Louise Brooks: The Story of Lulu

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[@The1920sChannel]

Small correction: at 16:03, I say "West coast" but it's supposed to be "East coast." I think the context makes it pretty clear, but just in case, I'll cover my bases.

[@rodlewis9817]

You also do just before that "one of the dying breaths of the West Coast film industry." But at least you were consistent ;) Great documentary.

[@shivani41]

Being left-handed, your west-east mix-up was instantaneously recalculated by me, independently. In fact I even imagined momentarily that the mix-up had been mine. Haha and ah-ha! Jolly good show, and Louise's mother made a splendid advertisement for birth control, spending about 36 months pregnant and apparently not being at all interested in having any children.

[@proto-geek248]

Love this channel but the ultra slow pic pans are distracting.

[@lynnflynn5591]

FASCINATING video on someone I'd never heard of until today. Well written and a GREAT narration. 👍

[@robertmaylock9532]

You probably should correct your repeated mispronunciation of Dietrich while you're at it.

[@saymyname218]

She was one of the most photogenic women of the last 100 years.

[@fernandocardenas8094]

Yes, she was the most photogenic... As she was maybe the most beautiful woman of the last 100 years.

[@alteredbeast1974]

Smokin hot , she had it going ON!!

[@user-qc3yr4cd3v]

Louise was my son's third cousin. I was very excited to find this documentary. He has some of her costume jewelry and was also to learn more .about her life.

[@wareforcoin5780]

Neat!

[@JJONNYREPP]

Louise Brooks: The Story of Lulu 1913pm 30.6.24 i'd like a bit of life served up to me on a silver salver, for sure. for a change!!!!! it'd be nice to spoilt in that fashion, don't you think....? this is the era of off kilter butlers and footy bags. powders and baaaad poetry. baaaad poetry is allowable in no other era, i feel....

[@ianpeddle6818]

Incredible how timeless Louise Brooks was. She looks modern in whatever role she played. Very unique lady just a pity so many of her films are lost. Incredible how disposable early film was treated.

[@arricammarques1955]

The nitrate film stock was highly flammable. Degraded with improper storage.

[@proto-geek248]

Hitchcock would agree.

[@juliam.mallen9019]

@@proto-geek248 perfect response 👌

[@proto-geek248]

@@juliam.mallen9019 thanks, Jules 😊

[@juliam.mallen9019]

@@proto-geek248 👌😊😎🐦

[@jimmysanders4813]

The fact that I am viewing this 1920's channel regarding her beauty and talent is proof that she is in fact not only beautiful but talented and she is remembered for all that is attributed to her.

[@JJONNYREPP]

Louise Brooks: The Story of Lulu 1921pm 30.6.24 how casting directors' minds work, perhaps...?. the bob haircut.... de nero starred in: once upon a time in america and had a lover who looked akin to brooks... starred in brazil as an anarchic handy man mr tuttle... kindda.

[@OH2TNMOMof5]

36:41 She could walk into an elegant restaurant or luxury hotel today, turning heads immediately - that hair, the jewelry, that dress - 100 years later...stunning, classic. Wow.

[@timvandenbrink4461]

Absolutely, she’d stop traffic walking down the street.

[@paulyandle6081]

She said she never acted. Didn't know how to "act". So she just remained herself, coping with whatever arose in a script. S'why she is so natural, so modern, so full of life. It all shines through her eyes. She wasn't faking it. She was just being herself, Louise.

[@acustomer7216]

Her natural performance is captivating. I can't take my eyes off her.

[@mikethebloodthirsty]

Maybe she was ahead of her time, to be more precise she was absolutely timeless. Shame she missed out on success later.

[@JTA1961]

Well said

[@MrSoulauctioneer]

Lulu really was a character that had the same life path as Louise.

[@SlimKeith11]

Yeah, what you've described is not acting

[@anthonyanderson2405]

A sublime tribute to absolutely one of the most gifted of all screen actors. Her acting as Lulu remains today as fresh as it was in 1929. Her legacy remains secure.

[@sirenknight8007]

And a prime example of the difference between fame and legacy.

[@bullgator]

She was unstable, and that is euphemistic as can be.

