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
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Two Louise Brooks postcards from France #1
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, December 18, 2015
Diamond, a work of historical fiction with a Louise Brooks cover
How I missed this I don't know, but one year ago today a work of historical fiction was published which featured Louise Brooks on the cover. The book is Diamond, by Cynthia L. Jordan. It is from Emerald Eagle Publishing (self-published?). The book seems to be a follow up, as it were, to Jordan's earlier work, Pearl, from 2013.
Here is the book's description from amazon.com: "Corsets are out. Freedom is in. The 20's are ROARING! Movies are silent and Hollywood is shaping American culture. From coast to coast young girls like Heather Smith dream of becoming a movie star. One day two men shooting a western film near San ANgelo, Texas come to Pearl's Parlor for some fun. Is this Heather's big chance? Wyatt Earp, Mae West, John Wayne, Charlie Chaplin, Louise Brooks, Barbara Stanwyck...their stories will astound you. DIAMOND reminds us that when we remove the glitzy glamour, smoke and mirrors it is our human nature and the need to be loved that makes us all the same. PROLOGUE Ever since she was a little girl, Heather had dreamed of being an actress. While growing up in Illinois, the porch of the farmhouse had served as her stage, and her younger siblings, dolls and pets were her audience. Heather had spent all morning preparing for this interview. After examining herself carefully in the mirror, and after trying on seven different outfits, she had finally decided the royal blue was best. Simple and elegant, the dress showed off Heather’s trim waistline, as well as the fact that this homegrown farm girl was a lady with class. “I believe there must be some mistake. I was told this was an interview to set up a screen test for a part in the new western movie, Rio Concho. I am an actress and I also sing.” “Listen, Sweetheart…if you wanna play in the big leagues, you gotta play by the rules! Now take your clothes off!” Leaning forward, the man rested his elbows on the large oak desk standing between him and his newest conquest. He knew she wanted to be a star. They all did. His eyes glared at Heather’s breasts with appreciation and desire as he chewed on his smelly, unlit cigar. “Oh…I see,” Heather affirmed. “May
I please sit down for a minute, Mister Stein?” “Ok, but
just for a minute. I am a very busy man.” Heather had heard the
Hollywood stories of casting couches and girls being put in compromising
situations. She had rehearsed this scene for months. Looking down at
her soft white hands gently folded on her lap, Heather slowly bit her
bottom lip. After a moment, she dramatically looked straight into the
eyes of a man who had the power to make her dreams come true. With full
confidence in her ability to charm, Heather smiled. Locking the man into
her hypnotic gaze, she spoke slowly and deliberately. “So this is
business? What are your terms? What do I get when I take off my
clothes?” The man folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. “It
depends on how friendly you want to be,” he smirked, licking his fat
lips. The man’s lines had been predictable and Heather was more than
ready to perform her part. Heather made her eyes big. “Don’t you want
me to read for you or sing you a song?” she asked with profound
innocence. “Take your clothes off, Missy. We’ll start there.” “Will you
guarantee I get a part? If this is business…” “I can make you a star,
Sweetheart!” For a long moment Heather stared at the man behind the
desk. A woman with experience, she was a master at reading a man and
knowing his deepest desires. Coyly, Heather grinned and began speaking
seductively in a slow, sultry voice. “All right then, Mr. Stein. Today
is your lucky day. I brought a girlfriend with me. Ginger wants to be in
the movies too. Can I ask her to join us? Ginger can be extremely
friendly. In fact together we can give you quite a show! She is waiting
for me just outside the door.” The man quickly laid down his slimy
cigar. “Yes in-deedy! Invite her in!” “I’ll be right back,” Heather
smiled."
About the author (also via amazon.com): Cynthia believes every woman is like a precious pearl that deserves to be respected, appreciated and loved. Growing up in Redondo Beach, California the ocean was her playground and playing music was her passion. A classically trained pianist, Cynthia wrote the 1983 country song of the year, JOSE CUERVO and went on to compose beautiful piano CDs for Page Music in Nashville. BUTTERFLY MOMENTS is her autobiography. In doing research for her new musical PEARL, Cynthia uncovered astounding facts about women in history and found a new passion in writing historical novels to tell their stories. Ada and Minna Everleigh, Mae West, Suzy Poontang, Emily Morgan, Pearl DeVere, and Louise Brooks are just some of the characters in her historical fictions she calls the GEM SERIES. Her books are "real page turners" full of history, humor and deep sentiment. "In understanding our human nature we learn that each one of us is equally the same with the potential to live their life in bliss."
