Thursday, February 16, 2023

The Canary Murder Case, starring Louise Brooks, was released on this day in 1929

The Canary Murder Case, starring Louise Brooks, was released on this day in 1929. The Canary Murder Case is a detective story involving an amateur sleuth, a blackmailing showgirl, and the “swells” that surround her. The film was initially shot as a silent, and shortly thereafter reworked for sound. Louise Brooks, who plays the canary, would not dub her lines for the sound version. Her refusal and perceived “difficulty” harmed her career, effectively ending her stardom in the United States. More about the film can be found on the Louise Brooks Society filmography page.

Production of the film took place between September 11 and October 12, 1928 at Paramount’s studio in Hollywood. Sound retakes took place on and around December 19, 1928. Malcolm St. Clair directed The Canary Murder Case, with Frank Tuttle taking over the sound retakes. The film was released as an 80 minute talkie in most markets, and as a shorter silent in theater’s not yet “wired for sound.” A few publications, such as The Film Daily, reviewed both formats.

Based on a bestselling book of the same name, The Canary Murder Case was released to great anticipation. In February, 1929 Motion Picture named the film one of the best for the month, declaring “William Powell is superb. The rest of the players, including Louise Brooks, Jean Arthur, James Hall, Charles Lane, Gustav Von Seyffertitz and many others, win credit.” That opinion, however, was not shared by most. More typical of the reviews the film received was that of the New York World, who declared the film “an example of a good movie plot gone wrong as the result of spoken dialogue.”

Mordaunt Hall, writing in the New York Times, was more generous, “It is on the whole the best talking-mystery production that has been seen, which does not imply that it is without failings. It is quite obvious that Louise Brooks, who impersonates Margaret Odell, alias the Canary, does not speak her lines. Why the producers should have permitted them to be uttered as they are is a mystery far deeper than the story of this picture.” Billboard added “Louise Brooks is mediocre as the Canary, but this does not detract from the production, as she appears in but a few scenes.”

Louella Parsons, writing in the Los Angeles Examiner, stated St. Clair “was handicapped by no less a person than Louise Brooks, who plays the Canary. You are conscious that the words spoken do not actually emanate from the mouth of Miss Brooks and you feel that as much of her part as possible has been cut. She is unbelievably bad in a role that should have been well suited to her. Only long shots are permitted of her and even these are far from convincing when she speaks.” Parson’s comments were echoed by Margaret L. Coyne of the Syracuse Post-Standard, who observed, “The only flaw is the substitution of another voice for that of Louise Brooks — the Canary — making necessary a number of subterfuges to disguise the fact.”

All were not fooled. The Oakland Post-Enquirer and other publications eventually caught on. “It is generally known by this time that Margaret Livingston doubled for Louise Brooks in the dialogue sequences. Hence the not quite perfect synchronization in close-ups and the variety of back views and dimly photographed profiles of the Canary.”

The Cincinnati Enquirer quipped “The role of the murdered girl is played by Louise Brooks, who is much more satisfying optically than auditorily.” Writing in Life magazine, Harry Evans went further, suggesting Brooks’ didn’t speak well. “Louise Brooks, who furnishes the sex-appeal, is evidently a poorer conversationalist than Miss Arthur, because all of her articulation is obviously supplied by a voice double.” It was an assertion that would haunt Brooks for years.


Under its American title, documented screenings of the film took place in Australia (including Tasmania), Bermuda, British Malaysia (Singapore), Canada, China, Dutch East Indies (Indonesia), India, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, New Zealand, Trinidad, and the United Kingdom (England, Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales).

