The Louise Brooks Society is home to an extensive online archive whose goal is to document “all things Brooksie.” That archive includes a number of annotated bibliographies relating to the actress’ life and career, her films, and other topics. The citations found on this page date from the 1960s and 1970s. The material cited, which is arranged in chronological order, comes from books and pamphlets. Other bibliographies on the LBS website cite material from magazines and newspapers.
Bibliographies are not as dull as you might think, or fear. And what’s more, they can also make for interesting reading. This bibliography documents and helps organize material written about the actress over the course of two decades. Not only does it reference rare or little known texts, it also charts Brooks’ fame, and reveals a year-by-year, decade-by-decade history of the actress’ place in movie history as well as, increasingly, popular culture.
Over the years, I’ve done a considerable amount of research, putting through hundreds of inter-library loans, scouring every accessible online database and digital archive, and personally visiting more than three dozen libraries across California and the United States, as well as the Cinémathèque Francaise in Paris, and the British Film Institute and British National Library in London. The LBS has also sought out scarce books and even acquired a few roles of microfilm in pursuit of unknown or undocumented material. [A fuller record of the research conducted by the LBS can be found HERE.] If you know of additional entries, or can provide further information on any of the citations noted on this page, please CONTACT the Louise Brooks Society. If you would like to help with the search for additional material, please check the HELP WANTED page.
Thomas Gladysz
Director, Louise Brooks Society
LOUISE BROOKS BIBLIOGRAPHIES 1920s – 1930s | 1940s – 1950s | 1960s – 1970s | 1980s – 1990s | 2000s – 2010s | 2020s – present
1960s
Rotha, Paul. The Film Till Now. London: Spring Books, 1960.
— two-and-one half pages on Pandora’s Box (revised and expanded edition of a book first published in 1930, and again in 1949)
Fernández Cuenca, Carlos. El cine alemán: elementos de filmografía crítica: 1896-1960. Madrid: Filmoteca Nacional de Espaäa, 1961.
— contains a brief entry on Pandora’s Box
Collections Seghers. Dictionnaire du Cinema. Paris: Collections Seghers, 1962.
— brief entry on Brooks; “ . . . de la feminite et de l’erotisme cinematographiques.”
Patalas, Enno. Sozialgeschichte der Stars. Hamburg, Germany: Marion von Schröder Verlag, 1963.
— Brooks is pictured, referenced, and the subject of a section in a chapter on flappers (along with Clara Bow, Colleen Moore and Joan Crawford)
Joseph, Rudolph S. (editor). Der Regisseur: G. W. Pabst. Munich: Munchener Photo und Filmmuseum, 1964.
— program booklet for a retrospective held at the Munich Photo and Film Museum; includes Brooks’ essay “My Work with Mr. Pabst”
Terry, Walter, et al. The Golden Book of Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn 1914-1964. Publisher Not Identified, 1964.
— contains one picture which includes Brooks
Bessy, Maurice, and Jean-Louis Chardins. Dictionnaire du Cinema et de la Television. Paris: Jean-Jacques Pauvert Editeur, 1965.
— brief entry and portrait in this film reference work; Brooks also appears on the binding of the second volume of this four volume set
Buache, Freddy. G.W. Pabst. Lyon: Serdoc [Société d’études, recherches et documentation cinématographiques], 1965.
— contains a number of film stills featuring Brooks, as well as a chapter titled “La Miraculeuse Louise Brooks” on the actress’ two films with Pabst
Halliwell, Leslie. Halliwell’s Filmgoer’s Companion. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1965.
— a short entry devoted to Louise Brooks is included in this standard reference work; “American leading lady of the twenties who made her best films in Germany and has remained an attractive critical enigma” (seventh edition, 1980)
Barthelemy, Amengual. Georg Wilhelm Pabst. Paris: Editions Seghers, 1966.
— monograph on Pabst with discussion of Brooks in relation to her work with Pabst, chapters on the two films the actress made with the director, and scenes from each of the films
Goyal, Trishla. The Marketing of Films. Calcutta, India: Intertrade Publications, 1966.
— one page discussion of Pandora’s Box
McDowall, Roddy. Double Exposure. New York: Delacorte Press, 1966.