Here is the book's description from amazon.com: "Corsets are out. Freedom is in. The 20's are ROARING! Movies are silent and Hollywood is shaping American culture. From coast to coast young girls like Heather Smith dream of becoming a movie star. One day two men shooting a western film near San ANgelo, Texas come to Pearl's Parlor for some fun. Is this Heather's big chance? Wyatt Earp, Mae West, John Wayne, Charlie Chaplin, Louise Brooks, Barbara Stanwyck...their stories will astound you. DIAMOND reminds us that when we remove the glitzy glamour, smoke and mirrors it is our human nature and the need to be loved that makes us all the same. PROLOGUE Ever since she was a little girl, Heather had dreamed of being an actress. While growing up in Illinois, the porch of the farmhouse had served as her stage, and her younger siblings, dolls and pets were her audience. Heather had spent all morning preparing for this interview. After examining herself carefully in the mirror, and after trying on seven different outfits, she had finally decided the royal blue was best. Simple and elegant, the dress showed off Heather’s trim waistline, as well as the fact that this homegrown farm girl was a lady with class. “I believe there must be some mistake. I was told this was an interview to set up a screen test for a part in the new western movie, Rio Concho. I am an actress and I also sing.” “Listen, Sweetheart…if you wanna play in the big leagues, you gotta play by the rules! Now take your clothes off!” Leaning forward, the man rested his elbows on the large oak desk standing between him and his newest conquest. He knew she wanted to be a star. They all did. His eyes glared at Heather’s breasts with appreciation and desire as he chewed on his smelly, unlit cigar. “Oh…I see,” Heather affirmed. “May
About the author (also via amazon.com): Cynthia believes every woman is like a precious pearl that deserves to be respected, appreciated and loved. Growing up in Redondo Beach, California the ocean was her playground and playing music was her passion. A classically trained pianist, Cynthia wrote the 1983 country song of the year, JOSE CUERVO and went on to compose beautiful piano CDs for Page Music in Nashville. BUTTERFLY MOMENTS is her autobiography. In doing research for her new musical PEARL, Cynthia uncovered astounding facts about women in history and found a new passion in writing historical novels to tell their stories. Ada and Minna Everleigh, Mae West, Suzy Poontang, Emily Morgan, Pearl DeVere, and Louise Brooks are just some of the characters in her historical fictions she calls the GEM SERIES. Her books are "real page turners" full of history, humor and deep sentiment. "In understanding our human nature we learn that each one of us is equally the same with the potential to live their life in bliss."
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, December 17, 2015
A Quick Study into the Present‐Day Location of the former Staaken Studios, by Philip Vorwald
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
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Louise Brooks and Frankenstein
It is well known that director James Whale considered Louise Brooks for the title role in Bride of Frankenstein (1935). That part, of course, went to Elsa Lanchester. I can't imagine anyone else in the role. Lanchester was sexy and terrifying.
Did you know there is another connection between Brooks and the Frankenstein films. The original 1931 Frankenstein was also directed by Whale, and, it had an uncredited scenario by John Russell, who also penned the scenario for Brooks' first film, The Street of Forgotten Men (1925). Russell certainly did a lot of interesting work.
Did you know there is another connection between Brooks and the Frankenstein films. The original 1931 Frankenstein was also directed by Whale, and, it had an uncredited scenario by John Russell, who also penned the scenario for Brooks' first film, The Street of Forgotten Men (1925). Russell certainly did a lot of interesting work.
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, December 15, 2015
Is Louise Brooks pictured in a 1927 Our Gang short?
For some time now, there has been word going round that a newspaper image of Louise Brooks can be seen in the 1927 Our Gang short, Ten Years Old. This 22 minute film centers on Joe and his tenth birthday and the cake he makes for himself. The usual Our Gang mirth and mayhem ensues.
A few short excerpts of Ten Years Old can be found online. I managed to track down the entire film through realclassicsdvd.com, and bought a copy to see for myself. I took a look, and spotted the image at the center of the long running speculation.
