Welcome to the LOUISE BROOKS SOCIETY™, a pioneering fan site and online archive dedicated to the life & times of the silent film star Louise Brooks (1906 – 1985). A famed beauty & Jazz Age celebrity, the actress is best known for her bobbed hair as well as for her legendary role as Lulu in the 1929 silent movie, Pandora’s Box. Launched online in 1995, the Louise Brooks Society (or LBS) celebrates this multifaceted personality who was not only an acclaimed actress, but also a Denishawn dancer, Ziegfeld Follies showgirl, and later the bestselling author of Lulu in Hollywood. Once nearly forgotten, Brooks has emerged from obscurity to become a 20th century icon, and 21st century muse. At some 250+ pages and growing, this site has it all.
The mission of the LBS is to honor the actress by stimulating interest in her life, films and legacy…. The filmography found here is the most detailed ever compiled on Brooks (surpassing both IMDb & AFI). The are also articles and ephemera, image galleries, slide-shows, a biography, chronology, videos, trivia, links, and more. This information rich website is just one of the many things we do — along with conducting research, writing articles and essays, curating exhibits, sponsoring events, and helping with the preservation of Brooks’ films. The LBS keeps a long-running BLOG (since 2002), helped bring both Lulu in Hollywood and the definitive biography of Brooks by Barry Paris back into print, and, has PUBLISHED five books, with more in the works. The LBS is a community, both an educational fan site and home to a virtual fan club of like-minded individuals. Explore the LBS and all that it has to offer. And please consider supporting its efforts! Visitors to the LBS come from more than 50 countries on six continents — a world wide web of silent film fans and Brooks enthusiasts. More about the LBS, including its mission statement and history, can be found on its ABOUT page. [The Louise Brooks Society™ is proud to be a retrosite where accuracy and authenticity matters. As such, the LBS is a clickbait, colorized, and A.I. free zone.]
Thomas Gladysz
Director, Louise Brooks Society
CONTENT ON THIS WEBSITE HAS BEEN REMOVED AGAINST THE WISHES OF ITS LAWFUL RIGHTS HOLDER
following yet another false claim. Apologies to this site’s followers, but that’s the way it is until certain matters are resolved.
For the record: The Louise Brooks Society™ website was established by Thomas Gladysz in 1995. This website and the term / wordmark “Louise Brooks Society” are under XXXXXXXXX and XXXXXX XXX XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX. Additionally, the Louise Brooks Society operates with the written consent of the Estate of Louise Brooks (Louise Brooks Heirs, LC) and have its permission to use the name and likeness of the actress. Content original to this site is © Thomas Gladysz.
Update 1/1/2024: Following yet another FALSE allegation of trademark infringement, my ISP, Bluehost, insists I remove the XXXed out words above referring to the intellectual property protections which this website rightfully enjoys. I do so, under protest, not because I admit to having infringed the intellectual property rights of the dude who filed a complaint (with whom I am involved in a legal dispute), but because I wish to avoid the hassle that Bluehost has threatened me with if I didn’t remove the “offending” sentence. It’s ridiculous, I know, but that’s the kind of {insert word here} I have to deal with. BTW, even if not so stated, the demonstrable facts remain.
=== BIOGRAPHY ===
♦ ♦ Explore the LIFE & TIMES tab on the main menu to visit pages detailing the remarkable story of Louise Brooks. There’s a biography and an extensive chronology, articles & essays, quotations, links, and lots more.
=== FILMOGRAPHY ===
♦ ♦ The LBS filmography is the most detailed ever compiled on just about any actor, surpassing the AFI and IMDb for credits, bit players, alternative titles, shooting locations, reviews and more. Exclusively on the LBS website.
=== LBS ARCHIVE ===
♦ ♦ The LBS archive is a treasure trove of rare material including vintage magazines covers, books, postcards, and ephemera related to the actress. There’s also sheet music, photoplay editions, 78 rpm discs, and more.
=== HOMAGE ===
♦ ♦ Movies, music, literature & comics have all paid homage to Brooks – 20th century icon & 21st century muse. Pictured here is one example, White Lotus star Haley Lu Richardson as Louise Brooks in The Chaperone.
=== FEATURED PAGE ===
♦ ♦ “Writings of Louise Brooks” details the actress’ published, unpublished and uncollected work, including her little known self-published booklet on dance, her articles on film, her notebooks, letters, and bestselling memoir, Lulu in Hollywood.