Elsewhere, The Canary Murder Case was shown under the title Die Stimme aus dem Jenseits (Austria); O drama de uma noite (Brazil); El Crimen de la Canaria (Cuba); Die Stimme aus dem Jenseits and Kanárkový vražedný prípad (Czechoslovakia) and Hlas Ze Záhrobí (Slovakia); Die Stimme Aus Dem Jensits (Danzig); Hvem dræbte Margaret O’Dell? (Denmark); De Kanarie Moordzaak (Dutch East Indies – Indonesia); Hääl teisest maailmast and Hääl teisest ilmast (Estonia); Salaperainen Rikos and Ett hemlighetsfullt brott and Det hemlighetsfulla brottet (Finland); Le meurtre du Canari (France); Die Stimme Aus Dem Jensits (Germany); Kandari Gyilkosság and Gyilkossag a szailoban (Hungary); La canarina assassinata and Il caso della canarina assassinata (Italy); カナリヤ殺人事件 (Japan); 카나리아 머더 케이스 (Korea); De Kanarie Moordzaak (The Netherlands); I Kanarifuglens Garn and I fristerinnens garn (Norway); Kryyk z za Swlatow (Poland); Die stimme aus dem Jenseits (Poland, German language publication); O Drama duma Noite (Portugal); Kdo je morilec? (Slovenia); ¿Quién la mató? (Spain, including The Canary Islands); Midnattsmysteriet (Sweden); and Дело об убийстве канарейки (U.S.S.R.).

SOME THINGS ABOUT THE FILM YOU MAY NOT KNOW: 

 —S. S. van Dine is the pseudonym used by art critic Willard Huntington Wright (1888 – 1939) when he wrote detective novels. Wright was an important figure in avant-garde cultural circles in pre-WWI New York, and under the pseudonym (which he originally used to conceal his identity) he created the once immensely popular fictional detective Philo Vance, a sleuth and aesthete who first appeared in books in the 1920s, then in movies and on the radio in the following decades.

Wright was one of the best-selling authors in the United States. The Canary Murder Case was the second book in a popular series featuring Vance — though the film made from it was the first in the series to feature the character. William Powell revived his role as Vance in four additional films, including The Greene Murder Case, released later in 1929. Other actors who played Vance include Basil Rathbone and Edmund Lowe.

— S.S. van Dine’s novel was loosely based on the real-life murder of showgirlDot King, which was never solved. King was among those nicknamed “Broadway Butterflies.”

— Glenn Wilson, a Federal investigator attached to the bureau of criminal investigation for Los Angeles county, reportedly served as an adviser on the film.

— In a 1931 article on the cinema in Singapore, the New York Times notes that “Asiatics love the gangster film, but very few are shown, owing to the censorship regulations which bar gun battles and will not tolerate an actual ‘kill’ on the screen. The first cuts made before they decide to ban all films of this type were very clumsy and made a mystery story a bigger mystery than ever. For instance, in the Canary Murder Case.”

— An Italian TV version of the story, directed by Marco Leto and featuring Giorgio Albertazzi as Philo Vance and Virna Lisi as the Canary, was broadcast in 1974.

Some day, I would like to see a proper DVD release of The Canary Murder Case which includes both the sound and (reportedly superior) silent versions.

THE LEGAL STUFF: The Louise Brooks Society™ blog is authored by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society  (www.pandorasbox.com). Original contents copyright © 2023. Further unauthorized use prohibited.

Tuesday, February 14, 2023

Happy Valentines Day from the Louise Brooks Society

Happy Valentines Day from the Louise Brooks Society ! And happy February 14th. This day is not only a day for lovers, but also a notable day in Louise Brooks' life history. What a wonder she was ! She was, in the words of the great Marshall Crenshaw, the ultimate Jazz Age "cynical girl."

On this day in 1921:
According to her diary, Louise Brooks performs three dances, including "French Baby." Afterwords, Louise and her mother attend an orchestra performance.

On this day in 1923:
Louise Brooks appears with Denishawn at the Garden Theatre in Bennettsville, South Carolina. 

On this day in 1924:
Louise Brooks appears with Denishawn at the Orpheum Theatre in Lincoln, Nebraska.

On this day in 1930:
In one of the very last recorded American theatrical screenings following its release, A Girl in Every Port shows at the Memorial Opera House in Valparaiso, Indiana. 

