Celebrating National Silent Movie Day and silent film star Baby Peggy

Today is the 1st ever National Silent Movie Day, an new annual event dedicated to celebrating, preserving and creating access to silent film. Why such a day? Why such a celebration? While the silent cinema is regarded as a vital, telling and beautiful art form, it is also a misunderstood and sadly neglected aspect of our shared cultural history. And in ways, it is endangered. It is estimated that more than 70% of all silent films are LOST. Activism is need to remember and preserve this priceless art form before it is too late. To that end, a number of events are taking place across the United States and Europe. Visit THIS PAGE to learn about some of the screenings and other happenings taking place today, September 29, 2021.

In the words of Martin Scorsese, National Silent Movie Day is "exactly the type of activist spirit we need in the world of cinema right now." 

To mark the occasion and to do my bit, I posted for the first time ever a video of my 10 year old interview with the one-time silent film star Diana Serra Cary, who during the silent era was known as "Baby Peggy." Before her death at age 101 in February of 2020, Diana was considered the last living silent film star. She was a national treasure, and one of the sweetest people I ever met.

The occasion for my 2011 interview was "Shhhhh! Silents in the Library," a two-month, multi-display exhibition and event series at the San Francisco Public Library held in conjunction with the annual San Francisco Silent Film Festival. I curated the main exhibit, which was titled, "Reading the Stars: The Silent Era". It was comprised of all manner of vintage books about film dating from the silent era, including a few related to Baby Peggy. The books for the exhibit were loaned from my personal collection.

The interview was recorded by a professional videographer, but they flaked out and erased the tape. Now, all that remains, is this admittedly poor video recording of the occasion shot on a Flip from the audience. Still, it is a record worth preserving and sharing. Due to my poor video editing skills (I am a film historian, not a film editor), the event was in two parts, which I have since joined. In part one, SFPL librarian Gretchen Good introduces the event. (The showing of the Baby Peggy short The Kid Reporter is not included in the video.) In part two, I speak with Diana Serra Cary. 

I had put on a couple of events with Diana in the past, including a talk at the Booksmith and book signings at the Castro Theatre. I have also interviewed and written about Diana Serra Cary / Baby Peggy on a few occasions, for Open / Salon, SFGate (San Francisco Chronicle), examiner.com, and elsewhere, but sadly, like so many silent films, those webpages have disappeared from the world wide web. However, one remaining piece I wrote, "The Return of Baby Peggy — The Last Silent Film Star," can be found on Huffington Post. 

Not only was Diana Serra Cary a major film star (she was the Shirley Temple of the silent era), she was later in life a bookseller and an author. Like me. If you haven't seen any of her films - most of which are lost, though some survive - I would recommend you check them out. A few have been released on DVD. Also on DVD is a fine documentary from 2013 called Baby Peggy: The Elephant in the Room. Well worth checking out are Diana's four books, two of which are pictured below. Her memoir, Whatever Happened to Baby Peggy: The Autobiography of Hollywood's Pioneer Child Star, made me cry.

I also greatly enjoyed the biography she wrote about her silent era "rival", Jackie Coogan: The World's Boy King: A Biography of Hollywood's Legendary Child Star. 

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"Celebrating National Silent Movie Day and silent film star Baby Peggy" by Thomas Gladysz

File under unlikely - Max Factor mentions Louise Brooks

File this under unlikely: In late 1935, renown beautician & "Hollywood Make-Up Genius" Max Factor penned an article under the title "Hollywood Beauty Secrets."  The piece looked at changing notions of beauty, comparing the standards of Depression era America in 1935 with the "neo-classic beauty" of the earlier flapper era of 1920s America. And what's more, this particular Max Factor's article mentions Louise Brooks as representative of a flapper.

To me, this article is unlikely on a couple of accounts. First and foremost, because it was published in 1935, during a period when Brooks had not appeared in a film in four years and was little thought of in Hollywood. When she did appear in films a year or two later, in 1936 and 1937, her roles were always described as a "comeback." What is also unlikely about this article is that it appeared in a newspaper in Manchuria, China of all places!

It is known that Max Factor wrote a handful of syndicated newspaper articles which appeared in various American newspapers in the mid 1930s. However, I have never been able to track down this particular article in an American newspaper. That makes this appearance in a Shanghai newspaper something special.