— contains “Louise Brooks”, a short appreciation by Anita Loos, along with two photographic portraits by McDowell; also contains Brooks short appreciation of Buster Keaton
Pratt, George C. Spellbound in Darkness. Rochester, New York: University of Rochester, 1966.
— a handful of references and an illustration in this significant, pioneering history of silent film; (revised edition published by New York Graphic Society, 1973)
Boussinot, Roger. L’encyclopedie du Cinéma. Paris: Bordas, 1967.
— contains a near full-page entry on Brooks
Fernández Cuenca, Carlos. G.W. Pabst. Madrid: Filmoteca Nacional de Espãna, 1967.
— contains material on the two films Brooks made with Pabst in the chapter “La Trilogia Erortica”
Walker, Alexander. The Celluloid Sacrifice. New York: Hawthorn Books, 1967.
— articles by Brooks are twice referenced in this look at “aspects of sex in the movies”
Aubry, Yves, and Jacques Petat. G.W. Pabst, 1885-1967. Paris: Anthologie du cinéma, 1968.
— commemorative booklet with scene stills and discussion on the two films Brooks made with Pabst
Brownlow, Kevin. The Parade’s Gone By. London: Secker and Warburg, 1968.
— an anecdotal, oral history of the silent film era; contains significant passages related to Brooks; additionally, in the “A Note of Thanks” which introduces the book, Brownlow states, “I owe an especial debt to Louise Brooks for acting as a prime mover in this book’s publication.”
Graham, Peter. A Dictionary of the Cinema. London: A. Zwemmer, 1968.
— Brooks is included as an entry and is featured on the cover in this reference work
Lamprecht, Gerhard. Deutsche Stummfilme 1927 – 1931. Berlin: Deutsche Kinamathek eV Berlin, 1968.
— short discussion of Brooks’ two Pabst films
Robinson, David. Hollywood in the Twenties. London: A. Zwemmer, 1968.
— Brooks is referenced eight times
Churchill, Allen. The Liberty Years 1924 – 1950. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1969.
— includes three drawings of Brooks (by John H. Striebel)
Durgnat, Raymond. The Crazy Mirror. London: Faber and Faber, 1969.
— includes a mention of Brooks and A Girl in Every Port
edited. Enciclopedia Ilustrada del Cine. Barcelona, Spain: Editorial labor, S.A., 1969.
— includes an entry on Brooks along with a full-page portrait
1970s
Bucher, Felix. Germany. London: A. Zwemmer, 1970.
— brief entry and a still of Brooks in this dictionary of German film
Lamparski, Richard. Whatever Became of . . . ? New York: Crown Publishers, 1970.
— two page chapter on Brooks in this series of books devoted to “famous personalities of yesteryear”
Ricci, Mark, Boris Zmijewsky, and Steven Zmijewsky. The Films of John Wayne. Secaucus: Citadel Press, 1970.
— includes an illustrated page on Overland Stage Raiders
Sklar, Robert. The Plastic Age. New York: George Braziller, 1970.
— quotes Herbert Blumer Movies and Conduct which mentions Louise Brooks
Shipman, David. The Great Movie Stars: The Golden Years. New York: Crown Publishers, 1970.
— this guide to movie stars includes a two page profile of the actress along with three pictures
Cowie, Peter (editor). A Concise History of The Cinema. London: A. Zwemmer, 1971.
— mention of Brooks in section on Pabst; “But his style was undoubtedly responsible for the extraordinary screen radiance of Louise Brooks. . . .”
Gili, Jean A. Howard Hawks. Paris: Editions Seghers, 1971.
— Brooks is pictured and discussed in this book on the director
Lahue, Kalton C. Ladies in Distress. New York: A.S. Barnes, 1971.
— a seven page chapter is given over to Brooks
Manvell, Roger, and Heinrich Fraenkel. The German Cinema. London: J. M. Dent, 1971.