On this day in 1932:
News wires report Louise Brooks has left for Bermuda the previous day aboard the Monarch of Bermuda, just a few days after reporting on the actress' money troubles. The Universal piece reported "She was the last passenger to board the vessel, dashing up the gangway with a Pomeranian dog a minute before sailing. She had reserved one of the least expensive rooms on the ship." Also on board is Mr. and Mrs. Jesse L. Lasky.

 
On this day in 1945:
Variety reports "Louise Brooks film and radio actress, now working as a press agent."

On this day in 1959:
Researching Clara Bow. Types letter to Jan Wahl, and mentions possible trip to Toronto to attend a February 22nd screening of Pandora's Box. (Brooks does not go.) Mentions that she had recently seen Ehe im Schatten (Marriage in the Shadows), an East German melodrama released in 1947. The film was shown at the Dryden theater and was introduced by James Card. Also mentions that when she was 18 years old she took a signed George Moore novel, Portrait of a Young Man, from the library of Algonquin Hotel owner Frank Case

On this day in 1969:
The Blue Banner (the student newspaper of Onondaga Community College in New York state) publishes Brooks' letter to student journalist James Rolick, along with a long profile of the actress which included pictures sent to Rolick by Brooks. 

On this day in 1975:
Pandora's Box screens at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC.

On this day in 1978:
Pandora's Box screens at the Goethe House in NYC. 


The images found here are some of Thomas Gladysz's favorite images of Louise Brooks. The information found on this page is from the Louise Brooks Society pages, Louise Brooks: Day by Day 1906-1939 and Louise Brooks: Day by Day 1940-1985. Check 'em out. In 2018, Tara Brady wrote in the Irish Times, "An online tribute site, the Louise Brooks Society, contains an extraordinary day-by-day chronology of her life."
 
THE LEGAL STUFF: The Louise Brooks Society™ blog is authored by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society  (www.pandorasbox.com). Original contents copyright © 2023. Further unauthorized use prohibited.

Sunday, February 12, 2023

For the Record: A Brief History of the Louise Brooks Society Social Media

For the Record: A Brief History of the Louise Brooks Society social media accounts.

The Louise Brooks Society website was launched in 1995. That makes it an internet pioneer. The LBS was the first Louise Brooks website, and one of the earliest sites devoted to silent film or just about any actor or actress. With a goal of stimulating interest in her life and films, the LBS has long sought new ways of getting the word out.

A screen grab of the old LBS

One of its earliest efforts at reaching fans was through posting messages on various bulletin board systems (BBS), listserv’s, newsgroups (Usenet), and on AOL and Prodigy forums, back when these forums were dominant. The earliest archived newsgroup post mentioning the Louise Brooks Society, from October 27, 1995, announces the website. Another, a query from the LBS asking about a screening of Pandora’s Box in Poland, dates to January 29, 1996. Another, from December 31, 1996 announces the LBS move to its new domain at www.pandorasbox.com, where it has resided since. Each of these posts, which can still be read, are now part of the Google groups / Usenet Archive.

The LBS was an early adopter of social media, before the term existed. In the past, it has had its own message board, newsletter, Yahoo Group, Tribe.net page, and still lingering MySpace account. The LBS started blogging in 2002, first on LiveJournal and then on Blogger beginning in 2009. Between the two forums, there are more than 3500 posts, most of which now reside on the LBS blog at Blogger. This LBS blogger site has been visited by more than 1.8 million readers, and is a member of various affiliations, including the CMBA (Classic Movie Blog Association), Classic Movie Hub (CMH), and LAMB (Large Ass Movie Blogs). In 2018, the CMBA profiled the LBS blog, and in 2023, the CMH named it one of the 5 best early film blogs.

The same year that the LBS began blogging, it also jumped on the internet music bandwagon and launched its own “radio station.” RadioLulu streamed Louise Brooks-inspired, silent film themed music of the 1920s, 1930s, and today. The station streamed on Live365.com from 2002 to 2016, when Live365 ceased operations. (Read a Huffington Post article about the demise of RadioLulu.) After that, RadioLulu moved over to TuneIN, where it ran a couple more years before shutting down for good.

