Is your daughter safe?

While researching Louise Brooks screenings in the San Francisco Bay Area, I came across this curious advertisement for a "sex exposure film" titled Is Your Daughter Safe. The film was released as a silent by the Chadwick Pictures Corporation in 1927. And, as is evident from the advertisement, it played locally at the California Theatre in Livermore (a suburb south and east of Oakland, California).

Interestingly, the ad reads in part, "owing to the delicate nature of this record-breaking road show entertainment and the intimate manner in which it is presented it cannot be shown to both sexes at the same time." As a result, there were separate screenings for both men and women.

From the ad, you would guess this is some sort of documentary or informational film. But it isn't. From what I could gleam from the Internet Movie Database, Is Your Daughter Safe is actually a lurid drama about white slavery (the sexual exploitation of young women) and prostitution. According to Wikipedia, the "film was created as a compilation of footage that was, in some cases, nearly fifteen years old."

Today, like Reefer Madness and other topical films, this film would be considered an "exploitation" film. Whatever the case, it certainly speaks to the fears of a certain segment of the American population during the 1920s.

Has anyone seen this film? Is it as bad as it seems it would be ?

Stunning portrait for sale on eBay

This stunning portrait of Louise Brooks is for sale on eBay. So far, there are no bids on the item, which is described as an "Original 8x10 Paramount negative" (number P703-145) by Eugene Robert Richee. This image is from one of my favorite portrait sessions, a group of pictures distinguished by the kimono seen in every image. Bidding opens at $499.00.

What Becomes of the "Follies" Girls

I found this clipping the other day while doing some research. It certainly speaks to the times - especially the public interest in the lives of show girls. Today, I suppose there is equal interest in the lives of actors and actresses, and musicians.

I don't know how accurate are its figures - even in general terms. Nevertheless, I found it quite interesting. At the time it was published, 1926, Louise Brooks would have fallen under the categories of "Married" and "In the movies."

A new blog for the Louise Brooks Society

After more than 6 years and some 1,327 entries, I've decided to move the Louise Brooks Society blog from LiveJournal to Blogger. The old LBS blog is located at http://louisebrooks.livejournal.com

There is still a lot of work to be done in preparation of the move. I am still messing around with Blogger settings. And, I still need to redirect numerous links to the old blog and post notices of the change. Hopefully, the handful of readers the old blog attracted won't mind the change.

This is not a decision I came to quickly. I have been thinking about it a lot. I love LiveJournal, and it has been the home to the LBS blog for a long time. Actually, since I started blogging in 2003. However, Blogger's many features make it hard to resist.

This entry is something of a test. This new blog is a work in progress.

Beggars of Life (1928)

Cliff Aliperti, who writes about classic film for examiner.com, just published a long piece on Beggars of Life (1928). Check it out at http://www.examiner.com/x-8826-NY-Classic-Movies-Examiner~y2009m6d22-Louise-Brooks-stars-in-William-Wellmans-Beggars-of-Life-1928

From Silents to Sound

A recent article for examiner.com briefly discusses Louise Brooks and some of the actors and actresses who worked both in silent and sound films. The article, a review of Roy Liebman's From Silents to Sound: A Biographical Encyclopedia of Performers Who Made the Transition to Talking Pictures (McFarland), can be found at www.examiner.com/x-7605-SF-Silent-Film-Examiner~y2009m6d16-From-silents-to-sound--book-details-tipping-point-in-Hollywood-history  Check it out!