Here is a multi-panel Dixie Dugan Sunday strip from 1932. (By comparison, the daily strip was usually three or four panels.) By this time in the evolution of the Dixie Dugan comic strip, Dixie's hair had evolved away from the Brooks-influenced shingled bob depicted in the 1929 / 1930 strips to something a little longer and more Thirties style. I like this particular strip because it suggests Dixie/Louise was something more than just a "dumb showgirl" = she read books!
A cinephilac blog about an actress, silent film, and the Jazz Age, with occasional posts
about related books, music, art, and history written by Thomas Gladysz. Visit the
Louise Brooks Society™ at www.pandorasbox.com
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Dixie Dugan - reader of books
This blog is authored by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society™. Launched in 1995, the Louise Brooks Society is a pioneering website and online archive devoted to the legendary silent film star. The Louise Brooks Society operates with the consent of the Estate of Louise Brooks (Louise Brooks Heirs, LC), and have its permission to use the name and likeness of the actress. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. CONTACT: louisebrookssociety (at) gmail.com
Friday, August 8, 2014
In Memoriam: Louise Brooks
Born: November 14, 1906, Cherryvale, KS
Died: August 8, 1985, Rochester, NY
This blog is authored by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society™. Launched in 1995, the Louise Brooks Society is a pioneering website and online archive devoted to the legendary silent film star. The Louise Brooks Society operates with the consent of the Estate of Louise Brooks (Louise Brooks Heirs, LC), and have its permission to use the name and likeness of the actress. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. CONTACT: louisebrookssociety (at) gmail.com
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Louise Brooks appearance in Walter Winchell column mentioning Libby Holman word game
This item appeared in a Walter Winchell column back in the early 1930's. Louise Brooks, who was friendly with Libby Holman, makes an appearance . . . . Brooks Atkinson was a famous theater critic of the time. Other film stars who are also mentioned include Jack (John) Gilbert, Nancy Carroll, Kay Francis, Edward G. Robinson, Frank Fay and the still living Baby Peggy.
This blog is authored by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society™. Launched in 1995, the Louise Brooks Society is a pioneering website and online archive devoted to the legendary silent film star. The Louise Brooks Society operates with the consent of the Estate of Louise Brooks (Louise Brooks Heirs, LC), and have its permission to use the name and likeness of the actress. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. CONTACT: louisebrookssociety (at) gmail.com
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
First Silent Film Festival in Thailand features Louise Brooks
Thailand's first ever silent film festival takes place August 7-12, 2014 at the Lido cinema, and on August 13 at the Scala Theatre.
There will be 7 silent films shown, including three by Alfred
Hitchcock (The Pleasure Garden, The Ring and The Lodger). Also scheduled are two screenings of Prix de beaute, starring Louise Brooks. One Asian film which will be screened, The Little Toys, was made in China.
Pianists Maud Nelissen from the Netherlands and Mie Yanashita from
Japan will provide musical accompaniment. World
renowned Thai musician and conductor Trisdee na Pattalung will also be
performing music in accompaniment to The Lodger, which ends the festival.
Lido 2 Theatre (Ticket Price 100 THB)
Thu 7 August | |
20.00 | The Pleasure Garden* (UK / 1926 / 90 mins) |
Fri 8 August | |
20.00 | The Ring** (UK / 1927 / 108 mins) |
Sat 9 August | |
12.00 | The Water Magician** ( Japan / 1933 / 100 mins) |
14.00 | Conversation with Mie Yanashita and Maud Nelissen |
(Free Event with Thai translation) | |
16.00 | Prix de Beaute * (France / 1930 / 93 mins) |
18.00 | Little Toys ** (China / 1933 / 104 mins) |
20.00 | Nerven * (Germany / 1919 / 109 mins) |
Sun 10 August | |
12.00 | The Pleasure Garden ** (UK / 1926 / 90 mins) |
14.00 | Public Lecture “The Silent Hitchcock” by Prof. Charles Barr |
(Free Event with Thai translation) | |
16.00 | The Ring * (UK / 1927 / 108 mins) |
18.00 | Nerven ** (Germany / 1919 / 109 mins) |
20.00 | Little Toys * (China / 1933 / 104 mins) |
Mon 11 August | |
20.00 | Prix de Beauté** (France / 1930 / 93 mins) |
Tue 12 August | |
20.00 | The Water Magician * ( Japan / 1933 / 100 mins) |
Scala Theatre ( Ticket Price 500 THB)
|
Wed 13 August | |
20.00 | The Lodger (UK / 1926 / 90 mins) Accompanied by Trisdee na Patalung |
* Accompanied by Maud Nelissen
** Accompanied by Mie Yanashita
Film screenings with Thai and English Intertitles
This blog is authored by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society™. Launched in 1995, the Louise Brooks Society is a pioneering website and online archive devoted to the legendary silent film star. The Louise Brooks Society operates with the consent of the Estate of Louise Brooks (Louise Brooks Heirs, LC), and have its permission to use the name and likeness of the actress. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. CONTACT: louisebrookssociety (at) gmail.com
Monday, August 4, 2014
Cool pic of the day: Louise Brooks without bangs
This blog is authored by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society™. Launched in 1995, the Louise Brooks Society is a pioneering website and online archive devoted to the legendary silent film star. The Louise Brooks Society operates with the consent of the Estate of Louise Brooks (Louise Brooks Heirs, LC), and have its permission to use the name and likeness of the actress. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. CONTACT: louisebrookssociety (at) gmail.com
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Prix de beauté screens in New Zealand
Tonight, the New Zealand International Film Festival screens the rarely shown silent version of Prix de beauté, a 1930 French drama starring Louise Brooks. The film, initially shot as a silent, was quickly adapted as a sound film.
