Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald

Coming this April, Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald (St. Martin's Press), by Therese Anne Fowler. I haven't yet seen the book, but here is some additional information about the book from its publisher.

When beautiful, reckless Southern belle Zelda Sayre meets F. Scott Fitzgerald at a country club dance in 1918, she is seventeen years old and he is a young army lieutenant stationed in Alabama. Before long, the “ungettable” Zelda has fallen for him despite his unsuitability: Scott isn’t wealthy or prominent or even a Southerner, and keeps insisting, absurdly, that his writing will bring him both fortune and fame. Her father is deeply unimpressed. But after Scott sells his first novel, This Side of Paradise, to Scribner’s, Zelda optimistically boards a train north, to marry him in the vestry of St. Patrick’s Cathedral and take the rest as it comes.

What comes, here at the dawn of the Jazz Age, is unimagined attention and success and celebrity that will make Scott and Zelda legends in their own time. Everyone wants to meet the dashing young author of the scandalous novel—and his witty, perhaps even more scandalous wife. Zelda bobs her hair, adopts daring new fashions, and revels in this wild new world. Each place they go becomes a playground: New York City, Long Island, Hollywood, Paris, and the French Riviera—where they join the endless party of the glamorous, sometimes doomed Lost Generation that includes Ernest Hemingway, Sara and Gerald Murphy, and Gertrude Stein.

Everything seems new and possible. Troubles, at first, seem to fade like morning mist. But not even Jay Gatsby’s parties go on forever. Who is Zelda, other than the wife of a famous—sometimes infamous—husband? How can she forge her own identity while fighting her demons and Scott’s, too? With brilliant insight and imagination, Therese Anne Fowler brings us Zelda’s irresistible story as she herself might have told it. 

Laura Moriarty's The Chaperone

Laura Moriarty's The Chaperone is scheduled for release in paperback in the United States on June 4, 2013. Happily, the paperback cover is very similar to the hardcover edition. The Chaperone is also in development as a film, with a script by Julian Fellowes of Downton Abbey fame. If you haven't read this rather fine novel, we recommended it.

In the mean time, if you are looking to read the book in German, check out the German edition, Das Schmetterlingsmädchen (The Butterfly Girl), which is available as both a print book and ebook. It too has a pretty appealing cover.

Here is some of the considerable praise the book has received since its publication last year.

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"The Chaperone is the enthralling story of two women . . . and how their unlikely relationship changed their lives. . . . In this layered and inventive story, Moriarty raises profound questions about family, sexuality, history, and whether it is luck or will—or a sturdy combination of the two—that makes for a wonderful life."—O, The Oprah Magazine

"In her new novel, The Chaperone, Laura Morirty treats this golden age with an evocative look at the early life of silent-film icon Louise Brooks, who in 1922 leaves Wichita, Kansas, for New York City in the company of 36-year-old chaperone, Cora Carlisle. . . . A mesmerizing take on women in this pivotal era."—Vogue

"With her shiny black bob and milky skin, Louise Brooks epitomized silent-film glamour. But in Laura Moriarty's engaging new novel The Chaperone, Brooks is just a hyper-precocious and bratty 15-year-old, and our protagonist, 36-year-old Cora Carlisle, has the not-easy mission of keeping the teenager virtuous while on a trip from their native Kansas to New York City. After a battle of wills, there's a sudden change of destiny for both women, with surprising and poignant results."—Entertainment Weekly

"Throughout The Chaperone, her fourth and best novel, Laura Moriarty mines first-rate fiction from the tension between a corrupting coastal media and the ideal of heart-of-America morality. . . . . Brooks's may be the novel's marquee name, but the story's heart is Cora's. With much sharpness but great empathy, Moriarty lays bare the settled mindset of this stolid, somewhat fearful woman—and the new experiences that shake that mindset up."—San Francisco Weekly

"Film star Louise Brooks was a legend in her time, but the real lead of The Chaperone is Cora Carlise, Brooks' 36-year-old chaperone for her first visit to New York City in 1922. As Cora struggles to tame Louise's free spirit, she finds herself moving past the safety of her own personal boundaries. In this fictional account of Cora and Louise's off-and-on relationship, Laura Moriarty writes with grace and compassion about life's infinite possibilities for change and, ultimately, happiness."—Minneapolis Star Tribune

“When silent film star Louise Brooks was a sexually provocative and headstrong 15-year-old from Kansas, she traveled with a chaperone to new York City to attend dance school.  In this fascinating historical novel, her minder, Cora, struggles to keep her charge within the bounds of propriety but finds herself questioning the confines of her own life. Thorough Cora the world of early 20th-century America comes alive, and her personal triumphs become cause for celebration.”—People

"Captivating and wise . . . In The Chaperone, Moriarty gives us a historically detailed and nuanced portrayal of the social upheaval that spilled into every corner of American life by 1922. . . . [An] inventive and lovely Jazz Age story."—Washington Post

