Friday, June 15, 2018

Beggars of Life screens in Boulder, Colorado on August 15

Beggars of Life, the sensational 1928 Louise Brooks film (directed by William Wellman), will be shown in Boulder, Colorado on August 15 with live musical accompaniment by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra. More information can be found HERE.



"An American silent film classic, Beggars of Life (1928) stars Louise Brooks as a train-hopping hobo who disguises herself as a boy to survive. After escaping her violent stepfather, she befriends a kindly drifter (Richard Arlen). They ride the rails together to escape the police and reach Canada, until their fateful encounter with blustery Oklahoma Red (Wallace Beery) and his rambunctious band of hoboes. What happens is an incredibly cinematic event of daring and desperate conflict – atop a moving train. Based on the memoir of real-life hobo Jim Tully, and directed with adventuresome verve by William Wellman, Beggars of Life is a must-see."

Total running time: 100 minutes

Want to learn more about the film? Last Spring saw the release of my well reviewed new book, Beggars of Life: A Companion to the 1928 Film, and this past Summer saw the release of a new DVD / Blu-ray of the film from Kino Lorber. (The DVD features a commentary by your's truly, Thomas Gladysz, as well as an outstanding musical score by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra.) If you haven't secured your own copy of either the book or the DVD / Blu-ray, why not do so today?Each is an essential addition to your Louise Brooks collection.


Wednesday, June 13, 2018

First ever Louise Brooks Society blog ran on this day 16 years ago

On this day sixteen years ago, in 2002, the first ever Louise Brooks Society blog appeared on LiveJournal. To mark the occasion, here is that first post:

In search of the perfect bob, in the Philippines

The Philippine Daily Inquirer, from Manila, recently ran a story titled "In search of the perfect bob." In it, the reporter discusses her own quest for the haircut, as well as a bit of it's history.

It has been a long debate on who actually started the classic bob. But American Hairdresser magazine, in an article on March 1, 2007, “The Way We Were,” credited dancer Irene Castle for the bob, which used to be called “Castle Bob” in 1915.

There was also the tale of an unpopular girl whose life changed after she got her new bob, as told in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story, “Bernice Bobs Her Hair,” published in the Saturday Evening Post in May 1920.

Others credit the bob to Coco Chanel or the American dancer and actress Louise Brooks, with her ebony black, blunt bob with bangs.

Anna Wintour has been sporting the page-boy bob since she was 14.

Why is the ’do still popping up to this day?

The popularity of the bob knows no bounds. Neither does its identification with Louise Brooks. Both are a worldwide phenomena!

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Louise Brooks and the Northwest Poultry Journal

Obviously, someone at the Northwest Poultry Journal had a thing for Louise Brooks back in 1928. Why else would they have run this non-poultry related item, except for a few giggles and laughs, or clucks and cackles.


Monday, June 11, 2018

Anthony Bourdain and Louise Brooks

Anthony Bourdain had a thing for Louise Brooks. Over the years, he evoked her name time and again.

In the introduction to My Last Supper: 50 Great Chefs and Their Final Meals (2007), Bourdain was asked who he wished his dining companions might be at his last meal. His answer was telling. "Given that I'm ostensibly facing imminent death, I'd probably prefer being alone.  But assuming heroic sangfroid, an eclectic bunch of dinner companions from times present and past might keep the conversation interesting: Graham Greene, Kim Philby, Ava Gardner, Louise Brooks, Orson Welles, Iggy Pop, Martin Scorsese, Gabrielle Hamilton, Nick Tosches, Muhammad Ali, and Carole Lombard."

That mention caught my attention, and when I met Bourdain -- ever so briefly in 2008 -- I asked him about his interest in Brooks. He smiled, and asked "Wasn't she beautiful?"