In addition to its unlikely attributes, this piece is interesting in the attitudes it reveals. Does anyone know what theater / revival house Max Factor is referring to at the opening of the article?

Louise Brooks, and the avant-garde design of Polish magazines

Louise Brooks was a truly an international star. And she still is. My forthcoming two volume work, Around the World with Louise Brooks, makes that very point by including more than 75 vintage non-American magazine covers which feature the actress - including these four from Poland. I think they look rather fabulous.

Polish graphic design has long been held in high regard, especially the avant-garde efforts coming out of inter-war Poland. In ways, Polish design rivaled the avant-garde, post-revolutionary efforts from the Soviet Union, which are better known and better documented (and were later squashed by the likes of dull socialist realism). If you want to learn more about Polish cinema, Polish design, and/or interwar Polish culture, be sure and check out culture.pl, a website chock-full of articles on those very topics. 

[Two pieces to start with are "Polish Cinema's Golden Age: The Glamour & Progress of Poland's Interwar Films" by Juliette Bretan, and "The Vintage Charm & Chic of 1920s Poland" by Anna Legierska. I would also recommend exploring Juliette Bretan's contributor page, which links to some of the other interesting articles she has penned on interwar culture in Poland.] On with the show....

While researching Polish film magazines, I came across a handful of examples of issues which also display a striking cover design. I wish to share them here, just because they are rather cool looking. 

The first shown likely comes from Pandora's Box, as it depicts Carl Goetz (as Schigolch?), dates from 1929, and bears a photo credit from the Polish distributor of the celebrated 1929 German film. As there is no specific reference to the film (which in Poland went under the titles Lulu and Puszka Pandory) in the magazine, and as I am not all that familiar with Goetz's career, I won't say for sure. He was in two other German film which were released just before this magazine was published. And too, I have not compared the still on the cover with the film itself, though it looks like it could be a still from the scene when Goetz is discovered on the balcony by Dr. Ludwig Schön. If anyone knows for sure, please send me a message. Now, on with the show....

The remaining covers I am showing because they are, simply put, eye catching, and also reflect the modernist design tendencies mentioned above. Or, because they stylishly feature American movie stars like Buster Keaton, Clara Bow, W.C. Fields, Laurel & Hardy, Anna May Wong, and others. Or, because they are just too darn cute. Each of the magazines pictured here date from 1929, 1930, or 1931.

Myra Brooks, leading Wichita book reviewer

Like her daughter Louise, Myra Brooks was a reader of books. And what's more, she was also a reviewer of books. On and off from the mid-to-late 1930s through the early 1940s, Myra appeared before various groups in Wichita speaking about new and recent releases. She also spoke about the news of the day, classical music - especially Richard Wagner, and other topics of interest. Myra's talks were given in local halls and auditoriums, hotel meeting rooms, restaurants, and in private homes.

The clipping shown here, from March 1941, notes Myra would talk about Art of Living, by the noted French writer Andre Maurois. The book is an inspirational title, not unlike some of the other books Myra read and reviewed. Evidently, Louise's Mother decided to review this book after Maurois, a famous novelist at the time and someone still read today, spoke in Wichita a month earlier in February.

The article goes on to state that Myra is a popular book reviewer known throughout Kansas. This was at a time when daily newspapers like the Wichita Eagle did not, generally speaking, review books. (One notable exception back then was the New York Times.) If one wanted to learn about new books, one might have to subscribe to a magazine that ran reviews, or, attend a local book club or study group. Myra, in fact, was a member of a few different groups, including the Study Guild which discussed the news of the day, as well as the Saturday Afternoon Musical Club which discussed opera and classical music.

Based on newspaper clippings which I recently came across, here are some of the titles and topics Myra Brooks spoke about. (A few clippings noted Myra would speak, but did not specify which book or topic. Lacking specifics, I didn't list those happenings.) Myra Brooks got a fair amount of press in Wichita, which must have been gratifying, as her contract as a speaker with the Redpath Chautauqua had not renewed back in 1927. She was also popular, and held her own against the competition, as th clipping below shows. What is also notable is the quality of books Myra Brooks spoke about. Like Andre Maurois, many of these authors are still known and  read today.