[@victoriajarvis2260]

@@bullgatorYes. She was "unstable". She experienced serial molestation from an elderly male neighbor, and frequently visited his house. - She has a pretty typical profile of young female children that are victimized like that. She was also a big-time alcoholic. Her dear friend was dear W.C. Fields, and I've read of times they would drive around in his car especially fashioned with a hidden bar.

[@PhotoTrekr]

I've always loved Louise Brooks. She seemed ahead of her time. I believe she would be a star today.

[@mango8918]

What a gorgeous and talented woman that set the world on fire in the 20s but would equally be admired today. Her bob haircut made her fashionable then and would still be a trendsetter today. Thanks for this fine production.

[@cocoaorange1]

I once knew a girl who dressed retro 20's chic. She favored Louise a little bit.

[@agoraphobicsocialite6897]

Louise Brooks .... Too good to ever be forgotten ❤

[@patrickmiano7901]

But she has been.

[@agoraphobicsocialite6897]

Not by everyone smart arse

[@charliesgrumma5388]

ur 2 good + 2 be ________________ = 4 gotten *There, I fixed it for you.* .

[@annnee6818]

​@@patrickmiano7901 Not really. No one who is dead is constantly in the press in the present. But a lot of people remember her. Loads of other people aren't remembered at all.

[@patrickmiano7901]

@@annnee6818 No film documentary I have ever seen on television 📺 has ever mentioned her. Film historians and dim buffs of that era remember her, but Joan Crawford she was not.

[@EmeraldWoodArchives]

She was so, so beautiful. My word... I love her book Lulu In Hollywood. It's so sad that many silent films are now lost, but we must remain thankful for those that survived. God bless you, Louise.

[@bobbyantonelli7978]

I read LULU IN HOLLYWOOD, and immediately fell in love with this ambiguous woman. Long live LULU!

[@vivianbreedlove8493]

My mom had a coffee table book on her on display when I was growing up and I’m sure it influenced my look over the years . I’ve had dark hair bob and / or bangs most of my life.

[@The_Octopus]

Louise Brooks is my favorite for sure. Now, you’ll appreciate this…when I was 12 or 13 in the mid 1970s, my dad was friends with this person named Gil Walters and his wife was a silent film actress named Val Walters. She was involved in politics and was invited to Jimmy Carters Inauguration. She was a very quiet person, and I don’t know what movies she was in, but she always told interest stories about that era. She met Chaplin one time, but I can’t remember too much about the story.

[@luiszuluaga6575]

It’s interesting to me how we, as Americans, give ourselves permission to celebrate particular individuals in their various fields of expertise. Louise Brooks certainly was a product of modernity and her life’s journey reflects a certain rebellious nature we often feel within ourselves.

[@randocalrissian347]

I’ve always had such a fascination with Louise. She was a woman ahead of her time. She wasn’t the fame hungry starlet, she was an intellectual who happened to have beauty and talent. I’ll never forget her recollection of Charlie Chaplin and his orange (betadine covered)…..ummm prop? :) Oh to have a Time Machine. This is a fabulous video, thank you!!!! And I finally found your IG too ❤

[@bullgator]

That is some serious revisionist history; glorifying the past, while ignoring the negative side. She was self-destructive, spoiled and a had negative impact on those around her. There is no denying her beauty, talent and intellect. But she squandered those gifts with shallow pursuits for immature and immediate gratification. In retrospect, it is a true shame.

[@2nostromo]

@@bullgator In what sense did he "ignore the negative side"? I think there was no need to dwell on what he accurately reported. What specifically negative would you wish us to hear more about?

[@juliam.mallen9019]

@@bullgator judge not lest you be judged REMEMBER that it's in God's Holy Word for a reason!

[@carolcollins4546]

Such a shame, such a beautiful lady but became her own worst enemy. I blame her awful parents for her upbringing. Rest in peace Louise darling❤❤❤

[@polarbearsrus6980]

Really? She had a great upbringing. Why not blame the neighbor who molested her?

[@foreverlovesophie]

She acted how an adult who was sexually abused as a child would act . Back then counseling really wasn’t a thing to help her heal and learn how to have healthy relationships

[@t-mar9275]

@@foreverlovesophieWhile the sexual assault undoubtedly impacted her intimate relationships with men, her hedonism, and irresponsibility were clearly evident her mother.