=== EXPLORE / WHAT’S NEW ===
♦ ♦ At more than 250 pages, the LBS is one of the largest and most comprehensive websites devoted to any silent film star. There is a lot to look at and much to explore. Visit the WHAT’S NEW page for the latest updates, or chance upon a RANDOM PAGE.
=== PUBLICATIONS ===
♦ ♦ The Louise Brooks Society has published five books to date, with three more in the works. Each is the product of considerable research, and each features new information and dozens of rare images. Find out more, and order your copy today!
=== NEW PAGE ===
♦ ♦ This new page on the LBS website, “Louise Brooks and Rudolph Valentino: Behind the Black Velvet Curtain,” documents the little known links between Lulu and The Sheik.
=== NEW BOOK ===
♦ ♦ The newest LBS publication is The Street of Forgotten Men: From Story to Screen and Beyond, a deep dive into the history of a single film – which also marked Brooks’ first time on screen.
=== NEW SECTION ===
♦ ♦ “Louise Brooks Cover Girl” brings together dozens of vintage magazine covers from all around the world — from France and Germany to Brazil, China, Japan, Poland and beyond.
=== NEW PAGE ===
♦ ♦ One BIG new page on the LBS website, “Louise Brooks and Charlie Chaplin: Two Happy Summer Months,” tells the story of their brief romance in the summer of 1925.
=== ESSENTIAL READING ===
♦ ♦ From Portrait of an Anti-star to the Barry Paris biography to Peter Cowie’s pictorial to Jan Wahl’s Dear Stinkpot, the “Louise Brooks Bookshelf” is an opinionated guide to the best & worst books about the actress and her films.
=== DENISHAWN ===
♦ ♦ Brooks spent two seasons touring with Denishawn, then the leading modern dance company in America. Check out this illustrated account of her time with the troupe. Chances are she visited your hometown!
=== CHRONOLOGY ===
♦ ♦ What was she doing? Who did she know? Where did she did live? A detailed look at the actress’ daily life. Praised by the Irish Times as “extraordinary” and exclusive to the Louise Brooks Society website.
=== RESOURCES ===
♦ ♦ From Louise Brooks bibliographies to vintage movie magazines to videos, silent film festivals and related movie websites, the LBS resource page is a great place to start your journey of discovery.
THE FOUR MOST RECENT POSTS ON THE LBS BLOG @ louisebrookssociety.blogspot.com
Since 2002, the LBS has been blogging about Louise Brooks, silent film, and the Jazz Age, as well as books, music, art, fashion,
dance and other topics related to the one-and-only Lulu. Subscribe to keep up on the latest news and announcements.
- Notes on the new Criterion release of Pandora's Box, starring Louise Brooksby Louise Brooks Society on November 6, 2024
As most Louise Brooks and silent film fans likely know, Criterion has recently released Pandora's Box on DVD and Blu-ray. That's great news. This new release is a slightly repackaged version of their 2006 release of the film, which has been out-of-print for more than a few years and today is much sought after. There are, however, a few key differences.More information about this new release can be found on the Criterion website HERE. And for those interested, the DVD and the Blu-ray releases […]
- Happy Halloween from the Louise Brooks Societyby Louise Brooks Society on October 31, 2024
Happy Halloween from the Louise Brooks Society! 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 © 2024. Further unauthorized use prohibited. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Diary of a Lost Girl, starring Louise Brooks, to screen in Italyby Louise Brooks Society on October 28, 2024
Diary of a Lost Girl, starring Louise Brooks, will be shown at the Teatro di Fiesole in Fiesole, Italy (outside of Florence) on Saturday November 9, 2024. This screening is part of the Autunno Fiesolano 2024. Additionally, the film will be shown with live musical accompaniment by Remo Anzovino. More information and ticket availability can be found HERE.According to a translation of the Teatro di Fiesole page, "A masterpiece of silent cinema, presented in a restored version, with a soundtrack […]
- Beggars of Life to be screened in Jim Tully's hometownby Louise Brooks Society on October 25, 2024
Beggars of Life, the sensational William Wellman-directed silent film starring Louise Brooks, Wallace Berry and Richard Arlen, will be screened on November 16th at the St. Marys Theater and Grand Opera House in St. Marys, Ohio. And what's more, this special screening will feature a live musical accompaniment by silent movie organist Dennis James. A link to the venue can be found HERE. Jim Tully was a well known "hobo writer" in the early decades of the 20th century The 1928 film, Beggars of […]
The Louise Brooks Society™ operates with the written consent of the Estate of Louise Brooks (Louise Brooks Heirs, LC)
and have its permission to use the name and likeness of the actress.