The celebrated chef, author, television personality and travel documentarian -- who took his own life on June 8th -- was well known for his love of popular music. Less known was his love of world cinema and classic films, and Louise Brooks. In 2017, Bourdain was asked to name a few of his favorite films from the Criterion Collection. And among those he chose were works by John Huston, Orson Welles, and Stanley Kubrick. Another of Bourdain's picks was the only silent film to make his list, Pandora's Box (1929). Bourdain's brief comment on this pick amplifies his interest in the star of that classic silent film: "Two words. Louise Brooks. Never has a more beautiful, intelligent, quirky, sexy, uniquely commanding character graced the screen."

The "last supper" or "ideal dinner" question was one that Bourdain was asked with some regularity. And though his answer might vary, one name always was always present, Louise Brooks. Back in 2006, Washington Post readers put questions to the celebrated chef.
Rockville, Md.: Looking back at all the places you've traveled and meals you've had, what would be your dream menu and who would you invite?

Anthony Bourdain: I would eat at the St. John restaurant in London. An all offal meal prepared by Fergus Henderson. Attending would be a young Ava Gardner, Louise Brooks, Kim Philby, Orson Welles, Richard Helms, Iggy Pop, Graham Greene and Martin Scorsese.
In 2008, www.seriouseats.com wrote. "When asked by the New York Post's Page Six this weekend what his food fantasy would be, Anthony Bourdain replied: 'Chef Marco Pierre White and Keith Richards would be throwing something on the barbie in a backyard in Red Hook.' Attendees would include, among others, silent film actress Louise Brooks (allowed to speak, presumably) along with Orson Welles and the "CIA director of counterintelligence."

In 2013,  Andrew Zimmern interviewed Bourdain for Delta Sky magazine. Bourdain named a few of his ideal dinner companions: "Orson Welles is there, for sure. Ava Gardner, Louise Brooks, Iggy, Marco Pierre White, my wife, she’s funny. Daniel Boulud, Éric Ripert, that would be fun. Nigella, Bill Murray, Christopher Walken and Lidia Bastianich, because they’re old friends. That would be a mother****ing dinner party right there. It would be an interesting and outrageous bunch."

In 2014, Modern Luxury magazine asked Bourdain which six iconic figures would be at his dream dinner party? His answer, "Orson Welles; actress Louise Brooks; British intelligence officer Kim Philby, who was actually a KGB spy; Ava Gardner; Iggy Pop; and movie director John Houston."

In 2016, Bourdain went on Reddit to answer questions, where he was asked if you could have dinner with any three people, alive or dead, who would they be? His answer, "Louise Brooks, Orson Welles, and James Angleton the former head of capital intelligence for the CIA. There's a couple of questions I'd like to ask him. They're all dead unfortunately. "

In 2015, Bourdain visited my former place of employ, the Arion Press. He was there to check out the press -- one of the last letterpress printers in the United States, but also to check out the Arion Press edition of the Lulu plays (the basis for Pandora's Box), as illustrated by artist William Kentridge. It was a book I suggested Arion publish, having known of the artist's interest in Louise Brooks as well as press' desire to work with Kentridge. It seemed a good fit. The result was one of the landmark letterpress editions of the early 21st century.


In a list of notable American memoirists, two names sit near one another under the letter B, Anthony Bourdain and Louise Brooks. Today, I think, they are likely sitting near one another in legend.

Sunday, June 10, 2018

Capitolfest set to take place August 10, 11, 12

This year's Capitolfest set to take place August 10, 11, 12 in Rome, New York. This year's tribute star is Ronald Colman, who, if you believe the 1930 issue of Girl's Cinema shown below, had a thing for Louise Brooks, or at least her eyes. In describing his "dream girl," Colman says she must have Louise Brooks' brown eyes. At a later date, on August 1st, this article and the entirety of Colman's thoughts on Brooks and other actress' will be revealed. Meanwhile, for more information on Capitolfest, go to this link HERE.



