Lulu in Hollywood: Expanded Edition (2000)

Author: Louise Brooks; Kenneth Tynan (Introduction); Publisher: University of Minnesota Press; 184 pages; # ISBN-10: 0816637318

Lulu in Hollywood is a compilation of articles written by Louise Brooks, a renowned, influential and rebellious silent film actress who is best known for her roles in Pandora’s Box (1929) and Diary of a Lost Girl (1929). The book consists of eight autobiographical essays which begin with her memories of growing up in Kansas and her start in show business as a dancer. The essays are sharply written, with first hand accounts and insights into the lives and work of her many friends, acquaintances and fellow actors. Lulu in Hollywood is more than a “tell-all”, but rather an alternative history of the early days of Hollywood – which few had spoken of – or written publicly. Her dissection of film history, particularly of the legacy of W.C. Fields is particularly enlightening as it relates to Hollywood myth-building. The essays are a fascinating and entertaining read about one of the most intelligent and captivating personalities in the early days of Hollywood (Klaus Ming May 2010).