Thursday, October 7, 2021

Remembering Reading the Stars: The Silent Era, part 1

In my previous post marking National Silent Movie Day, I posted 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." She was a contemporary of Louise Brooks, and though the two never worked together, Baby Peggy did co-star in a hit film, Helen's Babies (1924), with one of the silent era's other great icons, Clara Bow.  I interviewed Diana a few times, and spoke with her a few other times over the years when I either wrote articles about her or put on events with her - including one at The Booksmith, where I once worked. When I knew her, Diana was in her nineties, yet she was still at that age a remarkable witness to her time in Hollywood all those years ago. 

Edward Everett Horton, Baby Peggy and Clara Bow

In my previous post, I also mentioned that the occasion for my 2011 interview with Baby Peggy was "Shhhhh! Silents in the Library," a two-month, multi-display exhibition and event series at the San Francisco Public Library. I curated the main exhibit, which was titled, "Reading the Stars: The Silent Era", which was on display in the Steve Silver Beach Blanket Babylon room. It was comprised of vintage books about film dating from the silent era, including a few books related to Baby Peggy. Most of the books in the exhibit were loaned from my personal collection - except for a case worth of Rudolph Valentino related books which were loaned by my friend, Donna Hill. It was a thrill for Donna and me and my wife, Christy Pascoe (who helped with just about everything), when Diana came to see the exhibit. Here are a few snapshots.

Christy Pascoe, Dian Serra Cary (aka Baby Peggy), Thomas Gladysz
 
(Left) Donna Hill and Diana look over the Valentino material, (Right) Diana asks about a book

A close-up of two Baby Peggy movie tie-ins, including Captain January

While preparing my previous post, I also came across a bunch of material about the exhibit including installation shots, scans of various books, text I had written for the information panels, and even an article I had written about the exhibit for SFGate, the website of the San Francisco Chronicle. It was interesting and enjoyable to see all this stuff after all this time. I thought others might enjoy seeing it as well. To start, here is the exterior and interior of the rather swell herald for the exhibit and Baby Peggy event which was designed by Christy Pascoe. It is followed by some of the introductory panel text.


 


 

 

 




Introduction to "Reading the Stars" (adapted from the info panel):

Like today, the movie going public of the Teens and Twenties had an insatiable appetite for reading material about their favorite actors, actresses and films. "Reading the Stars" takes a looks at some of the many books about the movies published during the silent film era. 

The books on display include biographies and memoirs, pictorials, and how-to titles, as well as novels, poetry and self-help works written by some of the biggest names in filmdom. "Reading the Stars" is in five parts. 1) General books about the movies - including criticism and commentary, guide books for the aspiring hopeful, and fiction showing both the glamorous and seamy side of Hollywood. 2) Vintage books about individual movie stars. 3) Books written by various film stars. 4) Photoplay editions, the popular movie tie-in books of the time. 5) Books by and about Rudolph Valentino, a film superstar who inspired more than a shelf worth of books. 

Since there is so much to include, my next post will be a detailed look at the exhibit, including close-ups of the various display cases as well as individual books. In the meantime, here are some general shots.

Part of the in-library promotion

The introductory panel, with a picture of Louise Brooks

Christy and I next to the display of photoplay editions

Christy and SFPL librarian Gretchen Good confer at the exhibit
 
Donna Hill and her display of Rudolph Valentino books


A display of books written by movie stars
 
A display piece made from scans of books from my collection

And finally, here is my SFGate article from June 27, 2011. It is titled "Reading the stars: books from old Hollywood." (Over the course of a year or two, I wrote a few dozen articles for SFGate. I am posting this 2011 piece on the exhibit because somewhat recently the parent company of the San Francisco Chronicle removed all of the content contributors like myself posted on the news site.) I have included some of the the original illustrations and links which appeared on SFGate.

"Reading the stars: books from old Hollywood"

by Thomas Gladysz

Earlier this month, the New York Times ran an article about celebrity authored books. "In Their Own Words? Maybe" surveyed the spate of recent novels by the likes of the Kardashian sisters, reality TV starlet Lauren Conrad, and Nicole Polizzi, aka Snooki on the MTV show Jersey Shore. The article also mentioned recent works by Nicole Richie and Hilary Duff, and points out that most of these recent novels may not have been written, or written entirely, by the celebs credited as author.

