When it comes to researching Louise Brooks, there are still new and intriguing things to be found. Back in 2022, Norwegian film buff and friend to the Louise Brooks Society Tor Lier came across an interesting article about Louise Brooks in a Norwegian newspaper. The article, “Louise Brooks Wants to Film in Norway,” is dated September 7, 1929 and comes from a defunct Oslo paper, Tidens Tegn. Tor translated the article from its original Norwegian into English, and generously allowed me to make use of his translation. Here’s a link to the original Norwegian article.
As Tor noted on the old LBS Facebook group before it was taken down by a troll), the article begins with an assessment of Brooks current “cult” status, as the newspaper writer (identified only as Achmed) puts it, and includes an analysis of her personality. Lastly, the journalist mentions a hitherto unknown Norwegian film project Brooks was reportedly offered. (Nothing else is known about this project, thus the historical validity cannot be confirmed.) That Brooks was made such an offer is a curious thing, in that both Pandora’s Box and Diary of a Lost Girl were banned in Norway.
I tried to track down information about the author of this article, Achmed (a likely and odd pseudonym for a Norwegian), but was stumped. Interestingly, this article includes interview style reportage, which makes it something uncommon, as Brooks did not give many interviews — but who knows? The authenticity of this interview, which likely took place in Germany sometime between between June 17 and July 26, 1929 while Brooks was shooting Diary of a Lost Girl, cannot be confirmed.) Nevertheless, it is an intriguing article. Here is the article in its original form, as printed in an Oslo newspaper, and in Tor Lier’s translation.
Louise Brooks wants to film in Norway.
The famous movie star talks to “Tidens Tegn”
For the past half year a veritable Louise Brooks fever has taken Middle Europe. Everyone seems to have gotten the pert little American movie star on the brain. It’s all but impossible to open a magazine or newspaper without seeing at least one picture of her — in big evening dress, in walking clothes, in pajamas, in skimpy dancing costume, in a veil, or in absolutely nothing.
Of course Louise Brooks has achieved a considerable popularity through her American Paramount films, but the cause of this overwhelming cult surely lies in the enormous success she enjoyed as Lulu in the film of Wedekind’s “Die Büchse der Pandora”, the first film she made in Europe.
The German director G. W. Pabst here made his masterpiece, a film with a penetrating artistic intensity with passages of great beauty. Louise Brooks is not exactly the type one imagines as the dangerous Lulu, but she possesses that peculiar charm which carries her safely over all hurdles. It’s not that she is more beautiful than many another girl, but she is considerably more spicy. Most of all it is her look, her expression, that is so unique and personal. This inquisitive, searching, wondering look which unites in a strange mixture of complete innocence and worldly wisdom. Before the camera she may pose in the most natural manner and totally disarm the viewer with this extraordinary innocent-but-not-so-innocent look.
The Berlin critics were actually rather merciless about Louise Brooks’ Lulu — some virtually took it as an insult to the nation that an American woman was summoned to embody the famous vampire, however the public was much more delighted. It’s a long time since a German film has achieved such an enthusiastic and overwhelming reception. Everywhere the film was screened, nationally or abroad, not only did audiences fully embrace the film, but so did the other critics. An artistic film one seldom if ever sees the likes of, that was the general judgement.
Here in Norway, of course, the film has been banned. We honestly thought we had passed the kindergarten stage of film censorship, and it’s painful to acknowledge this return to the intolerable guardianship of the medieval prudes. There’s no justification for denying adults the opportunity to see a film which can’t be faulted artistically, just because it deals with daring topics. Wedekind has been presented on the stage here — with “Frühlingserwachen” — so why deny him access to the silver screen. The censorship board has every reason to reconsider its decision.
The charming American movie star likes Europe so much that she has recently completed her second European film — shot in Paris — and has now returned to Berlin to make her European film no. 3, under the direction of Pabst.
Your correspondent was successful in securing a short interview with the young lady.
— It pains me to to hear that “Die Büchse” has been banned in Norway, says Miss Brooks, who by the way is a Mrs., but already divorced from her first husband, a Hollywood director. The film has done so well everywhere, and Pabst’s work is of such a high quality that it’s a damn shame it’s being denied. But the ban doesn’t have to be final, does it? Is there no court of appeal?
— The film has been discussed in all offices, it seems.
— I can’t understand that, says the young movie star, I have such a good impression of the Norwegians, I never thought they were so prejudiced and narrow-minded?
— Then you have some knowledge of Norway?
— I’ve never been to Norway, but I almost went there. After filming “Die Büchse” I received an offer from some Norwegians about a part in a film that was to be partly filmed there. And on that occasion, we had a long talk about Norway and the Norwegians. The script, which I still have lying around, was extraordinarily interesting. I was most intent on this Norwegian adventure, but even before we had gotten to the point of discussing the contract, something happened that ruined any possibility of my participating. As far as I know, the film was never made, so perhaps there might be a chance this winter. So many lousy scripts are filmed every year, and this script was so exceptionally good that it really deserves to be made.
Achmed.