— includes two stills from Pandora’s Box, and about one page of text concerning Brooks and her two films with Pabst; regarding Pandora’s Box, “This most extraordinary film has been compared with Carl Dreyer’s Passion of Joan of Arc (France, 1928) for the intense, intimate way it uses the camera to watch the process of thought and feeling through close shots of the fate. . . . This film was criticized (by Rotha, among others) for its innate inability through lack of sound to match Wedekind’s revealing dialogue to the pathetic innocence of Lulu’s appearance, which is so much at variance with the sexuality of what she says.”
Pabst, G. W. Pandora’s Box (Lulu). London: Lorrimer, 1971.
— contains the shooting script of the film (translation by Christopher Holme), cast listing and credits, as well as dozens of stills; a brief introduction by Brooks, an article by the actress, “Pabst and Lulu,” and an essay by writer Lotte H. Eisner, “Pabst and the Miracle of Louise Brooks”
Pickard, R. A. E. Dictionary of 1,000 Best Films. New York: Association Press, 1971.
— Brooks is mentioned and Pandora’s Box is included in this guide
Chiarini, Luigi. Cinema e Film, Bulzoni Editore, 1972.
— Brooks is briefly discussed
Holba, Herbert. Illustrierter Film Kurier 1924-1944. Berlin: Deutsche Institut fur Filmkunde, 1972.
— includes entries on four of Brooks’ films
McBride, Joseph. Focus on Howard Hawks. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1972.
— includes a few references to Brooks as well as Henri Langlois’ essay, “The Modernity of Howard Hawks,” which leads with the actress
Kobal, John. Gods & Goddesses of the Movies. New York: Crescent, 1973.
— two illustrations and a page of text are devoted to Brooks
Krusche, Dieter. Reclams Filmfuhrer, Stuttgart, Germany: P. Reclam, 1973.
— contains an article on Pandora’s Box
Mitry, Jean. Histoire du cinema. Paris: Editions universitaire, 1973.
— mention of Brooks in the sections on directors Herbert Brenon, Howard Hawks, and G.W. Pabst
Robinson, David. The History of World Cinema. London: Methuen, 1973.
— two brief passages relate to Brooks in this history from the noted English film historian and Chaplin biographer
Rosen, Marjorie. Popcorn Venus. New York: Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, 1973.
— half-dozen references in this study of “women, movies and the American dream”
Weinberg, Herman. Saint Cinema. New York: Dover, 1973.
— three short passages refer to Brooks, including the actress’ reported epitaph, “I never gave away anything that I wish I had not kept; nor kept anything that I wish I had not given away . . . ”
Becker, Wieland. Film-Blätter: Kurzmonographien zu klassischen Filmen. Berlin: Staatliches Filmarchiv der DDR, 1974.
— contains a two page entry on Diary of a Lost Girl by Barbara Rogall
Haskell, Molly. From Reverence to Rape. New York: Holt Rhinehart Winston, 1974.
— Brooks is discussed in this study of the treatment of women in the movies
Springer, John and Jack D. Hamilton. They Had Faces Then. Secaucus, New Jersey: Citadel Press, 1974.
— includes a four paragraph entry on Brooks, as well as three portraits
Anger, Kenneth. Hollywood Babylon. San Francisco: Straight Arrow Books, 1975.
— brief mention (“Louise Brooks, one of the loveliest visions ever to grace a screen, went from stardom to a Macy’s counter in a vertiginous fall from glory”) and a picture of Brooks in this look at scandal in the film world
Phillips, Baxter. Cut, the unseen cinema. New York: Bounty Books, 1975.
— includes two stills from Pandora’s Box
Petaja, Emil. Photoplay Edition. San Francisco: SISU, 1975.
— an illustration from Beggars of Life is pictured in this guide to photoplay books; the Canary Murder Case is listed
Kobal, John. Hollywood Glamour Portraits. New York: Dover, 1976.
— photographs of movie stars 1926 – 1949; Brooks adorns the cover and is twice pictured in portraits by Eugene Robert Richee
McConathy, Dale and Diana Vreeland. Hollywood Costume. New York: Abrams, 1976.
— portrait and biographical assessment of Brooks impact on 20’s glamour; other references to Brooks’ include discussion of her impact on the appearance of Liza Minnelli in Cabaret
Ragan, David. Who’s Who in Hollywood 1900 – 1976. New Rochelle, New York: Arlington House, 1976.