[@prudencepineapple9448]

Lulu always. She was a very complicated woman. I'm very fortunate to have all her film work that's available. Her interviews later in life showed she still had sharp wit/intellect and still beautiful. Yes, her best films were with Pabst in Berlin. It's such a shame she made so few films like Garbo.

[@ColeYounger16]

Timeless beauty and talent. Can't stop looking at her, amazing!

[@blueduck9409]

I enjoyed the video. In some ways it reminded me of one of my grand mothers who was also a flapper in the 20s. She always wore her hair in that short style. Louise Brooks was a very beautiful woman.

[@christinagiannaros9817]

The lifelong effects of her childhood seem so apparent to me in how they are described and her subsequent behaviours.

[@CHNO-cm1rd]

Yeah... Obviously not to diagnose, but might be BPD

[@Alan316100]

She was the most stunning of women and could both act and dance. Criminal that she ended up almost penniless and alone.

[@christinewilkinson2424]

I've only just discovered Louise Brooks, I came across a documentary about her, by accident, decided to watch it and was absolutely fascinated. She was so stunningly attractive and SO photogenic , the camera absolutely adored her face. A true icon.

[@kaiserinvoneuropa]

I discovered her in the 90s' when I was a teenager , I started to be fascinated by classic and silent movies because of Garbo and I watched a lot of documentaries , so I've been introduced by the celebrities of the silent era in USA and Europe too. Louise Brooks is one of the most fascinating , I've ordered Pandora s' box in VHS in that time to see her in a movie, so this is probably the best dramatic silent movie ever made.

[@fernandocardenas8094]

I was anxiously waiting for this, for me she is te great icon of the flappers, the Art Deco diva so far. Greetings from Cuernavaca México.

[@SamIIs]

She was so freakishly modern her story could be used as a plot in a time travel movie.

[@j0nnyism]

It’s a miracle Louise had any success at all. She was an extremely difficult person to get on with. Because of her looks things just fell into her lap. She had no interest in acting it was her looks that got her the roles but eventually she was considered just too difficult and her career was cut short fairly quickly. Most of her life was quite a sad lonely one. A long forgotten star

[@cocoaorange1]

She was a talented dancer. But I agree, it did sou d lime she had attitude issues. Although I support her standing up for herself.

[@user-mv9tt4st9k]

This was such a good biography of Louise Brooks. I read once that she was the loveliest face ever to grace the screen, it is a shame she did not do more with some of the opportunities she had been offered. In spite of that, she looked content and happy in images from her later years.

[@cathykristensen4440]

I am obsessed with the 1920s I am thrilled I found your channel!! 😊

[@luvnalaska44]

She was so stunning and there are so many gorgeous photos of her. This was a fabulous video.

[@shereesmazik5030]

You got the early dance history part exactly right ! She is a fascinating person , and I read one book after another, watch her movies , and try to understand.

[@nikkioshea4139]

A natural, timeless beauty than belongs on stage & screen.

[@randyreynaldo8401]

Great job--I caught Pandora's Box on TCM earlier this year and was blown away by the film and Brooks' performance, which led me to wanting to learn more about her. What I most enjoyed about your video was that you had a lot of great photos I'd never seen before, including those that were more candid, not just the typical studio portrait glamour shots. A few months before that, I similarly got caught up in the films and life of Hedy Lamarr. Lamarr and Brooks were similar in that both seemed to prefer to follow their hearts, ultimately to the detriment of their careers-partly perhaps because their hearts and ambition weren't completely into being Hollywood stars and actresses, they seemed to have other interests, needs and priorities beyond that.

[@robost8040]

I was unaware of Louise Brooks until 1994 when I attended a screening of Pandora’s Box. The screening was attended by Frances Lederer, who played the doctor’s son in the movie, and his wife Marion. I was project superintendent of repairs on a beach house in Malibu Mr. Lederer owned which he had purchased from director/produced Robert Wise a few decades before. Great documentary.

[@t-mar9275]

This is easily, in my opinion, the best of the numerous Louise Brooks videos produced by KZbinrs. The content is a significant improvement over the earlier version available on this channel, being more in depth and better balanced. Unlike the majority of other YT videos on the subject, it does not succumb to lazy person's syndrome, being well researched using seminal works on Brooks, rather than just regurgitating several popular misconceptions surrounding the icon. Most importantly, it does not focus solely on the her beauty, intelligence and talent but delves into her abnormal behaviour.