 
The LBS joined Twitter in January 2009, has tweeted thousands of times, and has gained thousands of followers. And would you believe, the LBS and its efforts has been retweeted or tweeted about by the likes of Roger Ebert and Neil Gaiman, among others. The LBS Facebook page goes back to 2010. It has also gained thousands of followers, and been “liked” thousands of times; there are many postings of interest. The LBS joined in YouTube 2013, where it has posted original content and created playlists of related videos. The LBS also has a Vimeo and Soundcloud page which features rare video and audio. The LBS Instagram account dates to 2021, and had proven popular with more than 5300 followers until it was suspended due to the bogus claims of a disagreeable individual who shall go unnamed. (Why given him any attention?)

For the record, the “Louise Brooks Society” website was launched under that name in August, 1995. The earliest Wayback Machine capture of the site at it’s current domain, www.pandorasbox.com, dates to April 11, 1997. Prior to its current domain, the site was hosted on servers at slip.net and sirius.com. The first media mention of the website and its earliest print reference dates to May 23, 1996, when it was named a USA Today “Hot Site” and mentioned in that newspaper’s “Net: New and notable” column. See the clipping below, which also noted the site’s early / ugly URL.  

 Later in 1996, the LBS was named one of the five best sites devoted to actresses by Net Directory, a now defunct English computing magazine. Two other early print/web references occurred on April 10, 1998 on the Wired magazine website, and May 3, 1998 in the pages of the San Francisco Chronicle. Early on, the LBS was also mentioned in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, San Francisco Examiner, and New York Times. A comprehensive checklist of media mentions can be found on the LBS “In the News” page. There, you will find mention of the LBS in the London Times, Irish Times, Le Temps, Stuttgarter Zeitung, Melbourne Age, South China Morning Post and other publications from around the world.


The Louise Brooks Society was a pioneering website. Mosaic, the first web browser, recognized the LBS by including it on its “What’s New” page on June 27, 1996. The LBS was similarly honored by Netscape, another early browser. Here are some of the other designations (i.e., old-school web bling) received ever so long ago by the LBS.


The very first Internet honor the LBS received was a four-slate rating (best possible) from the North Carolina Institute of Film Arts. Since then, the LBS received other honors and designations, including making Yahoo’s “Desert Island List” in November, 1996. The LBS is proud to have been once named a recommended site by the online version of Encyclopedia Britannica. As well, the LBS was included in the Art & Music Pavilion of the Internet 1996 World Exposition, a “world’s fair for the information age”. The LBS has also been named a “Celebrity Site of the Day” and “Hollywood Site of the Week”.

 

THE LEGAL STUFF: The Louise Brooks Society™ blog is authored by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society  (www.pandorasbox.com). Original contents copyright © 2023. Further unauthorized use prohibited.

HELP SUPPORT THE LOUISE BROOKS SOCIETY


Friday, February 10, 2023

For the Record: A Brief History of the Louise Brooks Society

For the Record: A Brief History of the Louise Brooks Society

The Louise Brooks Society was established in 1995 as a gathering place for like-minded individuals from around the world. The site’s followers hail from dozens of countries on six continents. They include film buffs and movie industry professionals, celebrities, teachers, students and other interested individuals from all walks of life. To date, more than 3,500,000 people have visited this website! Logs show individuals have visited from countries from across North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia and the Pacific — showing Louise Brooks is truly an international star.  It is hoped that those who visit these pages and share an interest in the actress will join in furthering in its efforts.

The Louise Brooks Societywas founded by Thomas Gladysz; the website is written, designed and maintained by Gladysz with the assistance of Christy Pascoe. 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 Louise Brooks in connection with its activities. Content original to this site is © 1995 – 2023 by Thomas Gladysz / Louise Brooks Society. All rights reserved.

(Left) With Louise Brooks fan and actor Paul McGann (the 8th Doctor Who) and
(Right) with film historian Kevin Brownlow

 MISSION STATEMENT

The Louise Brooks Society is devoted to the appreciation and promotion of the life and films of Louise Brooks. The mission of the society is to honor the actress by 1) stimulating interest in her life, films and writings, as well as her place in 20th century culture; 2) fostering and coordinating research; 3) serving as a repository for relevant material; and 4) advocating for the preservation and restoration of her films, writings and other related material.

