Searching the Young Companion magazine for Louise Brooks

Speaking of Chinese magazines on the Internet Archive, I also came across a bunch of issues of The Liangyou (良友 The Young Companion) magazine, which was published in Shanghai and founded by Wu Liande (伍聯德). Aimed toward the youth market, the magazine's readers were evidently interested in modern life, movie stars, and contemporary culture from the United States and Europe. Some 174 issues were published through 1945. Captions on its many interior photographs were often both in Chinese and English. I don't read or speak Chinese, but that didn't matter, as the magazines are heavily illustrated and attractive to look though.

I looked over the page of covers and noticed three that featured the Chinese - American movie star Anna May Wong. (She is a favorite, and I have read a couple of books on her.) From what I could tell, the actress only appeared on the cover of the magazine. There did not seem to be any interior articles, except for a one-page illustrated piece in the January 1929 issue.

June 1927

January 1929

June 1930

I flipped through about a dozen issues dating from 1929 and 1930, hoping to find something on Louise Brooks, but came up empty handed. I did find other illustrated pieces on American movie stars, like those pictured below. Perhaps I will look some more and find something on Brooks. Is that Richard Arlen and Anita Page pictured below?

I also noticed this back cover to the August 1930 issues, which includes Lupe Velez. Can anyone tell me what this page is for? Is it a promotion or advertisement for something?

The best thing I found was this four page spread depicting various American movie stars of the time. It is titled "The Well Known Screen Actresses." It dates May of 1931. I thought Brooks might have been included, but she is not. (Certainly, her earlier American films were shown in China as much as any other American actress. But that was a couple of years in the past. Perhaps she had been absent for too long from American screens?) A few of these actresses - Kay Johnson, Mary Lawlor, Catherine Moylan, Molly O'Day  - are unfamiliar to me.

Searching Ling long magazine for Louise Brooks

I recently noticed that a number of issues of Ling long magazine were online on the Internet Archive. Ling long was a popular women's magazine published in Shanghai from 1931 to 1937, during a time of dramatic social and political change in China. Today, the magazine offers researchers (and the curious like myself) an unique glimpse into women's lives in Republican-era China. 

I know most all of Louise Brooks' American films were shown in Shanghai at one time or another. And so, I was curious to know if anything about the actress or her films might find their way into this attractive illustrated magazine which sometimes featured American film stars on its cover. I was disappointed not to find anything about the actress - but I did find a lot of nifty stuff which I thought to share on this blog. 

I found stuff about short hairstyles for women (shown last - but very interesting to devotees of the bob hairstyle), as well as stuff about American movie stars of the time like Adolphe Menjou (Brooks' two time co-star), Anna May Wong (the Chinese-American actress who starred in Picadilly), Marion Davies, Norma Shearer, Greta Garbo, Pola Negri and even Peggy Fears (Brooks' Ziegfeld Follies friend). But alas, no Brooks. The search goes on.... (The paired pages are my composite, and are not as they originally appear in the magazine.)

Adolphe Menjou and other stars in caricature

 

Marion Davies - Brooks' friend and confidant

 

Fay Wray - who I once had the chance to meet

Pola Negri

Norma Shearer

Mary Brian, star of The Street of Forgotten Men

 

 

Is this Esther Ralston?

 

Garbo - can anyone tell me what these pages say? What is it with the tree and the snake?

A rather curious juxtaposition of images? A suggestion of lesbian longing?

A mannish Marlene Dietrich

The one and only Peggy Fears

Something about how much money the stars make?

Carole Lombard and Myrna Loy - a blonde comparison

"Sweetheart Bob"

"Girlie Mannish"

"Boyish Bob"

"Egyptian Bob"

"Pineapple"

Can anyone tell me what this page is about? Does the image depict slavish devotion?

Two more letters from Louise Brooks

Following the last couple of blog posts discussing letters from Louise Brooks, Philip Vorwald sent me scans of two letters which he owns and asked that I share them. Like the filmography in the form of a letter to Hollywood theater owner John Hampton, the second of the two letters posted here also discuss the actress' films.

If one didn't know better, it might be thought that Brooks had little if any interest in her own career. She quit Hollywood early on, and often declared that she never bothered to watch her own films. But, as these and the earlier posted letters show, she was a keen observer and knew most all of the details (the actors, the personal behind the camera, who visited the set, etc....) regarding her films.

This first brief note is dated March 10, 1967.  The second longer letter is dated June 13, 1967. Both are typed and signed in crayon, as was Brooks' usually manner of correspondence.

A few observations: with such attention to detail, it is evident that Brooks was keen on accurately documenting her own career, whether it be regarding correct cast credits, acquiring stills and writing articles, or in finding out who might still have prints of her surviving films. Louise Brooks was 50 years old at this point. That is not old by today's "standards," but it was then considered a bit older than it is now. At this point in one's life (I've been there), one does start to consider legacy - what one will leave behind. With one's accomplishments largely in the past, one strives to make sure that they are at least accurately recorded, if not recognized. 