[@Andi17G]

I live in Wichita & sadly there is no mention of her or her life here. Her family home has been torn down & is now an industrial area. 😔

[@georgeaye7535]

wow, that's short sighted indeed!

[@lorihenderson673]

When she died I was in early 20s My hair cut was modelled on hers. Iconic

[@susanc4622]

Unlike most of the actors and actresses of the day, she didn’t exaggerate her movements and facial expressions. I think many of them, coming from the stage, didn’t allow for the fact that the camera gave audiences a closer look at the actors than the stage did.

[@bilbob7624]

she def has the It Factor

[@antonfarquar8799]

During my college years I met a young lady who very closely resembles Ms. Brooks - her affect on men was the same - my grandfather tried to get me to marry her - I told him " she is nothing but trouble" unlike Ms. Brooks she married 4 times and rang the cash register at each event - finally marrying her divorce atty for her last prize. She now lives in a very fashionable southern California enclave with a very sizeable net worth. Your presentation was superb - I dare say one of the best I have seen ever.

[@amfortas]

Such an underrated channel

[@oliviabb73849]

From Berlin in 1928 to cutting off the Bob…❤❤❤. What an amazing woman; beautiful documentary. Thank you!!

[@AnyoneCanSee]

This was fantastic. I just found an interview late in life and she had a wonderful voice and was clearly highly intelligent and thoughtful. She has a much more beautiful speaking voice than most modern American actresses.

[@timriley4543]

I think I was about 12 when I 1st saw her picture and immediately fell in love. I still am...

[@loge10]

I first learned about Louise from Kevin brownlow's great book The Parade's Gone By over 50 years ago but I really didn't become as engaged with her as I have become until reading Barry Paris' great biography (highly recommended) 15 years ago after seeing Pandora's Box for the first time. One of my favorite pictures of her is her sitting in a chair listening to a screenwriter reading to her, with books on the floor around them. Very well done post that looks at those experiences that impacted so strongly, and sadly, negatively, a remarkable, highly intelligent and sensitive personality and artist.

[@acalvello9893]

Just finished Barry Paris's Biography.... Louise Brooks (1989) Great.

[@Sunmoon-gj9gy]

My father was born in 1920 and that's why I love this channel

[@Joker-ig8im]

She is so beautiful! Excellent biography!

[@gaildivico3151]

Absolutely love the jazz age! Thanks for this channel!!!

[@potdog1000]

a timeless beauty

[@TruthTalkTarot]

In addition to her modern, naturalistic style of acting, Louise was also a fabulous writer.

[@jimmyflanagan5938]

BeBe Daniel was another talented beautiful actress of the silent screen period

[@brucebennett5338]

Wedekind's plays Lulu and Erdgeist are are truly exceptional. Along with Alban Berg's operatic adaptation (a masterpiece!) and Pabst's film are among the great works of the early 20th century. Ms. Brooks was absolutely brilliant! A tragic tale.

[@JSB1882]

I took my son to see "Pandora's Box" and I told him nothing about Louise Brooks. When we were leaving - I asked him what he thought, and he said I'm i love with her. lol That was my reaction twenty some years earlier. This was nicely done with some photos I'd never seen. Another great interview is with Richard Leacock called, "Lulu In Berlin", from 1984 which was on You Tube.

[@1phoenix346]

So we’ll thought out and presented. A fascinating period of time.

[@shereesmazik5030]

One of your best so far . Thank you for sharing your talent with us !

[@riasheart111]

Kool: at the end of this autobiography I see she died on my oldest sons birthday. Weird I never knew who she was because way before my time but was drawn to watch this. I totally relate to her, she just wanted to be a artist and was misunderstood and was original, as so many are. Thankyou for this enlightening piece of work. And God bless Louise Brooks.

[@kendn01]

This is so well done!

[@direbearcoat7551]

Sometimes, we miss out on fantastic actresses, because of crap like what she went through...

[@erin19030]

Yes she is eye candy.

[@edwardpate6128]

She was quite stunning!