"#1 Summer 2012 novel."—The Christian Science Monitor

"A fun romp."—Good Housekeeping

"Devour it."—Marie Claire

"The novel is captivating, and the last lines about Cora (you might think I’m giving everything away, but I’m not giving anything away—the story rolls through changes in terrain so subtle that it’s like a train from Wichita to New York and back) capsulate it all, revealing the richness of the saga.”—The Daily Beast

"The Chaperone," an enchanting, luminous new novel by Laura Moriarty, fictionalizes the tale of the very real caretaker who accompanied a 15-year-old Louise Brooks on the first leg of her journey to silent-movie stardom. . . . Moriarty is a lovely writer, warm and wise."—Cleveland Plain Dealer

"It is [Louise Brooks's] endearing and surprising companion Cora Carlisle—a sharply drawn creating—who is the heart and soul of this stirring story.”—Family Circle

"Captivating and wise."—Newsday

“While Louise lends The Chaperone a dose of fire, the novel’s heart is its heroine, who has a tougher time swimming in the seas of early-20th-century America than her ward does. As the story carries on, Moriarty’s greatest strength proves to be her ability to seamlessly weave together Cora’s present, future and colorful past.”—Time Out

“Set to be the hit of the beach read season.”—Matchbook

“The challenges of historical fiction are plentiful—how to freely imagine a person who really lived, how to impart modern sensibility to a bygone era, how to do your research without exactly showing your research. And yet, when this feat is achieved artfully (we’re talking Loving Frank or Arthur and George artfully), it can transport a reader to another time and place. Laura Moriarty’s new novel,The Chaperone, falls into this category.”—Bookpage

“It’s impossible not to be completely drawn in by The Chaperone. Laura Moriarty has delivered the richest and realest possible heroine in Cora Carlisle, a Wichita housewife who has her mind and heart blown wide open, and steps—with uncommon courage—into the fullness of her life. What a beautiful book. I loved every page.”—Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife

“What a charming, mesmerizing, transporting novel! The characters are so fully realized that I felt I was right there alongside them. A beautiful clarity marks both the style and structure of The Chaperone.”—Sena Jeter Naslund, author of Ahab's Wife and Adam & Eve

“The Chaperone is the best kind of historical fiction, transporting you to another time and place, but even more importantly delivering a poignant story about people so real, you'll miss and remember them long after you close the book.”—Jenna Blum, author of Those Who Save Us and The Stormchasers

Louise Brooks shines again this month in Italy

A couple of posts prior I wrote that a four film mini festival of Louise Brooks films taking place in Rome at the House of Cinema at the Villa Borghese in Italy. Now comes word that another of Brooks' films will be shown in Italy, this time on February 22 in Milan at the Fondazione Cineteca Italiana. That film is the silent version of Miss Europa (Prix de Beaute). Musical accompaniment will be provided by Antonio Zambrini. Here is the Italian website description:

Miss Europa (Prix de Beauté) – Copia restaurata

R.: Augusto Genina
Sc.: René Clair, Georg W. Pabst
Int.: Louise Brooks, Georges Charlia, Jean Bradin, Augusto Bandini, André Nicolle, Yves Glad, Gaston Jacquet.
Francia, 1930, b/n, 109’, muto.

Sinossi

Louise Brooks nei panni di una semplice impiegata, Lucienne, che si ritrova proiettata nel dorato mondo dello spettacolo dopo essere stata eletta Miss Europa. Il suo fidanzato è all’oscuro di tutto, ma all’inizio Lucienne resiste alle lusinghe della notorietà, si sposa e accetta di dedicarsi alla casa. Solo che quella vita è troppo dura, e un giorno Lucienne se ne va, torna dal principe che l’aveva corteggiata e grazie al suo aiuto inizia una carriera cinematografica. Il marito, disperato, non smetterà di cercarla e quando alla fine la ritroverà tutto finirà in tragedia.
Accompagnamento dal vivo al pianoforte di Antonio Zambrini.

Louise Brooks influence on contemporary (ac)tresses

Just last week, an article ran on the AfterElton website about the making of Cabaret, the 1972 film based on Christopher Isherwood's The Berlin Stories. The piece included interviews with some of the principals involved in the hit movie. Liza Minelli said this:

Well I was sitting with my dad, who was the quietest man, and he helped me so much with the look of Sally. I had thought that Sally should look like Marlene Dietrich. I thought, that's what the '30s was! But my dad said "No, no" and he showed me pictures of Louise Brooks, Louise Glaum, Theda Bara - so I got interested in it. And I designed the makeup before I went over there.

The influence of Louise Brooks on the look of Sally Bowles (as played by Liza Minelli) has been mentioned before. It is also one of a number of instances where Brooks' look - especially her hair - has affected the appearance and behavior of a movie character. Other widely acknowledged examples include Cyd Charisse in Singin' in the Rain (1952) and Melanie Griffith in Something Wild (1986).