It is interesting that Brooks was aware of Edna Mae Oliver's minor role in The American Venus (1926). Brooks herself had only a small role. (It was her second film appearance, following The Street of Forgotten Men, but her first screen credit.) Edna Mae Oliver was a popular character actor in the 1930s, and if your have ever seen A Tale of Two Cities (1935), starring Ronald Colman, you won't forget her. 

It is also interesting that Louise Brooks thought Now We're in the Air "a lot of fun," though she never bothered to see it. It is fun. I wish more of it had survived.

By the way, my book on that film is widely available: One can buy it NEW from Amazon (USA) | Indiebound | Bookshop.org | Powells | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | Larry Edmunds (Hollywood, CA) | George Eastman Museum (Rochester, NY)

Or, buy the English-language edition from Amazon Australia | Brazil | Canada | France | Germany | India | Italy | Japan | Mexico | Netherlands | Poland | Singapore | Spain | Turkey | United Arab Emirates | United Kingdom    The English-language edition is also available from Open Trolley (Indonesia) and MightyApe (New Zealand)

A small, but telling archive of Louise Brooks letters

A few months ago, a generous collector shared scans of a small number of handwritten Louise Brooks letters, postcards, and Christmas cards which he recently acquired. He shared them with me on the condition I do not share them, which was ok by me, as I was simply eager to read them. However, I was allowed to gleam information from them, which I have added to one of my three Louise Brooks chronologies located on the Louise Brooks Society website. The newly updated chronology is Louise Brooks: Day by Day 1940-1985.

These letters and postcards are addressed to Don Smith (who she once addresses as Donn Smith), a Brooklyn resident with whom Brooks corresponded in the 1960s and 1970s. None of the letters are very extensive, but they do include the occasional interesting detail. There is a good number of mentions of fudge, which Louise Brooks made and liked to share with select friends. All together, these letter and postcards show Brooks had an active mind and was curious about the world, despite her relative isolation in Rochester.

I am very grateful to PM for sharing these precious items with me. What follows are some of the new chronology entries. (I have added additional comments in red text.)

 * * *

December 9, 1964
Writes a letter to friend Don Smith complaining about friend Jan Wahl, who she notes she met in Copenhagen in 1957. Brooks also states she sent $10 to Wahl, who was then a struggling writer. Brooks also tells Smith not to send her the Dictionary of Film, which she says Herman Weinberg had already sent her. She also notes that the book says she appeared in two films in which she did not actually appear, Steel Highway and Hollywood Boulevard. Brooks also writes, "Hollis Alpert of Saturday Review was here last Friday to tape me for a series of articles he and Arthur Knight are doing on Sex and Censorship for Playboy." She also asks Smith "Can you find out to whom Jan Wahl sold his print of Prix de Beaute? And how Hollis can see it?" (I wonder which Dictionary of Film Brooks is referring too? Also, Brooks' reference to films she did not appear in is notable in light of this blog's previous post. Also, I wonder if the Hollis Alpert audio tapes still exist?)

July 21, 1965
Writes a note to friend Don Smith asking him to go by a New York City store to ask if they have sent her the two copies of Sight & Sound she had mail ordered.

August 25, 1965
Types a letter to friend Don Smith stating she has just got a letter from Bill Everson, who has a friend who is anxious to see Love Em and Leave Em. She also wondered about possible plans to visit New York City, suggesting that Canadian film archivist Fraser MacDonald may accompany her on a flight to NYC. She also mentions her $250.00 monthly allowance from William Paley and that should she decide to travel she wouldn't be able to afford a hotel room that costs more than $10.00 per night. Brooks goes on to state, "People are so wrong about liking silent pictures better than sound pictures. We can not know a person till we know their voices." Brooks also mentions she called G. W. Pabst's son, Michael. (The cost of living back then !)

October November 9, 1965 (mistakenly dated)
Types a letter to friend Don Smith asking him for details regarding his intention to screen Prix de Beaute in New York City, adding "If I decide to come down, I will give the talk I gave when it was shown in 1960 at the YMHA." She also asks for help paying her expenses, her "awful fear" of planes "although I will travel no other way," and that a friend named Mike Hall will help get publicity. She also writes, "For the last 6 months I have been living in apprehension and depression over my 59th birthday next Sunday. My mother died suddenly at this point. It is silly for me to worry. But I do." Brooks goes on to state that she calmed by reading the English essayist Samuel Johnson, except that the edition she is currently reading has tight margins and opening the book sufficiently causes her hands to ache. Brooks also adds a critique, "The modern editions, both of Johnson and Boswell's Life and Journal of a Tour of the Hebrides have been so 'improved' by modern editors, so cut, rewritten, and clawed at, that they are a sinful mess." 

February 16, 1967
Writes a postcard to friend Don Smith thanking him for copies of Sight & Sound magazine. She also notes she got a Buster Keaton postcard, and asked where one could get them.

December 17, 1967
Writes a letter to Don Smith reporting she had received a letter from Jan Wahl who wrote that he had befriended Asta Nielsen. Brooks also wrote of the forthcoming publication of her piece "On Location with Billy Wellman" in London Magazine. About it she writes, "At last I have found a mold to hold my peculiar blend of autobiography, film history and truth. "Location" tell how I lost my high standing and self-respect in Hollywood by going to bed with my double who the next day asked me before the whole company whether I had syphilis."

