Rolled Stocking, a local perspective

It's a little known fact, but Rolled Stockings, the now lost 1927 Paramount film which starred the Paramount Junior Stars (James Hall, Louise Brooks, Richard Arlen, Nancy Philips and El Brendel) was partly made in and around Berkeley, California.

The film was adapted from an original story by Frederica Sagor (whom I met when she was 99 years old!) and directed by Richard Rosson. The film was in production between April 4th and May 5th of 1927. It was officially released on June 18th of the same year.

Why Berkeley? Because in the mid-1920's, it was a famous college town with an equally well known athletic program. In essence, Rolled Stockings is a college-set romantic comedy with racy roadhouse adventures (i.e., youthful high jinx) which lead up to a climatic rowing-team race. Some of the race footage included in the film depicts an actual rowing competition (the University of California vs. the University of Washington) filmed on San Francisco Bay.

As the film is lost, we will never really know what it was like. All that's really left of it is advertising art, stills, publicity material and the remaining, fragmentary record of its exhibition. Part of that record is what critics and reviewers thought of it, and where it played.

So, where did Rolled Stockings show in the San Francisco Bay Area when it played locally? The answer is just about everywhere - Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco, Sausalito, San Jose, Palo Alto and many points in-between.

Here is a record of some of the theaters where the film was shown around the greater San Francisco Bay Area. The name of the theater is given followed by the city and the known dates of exhibition.

American in San Jose (June 15-17, 1927); California in Santa Rosa (July 2, 1927); Hub in Mill Valley (July 5-6, 1927); New Stanford in Palo Alto (July 10, 1927 with Whispering Stage); Princess in Sausalito (July 10-11, 1927); Strand in Los Gatos (July 14-15, 1927); California in Pittsburg (Aug. 2-3, 1927); Grand Lake in Oakland (Aug. 6-12, 1927); Casino in Antioch (Aug 7, 1927); Mystic in Petaluma (Aug. 8, 1927); Granada in San Francisco (Aug. 13-19, 1927); Playhouse in Calistoga (Aug. 23-24, 1927); Boyes Hot Springs Theatre in Boyes Hot Springs (Aug. 26, 1927); California in Berkeley (Aug. 28-30, 1927); Peninsula in Burlingame (Sept. 4, 1927); Manzanita in Carmel (Sept. 4, 1927); Golden State in Monterey (Aug. 7, 1927); Columbia & Loring in Crockett (Sept. 6, 1937); Sequoia in Redwood City (Sept. 9, 1927); Hippodrome in Napa (Sept. 11, 1927); New San Mateo Theatre in San Mateo (Sept. 11, 1927); Orpheus in San Rafael (Sept. 11, 1927); Lorin in Berkeley (Sept. 16, 1927); Starland in Sebastopol (Sept. 17, 1927); Chimes in Oakland (Sept. 18, 1927); Opal in Hollister (Oct. 12, 1927 with On Ze Boulevard); Hayward Theatre in Hayward (Oct. 14, 1927); Mountain View Theatre in Mountain View (Nov. 16, 1927); Rivoli in Berkeley (Nov. 26, 1927); Tamalpias in San Anselmo (Nov. 30, 1927); Broadway in Oakland (Dec. 9-10, 1927); New Fillmore in San Francisco (Dec. 19-21, 1927); New Mission in San Francisco (Dec. 19-21, 1927); California in Livermore (Dec. 23, 1927); Fern in Oakland (Feb. 8-9, 1928).

I don't think anyone ever kept a record of what showed where - thus I compiled my own regional record by scouring dozens of local newspapers for movie advertisements and listings. To do so, I traveled to libraries all around Northern California. It was time consuming and sometimes fatiguing work, but I loved doing it. I got to know all the varied newspapers published locally. And, I also got to know this wonderful region where I live a little bit better.

Of course, this record is not complete, and can probably never be made complete. Unfortunately, the sad fact of the matter is that a number of  local newspapers are no longer extant, or can't be gotten at for one reason or another. The record of our history has been lost to the ravages of time.

When it comes to history and cultural matters, I find local perspectives quite interesting. And even at times fascinating. The compilation of a local exhibition record for Rolled Stockings and each of Louise Brooks' 23 other films is one of my recent projects. I have just a half dozen or so other local papers to look at, and then I am through! To date, I have put together a near 20 page document.