Another instance of Brooks' influence just recently came to my attention. Molly Ringwald hairstyle in Pretty in Pink (1986), apparently, was also based on Brooks' bobbed hair. In her 2010 book, Getting the Pretty Back, Ringwald writes: "I decided that I was not going to be one of those "long hair" girls. . . .  I was better off creating my own look and embracing it. I looked to the past for inspiration. Louise Brooks for the bob in Pretty in Pink. . . . " Later in her book, Brooks is evoked again.

Louise Brooks: Icon of Silent Film in Italy

Louise Brooks is the focus of a series of screenings in Rome, Italy. The series, "Louise Brooks: Icon of Silent Film," features The Show Off (February 9th), The Canary Murder Case (February 16th), Pandora's Box (February 23rd), and Diary of a Lost Girl (March 2nd). The series is being put on by the House of Cinema at the Villa Borghese (Largo Marcello Mastroianni, 1). Here is the Italian description of the event.

Attrice leggendaria, diva affascinante e enigmatica, Louise Brooks è stata una delle donne più belle e celebri di Hollywood. Dal 9 febbraio al 9 marzo la Casa del Cinema omaggia la grande attrice del cinema muto con la proiezioine di una serie di film: “The Show Off”, “La canarina assassinata”, “Lulu” e “Diario di una donna perduta”.

La vita di Louise Brooks fu attraversata da un senso spiccato per la verità, la libertà e la sessualità senza permessi di “buona condotta”. La sua straordinaria e conturbante bellezza, che ne fecero subito il prototipo della donna seduttrice e l’incarnazione del sesso (ispirò il fumettista Guido Crepax per il personaggio di Valentina ), irruppero nel perbenismo di quegli anni.

Mal vista a Hollywood negli anni Trenta per la sua innata incapacità di piegarsi alle richieste dei produttori, dovette accontentarsi di parti minori e di qualche soap opera radiofonica. Lasciò il cinema e la celebrità a solo 36 anni.

Here is a scan of an article, "La diva che uscì dal vaso di Pandora," which appeared in today's Rome edition of Corriere della Sera, Italy's leading newspaper. Thank you Gianluca (Italy's leading Louise Brooks fan/scholar.)

Cool pic of the day

Cool pic of the day: Louise Brooks dressed for her part in William Wellman's  Beggars of Life (1928).

Louise Books for sale

Don't forget, there are some rather swell and somewhat unusual Louise Brooks and Jazz Age related books for sale through this blog. Just click on the "For Sale" tab.

Every woman is potentially a VAMPIRE

This is post number 600 on the new LBS blog: Presented here, a 1925 newspaper advertisement for Motion Picture magazine. It's the battle of the vamps! (Louise Brooks was considered a "Junior Vamp.")

Cinephilia :: Louise Brooks

Louise Brooks is a world wide phenomenon. Check out this 2009 postage stamp from the Republic of Benin (French: République du Bénin), a country in West Africa.

Or, check out this link to a webpage slideshow from Greece. Louise Brooks: Οι εικόνες μιας σταρ. (Louise Brooks: Images of a star.) Μια σειρά φωτογραφιών της Louise Brooks.

‘The Chaperone’ heads to the big screen

As readers of this blog know, Laura Moriarty's exceptional novel, The Chaperone, involves a character based on Louise Brooks.

Now comes word that Fox Searchlight has selected Simon Curtis to direct The Chaperone with Downton Abbey’s Elizabeth McGovern starring, to be scripted by Julian Fellowes, also of Downton Abbey.

For more on this story, see deadline.com and other news outlets.

For more on Louise Brooks and Downton Abbey, see an earlier LBS blog.

Louise Brooks - Don't Put A Tax On The Beautiful Girls

Presenting a new YouTube video "Louise Brooks - Don't Put A Tax On The Beautiful Girls."

The latest issue of Golwg

Louise Brooks and Louise Brooks Society are mentioned in the latest issue of Golwg, a Welsh-language magazine, in the story pictured over the soccer player's left shoulder. 

"Agor Bocs Pandora" by Dilwyn Roberts-Young looks at the Welsh National Opera forthcoming presentation of Alban Berg’s opera, Lulu, and a related screening of Pandora's Box, starring Louise Brooks. More on those events here.

A constellation of stars

A constellation of stars . . . .

. . . . featuring Pola Negri, Florence Vidor, Louise Brooks, Lois Moran, Esther Ralston, Clara Bow and Bebe Daniels.

Downton Abbey - the Louise Brooks connections

Louise Brooks, by Barry Paris

If you are a fan of silent film and Downton Abbey, you may have noticed a scene where one of the downstairs help was spotted reading a vintage issue of Photoplay magazine with Mabel Normand on the cover. The connection the popular series has with the silent film era doesn't end there. The series, set in England in the early years of the 20th century, also has some rather interesting ties to Louise Brooks.

Back in November, a handful of English writers were asked by the Guardian newspaper which books had most impressed them during the course of the year. The piece was titled "Books of the Year 2012." The answer given by actor, novelist, screenwriter, director and Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes caused a bit of a stir, as the book he mentioned was published in 1989. Fellowes' answer reads this way.

