Like the celebrities of today, Louise Brooks’ name and image was used in a number of advertisements and promotional campaigns. Beginning in 1926 with the “Louise Brooks Evening Gown” and running through the LUX soap campaigns of the late 1920s and early 1930s, Brooks’ name, image and likeness was used to “sell” all manner of products and services — not only in the United States, but also elsewhere around the world. Here are a few examples of movie tie-ins related to one of Brooks’ early films.
The American Venus was Brooks’ second film, though the first for which she received a screen credit. (The film starred Esther Ralston and Fay Lanphier, the recently crowed “Miss America”. Louise Brooks was billed fifth.) Because she was just a supporting player, Brooks was not mentioned or otherwise included in any of the promotional tie-ins around the film. That honor usually went to either the film itself, a lighthearted romantic drama built around a beauty pageant, or the film’s two stars, Ralston and Lanphier. Nevertheless, the promotions shown below are among the more interesting and diverse tied to any of Brooks’ films. They involve everything from cosmetics and toiletries to hats, undergarments, beauty contests, a hair style and would you believe, pencils! There was even an ice cream sundae named after the film….
One could fill a page with the many advertisements which appeared in various newspapers and magazines. Here are just a few.
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| The American Venus sundae The Soda Fountain magazine, March 1926 |
Fay Lanphier’s Beauty Secrets American Venus Hat Company |
American Venus Beauty Cream, Deodorant, Quine Oil and other products |
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| American Venus Toilet Requisites from Rochester Pharmacals |
Shortees, as worn by Miss America (Fay Lanphier) in The American Venus |
American Venus Toiletries including a cleansing cream, face powder, etc… |
As with other of Brooks’ films, a full page of newspaper advertisements appeared in at least a couple of newspapers in the United States. In the two examples shown below, a group of local merchant banded together in a promotional campaign around the release of the film. In the page on the left, from the Winston Salem Journal from Winston Salem, North Carolina, it is noted that each of the merchants on the page have tickets to The American Venus, and that the first eight people who purchase something from one of the stores will receive a free ticket. The ad for the Buckled Step-in shoe claims that Miss American prefers I. Miller footwear. The ad for the Basketeria store claims “If the American Venus were in Winston-Salem she would trade at the Basketeria.” The same with the Patterson Drug Company, which state “If the American Venus were in Winston-Salem she would surely Patronize Patterson’s.”
The page from the Pensacola News Journal from Pensacola, Florida similarly tied-in local businesses with The American Venus. For example, the ad for D. Kugleman & Co. states that “Free Eating Samples will be distributed in the lobby of the Saenger Theater” during the showing of the film. By eating samples, I think they mean salt water taffy and other candies. The ad for the Windham Drug Company promoted its selection of Elizabeth Arden Toilet Preparations. That well known cosmetics company is still around today. Notably, both of these pages contain a promotion for the popular Venus Pencils advertised by the Hinkle-Lancaster Bookstore in Winston-Salem and Johnson’s Book Store in Pensacola.
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| Winston Salem Journal February 11, 1926 |
Pensacola News Journal January 10, 1926 |
Venus Pencils were a popular brand of pencils dating back to 1905. With the release of the similarly named 1926 film, The American Venus, a promotional tie-in campaign was launched which ran into 1927. Here are examples of advertisements and promotions, as well as editorial coverage of what amounted to a widespread, long lasting campaign. The piece which appeared in The American Stationer and Office Outfitter, a national trade magazine, shows window displays featuring Esther Ralston which were available to merchants.
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| The American Stationer and Office Outfitter April 17, 1926 |
Clarion News, from Opelousas, Louisiana August 20, 1926 |
Here are just a few of the many Venus Pencils / American Venus tie-ins come across in various American newspapers and magazines. All three reference the film, while the ad on the left, for Loew’s Palace theater, is offering a free “American Venus” pencil to every student.
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| Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tennesee February 26, 1926 |
The State, Columbia, South Carolina February 18, 1926 |
The Missoulian, Missoula, Montana March 7, 1926 |
Other motion picture tie-ins related to other Louise Brooks’ films can be found on THIS PAGE (Now We’re in the Air) and THIS PAGE (Rolled Stockings, A Girl in Every Port, It Pays to Advertise). Other products which tie in with Brooks films can be found on the Louise Brooks Society archive pages devoted to 78 rpm recordings, piano rolls, and sheet music.
For more about The American Venus, be sure and check out the Louise Brooks Society filmography page devoted to the film. And keep your fingers crossed that more of this spectacular film might someday be found.