Something I found

While cruising around the world wide web, I came across a Greek CD released last year (I think) which has everything to do with Louise Brooks. From  what I have been able to find, the song cycle is based on Pandora's Box, the film by G.W. Pabst. Or perhaps, it is somesort of "sound track" or musical accompaniment to the film.  This page has some information on the composer, Sakis Papadimitriou, who has released a few discs inspired by silent films. While this page has additional information on the disc. I haven't yet heard The Song of Lulu, but hope to soon. Might anyone know anything more about this recording?

The Fat Man

I thought you all would like to know that The Fat Man graphic novel project has a brand new web site which features a 50 page preview of this forthcoming work. I mention it because this graphic novel - which features time travel, secret agents, Nazi's and more - even includes Louise Brooks as a character. I have already pre-ordered a copy. More information, sample pages, and more can be found at www.the-fat-man.co.uk

Withnail and I

Steve, a Facebook friend, alerted me to this youtube.com clip from Withnail and I, a 1987 British comedy starring Richard E. Grant and Paul McGann. Perhaps it is because McGann is a well-known Louise Brooks fan that her picture pops up in the kitchen scene in this short clip. Check it out. [The film is at the top of my Netflix cue.]

Another chance

Another website I have been looking through lately is a directory of newspaper archives from across the United States and the world. From this page, you can find digital newspaper archives from the British Isles, Canada, Greece, Germany, Austria, and various Nordic countries, Pacific islands, and the Middle East. And elsewhere! Here is a nice page from France from Le Figaro, which dates from 1929. Included are two images from Beggars of Life, including one which features Louise Brooks.

This multi-page directory also includes archives of small town American newspapers and even a few collegiate newspapers. One amusing item I found was the weekly questionnaire from The Student Weekly from Franklin and Marshall College (in Lancaster, PA.). Along with "who is your favorite professor" and "should there be classes on Saturday," one of the questions asked in the May 4, 1927 issue was "Who is your favorite movie actress?" Well, Louise Brooks got one vote. Here are the results, which I have transcribed from the article.

"Who is your favorite movie actress?" Who ever handed Miss Vernier 's name in as, the answer to this question takes the original asbestos lined gravy bowl. And yet, the above mentioned is not lonesome in his present .state oC mind since answers of "Prep school question, " "Never saw a movie," 'Not interested," and "Clara Bow—Sex Appeal," were much in evidence. Again exception must be made for the. unquenchable wit of the modern college student. Hold your ears, boys ; here are the finals as recorded in the files of the Weekly —Lillian Gish, 9; Lois Moran, 7; Clara Bow, 37 ; (It must be sex appeal) Norma Shearer, 12; Louise Brookes, 1; Vilma Banky, 4 , Corrinne Griffith , 9 ; Greta Garbo, 12 ; Renee Adoree, 2 ; Alice Terry, 2; Pauline Frederick, 1 ; Miss Ferkiter, 1; Bebe Daniels, 1; Constance Talmadge, 1; Norma Talmadge, 1; Carol Dempster, 2 ; Betty Bronson , 4 ; Laura La Plante, 3 ; Mary Pickford , 1; Esther Ealston , 6; Marian Davies, 1; Florence Vidor, 2 ; Gloria Swanson , 3; Betty Compson , 1 ; Lois Wilson , 1; and Coleen Moore, 3 Guess who has "It ?"

There is lots and lots of material link to from this site. I would encourage anyone who has the inclination to check it out.

Die Zeit archive

Die Zeit, a German newspaper, has launched an online archive dating back to 1946. The archive contains over 250,000 stories, and can be searched athttp://www.zeit.de/archiv/index. It looks like you can browse the contents by year, do a full text search, or do field searching, including title, author, and year.

I did a search for "Louise Brooks," and found a few artricles I hadn't known about. (Search results include the title and author of the article as well as a snippet. Click on the title and you’ll go to the article. It looks like just the text is available — I didn’t see digitized images.)

Bill Berkson

Happy new year one and all!

There is an interesting book review in today's San Francisco Bay Guardian which mentions Louise Brooks. The piece, "Initials B.B.," by Johnny Ray Houston, discusses a new book by the poet Bill Berkson - hence the initials in the title. The poet is the author of a new book titled Sudden Address.

Berkson, an art critic and poet sometimes associated with the "New York School" and friend and champion of the New York poet Frank O'Hara, is also known to followers of Louise Brooks as the author of "Bubbles," a poem collaged from the writings of the actress.