"I suspect the book that has haunted me the most this year was the life of that queen of the silent screen, Louise Brooks: A Biography (University of Minnesota £17), by Barry Paris. I have seldom read so lyrical a tale of self-destruction. When she was a girl, my mother used to be mistaken for Louise Brooks and so I have always felt a sort of investment in her, but I was unprepared for this heartbreaking tale of what-might-have-been."

Wow, what an eloquent appreciation of Barry Paris' acclaimed biography. I, for one, couldn't agree more. As I have said before, it is the best biography I have ever read, and it is the best biography I will ever read. It's that good! It is also a book anyone interested in silent film or a life story well told should read.

One wonders if Fellowes knows that Shirley MacLaine, one of the stars of Downton Abbey, is also a BIG fan of Louise Brooks. Over the years, MacLaine has said as much in interviews, all the while expressing her interest in playing Brooks on screen. Additionally, one of the other stars of Downton Abbey, Elizabeth McGovern, has developed a similar interest in Brooks. After serving as the reader for the audio version of Laura Moriarty's 2012 novel, The Chaperone, McGovern snapped up the movie rights to the bestselling book, which tells a story centered around Brooks' time as an aspiring Denishawn dancer.

If, one day, Fellows scripts  a film version of The Chaperone with McGovern as the title character and MacLaine as Louise Brooks' mother (?), just remember you saw it here first. But then who would play the teenage Brooks?

Are you a fan of Louise Brooks and of Downton Abbey? Who do you think could play a teenage Brooks?  Leave a comment in the comments field. I would love to hear your thoughts.

Music by Herb Weidner

A nicely tinted and nicely toned video from YouTube. Music by Herb Weidner.

Louise Brooks in Fairbanks, Alaska - better late than never

I am continuously researching Louise Brooks and her films. And recently, I came across a couple of clipping (one of which is shown here) which merit mentioning. My findings are notable on a few accounts.

In January, 1930 two of Louise Brooks' silent films - The City Gone Wild and Now We're in the Air -  were shown in Fairbanks, Alaska. The "Screen Life" column details the event. These screenings are not the first instances of Brooks' films showing in Alaska, then an American territory. (Alaska did not achieve statehood until 1949.) A Social Celebrity (1926), for example, was shown at the Empress theater in Fairbanks in April, 1927.

What is notable about these particular screenings is that each took place long after the films were released. Both films debuted in the Fall of 1927, and these two screenings took place more than two years later. That is a long time for a film to be in circulation during the silent film era. Notably, they are also the very last screenings I have come across for these two now lost films.

What is also notable is that theaters in Fairbanks were still screening silent films well after the sound era had started. For the record, a 1929 sound film featuring Brooks, The Canary Murder Case, was shown in Fairbanks in April, 1930, about 14 months after it first debuted. And another, It Pays to Advertise, also with Brooks, was shown in Fairbanks only nine months after its release in November, 1931. 

For the record, I have also come across a handful of screenings of various Louise Brooks' films in Honolulu in the territory of Hawaii during the 1920s, decades before it gained statehood. Hawaii seems to have gotten films sooner than Alaska. But, better late than never.

New song inspired by Louise Brooks

Last year, Ross Berkal released an ebook called Benevolent Siren: Remembering Louise Brooks. It tells the story of Berkal, who as a young man in the early 1980s, had the experience of meeting and befriending the then older and reclusive Louise Brooks. The story of that friendship is chronicled in his self-published ebook. (It is also referenced in Barry Paris' 1989 biography of the actress.) Berkal also released Youthful Places, a small collection of poetry which contains "MLB," a poem about and dedicated to the actress. 

Last week, I received the sheet music (piano/vocal arrangements) for another 2012 Berkal release, For A Childhood Friend / No Dreams Are Wasted / MLB (CreateSpace), a 28 page anthology of three melodic, original alternative rock ballads including a reflection on one's youth and relationships, a homage to the visionary Polish author and artist Bruno Schulz, and a recollection of iconic silent film actress and author. Thank you Ross. Here is the YouTube video for MLB.

Ross Berkal was born and raised in Massachusetts. While a young man he had the unique experience of meeting - and later developing a friendship with - iconic silent film actress and author Louise Brooks. The story of that friendship is chronicled in his book Benevolent Siren: Remembering Louise Brooks. During the 1990's he relocated to New York City where he established himself as the founder, songwriter, and bassist of the alternative rock project Dahlia, which performed at many of Manhattan's best known venues including landmark rock club CBGB's. He presently resides in the metro-Boston area. 

Cool pic of the day: Louise Brooks

Cool pic of the day: Louise Brooks against an art deco background. Louise Brooks is an art deco icon.

Louise Brooks included in early Ted Shawn book

Another of my recent eBay wins is Shawn Der Tanzer, by Katherine S. Drier. This pictorial book, which surveys the artistry of one of the founders of the Denishawn Dance Company, was published in Berlin, Germany in 1933 by Drei Masken Verlag. I really didn't know much of anything about this book, aside from having seen it listed in various bibliographies. Nevertheless, I thought I would take a chance on it and bid. Fortunately, I won the auction for a modest amount.

