The great art of films does not consist in descriptive movement of face and body, but in the movements of thought and soul transmitted in a kind of intense isolation.
~ Louise Brooks

On this day 101 years ago, Louise Brooks, patron saint of unrepentant flappers, was born. By all accounts, she was a fiercely intelligent and complicated woman who would not suffer fools in an industry that consists of nearly nothing but. She made only 25 films before being blacklisted walking away from Hollywood at the height of her career, and remains one of the most iconic, (in)famous starlets of all time.

Although she is perhaps better known for the trademark black bob that launched a thousand Red Hot Mamas, Brooks also happens to be one of the most remarkable actresses, um, well… EVER. Onscreen, the one-time Ziegfeld dancer carries herself with effortless grace. Brooks understood that great acting was more about reacting than anything else. In stark contrast to many of her mawkish, mugging co-stars, she seems more comfortable, more real, somehow.

In particular, the nuanced performances coaxed out of her by German Expressionist director G.W. Pabst in the two 1929 films they made together, Pandora’s Box and Diary of a Lost Girl are painfully beautiful. Despite (or maybe because of) Brooks’ prickly real-life demeanor, her innocent, doomed Lulu is one of the most tragically lovable figures ever committed to celluloid.

[kml_flashembed movie=”http://youtube.com/v/KeHGLHGjLQI” width=”400″ height=”330″ wmode=”transparent” /]

Upon their initial release, both of these films went overlooked, largely due to being silent films in an era where “talkies” were already taking over. Both were strictly censored due to racy sexual themes and Pabst’s harsh criticism of hypocritical societal norms. It wasn’t until the 1950s when French film historians started rhapsodizing about her that Brooks (who had since worked as a department store clerk for 40 bucks a week, among other odd jobs) began to get the accolades she so richly deserved.

Some links of interest, photos, and quotes from the birthday girl:

• “The Girl In the Black Helmet” by Kenneth Tynan
• Criterion Collection’s edition of Pandora’s Box
• “Lulu In Hollywood” by Louise Brooks
• How to cut a Brooksie Bob
• Memories of Berlin: Twilight of Weimar Culture

How often do we change the whole course of our lives in pursuit of a love that we will have forgotten within a few months.

I have a gift for enraging people, but if I ever bore you it will be with a knife.

I never gave away anything without wishing I had kept it; nor kept it without wishing I had given it away.

A well dressed woman, even though her purse is painfully empty, can conquer the world.

I believe absolutely that the reader cannot understand the character and deeds of the subject unless he is given a basic understanding of that person’s sexual loves and hates and conflicts.

When I went to Hollywood in 1927, the girls were wearing lumpy sweaters and skirts…I was wearing sleek suits and half naked beaded gowns and piles and piles of furs.

Every actor has a natural animosity toward every other actor, present or absent, living or dead.

Love is a publicity stunt, and making love – after the first curious raptures – is only another petulant way to pass the time waiting for the studio to call.

Most beautiful dumb girls think they are smart and get away with it, because other people, on the whole, aren’t much smarter.

In my dreams I am not crippled. In my dreams, I dance.

Posted by Meredith Yayanos on November 14th, 2007
Filed under Coilhouse, Fashion, Film, Hair