If you are ever looking for something to do, why not try compiling your own local record of where and when each of Brooks' films were shown. It may prove to be a compelling exercise, as it was for me.

Fourteen hundred and counting

Some time during this still very young year, the Louise Brooks Society posted its 1400th blog! The LBS starting blogging back in 2002 at LiveJournal, and moved here to Blogger in June of last year. Between the old blog at http://louisebrooks.livejournal.com/ and this new blog at http://louisebrookssociety.blogspot.com/ there have now been more than 1400 entries. Wow! That's a lot.*

Admittedly, some of these blogs have been brief. Others, though, have been somewhat extensive. And a few have revealed previously unknown things about the actress. Nevertheless, that's a lot of blogging. Had you ever asked me to put together 1400 things to say about this very special silent film star - I would have said "impossible."

In 2010, the Louise Brooks Society will celebrate its 15th anniversary online. (The LBS was a pioneer among silent film websites.) I think 2010 will be a good year for all things Lulu. There will be much to look forward to. I guess we had better get back to work and start writing the next 1400 blogs.

*And no, we're not counting the various Twitter tweets or updates at the LBS profile on Facebook!

Louise Brooks and Redskin

Rugged silent screen star Richard Dix - who appeared in a number of Paramount films in the 1920's (including one almost with Louise Brooks) - will be celebrated at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum in Fremont, California on Saturday, January 9th.

Tomorrow's events including an author appearance & booksigning with the actor's son, Robert Dix, and a screening of Richard Dix's best known silent film, The Vanishing American (1926). More on the day's activities and the Hollywood careers' of "Dix & Son" can be found at my column on examiner.com.

Throughout his long career, Richard Dix appeared in a number of Westerns. And in some of those, like The Vanishing American, he played a Native American. That's true as well for his 1929 Paramount film, Redskin.

What's little known is that Louise Brooks almost appeared in Redskin. The film was in production in 1928. And Brooks was cast in the film as "Corn Blossom," a Native American girl. Pictures of the actress, in costume wearing Indian type dress, were taken.

However, it was not to be. Brooks was withdrawn from the film and was instead placed in the role of "The Canary" in the early sound film, The Canary Murder Case (1929). Gladys Belmont ended up playing the role of Corn Blossom.

How Paramount executives could have imagined Brooks - an actress known for her roles as a pert and sassy flapper - in a Western I just don't know! Nevertheless, they did.

Brooks, of course, finished her career in two Westerns with contemporary settings - Empty Saddles with Buck Jones in 1936, and Overland Stage Raiders with John Wayne in 1938. More about Redskin can be found at http://www.richarddix.org/redskin.htm

The Louise Brooks Society tweets

Yes, it true. The Louise Brooks Society tweets.

It's an easy and fun way to keep up with bits of news, mentions in the press, blogs, and other related happenings in the world of silent film. The upper left hand corner of this blog displays the LBS twitter feed.

If you would like to follow the Louise Brooks Society on Twitter, please visit its homepage there at http://twitter.com/LB_Society

As of today, the LBS has 143 followers on Twitter. Are you one of them?

Ain't she sweet

Louise Brooks in pictures

~ Glamour of the Past ~ | MySpace Video

Pandora's Box screens in Chicago Jan. 2

Tomorrow, on January 2, 2010 the Bank of America Cinema in Chicago, Illinois will screen a 35mm print of Pandora's Box. The screening will feature live electronic theater organ accompaniment by Jay Warren.

The film starts at 8:00 pm at Bank of America Cinema, which is located at 4901 W. Irving Park Rd., Chicago, IL 60641. Entrance is in the back. Admission is $5 or $3 if you're over 55 or under 10. Popcorn is a one dollar, parking is free.

The schedule of films for the first half of the year for the Bank of America Cinema can be found on its blog.

This event received a write-up by Michael Philips in today's Chicago Tribune. The author described Louise Brooks, who stars as Lulu in Pandora's Box, as "her own island of allure." The author also quoted Henri Langlois, director of the Cinematheque Francaise, who years earlier said this of the actress.

"Those who have seen her can never forget her. She is the modern actress par excellence....As soon as she takes the screen, fiction disappears along with art, and one has the impression of being present at a documentary. The camera seems to have caught her by surprise, without her knowledge."