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 in details). The are also articles and ephemera, image galleries, a biography, chronology, slide-shows, videos, trivia, links, and more. This information rich website is just one of the many things we do — along with conducting research, writing articles, 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 nexus, 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
=== 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.
- It's the Old Army Game, with W.C. Fields and Louise Brooks, screens in May 2025by Louise Brooks Society on December 10, 2024
Attention W.C. Fields fans, save the dates May 22-25, 2025! That's when the Columbus Moving Picture Show in Columbus, Ohio will screen 16mm prints of four of the legendary comedian's classic films, including It's the Old Army Game, with Louise Brooks. More information about this annual event can be found HERE.The schedule of events for next year's Columbus Moving Picture Show includes:* IT’S THE OLD ARMY GAME (1926, with live piano accompaniment, preceded by 5 minutes of rare footage from the […]
- Kansas Silent Film Festival to Screen A Girl in Every Port in Februaryby Louise Brooks Society on December 9, 2024
The line-up of films for this year's Kansas Silent Film Festival has been announced, and this year the venerable event will screen the Howard Hawks' film, A Girl in Every Port (1928), starring Victor McLaglen, Louise Brooks and Robert Armstrong. Brooks will light-up the screen on February 28. More about the Kansas Silent Film Festival can be found HERE.Here is the full line-up of films and related events.LIVE EVENT, with FREE ADMISSION for all showings @ White Concert Hall, Washburn […]
- Love ‘Em and Leave ‘Em, featuring Louise Brooks, was released on this day in 1926by Louise Brooks Society on December 6, 2024
Love ‘Em and Leave ‘Em, featuring Louise Brooks and Evelyn Brent, was released on this day in 1926. Based on a popular stage play, the film is a topical drama about two flapper sisters — one “good” and one “bad” — who work as shop girls in a department store. A popular and critical success, the film marked a turning point in Brooks’ career. Love ‘Em and Leave ‘Em was the last movie Brooks made on the East Coast. And soon, she would leave for Hollywood and […]
- More new illustrations of Louise Brooks by Corinne Adamsby Louise Brooks Society on December 5, 2024
As I stated back on September 9, Corrine Adams is a gifted artist / illustrator and fan of Louise Brooks. And just recently, she sent me a couple more illustrations of the actress. I am so pleased. My previous post depicted six of her illustrations, including Corrine's original "made-up" movie posters for A Girl in Every Port, Beggars of Life, The Canary Murder Case, Pandora's Box and Diary of a Lost Girl. The other day, I received another "made up" poster, this time for Prix de Beaute. […]
CONTENT ON THIS SITE HAS BEEN REMOVED AGAINST THE WISHES OF ITS LAWFUL RIGHTS HOLDER, THE LOUISE BROOKS SOCIETY,
following false claims of trademark infringement. Apologies to this site’s followers, but that’s the way it is until certain legal matters are concluded.