Ever since her rediscovery in the 1950s, while she was still very much alive and able to benefit from it, Louise Brooks has become a cinematic icon. Her reputation originally rested on the 3 European films (PANDORA’S BOX, DIARY OF A LOST GIRL, PRIX DE BEAUTE’) that she made in 1929-1930 and her later book, LULU IN HOLLYWOOD. Now the American movies that she made between 1925 and 1929 are being rediscovered and re-evaluated. This new Flicker Alley Fusion release focuses on her first American film, THE STREET OF FORGOTTEN MEN (1925), and three other movies which she made in 1926 and 1927. They are AMERICAN VENUS, JUST ANOTHER BLONDE, and NOW WE’RE IN THE AIR. While VENUS exists only in brief fragments (including Brooks’ color screen test), there are sizable chunks of BLONDE (32 min) and AIR (22 min).
Although Louise is only in the movie for about 5 minutes, THE STREET OF FORGOTTEN MEN is a real rediscovery. This story of fake beggars in NYC, which borrows its central premise from “The Court of Miracles” in Victor Hugo’s HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, still packs a punch thanks to director Herbert Brenon’s atmospheric direction especially in the opening and closing scenes. 5 of the 6 reels have survived in good condition with the missing reel beautifully realized by production stills and original intertitles. Brooks (at 18) makes the most of her 5 minutes which occurs about an hour into the film. She even gets a line of dialogue. British actor Percy Marmont is a strong yet sensitive leading man while villain John Harrington deserves worse than he gets. Mary Brian & Neil Hamilton portray the young lovers.
In addition to the movies, there are commentaries for each one by Thomas Gladysz (director of The Louise Brooks Society website) and others. There is also a short feature on Brooks, “Looking at Lulu” hosted by film historian Pamela Hutchinson, which is wonderfully concise and informative. With film restoration demos, an image gallery, and a booklet insert, FOCUS ON LOUISE BROOKS is a must not only for Brooks fans but also for all lovers of early cinema and anyone interested in film preservation. This is the latest release from Flicker Alley’s ongoing Flicker Focus Series that is devoted to presenting newly restored, rare, and sometimes fragmentary films. It is done in partnership with the San Francisco Film Preserve, the SF Silent Film Festival, the Sunshine Foundation, and others.
The Capsule Critic 