Early on, Joe makes himself a party hat from a old newspaper. And on that newspaper is the image in question. It is just a Louise Brooks look-alike, and not the actress, in my opinion. What do you think? Here is a screen capture.
A few short excerpts of Ten Years Old can be found online. I managed to track down the entire film through realclassicsdvd.com, and bought a copy to see for myself. I took a look, and spotted the image at the center of the long running speculation.
Early on, Joe makes himself a party hat from a old newspaper. And on that newspaper is the image in question. It is just a Louise Brooks look-alike, and not the actress, in my opinion. What do you think? Here is a screen capture.
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, December 14, 2015
More True Confessions: Pics from the Louise Brooks Society (part 2)
Here are yet more images from the 20 year history of the Louise Brooks Society. Launched in 1995, the LBS was one of
the first websites devoted to silent film or a silent film star. Only a
few pages at first, the LBS has grown, and so has its acclaim as a
resource for fans of Louise Brooks as well as early cinema. Check it out at www.pandorasbox.com
c
And look where this book showed up - on the hit television show Lost. |
I put on an event with the acclaimed poet Mary Jo Bang when her LB inspired book of poems Louise in Love was published in 2001. |
I produced this triptych of limited edition autographed broadsides celebrating Mary Jo Bang's book and featuring Brooks' imagery. |
My wife and I had the pleasure of visiting the then George Eastman House in Rochester, NY to see the LB centennial exhibit. What a great experience. |
I got to know Bruce Conner after he visited a small exhibit about the actress which I put on in a San Francisco cafe some years ago. Conner left this note in the exhibit guest book. Later, when I visited him at his home in San Francisco, he expanded on this anecdote. |
When I introduced Diary of a Lost Girl in Paris in 2009, fans of the actress (alas not me) lined up around the block. |
I've had the pleasure of meeting a few fellow fans, like the charming English dressmaker Irma Romero. |
I also had the pleasure of meeting actor Paul McGann, who is also a big Louise Brooks' fan. McGann, who was the Eighth Doctor Who, even told me he listened to RadioLulu. |
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, December 13, 2015
More True Confessions: Pics from the Louise Brooks Society (part 1)
Here are some more images from the 20 year history of the Louise Brooks Society. Launched in 1995, the LBS was one of
the first websites devoted to silent film or a silent film star. Only a
few pages at first, the LBS has grown, and so has its acclaim as a
resource for fans of Louise Brooks as well as early cinema. Check it out at www.pandorasbox.com
Thank you for reading this blog. Check back for tomorrow's post and more groovy pics from the 20 year history of the Louise Brooks Society.
With author Barry Paris in 2000, at the LBS co-sponsored event celebrating the new edition of the Barry Paris biography of the actress (which the LBS helped bring back into print). |
Introducing Pandora's Box at the Detroit Institute of the Arts in 2006, the year which marked the Louise Brooks centennial. |
With William Wellman Jr., whose Father directed the 1928 Louise Brooks' film Beggars of Life. Wellman Jr. told me his Father adored Louise Brooks. |
One view of the 2006 LBS sponsored Louise Brooks exhibit at the San Francisco Public Library marking the actress centennial. |
Another view of the 2006 LBS sponsored Louise Brooks exhibit at the San Francisco Public Library. |
A long time ago with the Pulitzer Prize winning film critic Roger Ebert, who told me he used the Louise Brooks Society website to research Pandora's Box and Diary of a Lost Girl. |
In 2006, with film critic Peter Cowie, author of Louise Brooks: Lulu Forever. |
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, December 12, 2015
True Confession: I've Been Stalking Louise Brooks for 20 years
An early VHS copy of Pandora's Box from a time when this was the only way to see a Louise Brooks' film |
I hadn't
heard of the film -- nor its star. What peaked my interest was the text on the back
of the VHS, "censored because of its explicit sexuality." With it
being a Friday night, and with me having nothing in particular to do, an erotic
film -- even though it was from more than sixty years old -- seemed ok to me.
I watched that
film that night as if in a dream. Who was this Louise Brooks? And how had I
never heard of her? The questions ricocheted through me. I couldn't believe what
I was seeing. How could such an actress -- such a woman even, be possible? I
went to bed that night confused, in a daze. And I got up the next morning and
watched Pandora's Box all
over again. I had to. The rental tape was due later that day, and, I really,
really, really wanted to watch it again. Anyways, I simply had to come to grips
with what I had experienced the night before. Like her victims in Pandora's Box, I was in the thrall
of Lulu.