Friday, June 8, 2018

A Celebration of Louise, Lulu, LouLou, and Lolita in sheet music

A thematic musical follow-up to my previous post, this being a celebration of Louise, Lulu, LouLou, and Lolita in sheet music. First up, every little breeze seems to whisper the 1929 classic "Louise" - Music: Richard A. Whiting / Lyrics: Leo Robin; Albert Willemetz & Charles-Louis Pothier.


Next is "Louisa" - Music: Ursmar V. O. / Lyrics: Marcel Antoine.


From 1911, "Lulu" - Music: Charles de Bucovich / Lyrics: Janor & F. L. Bénech.


And here is, from 1927, "Lulu" - Music: Philippe Parès & Georges Van Parys / Lyrics: Serge Veber.


And from 1914, "Lulu-Fado" - Music: Nicolino Milano / Lyrics: Nihil.


From 1919, "Loulou" - Music: Eugène Rosi / Lyrics: Eugène Joullot.


"Loulou restons chez nous" - Music: Charles Borel-Clerc  / Lyrics: Félix Mortreuil.


And from the 1931 revue A l'eau de Divonne, "Lou-Lou! Cou-Cou! (Lou-Lou)" - Music: Frank Stip /
Lyrics: André Mauprey; Fernand Rouvray; Karl Brüll & Rudolf Eisner.


And let's not forget lovely "Lolita" (Zigeuner, du hast mein Herz gestohlen) - Music: Austin Egen & Franz Grothe / Lyrics: Max-Blot & Jean Cis


We will end this thematic celebration a turn, from 1919, to the side with "Pandora" - Music: Ernest Tompa / Lyrics: Nihil



And from 1930, "Pandora" - Music: Torsten Paban / Lyrics: Rolf Gander


Wednesday, June 6, 2018

More on the music in the 1930 Louise Brooks film, Prix de beaute

At the end of my last post, I mentioned that I spoken with musician Stephen Horne at the recently concluded San Francisco Silent Film Festival. We spoke about Prix de beaute. Stephen and I have a mutual desire to see the silent version of that film released someday, and we chatted about the prospects. Some regard the silent version superior to the more familiar sound version. Stephen, it should be noted, has accompanied the silent version a number of times.

I also mentioned to Stephen that I had recently acquired two more vintage 78 rpm recordings of the theme song to Prix de beaute. These new acquisitions brings my total to nearly a dozen different vintage recording from the film, each by different vocalists. Here are those two additional recordings, which I was lucky enough to purchase in their original papers sleeves. Both came from France.

This first recording, performed by the classical vocalist and one time actress "Mlle Ristori" (Gabrielle Ristori), is a cover version of "Je N'ai qu'un amour ... C'est toi," the film's familiar haunting theme song. There were a number of such recordings issued, mostly in France, but also one in Germany. Another recording, of Ristori singing an operetta, can be heard HERE.


The recording below, by the also little known French singer Helene Caron, is, I believe, the version of "Je N'ai qu'un amout ... C'est toi" which is heard in the film. Sample it HERE.


As Stephen Horne and others have noted, sound, music, and images of sound devices (loud speakers) and musical devices (phonographs) play an important part in Prix de beaute. Remember, this film -- one of the very first French talkies, was issued as the European film industry was transitioning from silent to sound films.


What follows are some excerpts from an interview I did with Stephen in 2013, when he accompanied the silent version of Prix de beaute at the 2013 San Francisco Silent Film Festival.

TG: What were your impressions of the film ?

SH: I did watch the sound version before the silent screenings that I accompanied. Normally I wouldn’t consider this necessary, but on this occasion it was invaluable. I’m not sure that this restoration is truly the original silent version - I suspect that this doesn’t actually survive intact and what we have is a recreation, using the sound version as a starting point and working backwards, so to speak. I think that both versions have their problems - they’re imperfect gems - but for me the silent version works much better. And there are certain sequences that are sublime.

TG: Were there any special challenges in composing the score for a silent film that is today best known as a sound film?