January 1934  reviews The Meaning of Culture by John Cowper Powys for the R.E.D. Club (at the Y.M.C.A) 

April 1934  reviews Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain for the Tuesday morning book review club

November 1934  reviews Nijinsky by Romola Nijinsky for the Social Order of Beauceant

December 1934  reviews Nijinsky by Romola Nijinsky for the Twentieth Century Club

December 1934  reviews Nijinsky by Romola Nijinsky for the R.E.D. Club (at the Y.M.C.A)

December 1934  reviews Stars Fell on Alabama by Carl Carmer for the Current Book club

January 1935  reviews The Life of Nijinsky by Lucy Moore for the Leal Book club

January 1935  reviews The Biography of Richard Wagner for the Sedgwick County Medical auxiliary; Brooks also played some of her records of Wagner's music

February 1935  reviews Heaven is My Destination by Thorton Wilder for The Current Book Club 

April 1935  reviews The Life of Nijinsky by Lucy Moore for the Monday Book Review club

April 1935  speaks on the operas of Richard Wagner at a concert honoring the composer at the University of Wichita; news reports state the auditorium was filled

May 1935  reviews Phantom Crown by Bertita Harding at a tea party held for the Girl Reserves

May 1935  reviews The Biography of Richard Wagner for a local chapter of the Daughter of the American Revolution; Otto Fischer plays Wagner on the piano

May 1935  speaks on the operas of Richard Wagner at a concert at the University of Wichita

October 1935  reviews Mary, Queen of Scots by Stephan Zweig for the Social Order of Beauceant; preceding the review, Myra Brooks spoke for 20 minutes on current events 

December 1935  reviews A Personal History by an unknown author for the Social Order of Beauceant

January 1936  reviews an unknown title for the pledges of Alpha Tau Sigma

February 1936  reviews A Women's Best Years by W. Beran Wolfe for the Social Order of Beauceant 

March 1936  reviews The Dupont Dynasty by John K. Winkler for the Social Order of Beauceant 

April 1936   reviews The End of Summer (a play) by S.N. Behrman for the Social Order of Beauceant; preceding the review, Myra Brooks spoke for 20 minutes on current events  

April 1936  reviews an unknown book for the members of the Osteopathic Women's club

April 1936   participates (as a numerologist) in a numerology coffee put on by the Iota Mu chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha

April 1936  talks on a "Biography of Cosima Wagner" at The Current Book Club

May 1936  reviews Sparkenbroke by Charles Morgan for the Social Order of Beauceant 

November 1936  reviews Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell for the Iota Mu chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha (at the Lassen Hotel); at least five to six dozen attend the event

November 1936  reviews I am the Fox by Winifred Van Etten for the College Hill P.T.A. (at the College Hill School auditorium)

December 1936  reviews Inside Europe by John Gunther for the Iota Mu chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha (at the Lassen Hotel); at least five to six dozen attend the event

January 1937  performs selections from The Ring of the Niebelung with Otto Fischer on the piano at a meeting of the Kansas Bar Association

February 1937  reviews The Street of Fishing Cats by Jolán Földes for the Iota Mu chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha (at the Lassen Hotel)

February 1937  gives a lecture recital about Cosima Wagner, assisted by Otto Fischer on the piano at the Twentieth Century Club (the Wichita Eagle reported that Myra Brooks wore a "stunning floor length gown of black satin"

March 1937  reviews Phantom Crown by Bertita Harding for the Iota Mu chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha (at the Lassen Hotel)

March 1937  reviews The Street of Fishing Cats by Jolán Földes at a meeting of the Oxford Art Club

October 1937  Myra Brooks and Otto Fischer perform in Coffeyville at the Coffeyville Matinee Music club 

October 1937  Myra Brooks and Otto Fischer perform a program of music by Richard Wagner at Friends of Contemporary Music in Wichita

November 1937  give a lecture recital with Otto Fischer of music by Richard Wagner at a meeting of Job's Daughters (at the York Rite Temple)

November 1937  Myra Brooks and Otto Fischer perform a two-piano transcription of Richard Wagner's The Ring of the Niebelung at The Current Book Club

December 1937  Myra Brooks and Otto Fischer give recital of Richard Wagner's The Ring of the Niebelung at the University of Wichita

December 1937  gives a presentation of a number of current biographies at the Wichita Art Association

March 1938  reviews The Importance of Living by Lin Yutang at an art class at Wichita Art Museum

April 1938  reviews The Importance of Living by Lin Yutang at The Current Book Club

