Louise Brooks Society blog

A Girl in Every Port, starring Louise Brooks, was released on this day in 1928. A Girl in Every Port is a classic early “buddy film,” On loan to Fox, Louise Brooks plays Marie (Mam’selle Godiva), a girl in Marseille, France. The film was directed by Howard Hawks, and stars Victor McLaglen and Robert Armstrong as the two sailors, and features Marie Casajuana, Sally Rand, Natalie Kingston, Leila Hyams, and Myrna Loy as the women they romance in various ports of call. More about the film can be found on the recently revised Louise Brooks Society filmography page. The film was shot […]

Just noticed this.... The Plowright Theater in Lincolnshire, England is presenting a musical titled LuLu: Louise Brooks Girl out of Time on February 21 and February 22. More information HERE.According to the venue: "A first presentation of Greg Snape's new Louise Brooks musical. LuLu is a musical drama exploring themes of celebrity, identity, sexuality and taboo that resonate as strongly today as they did almost a century ago when mercurial silent movie icon and face of the Jazz Age, Louise Brooks was the original Flapper and one of the most photographed women in the world. We join […]

The Canary Murder Case, starring Louise Brooks, was released on this day in 1929. The film 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 newly revised Louise Brooks Society filmography page.Based on […]

Pandora's Box, directed by G.W. Pabst and starring Louise Brooks, debuted on this day in 1929. That first showing -- the film's world premiere -- took place at the Gloria–Palast in Berlin. And despite what has been stated elsewhere, Louise Brooks did not attend the premiere. (She had already returned to the United States.)Based on two plays by the acclaimed German dramatist Frank Wedekind, the 1929 film Die Büchse der Pandora (or Pandora’s Box in English translation), tells the story of Lulu, a lovely, amoral, and somewhat petulant showgirl whose behavior leads to tragic […]

The first ever e-book edition of Lulu in Hollywood by Louise Brooks is set to be released on February 3, 2026 by the University of Minnesota Press. The print edition has just recently been re-released with a bold new front and back cover, shown below. For more, visit this page HERE.I am pleased to report that both the e-book edition of Lulu in Hollywood and its re-release as a print edition has come about through behind-the-scenes efforts of Thomas Gladysz and the Louise Brooks Society.The book description on amazon.com, where the book is for sale, reads: "Essential writings by this […]

I am saddened to learn of the passing of John Bengtson, a business lawyer, film historian, author and longtime friend. John was also a friend to the Louise Brooks Society. Here is a piece I wrote about John back in 2011. It first appeared on SFGate (the San Francisco Chronicle website), and then was rerun on examiner.com. (Neither piece is accessible, as both websites have shut down.) Bay Area author John Bengtson digs deep into film by Thomas GladyszAugust 20, 2011 | San Francisco Examiner (CA)By day, John Bengtson is a business lawyer who practices in the East Bay. By night, he is a […]

I am saddened to learn of the passing of John Bengtson, a business lawyer, film historian, author and longtime friend. John was also a friend to the Louise Brooks Society. Back in 2018, we collaborated on John's three-part look W.C. Fields and the 1926 Louise Brooks' film It's the Old Army Game: “It’s The Old Army Game – W.C. Fields and Louise Brooks in Ocala Florida – Part One“ -- “W.C. Fields in Palm Beach – It’s the Old Army Game” --  “It’s The Old Army Game – W.C. Fields and Louise Brooks Bring Magazines to Life”.Here is a snapshot from one of the many San […]

Pandora's Box, directed by G.W. Pabst and starring Louise Brooks, was approved for release on this day in 1929, though the film did not premiere until February 9, 1929. That first showing -- the film's premiere -- took place at the Gloria–Palast in Berlin. (And despite what has been stated elsewhere, Louise Brooks did not attend the premiere. She had already returned to the United States.)Pandora’s Box was based on two plays by the acclaimed German dramatist Frank Wedekind. Despite it being a German production made from a well known work of German literature, German censors were taken […]

Focus on Louise Brooks, the new disc of never-before-released films featuring Louise Brooks, is set for release today on the Flicker Alley website. (Amazon.com has a later release date set as February 13.) Focus on Louise Brooks is a must-have disc. Why? Because this is Louise Brooks like you haven't seen her before... this is Louise Brooks as she hasn't been seen in nearly 100 years! More information can be found on the Flicker Alley website HERE.regular release (left)   and the   limited edition (right)Focus on Louise Brooks, a single-disc Blu-ray compilation of the iconic star’s […]