December 16, 1975
Writes a Christmas greeting to friend Don Smith, stating "I did 2 TV interviews - one for West Germany Public TV - one for Canadian Broadcasting - on Pabst and Lulu - maybe they will buy them for the States." (I wonder what ever happened to the German and Canadian TV footage?)

December 17, 1976
Writes a letter to Herman Weinberg. Also writes a letter to friend Don Smith complaining about her disabling arthritis and mentioning she had seen a doctor, who suggested hip replacement surgery, which she declined to have because she still suffered from arthritic knees. Also mentioned that Christopher Isherwood had telephoned her and noted that he was coming to the Eastman House to see Diary of a Lost Girl. Isherwood also told Brooks that he was sending her his new book, Christopher and His Kind. Brooks adds, "From Gore Vidal's review I gather they are beating the drum for Gay Lib - which will set it back years."

December 1979
Writes a Christmas card to friend Don Smith saying she seldom watches TV except for Fred Astaire, and notes that public TV will be running her 1974 conversation with Richard Leacock. "And you must look out, on whatever network, for Thames Television, Hollywood - The Pioneers. On episode 9, I talk about Clara Bow." (Brooks is referring to the Kevin Brownlow documentary.)

* * *

Louise Brooks in 1972

Louise Brooks letter details her filmography

There is a rather interesting Louise Brooks letter for sale (not by me) on eBay. (Follow this LINK to see the listings.) The typed and signed letter, to Hollywood theater owner John Hampton, is dated May 31, 1967. The seller is asking $1,799.95.

In 1967, when Louise Brooks typed this filmography, it could be challenging to find information on an actor's film career. There was no IMDb, of course, and the number of film books which detailed the film credits of a then lesser known actress like Louise Brooks was limited. Also, those that did sometimes contained incorrect information, liked including The Public Enemy (1931) and Hollywood Boulevard (1936) among her films, which a few did.

In all likelihood, John Hampton, the owner of a well known Hollywood theater which showed silent films, asked Brooks for a list of her films. In response, she typed this letter, noting at the top, "Correctly compiled by Louise Brooks." However, even Brooks got it wrong. She omitted When You're in Love (1937), the Grace Moore - Cary Grant film in which she had a "(Bit)" part. It is hard to spot her in the film, but she is in it!  It is also noteworthy that Brooks included King of Gamblers (1937), crediting herself with a "(Bit)" part, although in fact her small role was cut from the film. 

Also interesting is the fact that Brooks calls attention to two individuals involved in the making of Prix de Beaute (1931) - something she doesn't do with any other film. Those individuals include Rene Clair, who was the original director assigned to the film and who contributed story elements; Brooks credits him with the script. Brooks also correctly notes that cinematographer Rudolph Mate was the primary individual behind the camera.

Looking back : the 1927 Louise Brooks film Now We're in the Air

I will never win an Academy Award, but in 2017 I was given the next best thing - a limited edition giphoscope from the San Francisco Silent Film Festival in recognition of my efforts toward the restoration of the once lost Louise Brooks' film, Now We're in the Air (1927). My name is on a plaque on the base of this "analog gif player," and it also appears in the acknowledgments of the restored film. This giphoscope, of which there are only a half-dozen or so featuring the Brooks' film (that's my understanding), was handcrafted in Italy. 

I shot a short video of my giphoscope for the newly updated Louise Brooks Society Instagram account, which I would encourage everyone to check out. You can view my video short below or at https://www.instagram.com/louisebrookssociety/  After posting the brief clip to the Instagram account, I figured I would write something up this blog.

My wife and I had a small hand in helping bring this film back to the screen, and we and the Louise Brooks Society are thanked in the credits which follow the restored fragment. It was an honor to be asked to help work on the project. It was also exciting! I got to see raw footage of the surviving material (then with Czech intertitles), and helped put the fragmentary pieces back into proper order and with correct English-language intertitles. The story of the film and its restoration by Rob Byrne (seen above giving me a giphoscope) is told in a book which I authored in 2017, Now We're in the Air: A Companion to the Once Lost Film.

This book tells the story of the film’s making, its reception, and its discovery by film preservationist Robert Byrne. Also considered is the surprising impact this otherwise little known film had on Brooks’ life and career. The book features two rare fictionalizations of the movie story, more than 75 little seen images, detailed credits, trivia, and a foreword by Byrne. 

The book is widely available: One can buy it NEW from Amazon (USA) | Indiebound | Bookshop.org | Powells | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | Larry Edmunds (Hollywood, CA) | George Eastman Museum (Rochester, NY)

 

Or, buy the English-language edition from Amazon Australia | Brazil | Canada | France | Germany | India | Italy | Japan | Mexico | Netherlands | Poland | Singapore | Spain | Turkey | United Arab Emirates | United Kingdom

 

The English-language edition is also available from Open Trolley (Indonesia) and MightyApe (New Zealand) 

It is a book that every Louise Brooks fan will want to read. It is also a great deal at only $15.00 in paperback.