The purpose of the LBS website is to promote interest in the actress by serving as a focal point for related activities; by disseminating accurate information including authoritative texts; and by offering individuals a variety of materials to aid in their appreciation of the actress. Above all, the LBS encourages the viewing of Brooks’ surviving films, and the fellowship of her admirers. Future projects will include the publication of new material about the actress (in the form of articles, books, and e-books), as well as the ongoing development of this website, its blog, and social media accounts. Future projects, such as video, podcasts, in-person talks, screenings and related events, are also under consideration.

SHORT HISTORY OF THE LBS

Since first becoming interested / fascinated / obsessed with Louise Brooks, I have always appreciated meeting others who shared my enthusiasm for this singular silent film star. Early on, I searched for some kind of fan club — but found none. It then occurred to me that I might form a group. The idea of starting the Louise Brooks Society coincided with my growing interest in computing in the early 1990s. That’s when I realized there would be no better way of forming a group or club than over the internet. A fan club (in the traditional sense) is a way to share information and “meet” other like-minded individuals. Thus, enabled by the world wide web, the Louise Brooks Society was born.

The Louise Brooks Society website was launched in August, 1995. Since then, the LBS has become one of the leading websites devoted to any film star — silent or sound. In 1996, USA Today named the LBS 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.” That was the website’s first media mention. 

The first feature story centering on the LBS appeared on the Wired magazine website in 1998. Other articles mentioning the LBS appeared early on in the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and Atlanta Journal Constitution. In 2000, Rochester, N.Y. film critic and friend to Louise Brooks, Jack Garner, wrote an article in which he stated the Louise Brooks Society is “A fine example of a fan page, a thoughtful, artful site devoted to the life and times of a fabled silent movie legend.” Around the world, the LBS was mentioned in various publications including Stuttgarter Zeitung, Le Temps, London Times, Melbourne Age, and South China Morning Post.

The LBS has also been praised by Leonard Maltin on his Movie Crazy website, and by the late Roger Ebert, the Pulitzer Prize winning film critic. Before his passing, Ebert told me that he had used the site while researching Louise Brooks and Pandora’s Box. The LBS has also received email from distant relatives of Brooks, who mentioned they enjoyed surfing the website and learned much about their famous relation.

In 1999, with Frederica Sagor Maas, silent era
screenwriter whose story became Rolled Stockings

LBS HIGHLIGHTS

Here are highlights from the 25-plus year history of the Louise Brooks Society.

LBS Website: Launched in August, 1995, the LBS is a pioneering website that has proven itself among the most comprehensive, popular and long-lasting websites devoted to just about any film star — silent or sound, vintage or contemporary. For its efforts, the LBS has received considerable media attention in newspapers and magazines from around the world. In 2015, the LBS was singled out in Wild Bill Wellman: Hollywood Rebel, a biography of the celebrated director. As an educational resource, this 100+ page website has drawn not only film historian, but also film buffs, teachers, students and academics.

 Internet Presence: The long running was started in June, 2002. It currently has more than 3500 posts and hundreds of subscribers, and has been visited more than 1,800,000 times (as of 2023). The LBS also maintains an active social media presence on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Flickr and elsewhere. See the LBS Social Media page for further details.

Advocacy: In 1998, inspired by the popularity of the LBS website, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) commissioned the Emmy nominated documentary Louise Brooks: Looking for Lulu. The part played by the LBS in bringing the documentary to television was acknowledged by TCM as well as the director of the documentary. [See “Fan Site Sparks Biopic” (Wired) and “Lovely Lulu Lives Again / A decade after her death, silent-film star Louise Brooks is more popular than ever” (San Francisco Chronicle).]  

Additionally, in 2000, following a grass-roots campaign, the LBS helped bring both the Barry Paris biography of the actress and Louise Brooks’ own book, Lulu in Hollywood, back into print through the University of Minnesota Press. The LBS is acknowledged in each edition, and the books have remained in print since.