[@JimiHendrix998]

Thank you for this very enjoyable biographical documentary. Louise was a wonderfully defiant, and intelligent woman of jaw-dropping beauty who managed to miss out on the success and acclaim she so much deserved. Bless her.

[@fuok69]

Thanks so much , Louise was one of a kind , such a fascinating woman , the book by Barry Paris is a must read

[@brettcoster4781]

I've loved Louise Brooks since getting Lulu in Hollywood (mainly because of her profile shot on the front cover). I've also got three of her films on DVD, Pandora's Box, Diary of a Lost Girl, and Beggars of Life, and I'll certainly upgrade them, if possible, whenever they come out in 4K. She wrote such a great autobiography and definitely provided terrific overviews of her time at Hollywood, Germany, and France in the BBC(?) Hollywood series. I've also got the recent film The Chaperone, a fictionalised telling of her initial trial for Denishawn. (And Haley Lu Richardson played Louise so very well.) So yes, I'm a bit of a Brooks fanboy but she was such a good and naturalistic actress, whose films show the future of great acting decades ahead.

[@artlewis4216]

The Kenneth Tynan article that spurred the revival of interest appeared in June 1979 and subscribers can find it and you can get a free trial for some days and low cost to try to navigate it via app or website

[@artlewis4216]

The very famous profile is called the girl in the Black helmet in June 1979 New Yorker by Kenneth Tynan

[@pascaledowling6309]

I have this book too. I have always loved and admired her❤

[@t-mar9275]

Don't hold you breath for anything in 4k, as BFI recently announced the release of a new digital restoration of Pandora's Box and that was only mastered in 2K. Still, it's the first release of the film on Blu-Ray Disc.

[@pseudonym3690]

Really good documentary! As a Brooks fan, I can tell that a lot of dedication went into this. This video deserves a lot more views.

[@Tomes23]

I really enjoy your longer videos. The short ones are must-see but leave me wanting more. Thank you!

[@jeanniecampbell1374]

Aww I love this woman ,sadly she died in my Birthday ..she was Beautiful and I loved her spirit .

[@The-Portland-Daily-Blink]

I absolutely LOVE your channel. It is the very best on KZbin. This one is one of your very best short documentaries. Louise Brooks was exquisitely beautiful, and a good actress, too. Well done.

[@inthemouthofmadness5910]

She is in my opinion, the sexiest, and most gorgeous woman to ever have lived.

[@huf67]

Most gorgeous that you've ever seen. Your statement can't be made about all the women you've never seen...🫤

[@inthemouthofmadness5910]

@@huf67 in all my 50 years, she is the most gorgeous I've seen as of yet.

[@JustinTyme1966]

@@huf67 well aren't you the genius...smh

[@huf67]

@@JustinTyme1966 ... Well thank you for noticing...I resemble that remark !! 🤪

[@JustinTyme1966]

@@huf67 only a fool would state the obvious then praise themselves for it...smh

[@melissacooper8724]

I admire her for her hairstyle and fashion.

[@senior_ranger]

Thank you! The finest piece I've seen on Louise Brooks. Comprehensive, insightful and even artistically arresting.

[@amahra100]

Children who are molested often have a difficult time as adults. There need to be stricker laws in place for crimes against children.

[@dionnegonsalves8188]

Louise looks like 2023 absolutely on point! 💯

[@mxfxdlg]

Great job. Very enlightening. Louise was my first love of the era and still is the image I conjure whenever I think of classic Hollywood. It is amazing how truly timeless her beauty and aura is. She could walk into any room today and still mesmerize everybody in it. Lulu is, and will always be a national treasure. Thank you, from a new subscriber.

[@LollieVox]

Wow I’ve never heard some of these facts about her! When I was a young girl just getting started in music …I was obsessed with Louise Brooks & her movies. I wrote songs about her & imitated her look.

[@1912papa]

Amazing beauty regardless of what age she lived in. Thanks for sharing this story.

[@Deepbluecat]

YESS! Thanks for your comprehensive work on beautiful Louise!