The sound version, with dubbed dialogue and music, was released at the time "talkies" were beginning to dominate the French film market. The silent version quietly faded away. This special screening features Marc Taddei conducting the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra in a single performance of Timothy Brock’s original score. More information on this event can be found at http://www.nziff.co.nz/2014/auckland/prix-de-beaute/. Here is what the NZIFF says about the event.
The sound version, with dubbed dialogue and music, was released at the time "talkies" were beginning to dominate the French film market. The silent version quietly faded away. This special screening features Marc Taddei conducting the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra in a single performance of Timothy Brock’s original score. More information on this event can be found at http://www.nziff.co.nz/2014/auckland/prix-de-beaute/. Here is what the NZIFF says about the event.
This blog is authored by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society™. Launched in 1995, the Louise Brooks Society is a pioneering website and online archive devoted to the legendary silent film star. The Louise Brooks Society operates with the consent of the Estate of Louise Brooks (Louise Brooks Heirs, LC), and have its permission to use the name and likeness of the actress. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. CONTACT: louisebrookssociety (at) gmail.com
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Two more of Truus
This blog is authored by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society™. Launched in 1995, the Louise Brooks Society is a pioneering website and online archive devoted to the legendary silent film star. The Louise Brooks Society operates with the consent of the Estate of Louise Brooks (Louise Brooks Heirs, LC), and have its permission to use the name and likeness of the actress. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. CONTACT: louisebrookssociety (at) gmail.com
Friday, August 1, 2014
Truus van Aalten
Truus van Aalten, a Dutch actress who appeared in many German films in the 1920s and 1930s, was born on this day in 1910. A popular actress, Truus sported bobbed hair which was reportedly modeled after the cut worn by the American actress Colleen Moore. (Which was slightly different from that worn by Louise Brooks. See the previous LBS blog for some postcard images.)
And like Colleen Moore, comedy was what Truus did best. She was the bright spark in what were considered uninspired films. The German film-making community adored her, and referred to her affectionately as "die kleine Hollandische Käse" ("The Little Dutch Cheese").
Truus' popularity went beyond Germany and The Netherlands, spreading throughout Europe. Some of her German films were even shown in the United States. On October 14, 1933, the New York Times reviewed Truus' film Der Bettelstudent, then showing at the 79th St. Theatre in New York City. The movie, the newspaper said, had "a certain amount of charm", but didn't measure up to other operetta films of its type. However, the reviewer noted Truus was "excellent in her leading comedy role."
With the rise of the Nazi party, roles in German films for the Dutch-born actress began to dry up. In 1940, she returned to The Netherlands. According to her Wikipedia page, "Now she found herself being offered film work - to appear in Dutch films controlled and censored by the occupying power. She refused, realising that they only wanted to use her for propaganda - but as she turned the repeated requests down, she knew she was destroying any hope of rekindling her movie career."
After WWII, Truus hoped to find acting work in the Netherlands, in England, and even in Hollywood, but in the depressed atmosphere of the post-war world, few were interested in a forgotten actress with a foreign accent. Truus never acted again. As her reputation faded, she was seldom mentioned in the various film histories published in 1960s and 1970s. Truus died at age 88 in 1999. For more on the actress, see her Dutch Wikipedia page.
Truus' career, which ran from 1926 to 1939, paralleled that of Brooks, which ran from 1925 to 1938. Like Brooks, Truus portrait was taken at the Atelier Binder, a leading celebrity portrait photographer (who also shot Garbo, Lya di Putti, and others). Truus appeared on postcards issued by the Ross, as had Brooks, and the Dutch-born actress even appeared in a Lux soap advertisement, as had Brooks.
Few of Truus van Aalten's films have been released for home viewing. According to Wikipedia, "One possible reason is that the Russian Army seized the Ufa studios in April 1945 and appropriated the contents - including copies of a huge number of German films that have never been seen since." That's unfortunate, as Truss is pretty, charming, expressive, and appears to have real screen presence.
For more on Truus van Aalten, be sure and check out Roger Mitchell's excellent website (at http://truusvanaalten.com) devoted to the actress. It is the source for all of the images used in this blog.
This blog is authored by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society™. Launched in 1995, the Louise Brooks Society is a pioneering website and online archive devoted to the legendary silent film star. The Louise Brooks Society operates with the consent of the Estate of Louise Brooks (Louise Brooks Heirs, LC), and have its permission to use the name and likeness of the actress. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. CONTACT: louisebrookssociety (at) gmail.com
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