 

 Scholarship: The wealth of information found on the LBS is one of its primary achievements. Much of it, including the annotated filmographies, bibliographies, detailed chronology, are the result of thousands of hours of research. Research conducted by the LBS has also lead to a handful of groundbreaking discoveries regarding Brooks’ numerous childhood performances; the cultural life of Brooks’ mother; G.W. Pabst’s reasons for choosing Louise Brooks to play Lulu; the previously undocumented exhibition history of Pandora’s Box in the United States in the 1930s, etc…. Also uncovered during the course of research were rare audio recording of Brooks’ radio appearances in the 1960s! In 2018, the Irish Times newspaper noted, “An online tribute site, the Louise Brooks Society, contains an extraordinary day-by-day chronology of her life.”

Additionally, the Louise Brooks Society has contributed to the restoration of two Louise Brooks’ films, Now We’re in the Air (1927), and The Street of Forgotten Men (1925). The LBS is acknowledged in contemporary prints of both films.

Notably, the LBS has been cited in a number of books including Geheimnisvolle Tiefe G.W. Pabst (Austrian Film Archive, 1998), German Expressionist Films (Pocket Essentials, 2002), Photoplay Editions (McFarland, 2002), and Sirens & Sinners: A Visual History of Weimar Film 1918-1933 (Thames & Hudson, 2013), among others.

Publications: In 2010, the LBS published the “Louise Brooks edition” of Margarete Bohme’s The Diary of a Lost Girl, which served as the basis for the 1929 film. Notably, it was the book’s first English-language publication in more than 100 years. This unique edition was highly praised, and was the subject of an article in Deutsche Welle. Other publications of the Louise Brooks Society include Beggars of Life: A Companion to the 1928 Film (2017, with a foreword by William Wellman, Jr.), Now We’re in the Air: A Companion to the Once Lost Film (2017, with a foreword by Robert Byrne), and Louise Brooks, the Persistent Star (2018). The hallmark of each of these illustrated books is the considerable research that went into each volume, as well as the new and little known information revealed in them. 

Due out in 2023 is The Street of Forgotten Men: From Story to Screen and Beyond. Also in the works and nearly completion is Around the World with Louise Brooks, a two volume work.

The first four publications of the Louise Brooks Society

Additionally, as the Director of the LBS, Thomas Gladysz has written numerous online articles, contributed material to various scholarly and general interest books, and provided liner notes and audio commentary to two DVD/Blu-ray releases from KINO Lorber, Diary of a Lost Girl (1929), and Beggars of Life (1928).

Exhibits: In 2005, 2010, and 2011 the LBS mounted Louise Brooks and silent film-related exhibits at the San Francisco Public Library. Each was accompanied by a well attended public program which featured a lecture, screening or presentation.

Events: Over the years, the LBS has co-sponsored a handful of events, including talks with silent era screenwriter Frederica Sagor Mass, Louise Brooks biographer Barry Paris, and film historian Peter Cowie (Louise Brooks: Lulu Forever). These and other events took place at various bookstores, libraries and theaters in the San Francisco Bay Area. The LBS has also co-sponsored or participated in a handful of other events, including screenings. As the Director of the LBS, Thomas Gladysz has introduced Brooks’ films at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, San Francisco Public Library, Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, Detroit Institute of Arts, and Action Cinema in Paris, France. His talks on the actress have taken place at the Hollywood Forever cemetery, Folsom Public Library, and Village Voice bookstore in Paris. Gladysz has also written program notes for screenings of Brooks’ films shown elsewhere around the United States. Images from some of the LBS events and exhibits can be found on the LBS Flickr account.

Promotion: Through its website, long-running blog, and various social media accounts, the LBS has promoted related books, DVD’s, articles, exhibits and events held all around the world. You can even find the LBS credited on the first edition of Laura Moriarty’s novel, The Chaperone. The LBS supplied the cover image, as it did for various other books published around the world. The LBS also had more than a little something to do with the depiction of Louise Brooks on the cover of Adolfo Bioy Casare' The Invention of Morel.

