an anecdotal biography of film stars Norma Talmadge
and Constance Talmadge (and to a lesser extent Natalie Talmadge, the
sister who married Buster Keaton). It is a very good read. I liked Loos'
writing so much (her own life story is intertwined with that of the
Talmadge sisters) that I followed it up with a dip into the recently
published Anita Loos Rediscovered. Some day I will have to read more about Loos' life and career. She is a really interesting figure.
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
Monday, December 29, 2003
Anita Loos and the Talmadge Girls
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, December 23, 2003
Two films
I recently rented two films which I watched for the first time ever. They were Cabaret (1972) and Mephisto (1981). Each depicts Germany in the 1920's and 1930's. I liked Cabaret a good deal, but found Mephisto interesting but a little slow.
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
Sunday, December 21, 2003
Stanford University
This month, I made four trips to the library at Stanford University. I have been wanting to visit this large academic library - located about an hour south - for some time.
I browsed "the stacks" - examining the large collection of books on
film and film history. I found a number of interesting German and French
titles which included fresh bits of information on Brooks and her three
European films. I also found some interesting books on the
German writer Frank Wedekind, author of the Lulu plays.
No trip to a library would be complete without a search through
periodicals! I looked through bound issues of old Italian and German
film magazines, as well as some French and English newspapers on
microfilm. I also looked through issues of the Stanford University
student newspaper dating from the 1920's. All of these sources yielded a
smattering of articles, reviews and advertisements.
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
Friday, December 12, 2003
Neve Campbell plans to portray Louise Brooks
This news item has been making the rounds . . . .
"Neve Campbell plans to portray Louise Brooks, the bob-haired beauty
who emerged from George White's Scandals and the Ziegfeld Follies and
escaped flapper roles in Hollywood to achieve acclaim in Germany in G.
W. Pabst films like Pandora's Box and Diary of a Lost Girl (both 1929) before becoming a recluse. Ms. Campbell has bought Lulu,
a biographical screenplay by Peter Nickowitz and Bill Oliver, titled
after the nymphomaniac portrayed by Brooks (1906-1985) in Pandora's Box. Ms. Campbell is looking for a director and for financing, according to a Reuters - Hollywood Reporter report."
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
Sunday, December 7, 2003
Barry Paris on WQED
I just clicked on the WQED link on the Barry Paris page of Louise Brooks Studies
and noticed that the station is once again being broadcast over the
internet. Barry Paris has a show on this radio station on Sunday
afternoons. Check it 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
Saturday, November 29, 2003
Diana Serra Cary ("Baby Peggy")
Two books I recently finished reading - and really enjoyed a whole lot - are Jackie Coogan: The World's Boy King by Diana Serra Cary, and What Ever Happened to Baby Peggy?,
also by by Diana Serra Cary. After having read the Coogan book - I
wanted more, and so immediately turned to the author's equally
compelling autobiography. Each were very charming, anecdotal-filled
stories of success and hardship. In the 1920's, Diana was an actress
known as "Baby Peggy." And next to Jackie Coogan (whom she knew back
then!), Diana was one of the most famous child movie stars in the whole
world. In both books, she offers an insider's perspective on fame and
fortune.
I really admire the author, who is now in her eighties. I have had
the pleasure of meeting her on a few occasions. She has written four
books to date, and I would recommend them to anyone.
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
Friday, November 21, 2003
Paul Robeson
Recently viewed Paul Robeson: Here I Stand,
an excellent 1999 documentary which originally aired as part of the
American Master's series on PBS. I thought this film was one of the
better documentaries I have seen, and very interesting as well.
A footnote: according to Martin Duberman's biography of the singer
and actor, Robeson once met Louise Brooks. Sometime around April 21,
1925, Robeson met Brooks at a party at the apartment of writer /
photographer Carl Van Vechten, according to Essie Robeson's diary. Essie
Robeson wrote of Brooks, she "was very late and I couldn't wait for
her, but . . . Paul said she was very conceited and impossible."
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, November 20, 2003
Italian website devoted to Brooks
There are a number of web pages and websites devoted to Louise Brooks. One of the best is this multi-page site from Italy, which
contains biographical information, articles, interviews, obituaries,
pictures and much more. If you haven't already checked it out, please do
so.
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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