[@Austin8thGenTexan]

Was going through my family's Grammaphone collection, and came across an RCA Victor song I liked very much called "Don't Bring Lulu" (1925) performed by Ernest Jones and Billy Hare. Very fun, and the lyrics are so witty! It's easy to find here on KZbin, and I had wondered if it was written about Louise. 💃

[@philliphedges9972]

She is very relatable. I definitely relate.

[@briteness]

They say that American lives have no second act, but Louise did. In spite of how interesting her life was in the 20s, without her work as a writer later in life she would probably not be much remembered today outside of the relatively small circle of silent film aficionados.

[@carloscarion1748]

I love Louise Brooks, and I think it’s your production here is fabulous I will do everything I can to support it thank you so much for a wonderful podcast

[@gordonspicer]

a truly excellent biography !!!

[@Rachaelann59]

I always get excited when I see an upload from this channel, especially a long one😍😍😍

[@anyatranter5588]

She definitely was one of the most beautiful women ever on screen for me.

[@sunzeneise]

Another, Chaplin girl. His taste was excellent. I’d guess he was a great lay, given his GENIUS creativity, humor and imagination.

[@zacharyrome3432]

I love longer videos from this channel !

[@lightningbug276]

Childhood S. Abuse effects you for a lifetime. What a beautiful and talented lady!

[@GeminiCaron]

You did a brilliant job on this unique lady x

[@TheDukeofMadness]

I remember someone saying they would give up all of Mary Miles Minter's filmography for just one proper sound film with Louise. That disgusting lie about her voice being unsuited for sound was all about her not playing the Hollywood game.

[@randocalrissian347]

Precisely, she outranked them intellectually and they wanted to own her, and when couldn’t, tried to destroy her. Not uncommon with historical beauties unfortunately.

[@user-mv9tt4st9k]

She was not the only actress or actor that was labeled a "screecher" at the start of the talkies. It appeared to happen to a lot of silent stars when studios were looking to drop their contracts. 😕

[@t-mar9275]

That "disgusting lie" had negligible effect on her career. The producers and directors knew the true story. In fact , when she came back from Europe, she had multiple offers which she refused. Two of the three sound films she made in the year after she returned to Hollywood, were even made with her old studio. However, her performances were unremarkable and, combined with her justified reputation of being difficult to work with, resulted in the offers drying up. Not that Louise cared much, as she never wanted a film career and hated Hollywood.

[@susanquiroz1771]

Thank you for your time and work regarding lulu, she is adorable and beautiful

[@sandy3482]

Excellent job, very well done, very accurate and very through; thank you!

[@gabrielleseeley4117]

Good job on remaking your video! Your commitment to quality is evident!

[@saibliss7976]

Beautiful, natural and ahead of her time👌❣️

[@deliciaford4343]

Louise did a lot of delf destruction. Not accepting the $10,000 was CRAZY!!!

[@douglastarvestad186]

Well done. This one was much better and you are doing great at honing your craft. The teen's through the 50"s was a great time to be alive, or at least to study.

[@leutiagrey8030]

I had never heard of her before this video. WOW. Thank you for this! She is so exquisite and cute/adorable/sweet/sexy/alluring-almost-in-a-forbidden-way... Childlike yet provocative and elusive. That's why people loved yet hated her. Yet she was so confident... She was the incarnation of Tinkerbell.

[@sirenknight8007]

I book marked this to watch tomorrow, since I’m a huge Brooks fan and have watched most of her widely available movies. Even though, like some have noted, I can see where some of her downfall was due to her lifestyle and attitude, she lived life on her terms it seemed. Anyway, the point was, back when I was looking for any of her stuff here on KZbin I found a neat montage of classic Lulu clips set to Gaga’s Dance in the Dark. (Search those things together and you’ll find it pretty easy.)

[@AnyoneCanSee]

Thank you for this. I've just come across you and love this. It was interesting, thoughtful and humanised her. By that I mean you brought out he humanity and didn't just show an icon of great beauty. People are complex.

[@dianep1385]

I seen a very old picture of one of my aunts. She looked like tha girl.❤❤❤ Same hair style,everything. She was beautiful too!

[@stevebettany8778]

Thought I’d have a look and ended up fascinated.

[@delphilungwyn5308]

She's beautiful ❤

[@tchrisou812]

@6:39 Wow, those lips, those brows , those eyes, that bone structure. All with the hair. Wow.