Excited by the
movie and this actress "I had discovered" -- that was how I felt, I
asked everyone I could about Louise Brooks. "She is beautiful. She has
short dark hair, like a helmet. She was in this silent film called Pandora's Box. She played
Lulu. . . ." Friends, family, people I knew who were into film -- no one really
seemed to know much about her until a co-worker recalled there had been a
biography. A book. A place to start!
A first edition copy of the Barry Paris biography of Louise Brooks |
Aren't we
all smitten with an actor or actress sometime in our life? Don't we all have a
secret crush on some cute starlet or some handsome hunk? Don't we want to see
every film starring our favorite? Haven't film buffs all saved a picture or
magazine clipping for no particular reason known only to ourselves? I figured
there must be others out there who appreciated Louise Brooks like I did. I was
eager to talk with others about her. But who might they be? How could I find
them? Was there a group?
I went back
to the library and asked at the reference desk if there was a directory of fan
clubs, and much to my surprise, there was. I scoured its many pages of small
type. There were thousands of fan clubs: there were groups for Laurel and
Hardy, Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne and for dozens of other contemporary stars
and entertainers I couldn't believe anyone cared about. Disappointed, I didn't find
any for Louise Brooks.
All this --
renting Pandora's Box,
asking everyone I knew about Louise Brooks, finding the biography of the
actress -- was back when the world wide web was just getting started. Up until
then, the internet was largely text and made up of places like Prodigy, The
Well, UseNet groups, BBS and AOL. I had been online for a few years, and
explored each. I even once telnet into the Berkeley Public Library. But now --
around 1994 and 1995, the web was going graphical, and anyone who could figure
out HTML could make their own website.
That's when
I had an idea. Why not make a webpage about Louise Brooks? Or better yet, why
not make a multi-page website, and post some of the material about the actress
I had started to gather. I might even "meet" others who shared my
interest. That's when I decided to form the Louise Brooks Society,
what I called a "virtual fan club in cyberspace." Eventually, I
secured the domain pandorasbox.com.
Thanks to my
brother, who was a computer engineer and who helped me figure out Hypertext Markup Language, I posted my
first web pages. This was in the summer and fall of 1995. The Louise Brooks Society had begun.
LBS director Thomas Gladysz and Academy Award honoree Kevin Brownlow |
Soon enough,
the Louise Brooks Society started to take off. I remember being excited when my
hit counter read triple digits. Quickly, visitors were counted in the thousands
and then tens of thousands, and then hundreds of thousands. In 1996, USA Today named the Louise
Brooks Society a "Hot Site," noting "Silent-film buffs can get a
taste of how a fan club from yesteryear plays on the Web. The Louise Brooks
Society site includes interviews, trivia and photos. It also draws an
international audience." A few years later, the New York Times described it as an "excellent homage to the art of the silent film as well
as one of its most luminous stars."
In 1998, the
popularity of my virtual fan club in cyberspace got noticed by Turner Classic
Movies. The cable station devoted to classic films decided to commission a
documentary about Louise Brooks. An article on the Wired website, "FanSite Sparks Biopic", quoted a TCM spokesman who said the level
of interest in the Louise Brooks Society convinced the network to go ahead with
the documentary and an evening of the actress' films. "The Web presence
for Louise Brooks was overwhelming. It was definitely a driving force in convincing
the network to produce this documentary."
At the San Francisco Public Library exhibit |
I have always been the scholarly type, and always thought that I wanted the Louise Brooks Society to be more than just a fan club. I wanted to do something. I see the mission of the society as one of honoring the actress by stimulating interest in her life and films. To that end, I have compiled bibliographies on the actress and her films which if printed out would run hundreds of pages. I have also written a couple of hundred articles and a couple of thousand blogs about Louise Brooks. In 2010, I wrote the introduction and edited the of Diary of a Lost Girl, the once controversial novel that was the basis for the 1929 film. Co-published by the Louise Brooks Society, it was this significant book's first English publication in more than 100 years. Recently, I provided the audio commentary for the new Kino Lorber DVD & Blu-ray of Diary of a Lost Girl.