Though she is not mentioned by name, I was pleased to find four images in the book of the Denishawn company which include Louise Brooks. (There may be two others.) This publication does not mark the actress' first pictorial representation in a book, as that distinction belongs to Picture Show Annual 1928, a book about the movies published in London, England. It does mark her earliest pictorial representation as a dancer. (Brooks time as a member of the Denishawn Dance Company was seldom mentioned in books or scholarly publications until the 1980s.)

The book includes photographs by Ralph Hawkins, along with Rudolf, Robertson, Binder, Does, Hirano, Mortensen, Townsend, Hiller, Muray, Sunami, Snyder, White Studios, Selby Studios, Bigelow und Arthur Kales

Notably, the author, Katherine S. Drier, was an American artist and important art collector and co-founder of the Société Anonyme, as well as a friend and associate of Marcel Duchamp and Man Ray. The latter was a fan of Louise Brooks.

What's also notable and intersting about this particular copy of the book is that it was distributed in the United States. On its front endpapers, the book bears a trade label for the B. Westerman Co of New York City. I don't know if they were a book distributor or book shop or both. Nevertheless, one wonders if Louise Brooks herself or denizens of New York or fans of Denishawn or modern dance noticed the images of Brooks in this early book. (Though admittedly you have to know its her to pick her out. The images are not very well reproduced. Hence, my four or maybe six notation.) 

Here is one of the pages from Shawn Der Tanzer which includes a picture of Denishawn from the time Louise Brooks was a member. The teen aged dancer and future actress can be seen on the second level of the structure on the left. She is sitting in the image on the top, and standing along side Ted Shawn in the image on the bottom.

Louise Brooks envelope

Like other Louise Brooks fans, I keep an eye on eBay, where I occasionally have the luck to win something I've bid on. Recently, I won a batch of Louise Brooks clippings, some of which came from a vintage scrapbook. Good stuff.

To my surprise, the clipping arrived in a hand drawn envelope featuring a delightful image of Louise Brooks. I like it so much I had to share it. Thank you to the artist, who I assume was the eBay seller.

Oh, and here is one of the clippings I won, a photo spread for The Canary Murder Case (1929) in which Brooks starred as the Canary. What's unusual about this clipping is that it contains an image (middle right) of the actress smiling.

Louise Brooks Society on Twitter

The Louise Brooks Society Twitter account ( @LB_Society) is located at https://twitter.com/LB_Society   To date, the LBS has tweeted 1,775 times and has nearly 1,400 followers. Check it out. And be sure and follow the LBS on Twitter!

Street of Forgotten Men inspires illustrated sermon lecture

The Street of Forgotten Men (1925) is the first film in which Louise Brooks had a role. Its realistic treatment of the down and out moved many and inspired at least a few, including this Brooklyn pastor who gave an illustrated sermon lecture not long after the film was released.

The Original Lassie, surprise star of The Street of Forgotten Men

A dog named Lassie appeared in The Street of Forgotten Men (1925), the first film in which Louise Brooks had a role. This, of course, is not the Lassie of later film and television fame. Here's the story behind the original Lassie's once famous role in that sensational film.

Welsh National Opera stages Berg’s Lulu, screens Pandora's Box starring Louise Brooks

Welsh writer and Louise Brooks fan Dilwyn Roberts-Young has let me know that the Welsh National Opera will be staging Alban Berg’s 1937 opera Lulu, as well as screening the 1929 silent film  Pandora's Box with live musical accompaniment on February 20th. The opera and screening of Blwch Pandora (the Welsh title of Pandora's Box) are part of the Welsh National Opera season devoted to "Free Spirits." Here is what their website has to say:

"Free Spirits is the first of our themed seasons. It brings together two of the greatest operas of the 20th century, Janáček’s The Cunning little Vixen and Berg’s Lulu. Both pieces pose profound questions about how much freedom we desire and how much we can tolerate and still remain a functioning society.

She is a vision of freedom too pure to be allowed to last. Everyone is drawn to Lulu, intoxicated by her; those in her thrall are like moths to a flame. Her flame burns bright and fast but sooner or later it will be extinguished by the very things it once fed upon.

Berg’s second and final opera is a masterpiece – total theatre. Anyone wishing to see the greatest works in the repertoire must include Lulu in their list. Few composers invite their audiences unflinchingly to confront humanity’s darkest regions in the way that Berg does here. Lulu promises a shattering but rewarding experience for those who encounter it.

Welsh National Opera has an important association with this great composer’s work: WNO gave the first British performances of Lulu in the 1970s and won acclaim and awards for our 2005 production of Wozzeck. David Pountney is one of the world’s most influential opera directors. This production of Lulu is his first new production in his role as our Chief Executive and Artistic Director."