The New York Times cites a publisher who traces the current popularity of celebrity novels to Pamela Anderson’s Star, a bestseller released in 2004. Like the works mentioned above, Ms. Anderson, the former Baywatch star, used a ghostwriter.

Books authored by film and TV stars are nothing new. And in fact, the phenomenon goes all the way back to the beginnings of Hollywood. Imagine yourself a newly minted motion picture celebrity in the Teens or Twenties. Why shouldn't you tell your story? Or write a novel? Or even pen a book of poems?

I love the movies, especially old movies. I also love books. My two interests came together in an exhibit which has just opened at the San Francisco Public Library. I curated "Reading the Stars," which looks at some of the many books about the movies and by movie stars published during the silent film era; on display are vintage biographies, pictorials, and how-to titles as well as novels, poetry and self-help works written by some of the biggest names in early Hollywood.

In the early years of the 20th century, both the movies and the movie industry were just getting started. The movies were an art form in search of itself, while the movie industry was growing by leaps and bounds into a business concern whose reach knew few limits. Books were one way in which individuals (actors, directors, producers, and moguls), as well as the studios that employed them, tried to sell themselves to the public. The New York Times article refers to the practice as "a way to extend the footprint of the celebrity."

"Reading the Stars" is divided into five parts. One display case is devoted to general books about the movies - including criticism and commentary, guide books for the aspiring actor or screenwriter, as well as fiction showing both the glamorous and seamy sides of Hollywood. My favorites are the Anita Loos' manual How to Write Photoplays, and Tamar Lane's provocative What's Wrong with the Movies? 

 Carroll and Garrett Graham's early Hollywood novel, Queer People, says this about itself: "If resemblances to well-known figures in Hollywood life occur in certain passages, it is only because America's fifth greatest industry has become so completely standardized that everybody resembles everybody else." Yikes! That's from 1930.

Like today, the movie going public of the Teens and Twenties had an insatiable appetite for reading material both about and by their favorite actors.  Another case in the exhibit is devoted to books about individual movie stars, while another features books written by or at least attributed to various actors and actresses. On display is Sessue Hayakawa's novel, The Bandit Prince, Harold Lloyd's memoir, An American Comedy, Mary Pickford's novel, The Demi-Widow, and Douglas Fairbanks' various self-help ("pop psychology") titles.

Have you ever purchased a novel with the picture of a movie star on the cover? The practice is meant to identify the book with the film, as well as attract the attention of movie goers while boosting sales. Such books are called "movie tie-ins." An entire case in "Reading the Stars" is devoted to photoplay editions, the movie tie-in books of the silent era. On display are Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, with Lillian Gish on the cover, and Willa Cather's A Lost Lady, with Irene Rich on its cover. And be sure not to miss Little Robinson Crusoe, with child star Jackie Coogan on its cover. 

Rudolph Valentino was one of the biggest celebrities of the time. His sudden death at age 31 in 1926 made news around the world. It also spurred an already burgeoning cottage industry in books about the beloved star - including a few who claimed to channel his spirit. One case in "Reading the Stars" turns the spotlight on this iconic star and presents rare examples of books both by and about the actor, as well as photoplay editions of his films, such as The Sheik. For the record, Valentino's book of poems, Daydreams, ain't half-bad.

"Reading the Stars" is on display in the Steve Silver room (4th floor) of the main branch of the San Francisco Public Library through August 28th. It is part of a SFPL celebration of the silent era called "Shhhhh! Silents in the Library." Other exhibits are devoted to "Downtown Movie Palaces of the 1920s" and "The Silent Screen in the City." The latter looks at some of the many movie stars who visited San Francisco or made films here in the Bay Area. 

"Shhhhh! Silents in the Library" coincides with the 16th annual San Francisco Silent Film Festival, which takes place July 14-17 at the Castro Theater. A display of past posters from the Festival are also on display at the SFPL.

Notice the camera man in the lower right-hand corner who's filming
this fairy tale-like scene. Could it be your arrival in Hollywood?

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

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

______

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

Monday, September 27, 2021

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?


Wednesday, September 22, 2021

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.













Monday, September 20, 2021

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.

Friday, September 17, 2021

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."

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