Sunday, August 21, 2005

A couple of days late

Apparently, Pandora's Box was shown on Friday. I just noticed this Spanish-language newsgroup posting. I am not sure if this screening took place in Argentina, or Spain. Does anyone know?

Viernes 19, 22.30 hs.
Ciclo de Cine Alemán-Cine Mudo-Música en vivo
"Lulu o la Caja de Pandora" (1928/29) de Georg Wilhelm Pabst
Centro Cultural Estación Provincial
Calle 17 y 71 - La Plata
Entada: libre

La obra que lanzó a la fama a Louise Brooks y la obra maestra de su director, Georg Wilhelm Pabst. Una obra clave de la Historia del Cine. Louise Brooks, que se impuso a actrices de la talla de Marlene Dietrich, interpreta a Lulú, una mujer magnética y hechizante, auténtica femme fatale, que hace que todas las personas que la rodean caigan rendidos ante su encanto, y con ello, caigan en la perdición. Todo ello dotado de una ambigüedad que nos hace dudar si Lulú es una mujer que se aprovecha de su belleza, o si, por el contrario, no es consciente de ella y son los demás los que se aprovechan de ella. A la maravillosa interpretación de Louise Brooks se une el extraordinario oficio de su director, el reputado Georg Wilhelm Pabst, que impregna esta película de una sobriedad y de un realismo que dota a todo el film de una verosimilitud y de un ritmo inteligente que sigue vigente 75 años después.

My browser translation utility renders it, somewhat akwardly, thus:

Friday 19, 22,30 hs.
Cycle of Cinema Alema'n-Cine Mudo-Mu'sica live
"Lulu or the Box of Pandora" (1928/29) of Georg Wilhelm Pabst
Cultural Center Provincial Station
71 street 17 and - the Silver
Cost: free

The work that sent to the fame to Louise Brooks and the masterpiece of his director, Georg Wilhelm Pabst. A key work of the History of the Cinema. Louise Brooks, who prevailed actresses of the stature of Marlene Dietrich, interprets Lulu, a magnetic and bewitching woman, authentic femme fatale, that does that all the people who surround it fall tired before his enchantment, and with it, they fall in the perdición. All it equipped with an ambiguity that makes us doubt if Lulu is one woman who takes advantage of her beauty, or if, on the contrary, she is not conscious of her and those are the others that take advantage of her. To wonderful interpretation of Louise Brooks is united the extraordinary one office of its director, the reputed Georg Wilhelm Pabst, that impregnates this film of a sobriety and a realism that it equips to all film of a probability and an intelligent rate that follows effective 75 years later.

Saturday, August 20, 2005

On this day in 1927

On this day in 1927, Louise Brooks was listed as the 65th biggest draw among featured players by Film Spectator magazine.

Friday, August 19, 2005

Olive Thomas

Sometimes I get around to things a little late . . . . Tonight I watched Olive Thomas: Everybody's Sweetheart the documentary contained on the DVD release The Olive Thomas Collection. (Tomorrow night I plan to watch The Flapper, the 1920 Olive Thomas film also contained on the disc. From what I have read online, The Flapper is one of Thomas' best films, and only one of two which still survive.) I liked the documntary well enough. It was informative, and was a good introduction to an actress I admittedly knew little about. I would be curious to read a biography of her, if there were one!



A book briefly mentioned and pictured in the documentary was Midnight Frolic: A Ziegfeld Girl's True Story by Marcelle Earle. I am intrigued. Is anyone familiar with it, or has anyone read it ?

Thursday, August 18, 2005

Back to Berkeley

Returned to the University of California, Berkeley where I spent the afternoon scrolling through microfilm. I looked at another year's worth of El Mercurio, from Santiago, Chile. Found an article and ads for Medias Enrolladas (aka Rolled Stockings), as well as ads for Reclutas por los Aires (aka Now We're in the Air) and La Ciudad del Mal (aka The City Gone Wild). That completes my survey of this South American newspaper. I then jumped continents and scanned some months of Neue Freie Presse from Vienna, Austria. I found a great ad and a long 1929 review of Die Buchse der Pandora. Very exciting! When I return next week, I plan to look at some more of Neue Freie Presse, as well as hopefully complete my survey of La Prensa (from Buenos Airies, Argentina). Next week's visit will be my last to Berkeley for at least a couple of years, as the library is set to undergo earthquake retrofitting.

One oddity I came across in Neue Freie Presse was this 1928 ad for Clara Bow's 1927 film, Hula - curiously renamed Die Lulu von Honolulu(aka The Lulu from Honolulu). It always interesting to see the titles films take on when shown overseas.

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Quick trip to the library


Quick trip to the San Francisco Public Library, where I dug up a whole bunch of Denishawn articles, advertisements and a review in Daily Telelgram (from Eau Claire, Wisconsin). Not as much luck with the Austin Statesman (from Austin, Texas), where I only found one Denishawn article. I will return to the SFPL next week to look at other inter-library loans.

Monday, August 15, 2005

Frank Martin (1921 - 2005)

Frank Martin, the British artist whose 1974 portrait of Louise Brooks has been discussed recently on this blog (see the July 21stand August 3rd entries), died in London on July 29th. He was aged 84. The Independent (link to story) and other British newspapers ran obituaries which mentioned his portrait of Brooks and others early film stars.

Sunday, August 14, 2005

Leonard Maltin's Movie Crazy

Leonard Maltin recently included the Louise Brooks Society in his list of recommended websites. Under "Links We Like," Maltin wrote "Not many sites of any kind can claim to be celebrating a tenth anniversary online, but that's true of the Louise Brooks Society, devoted to the life and times of the magnetic silent-film star and latter-day memoirist. Thomas Gladysz has assembled a formidable amount of material on the actress and her era; there’s not only a lot to read and enjoy, but there's a gift shop and even a "Radio Lulu" function that allows you to listen to music of the 1920s. Wow!"

If you haven't visited Maltin's website, Movie Crazy, you are missing out! Maltin is a real movie buff (you might even describe him as "crazy about the movies"), and his fine website contains interesting and rare material. Maltin is an author and accomplished film historian, but he brings a fan's enthuisiasm to the movies. I like that. And as is evident from the pages of his website, Maltin also has a great fondness for the silent and early sound era. Explore his website and find out more. Movie buffs will also want to subscribe to his newsletter, Leonard Maltin's Movie Crazy. I subscribe. It's always a good read.

Saturday, August 13, 2005

Lillian Gish, by Charles Affron

Just finished reading Lillian Gish Her Legend Her Life by Charles Affron. All-in-all, I liked it, and I found Gish's life interesting. Parts of the book were more interesting than others, especially when Affron was relating details of Gish's personal life. (I had recently seen part of  The Scarlet Letter at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, and that rekindled by interest in this actress and her films.) Has anyone else read this book, or any of the other books on Miss Gish?

Thursday, August 11, 2005

Beggars of Life screening in Three Oaks, Michigan

Beggars of Life will be screened as part of the Harbor County "Sounds of Silents Film Festival" on August 12th, at 9:00 pm. The film will be shown outside, in Dewey Canyon Park, in Three Oaks, Michigan. (Three Oaks is located in Southwest part of the state.) Admission is $10.00    Blue Dahlia will be performing their original score for the film. For more info seewww.vickerstheatre.com/page6.html
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