The cast includes:
Lulu - Marie Arnet / Countess Geschwitz - Natascha Petrinsky / Wardrobe Mistress/Schoolboy - Patricia Orr / Doctor Schön/Jack the Ripper - Ashley Holland / Alwa - Peter Hoare / Artist/Negro - Mark le Brocq / Schigolch - Richard Angas / Prince/Manservant/Marquis - Alan Oke / Athlete / Acrobat - Julian Close

Conductor - Lothar Koenigs / Director - David Pountney / Set Designer - Johan Engels / Costume Designer - Marie Jeanne Lecca / Lighting Designer - Mark Jonathan

Lulu is a co-production with the National Theatre in Prague. The running time is approximately 3 hours 30 minutes including two intervals. The opera will be sung in German with surtitles in English (and Welsh in Cardiff and Llandudno). Download the 2012/2013 season brochure by clicking here. It contains an image of Louise Brooks, and links the actress to the character of Lulu.

Gayle Forman's New Novel, Just One Day, has a Character Named Lulu

Gayle Forman's new novel, Just One Day (Dutton Juvenile), has been getting a lot of attention lately. It's a teen romance described as a journey toward self-discovery and true love. 

"When sheltered American good girl Allyson Lulu Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines."

MTV's Hollywood Crush website calls Just One Day "Part romance, part travelogue, part coming-of-age tale" and notes that  Lulu is the name Willem bestows upon Allyson thanks to her likeness to Louise Brooks.Similarly, the New York Times noted "He calls her Lulu, the nickname of the silent film actress Louise Brooks, and neither asks her real name nor discloses much about himself." 

I haven't read the book, but would be curious to hear from anyone who has if there are any other allusions or references to Louise Brooks. For more on the actress and her influence on 20th century literature, see my Huffington Post article, "Louise Brooks - Cover Girl and Secret Muse of the 20th Century."

More about Gayle Forman can be found on her website at www.gayleforman.com/.

Pandora's Box screens in Buffalo, New York TONIGHT

Don't forget: Pandora's Box (1929) will be shown tonight in Buffalo, New York. 

The G.W. Pabst film, which stars Louise Brooks as Lulu, begins the 2013 film series sponsored by the Buffalo Film Seminars at the University of Buffalo. 

The announcement of the screening was originally made in the UB Reporter, the campus newspaper. More information can be found by following these links.

Pandora's Box has been shown in Buffalo as part of the Buffalo Film Seminars twice before, in the Fall of 2001 and the Spring of 2007. Read the earlier BFS film notes by clicking on the links.

Silent films were everywhere

Silent films were shown everywhere in the 1920s.... Witness this Chinese newspaper which carries an advertisement for Clara Bow's 1928 film, Red Hair, on the left hand page. On the right hand page are advertisements for other films showing at theaters named Embassy, Apollo, Orient, etc....

Red Hair does not survive, except in fragments. Here is a clip of those fragments - in color. She certainly had it!

Pandora's Box shows Jan 15 in Buffalo, New York

Don't forget: Pandora's Box will be shown in Buffalo, New York on January 15, 2013. The film, which stars Louise Brooks, begins the 2013 film series sponsored by the Buffalo Film Seminars at the University of Buffalo. The announcement of the screening was made in the UB Reporter, the campus newspaper.

The Buffalo Film Seminars take place Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. at the Market Arcade Film and Arts Center in downtown Buffalo, the only eight-screen publicly-owned film theater in the United States. Each week Diane Christian and Bruce Jackson introduce a film: the film is screened, and after a brief break, there is an open discussion with students and anyone else who cares to join in.

Tickets for the seminars are adults $9, students $7, seniors $6.50. Season tickets are available any time at a 15% reduction for the cost of the remaining films. Free parking is available in the M&T fenced lot opposite the theatre's Washington Street entrance: pay the attendant $3, give the parking ticket to the clerk in the theatre, and get the $3 back.

Handouts with production details, anecdotes and critical comments about each week's film on goldenrod paper are available in the Market Arcade lobby 45 minutes before each session. The Goldenrod handouts are posted online one day before the screening. (All previous handouts are also online.) The Buffalo Film Seminars are presented by the Market Arcade Film and Arts Center and the University at Buffalo. Here is a brief excerpt from the film.

Pandora's Box has also been shown in Buffalo as part of the Buffalo Film Seminars in Fall of 2001 and the Spring of 2007. Read the earlier film notes by clicking on the links.

Frank Wedekind's Lulu staged in 1930

I found this hard to resist. It is an article, seemingly program notes, about a 1930 stage production at the Lobe Theater of Frank Wedekind's Lulu. The Lobe Theater was in what was Breslau, Germany but is now Wroclaw, Poland. At the time, according to Wikipedia, Breslau was a "known as a stronghold of left wing liberalism" - which is interesting because director G.W. Pabst was also known to be left-leaning liberal, and this play was staged about a year after Pabst directed Louise Brooks in Pandora's Box. The woman depicted in the woodcut sitting on a man's head would be the character of Lulu. Doesn't she seem to have a certain Brooksian flair?