— short, encyclopedia-style entry on Brooks
Rhode, Eric. A History of the Cinema: From Its Origins to 1970. New York: Hill & Wang, 1976.
— Brooks is mentioned in a discussion of Pabst
Sherman, Jane. Soaring: The Diary and Letters of a Denishawn Dancer in the Far East 1925-1926. Middletown, Connecticut: Wesleyan University Press, 1976.
— three references to Brooks and her time with Denishawn
Thomson, David. Biographical Dictionary of Film. New York: William Morrow, 1976.
— an entry devoted to the actress is included in the 1st edition of this standard reference work; Brooks is also included in later editions
Wortley, Richard. A Pictorial History of the Striptease. New York: Chartwell, 1976.
— a paragraph on the actress
Atwell, Lee. G.W. Pabst. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1977.
— contains material on the two films Brooks made with Pabst
Jaccard, Roland (editor). Louise Brooks: Portrait d’une anti-star. Paris: Phebus, 1977.
— first book devoted to Brooks; later published in the United States (in English translation by Gideon Y. Schein) as Louise Brooks: Portrait of an Anti-Star (New York: Zoetrope, 1986) and England (London: Columbus, 1988)
Yodogawa, Nagaharu. Hollywood Actress 1920’s. Toyko: Haga Publishing, 1977.
— Brooks is included in this look at female stars of the twenties; she is also pictured on the rear cover
Berliner Festspiele GmbH. Photo: Casparius. Berlin: Staatlich Kunsthalle, 1978.
— contains images of Brooks and scenes from her films by the noted still photographer Hans Casparius
Everson, William. American Silent Film. New York, Oxford University Press, 1978.
— includes brief discussion of Beggars of Life
Higashi, Sumiko. Virgins, Vamps and Flappers. St. Albans, Vermont: Eden Press Women’s Publications, 1978.
— Brooks is discussed in this critical study of the American silent movie heroine
Peary, Danny. Close-Ups. New York: Galahad Books, 1978.
— contains a three page illustrated article by John Springer, “Louise Brooks: Smart and Sassy.”
Walker, Alexander. The Shattered Silents. London: Elm Tree Books, 1978.
— contains a passage devoted to Brooks’ role in The Canary Murder Case; the actress is also depicted in a scene from the film
Dardis, Tom. Keaton The Man Who Wouldn’t Lie Down. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1979.
— a number of references and two images of Brooks are included; Brooks was interviewed by the author and is also mentioned in the acknowledgements
Deutelbaum, Marshall. “Image” on the Art and Evolution of the Film. New York: Dover Publications, 1979.
— collects photographs and articles from the magazine of the International Museum of Photography; contains “Out of Pandora’s Box: Louise Brooks on G. W. Pabst,” by James Card, and “Mr. Pabst,” by Louise Brooks
Eyles, Allen. John Wayne and the Movies. London: Tantivy Press, 1979.
— includes an introduction by Louise Brooks; published in French translation (Paris: Veyrier, 1983).
Sherman, Jane. The Drama of Denishawn Dance. Middletown, Connecticut: Wesleyan University Press, 1979.
— two references and a half-dozen illustrations include Brooks
Soupault, Philippe. Ecrits de cinema 1918-1931. Paris: Plon 1979.
— the author is one of the original Surrealists; Brooks and her films are mentioned a few times in various reviews and articles; the actress is also pictured on the cover and in two stills from Diary of a Lost Girl; one footnote reads “Les surréalistes et leurs émules ont professé un véritable culte por Louise Brooks” or “The surrealists and their followers have professed a veritable cult for Louise Brooks.”
Tynan, Kenneth. Show People: Profiles in Entertainment. Simon and Schuster, 1979.
— reprints the June 11, 1979 New Yorker article, “Louise Brooks: The Girl in the Black Helmet”; this piece was later reprinted in Tynan’s Profiles (New York: Random House, 1998)
Wlaschin, Ken. The World’s Great Movie Stars And Their Films. London: Salamander, 1979.
— near full page entry on Brooks including photos; Wlaschin ends his entry with “Her star seems likely to glow for a long time yet.”