March 1939  reviews Prohibiting Poverty by Prestonia Martin at The Current Book Club

November 1939  reviews My America by Louis Adamic at The Current Book Club

January 1940  speaks on "music in the European capitals since the outbreak of World War II" at the Saturday Afternoon Musical Club

March 1940  reviews an unknown book at the Wichita Art Museum

April 1940  gives a lecture recital about Cosima Wagner, assisted by Otto Fischer on the piano, at the Study Guild

May 1940  lectures on Pagliacci, an Italian opera by Ruggero Leoncavallo, at the Music Study Group 

July 1941  lectures on the Ring Operas, specifically Die Walkure, at which she played recordings including Wotan's Farewell sung by Lawrence Tibbett, at a Study Guild meeting (at Droll's English Grill)

September 1941 lectures on "What Every Woman Wants to Know" at a Study Guild meeting (at Droll's English Grill)

November 1941  reviews The Voyage by Charles Morgan

January 1942  reviews From Many Lands by Louis Adamic at The Current Book Club 

 ++++++

Louise Brooks returned home to Wichita in August of 1940. Around that same time, Myra Brooks' book reviewing began to taper off. Myra, who shared her interests and passions with her daughter as well as the he people of Wichita, passed away at the age of 60 in 1944.

More on Myra Brooks and the Redpath Chautauqua tour of 1927

Since my September 13, 2021 post "Myra Brooks and the Redpath Chautauqua tour of 1927", a handful of additional details have come to light. . . .  I want to share some of this "new" information.

One thing I learned was that Myra Brooks was paid $75.00 per week as a touring member of the Redpath Chautauqua. On December 16, 1926 Myra signed a contract to tour for 12 weeks in 1927 beginning around the middle of April, and running through the middle of July. There was also an option in the contract to extend the contract by six weeks, should all go well.

Beyond those I already found by searching through a couple of newspaper databases (see the updated  9-13 post), I also found that Myra Brooks participated in a number of additional stops on the 1927 summer tour. (I have yet to find any corresponding documentation, i.e. newspaper articles - but still, this is a start!) Based on various correspondence, these additional dates could include: 

Cleveland, Tennessee            @ June 9  --  this is her first event

Florence, Alabama                @ June 12

Paris, Tennessee ???              @ June 22

Ypsilanti, Michigan               @ August 

it's likely there are other dates

On August 4, 1927 Myra wrote from The Huron hotel in Ypsilanti, Michigan asking for the correct dates for the reminder of her tour. She received these dates in return. (I knew about the two in bold.) 

Alma, Michigan                     August 8

Belding, Michigan                 August 9

Cadillac, Michigan                August 10

Traverse City, Michigan        August 11  ???
-- this date conflicts with a documented appearance in Waterloo, Indiana

Manistee, Michigan               August 12

Muskegon, Michigan            August 13

Benton Harbor, Michigan  August 17

Michigan City, Indiana         August 16

Racine, Wisconsin               August 17

Kewanee, Illinois                  August 18

Lincoln, Illinois                    August 20

In letters written while she was on tour, Myra said she was having the time of her life, and how she enjoyed speaking before a crowd. She also alluded to the concern's others on the tour had about the quality of her voice, and also, curiously, about the way she dressed. Myra Brooks was not asked back. In November, she received a letter from Redpath headquarters stating she "had not made the rating."

Meet Myra Brooks and her daughter Louise

I can't believe this gem of an article has escaped me until now. "Meeting the Mother of a Film Favorite," a profile of Myra Brooks, dates from February 1927. It paints a vivid portrait of a vivid personality. I hope you will read it and enjoy. 

BTW, as this article appeared in a Chicago newspaper, I would guess that the journalist, Bertha Fenberg, conducted her interview with Myra in Chicago, where Brooks' Mother was living and working for Golden Rule Magazine, which today we might term a "self-help"journal. It was also around this time that Myra was trying to land a position with the Redpath Chautauqua.

But first, two comments on the imagery. Notably, the M.I. Boris portrait of Louise Brooks is inscribed "Dear Mother from Louise"! I would guess Myra supplied this to the newspaper. I hope she got it back. Secondly, I am not sure that the portrait of "Louise at the age of 8" is the future actress. I don't believe I have ever seen this picture before, and it doesn't really look like her. But, I could be wrong.... I have been before.