The Louise
Brooks Society also has its own online radio station, RadioLulu,
which streams Louise Brooks and silent-film related music of the 1920's, 1930's
and today. Musical purists have complained, but I can't help but include some
of the contemporary rock and pop songs about the actress by the likes of Orchestral
Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), Soul Coughing, Rufus Wainwright, NatalieMerchant, and others.
Something
that the website does is track and promote the many homage to
the actress not only in music but in movies, fiction, comic books, the visual arts
and popular culture. Did you know there was a street named after Louise Brooks
in Paris, as well as a French perfume? The actress shows up in books by Neil
Gaiman and Paul Auster and Salman Rushdie, has been mentioned on The Simpsons, and pops up in
movies ranging from Hugo
to Blue is the Warmest Color.
The current staging of Alban Berg's opera, Lulu, at the Met in New York City owes a littlesomething to Louise Brooks.
Over the
years, the Louise Brooks Society has mounted exhibits and sponsored author
talks and screenings. One of the group's great accomplishments took place in
the year 2000. At the time, both Louise Brooks' own book, Lulu in Hollywood, as well as
the Barry Paris biography which I loved had fallen out of print. The LBS
mounted a grass roots campaign to bring them back. And it worked. The
University of Minnesota Press reissued both books, and acknowledged the LBS in
each. At one point, the press told me those two books were among their bestselling
titles.
I didn't do
it all by myself. The members of the Louise Brooks Society -- which I number at
about 1500 from 50 countries on six countries -- have contributed in all manner
of ways. Individuals from around the world have sent pictures and clippings and
rare pieces of memorabilia, provided translations of non-English materials, and
helped in other ways.
With English fan Meredith Lawrence (left) |
Looking
back, that chance encounter some 20 years ago with an old film started me off
on a kind of journey into the heart of the Jazz Age. These days, I am interested
in not only Louise Brooks but also silent film, Weimar Germany, Denishawn, Twenties
Jazz, and more. Those interests all started with Louise Brooks. One thing would
lead to another.
Louise Brooks
was a pretty big star in the late 1920s. She was world famous for about five
years. But then it all ended. She went to Europe to make films, including Pandora's Box and Diary of a Lost Girl, the two
for which she is best known today. When she returned, Hollywood didn't want her
anymore. Sound came in, and her Jazz Age impertinence and sleek black bob
seemed out of place in Depression-era America. She tried to make a comeback,
but ended up quitting films, twice. Louise Brooks and her 24 films would be
largely forgotten.
Eventually,
she returned to New York City where her showbiz career had begun. She lived
there anonymously, broke, drinking, living the life of a barfly, a once famous
movie star working behind the counter at a department store; and, while she
still had her looks, she may or may have not escorted gentlemen on dates. Can
you image what they must have thought had they realized who they were with?
All the
while, Louise Brooks had begun to write -- observations, memories, articles,
essays. Once derided as a brainy showgirl, she emerged late in life as an
articulate and acerbic writer and memoirist. F. Scott Fitzgerald, whom she once
met, wrote something about there being no second acts in American lives. Brooks
proves the exception. After decades of obscurity, she emerged late in life as
an acclaimed author and thoughtful commentator on film.
Signing books at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum |
Though she
left her mark on her time, Brooks always thought of herself as a failure. In
his biography, Barry Paris quotes a letter the actress wrote to her brother, "I
have been taking stock of my 50 years since I left Wichita in 1922 at the age
of 15 to become a dancer with Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn. How I have existed
fills me with horror. For I have failed in everything—spelling, arithmetic,
riding, swimming, tennis, golf, dancing, singing, acting, wife, mistress,
whore, friend. Even cooking. And I do not excuse myself with the usual escape
of 'not trying.' I tried with all my heart."
There is a mystery
at the heart of Louise Brooks and her story that goes a long-way toward
explaining why she thought herself a failure and why others find her so
fascinating.
I have
wondered, and others have asked me, why I am so obsessed with Louise Brooks. I don't
know. I think it is because I want others to know she wasn't a failure. Deep
down, I suspect I somehow want to save her, to rescue her. But to save her from
what I am not sure. Perhaps it is from being forgotten. She often played
imperiled women, and that can bring out the rescue impulse in fans and admirers.
If that is the case with me, all I can do is try.
Barry Paris inscribed this copy of his biography: "For Thomas -- who resurrected me & LB the way Tynan did in The New Yorker!" |
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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