SH: I think it’s simplest to assume that the audience hasn’t seen the sound version. Obviously several people will have done, but the event should ideally stand on its own terms, as a silent film / live music event. However, there are some challenges that this silent version presents, particularly all the images that specifically reference sound effects: the repeated close-ups of loudspeakers, etc. One has to make a decision about whether to acknowledge them musically, or ‘play through’ them instead.

TG: Music, song and sound are integral to certain passages in the film, especially the film’s climatic ending. Did that prove a challenge?

SH: Unless you’re playing an instrument that can produce comparable sound ‘effects’, I think it’s best to approach these things in a slightly abstract way. In the tango song scene I’ve chosen to focus on a couple of specific elements within the scene - rather than trying to create an impression of vocalizing, for instance. However, the song in the final scene is inescapably important, so I think that I have come up with a rather clever solution to the problem. But you’ll have to wait to find out what that will be!

TG: Were you able to integrate the two songs used in the sound version into your score? If so, how?

SH: See above! But again, I’m largely gearing the performance to people who are coming to this film without having seen the sound version. The songs are not generally known now, so while it’s important that I play a tango when they’re dancing / singing a tango, I don’t think that it has to be the one sung in the sound version. But just wait until the climax...


Monday, June 4, 2018

Louise Brooks at the 2018 San Francisco Silent Film Festival

I'm back from the recently concluded San Francisco Silent Film Festival. (Read my PopMatters preview of the event on HERE.) I saw some good films, signed copies of my books, and chatted with friends both old and new. I had a good time, despite the fact that no Louise Brooks films were shown this year. However, to the discerning film buff, the actress did have a certain "presence" at the event.

In fact, Brooks was pictured on page eleven of the Festival program, amidst an essay by Nina Fiore titled "Silent but not Silenced: Outsiders Outcasts of Silent Cinema." The image of Brooks is a still from Diary of a Lost Girl, the sensational 1929 German film directed by G.W. Pabst. But what's more, two of the stars of that film were starred in two of the other films shown at this year's event.


One of those stars is Fritz Rasp, who played the ever so creepy pharmacist Meinart in Diary of a Lost Girl. He was featured as the just-as-creepy butterfly collector Stapleton in Der Hund von Baskerville (1929). Based on the famous Sherlock Holmes story by Arthur Conan Doyle, this was the last silent Holmes story filmed in Europe. It was also the film Rasp made before Diary. Rasp as Stapleton is pictured left - Rasp as Meinart is pictured right.


The other Diary cast member featured in a film at the Festival is Andrews Engelmann, who played the also creepy director of the reform school for girls. His large bald head defined him in that film. At the Festival, he was seen as André von Engelman, a German U-boat commander in Mare Nostrum (1926). And again, his large bald head defined him.


Both of these actors were recognizable to me (and how interesting it was to see them in something else besides Diary), as well as to Ira Resnick, a fellow Louise Brooks devotee and collector and the author of the must have coffee table book, Starstruck. I have known Ira for a few years now, since 2010, when he first came to the Festival. Here is a snapshot of Ira and I, who stopped by to chat during my book signing.


During my book signing, I had the distinct privilege of signing alongside Academy Award honoree Kevin Brownlow, the author of The Parade's Gone By and the film historian who knew Brooks as well as anyone in her later years. Brownlow is legend to those who love silent film, and not surprisingly, he outsold me ten to one. Nevertheless, it was a pleasure to see Kevin again. He has been helpful to me, and generous in sharing his material and memories of Brooks.



And that's not all. I spotted Louise Brooks fan art for sale at the merchandise table, and spoke with musician Stephen Horne about Prix de Beaute. We have a mutual desire to see the silent version of that film released, and we chatted about the prospects. Stephen has accompanied the silent version a number of times, and he told me about an usual UK screening where the theater brought in a female vocalist to sing the film's lyrical theme song. Perhaps one day....


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