Poland anticipates Prix de Beaute

Here is a 1929 clipping from a Polish newspaper listing films in production or scheduled for release in the near future - a kind-of "something to look forward to" piece. The 1930 Louise Brooks film, Prix de Beaute, is listed a couple of entries above Charlie Chaplin's City Lights.

A number of Louise Brooks' films were shown in Poland. I have newspaper advertisements for Pandora's Box, A Girl in Every Port, It's the Old Army Game and Beggars of Life clipped from Warsaw and Krakow newspapers.

Fantasio, Prix de Beaute in Spain, mainly

Besides Iceland and Turkey (see previous post), the 1930 Louise Brooks' film, Prix de Beaute, was also popular in Spain, where it showed in various cities. Depicted above is a newspaper advertisement for the film.

Louise Brooks herself was also apparently somewhat popular. Below, she is depicted for no apparent reason on the cover of La Prensa, a major daily newspaper. This clip is from 1928. Louise Brooks is described as an "American Artist." Wow.

Movie Legends - Louise Brooks (Showgirl)

Another YouTube video :: Movie Legends - Louise Brooks (Showgirl)

Louise Brooks stars in Prix de Beaute, from Iceland to Turkey

Louise Brooks starred in Prix de Beaute, a French production released in 1930 which was sometimes advertised or promoted under an alternate title, Miss Europe. It is a terrific film, and proved to be popular enough to have been shown all around the continent - just like Brooks' two German films, Pandora's Box and Diary of a Lost Girl (both 1929).

Recently, I came across two advertisements for the film. The first is from Iceland. It appeared on the front page of this Icelandic newspaper in 1931.

I also came across an advertisement for Prix de Beaute in a Turkish newspaper, also from 1931. This ad is only one of a handful of Brooks' related pieces which I have come across from a Middle Eastern or Arabic country. (I have uncovered a few instances of the actress' films being shown in French north African colonies. I also have an undated clipping of The Canary Murder Case from Egypt.) If any reader has any knowledge of or lead toward uncovering any other instances of Brooks' films being shown in a Middle Eastern or Arab country, please contact me.

Pandora's Box plays in Latvia - Louise Brooks stars

The 1929 Louise Brooks film, Pandora's Box, played in just about every country in Europe. Some of the recent posts here on the Louise Brooks Society blog show as much. Pandora's Box also played in Latvia, one of the Baltic states.

Recently, while doing some research, I came across a number of clippings in the German-language Latvian newspaper, Rigasche Rundschau, which was published in Riga, the capital and largest city of the then newly formed nation. Apparently, Pandora's Box, a German film production, was something of a big deal in this small country, which included a sizable German-speaking population. I found this feature photo in Rigasche Rundschau. It dates from March, 1929 and notes that Brooks - a junior Paramount star - is featured in Pandora's Box. The film had premiered in Berlin only the month before.

To me, what's interesting about this clip is that it shows just how far and wide Brooks' films were distributed. [I also found clippings and advertisements for a few of her American silent films, as well as the German made Diary of a Lost Girl.] Also, I don't think I had ever seen the image on the left, of Brooks leading a German Shepard. It is, in all likelihood, a rare German publicity photo.

Pandora's Box debuted in Latvia in March, 1929 at the Splendid Palace theater in Riga. It debuted as Die Büchse der Pandora  (from Wedekind's Lulu), as can be seen in this newspaper listing of movies playing in town.

However, two-and-a-half months later it returned to Riga under a different title, Die Gottin der Sunde, which translates as The Goddess of Sunday. This is new to me! I have never seen Pandora's Box promoted under any other name, except for Lulu. Perhaps alluding to the mythological under-pinnings of Wedekind's story, The Goddess of Sunday may refer to the Greek Goddess Aphrodite, or to a well known Romanian folk tale. Does anyone know anything more about this alternative title?

[ 01/09/13 Addendum: I have been told that Die Gottin der Sunde may translate as The Goddess of Sin, which makes sense.]

The month at Niles has Louise Brooks connections

This should be a big year for the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum in Fremont, California. In addition to the annual Charlie Chaplin Days and Broncho Billy Film Festival held later in the year, Niles Essanay will mark the 100th anniversary of the building of the Essanay Film Studio. A century ago, Niles hosted what was one of the major studios on the West Coast. The venerable film museum also celebrates its eighth year of showing silent movies every Saturday night at its historic Edison Theater (which is also marking its 100th anniversary).

Niles Essanay starts the new year with a great line-up of films in January. One highlight is Anna Christie (1923), the first film adaption of Eugene O'Neill's famous Pulitzer Prize winning play. Notably, it was produced by Thomas Ince (the subject of a major new biography) only two years after O'Neill's stage drama debuted on Broadway. That film is part of the weekly series "Saturday Night at the Movies." There is also the monthly "Comedy Short Subject Night" and "Laurel & Hardy Talkie Matinee." Notably, each silent film is presented with live musical accompaniment featuring some of the Bay Area's leading accompanists. All together, it's a great month of early cinema in the East Bay. Here's what's playing.