The enthusiasm and generosity of Brooks’ many fans have contributed to the growth of this website. Individuals from around the globe have shared rare material. Others have performed research, translated articles, visited libraries and archives, or sent images and interesting information. The LBS acknowledges their efforts, and appreciates the emails and letters others have sent from across the United States and the world. Judging by these fans, and knowingly repeating myself, Louise Brooks is truly an international star! Thank you one and all for your interest in Louise Brooks and the Louise Brooks Society.

At the San Francisco Public Library

THE LEGAL STUFF: The Louise Brooks Society™ blog is authored by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society  (www.pandorasbox.com). Original contents copyright © 2023. Further unauthorized use prohibited.

At the George Eastman House

Tuesday, February 7, 2023

Bits and pieces found on The Street of Forgotten Men

In my forthcoming book, The Street of Forgotten Men: From Story to Screen and Beyond, I state "Bits and pieces of this book were first tried out on my Louise Brooks Society blog, where anyone interested in The Street of Forgotten Men can find additional material which didn’t make it into the book." This is one such piece.

In the chapter on the film's legacy, I mention Street of Forgotten Women, stating "Little about the 1927 exploitation film, Street of Forgotten Women, can be traced back to The Street of Forgotten Men – except for its indebtedness to the title of the earlier Herbert Brenon film. Street of Forgotten Women is a dreadful B-film about a rich girl who decides on a career on the stage, and fails. She is then reduced to dancing in her underwear in a saloon, before turning to prostitution." In an email exchange with film historian Kevin Brownlow about my forthcoming book, he reminded me of the existence of Street of Forgotten Women. It has a notorious reputation, and I was sure to make mention of it.

For those who may be curious, Street of Forgotten Women is available on DVD along with another early exploitation film, The Road to Ruin. And what's more, both are available as a budget release for a reasonable price of less than $10.00. Check it out HERE.

Here is a little bit more about both films - which bring Brooks' later German film, Diary of a Lost Girl (1929), to mind: 

STREET OF FORGOTTEN WOMEN (1927): Grace Fleming wants to break into show business, but her father, a wealthy slum lord, forbids it. Seduced by a sleazy agent, she gets a job at a low-class cabaret dancing in a skimpy costume. Grace does not realize that she has actually been drafted into a prostitution ring. Soon, the poor girl is selling herself on the same broken-down streets her father owns.

Not much is known about Street of Forgotten Women, other than that it was made to warn young girls about how easy it is to become a prostitute. Press materials of the era state that it is the dramatized true story of star Grace Fleming (though this may have simply been a screen name for an anonymous actress) and was "heartily endorsed by leading citizens, city officials, and the clergy as a motion picture that should be seen by all young women." The police shut down at least one theater for showing the film in Kansas, however.

ROAD TO RUIN (1928): Neglected by her stuffy parents, 16-year-old Sally Canfield starts experimenting with drugs, alcohol, and sex with older men. Her mother and father disown her after she is arrested in her underwear at a strip poker game. Discovering she is pregnant, Sally submits to a back alley abortion that has tragic consequences.

Road to Ruin was popular enough to warrant a sound remake in 1934, also starring Helen Foster. In his book Behind the Mask of Innocence, film historian Kevin Brownlow reports that Foster kept a bottle of bootleg whiskey by her side to keep herself inebriated during the strip poker scene.

Even though Street of Forgotten Women is otherwise unrelated to Louise Brooks' first film, The Street of Forgotten Men (1925), there is overlap with Brooks' career. In the course of my research into the 1927 exploitation film, I found a couple of interesting advertisements which shows how at least one of Brooks' Paramount films existed alongside a lowly B independent film like Street of Forgotten Women.

