LOUISE BROOKS SOCIETY ([info]louisebrooks) wrote,
@ 2008-06-11 20:26:00
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From Cinlandia

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Lili Lili Lili
[info]luiza06
2008-06-12 03:49 pm UTC (link)
Your post got me to looking at a list of Photoplay covers at magazines.things-and-other-stuff.com (?!), where Brooks's is one of only two attributed to Carl Van Buskirk, Marion Davies (!) being the other ("operator_99.blogspot" would add Lois Wilson). Seeing Lili Damita's name, I looked for her, and was not disappointed (more in a sec). Then I landed on Exedrae, "An e-zine dedicated to conversation focused on the life, works, and vision of Robert E. Howard," another '06er with whom you're probably familiar.
Exedrae has this from Howard in a 1929 letter: "Then if they have to have a heroine, throw in some hard baby with a poker face and a heavyweight punch, that can take it on the chin and hand out punishment, too: Evelyn Brent; Fay Wray; Lilian Tashman; Florence Vidor; Louise Brooks; Baclanova; Lili Damita -- boy, go no further! When that blonde French whirlwind goes into action, all others take a back seat. It's time to batten down the hatches, reef all sails, and stand by to cut the masts if necessary. Once I saw her -- once. The Bridge of San Luis [Rey] -- let me tell you, confidentially, that's why the bridge fell. Get me. Yes! She walked across and scorched the damned ropes."
That sounds like the Mame that Gilda sings about. Of course, in Brooks's biography, Barry Paris quotes her as saying Lili "had the temper of an absolute devil. I got into a fight with her once and she damn near killed me." I wouldn't want to be the ref in THAT ring, but man, to have been on the Champs-Élysées in '29 with Brooks & Damita.
Lili made the cover of Screen Secrets ("The Voice of Sound Pictures" -- uh-oh!) for September of '29 (when she was hanging with Brooksie, eh?), as you can see by Googling "etsy+11968679".
Gee, Lili's birthday is just four weeks away, and I'm sure she'd love it if you were kind enough to post her picture hereabouts....

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