"Saturday Night at the Movies" with Bruce Loeb at the piano
Saturday January 5 at 7:30 pm

Today, we think of Wallace Beery as a memorable character actor who often played the "heavy" (as he did in the 1928 film, Beggars of Life). But in the 1920's he was one half of one of the most popular comedy teams of the silent era. His screen partner was Raymond Hatton, and together they appeared in a series of so-called service comedies (army, navy, air force, fire department, etc...) which included the now lost smash hit, Now We're in the Air (1927), which also featured Louise Brooks. In Behind the Front (1926, Paramount), Beery and Hatton join the army and head off to France to fight in this WWI comedy directed by Eddie Sutherland (Brooks' one-time husband). The film also features Mary Brian, Richard Arlen, Chester Conklin, and Gertrude Astor (all of whom appeared in a film in which Louise Brooks appeared). This seldom screened silent feature will be preceded by two shorts, One Is Business, the Other Crime (1912, Biograph) with Edwin August and Blanche Sweet, and Pink Pajamas (1929, Mack Sennett) with Billy Bevan and Natalie Joyce (the latter played in A Girl in Every Port).

"Saturday Night at the Movies" with Frederick Hodges at the piano
Saturday January 12 at 7:30 pm 

In Power (1928, Pathe), William Boyd and Alan Hale are friends and rivals for the affections of the lovely Jacqueline Logan in this light comedy with wisecracks penned by future director Tay Garnett (best known for The Postman Always Rings Twice). Beauties Joan Bennett and Carole Lombard (who starred in the 1931 film, It Pays to Advertise, which included Brooks in a cameo), are also featured, as is the fluid camerawork of J. Peverell Marley. [See the previous blog entry for a bit more about this film.] The feature will be preceded by the comedic shorts Hale and Hearty (1922, Hal Roach) with Snub Pollard, and Many Scrappy Returns (1927, Hal Roach) with Charley Chase and Eugene Pallette (who was featured in The Canary Murder Case).

 
"Laurel & Hardy Talkie Matinee"
Sunday January 13 at 4:00 pm

This month's "Laurel & Hardy Talkie Matinee" is themed "The Sounds of Silents." It's comprised of four late silent short films originally released with Vitaphone soundtracks containing music and sound effects. Each of the four shorts -- Liberty (1928) and Bacon Grabbers (1929) with Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, and Barnum & Ringling (1928) and Cat, Dog & Company (1929) -- will be screened with their original, vintage soundtracks.


"Comedy Short Subject Night" with Greg Pane at the piano
Saturday January 19 at 7:30 pm

If you love to laugh, then don't miss this monthly program of shorts featuring some of the most famous comedians of the silent film era. On the bill are The Pawnshop (1916, Lone Star) with Charlie Chaplin and Edna Purviance, The Paleface (1921, Comique) with Buster Keaton, Among Those Present (1921, Rolin) with Harold Lloyd and Mildred Davis, and Putting Pants on Philip (1927, Hal Roach) with Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.

"Saturday Night at the Movies" with Judy Rosenberg at the piano
Saturday January 26 at 7:30 pm 

Blanche Sweet and William Russell star in Anna Christie (1923, Ince), the first film adaption of Eugene O'Neill's play about a troubled young woman who comes to live with her estranged father on the New York waterfront. Anna Christie has been remade many times as a film, most famously with Greta Garbo in 1931. This earlier version features Eugenie Besserer, Chester Conklin and Fred Kohler (the latter two actors each appeared in a Brooks' film). The feature will be preceded by two shorts, A Ten-Minute Egg (1924, Hal Roach) with Charley Chase, and The Cry of the Children (1912, Thanhouser), starring future director James Cruze, whose credits include The City Gone Wild, with Kohler and Brooks). This latter short was based on a poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

"Mary Pickford Short Film Program" with Bruce Loeb at the piano
Saturday February 2 at 7:30 pm

Looking ahead to February, Niles Essanay celebrates Mary Pickford at the beginning of her career with a selection of her Biograph and IMP films in 35mm prints from the Library of Congress. Christel Schmidt will be on hand to talk about the films and sign copies of her big new book, Mary Pickford: Queen of the Movies (University Press of Kentucky).

For more info: The Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum is located at 37417 Niles Blvd. in Fremont, California. For further information, call (510) 494-1411 or visit the museum website at www.nilesfilmmuseum.org/.

More Pandora's Box ads from around the world

Here are a couple more vintage newspaper advertisements for Pandora's Box, starring Louise Brooks. This blog continues the series of recent posts featuring ads from around the world for the G.W. Pabst directed film. These two ads date from 1929 and 1930, respectively. First is an ad from Romania. Below it is an advertisement from Luxembourg.

For more about Zwei Hahne, with William Boyd, Alan Hale and Jacqueline Logan, be sure and check out Friday's post here on the Louise Brooks Society blog.

Happy New Year from the Louise Brooks Society

Happy New Year from the Louise Brooks Society. That's Louise Brooks in 1925, pictured
here as a member of the Ziegfeld Follies.