Louise Brooks

Louise Brooks was a captivating figure of the silent film era, known for her iconic bob hairstyle and trailblazing portrayal of independent women. 

She entered the world on November 14, 1906, in Cherryvale, Kansas. Cherryvale was a small Midwestern town with a population of just a few thousand.  It's interesting to note that another entertainer, Vivian Vance (Lucy Ricardo's Ethel Mertz on I Love Lucy), also hailed from Cherryvale and was a childhood friend of Brooks.

Born Mary Louise Brooks, she was the second of four children. Her father, Leonard Porter Brooks, was a busy lawyer, while her mother, Myra Rude, was artistically inclined and instilled a love of music and books in her children. Myra reportedly had a somewhat unconventional parenting style, encouraging her children to be independent.

Before captivating audiences on screen, Brooks was a talented dancer. She started at the young age of 15 with the Denishawn School of Dancing and toured internationally.

Louise Brooks' most famous role was Lulu in the movie Pandora’s Box. The 1929 film was notable for its frank treatment of modern sexual mores, including one of the first screen portrayals of a lesbian.

 
Brooks was known mostly for her Buster Brown-Page Boy bobbed hair style, which she'd worn since childhood. Thousands of women were attracted to that style and adopted it as their own.

Publicity photo, c. 1930

In contrast to the exaggerated acting style prevalent in silent films, Brooks opted for a more natural and realistic approach.  Some audiences and critics were initially confused by this subtlety, but it paved the way for a more nuanced style of acting in future films.

Brooks achieved immense popularity in Europe, particularly in Germany, where her films were considered more artistic and daring. However, upon returning to the US, she faced challenges with Hollywood studios, often clashing with directors over creative control.

Brooks was a well-read and intelligent woman, holding strong political views. Her outspoken nature and refusal to conform to Hollywood expectations often caused friction.

She retired from the screen in 1938.

 
After retiring, Brooks begum writing about film, which became her second career. Her first major writing project was an autobiographical novel called Naked on My Goat. After working on the novel for a number of years, she destroyed the manuscript by throwing it into an incinerator.

 
Despite marrying twice, she never had children, referring to herself as "Barren Brooks".

 
She admitted to some lesbian dalliances, including a one-night stand with Greta Garbo. Despite all this, Brooks considered herself neither lesbian nor bisexual.

Brooks was found dead of a heart attack on August 8, 1985, after suffering from arthritis and emphysema for many years. She was buried in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Rochester, New York.

 
In 1991 the British new wave group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark released a single named "Pandora's Box" as a tribute to Brooks.