As far as I can tell, the first showing of Street of Forgotten Women took place at the Ritz theater in Spokane, Washington on April 3, 1927. The film was billed as "The picture that will startle the nation." Notably, the ad notes that "men only" would be admitted Sunday through Wednesday, while "women only" would be admitted starting on Thursday. (That was the case in most every town where the film played.) Also playing in Spokane at the local American Theater was a popular touring stage show, Earl Carroll Vanities. (The Vanities were similar to the Ziegfeld Follies, though a bit more scandalous.) On the entertainment page of the Spokane Chronicle, advertisements for the two events sit side by side. Be sure and check out the Vanities ad, which notes the appearance of one of their star performers, "The Magnetic -- LOUISE BROOKS -- The Perfect Venus." Of course, that is not our Louise Brooks, just another forth-billed showgirl from the time who had the same name. 


Despite its risque subject matter, Street of Forgotten Women proved popular enough to return to Spokane in January, 1928. It played the Ritz once more, but this time it was billed as "The Sensation of Today." Even though the film's promoter's claimed it contained "A poignant lesson to parents and children," only men were admitted. 

Also showing in town, at Grombacher's Egyptian Theater, was the 1927 film, Rolled Stockings. Despite the fact that Louise Brooks was the film's star, the ad only credited "Paramount's Junior Stars". With such a small ad - despite the fact this showing marked its first showing in Spokane, there wasn't room to list Brooks, Richard Arlen, James Hall, Nancy Philips and others.


The 350 seat Egyptian Theater was later renamed the Bandbox theater, and eventually closed. Read more about this historic venue HERE.

One last newspaper advertisement for Street of Forgotten Women. This one is for another early screening of the film, in Billings, Montana in June 1927. What's funny about this particular ad is that this showing was, again, limited to "men only" - yet, the ad also proclaimed it was a film "every mother should see."

THE LEGAL STUFF: The Louise Brooks Society™ blog is authored by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society  (www.pandorasbox.com). Original contents copyright © 2023. Further unauthorized use prohibited.

Saturday, February 4, 2023

It's the Old Army Game gets another DVD release - films stars W.C. Fields and Louise Brooks

I just learned that It's the Old Army Game, the 1926 Louise Brooks film starring W.C. Fields, was released as a region 0 DVD-R by Alpha Video / Oldies.com in April of 2022. More info can be found HERE.

STOP: Before you investigate further, please note that Alpha Video is a budget label whose releases more often than not compare poorly with those from KINO Classics, Milestone, FlickerAlley and others labels which release silent or classic films. And that's likely the case here. KINO released the film in March 2018. It was mastered in 2k from 35mm film elements preserved by The Library of Congress, features Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, and includes an audio commentary by film historian James L. Neibaur, author of The W.C. Fields Films, as well as an organ score composed and performed by Ben Model. I own a copy of the KINO release, and its looks real good.


Admittedly, I haven't yet seen the Alpha Video release. (I just ordered it.) But, it's webpage contains no information about its source material or musical accompaniment, let alone any sort of bonus material like an audio commentary. Also, the product page contains a disclaimer which reads:

This product is made-on-demand by the manufacturer using DVD-R recordable media. Almost all DVD players can play DVD-Rs (except for some older models made before 2000) - please consult your owner's manual for formats compatible with your player. These DVD-Rs may not play on all computers or DVD player/recorders. To address this, the manufacturer recommends viewing this product on a DVD player that does not have recording capability.

I do own a handful of Alpha Video releases, mostly all obscure B-films otherwise unavailable elsewhere, like The Street of Forgotten Women (1927), an early exploitation film who borrowed its title from The Street of Forgotten Men.

Aside from any reputational shortcomings, the text on the back of the release contains a factual error. The last couple of sentences read, "Director Edward Sutherland and Louise must have hit it off, as the filmmaker has the privilege of being Brooks' one and only husband... though they only stayed married for a little less than two years. Oh, well." In actuality, Brooks was married twice. Her first husband was Eddie Sutherland. Her second husband was Deering Davis. That's sloppy work....

Once I receive it, I will watch, with a comparative eye, this Alpha Video release of It's the Old Army Game. If my expectations are exceeded, I post a revised assessment. In the mean time, I'm sticking with the KINO Classic release, which seems to be on-sale at a great price.


THE LEGAL STUFF: The Louise Brooks Society™ blog is authored by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society  (www.pandorasbox.com). Original contents copyright © 2023. Further unauthorized use prohibited.

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