Kinomania: and yet more silent film bits from Poland

The Poles loved movies and movie stars. Here are a few more things I found while looking around in the online Polish archives.

A two page spread on some of the current stars of the screen, from Na Szerokim Świecie, 1931.

A bit of dialogue mentioning Pola Negri and Harold Lloyd, published in Trubadur Polski in 1925.

A biography of Clara Bow, published in Na Szerokim Świecie in 1931.

Kinomania: more silent film bits from Poland

Here are a few more things I found while looking around in the online Polish archives. The Poles loved movies and movie stars. The Poles loved not only Polish stars, like their own Pola Negri, but also American stars.

Pola Negri branded cosmetic, from 1928.

Clara Bow on the front page of Ewa pismo tygodniowe, from 1928.

Greta Garbo on the cover of Nasz Przegląd Ilustrowany, from 1930.

A full page article in Cyrulik Warszawski about Mary Pickford, from 1926. The piece is by the noted writer Antoni Słonimski (15 November 1895 – 4 July 1976), a Polish poet, journalist, playwright and prose writer. He was a member of the Skamander movement. His works include Torpeda czasu (Time Torpedo, 1926), a science fiction novel influenced by H.G. Wells, and Dwa końce świata (Two Ends of the World, 1937), a novel predicting Warsaw's destruction by a Nazi dictator.

Kinomania: silent film bits from Poland

Here are a few things I found while looking around in the online Polish archives. The first is the front page of Kurjier Warsawski, featuring Rudolph Valentino. Valentino died on August 23, 1926 and this page dates from September 16, 1926.

The second item below is a poem or song lyrics called "Kinomania", as printed in Trubadur Warszawy, also in 1926. They mention Valentino, as well as other stars of the time like Lillian Gish, Emil Jannings, Conrad Veidt and Lya de Putti

Happy 4th of July from Louise Brooks and Sally Blane

Happy 4th of July from Louise Brooks and Sally Blane (and the Louise Brooks Society, now celebrating 20 years online).

Louise Brooks: Greetings from Poland, part 7 (saving best for last)

A continuation of the six previous posts, the results of my look through online Polish archives in search of any and all Louise Brooks clippings or advertisements. Here is some more of the material I found. I uncovered some wonderful stuff, but have been saving the best for last.

I have seen the above piece before, in an American publication. I have also seen something like the article below, which discusses the amount of fan mail certain American stars received, including Louise Brooks, ranking 10th on the list (which is all Paramount stars). "Listy do gwiazd filmowych" translates as "Letters to movie stars."

One of Brooks' very last roles was an uncredited bit part in When You're in Love (1937), starring Grace Moore, an international singing star, along with British-born up-and-comer Cary Grant. Here to end this 7 part blog trip to Poland are a couple of related clippings for that almost last Brooks' film. The first is from a Yiddish-language publication from Warsaw. The second depicts stars Grace Moore and Cary Grant.

Coincidentally, it was just recently learned that Louise Brooks "visited" Poland in 1929! While filming the beach and resort scenes in Diary of a Lost Girl, the cast and crew spent time on the Baltic in the German resort town of Swinemünde, which is now called Świnoujście in the extreme north-west of Poland. After the second World War, the border shifted, and so did film history.

The Louise Brooks Society hopes you've enjoyed this trip to Poland. Look for other visits to other countries in the coming months.

Louise Brooks: Greetings from Poland, part 6

A continuation of the previous five posts, the results of my look through online Polish archives in search of any and all Louise Brooks clippings or advertisements. Here is some more of the material I found. Enjoy.

This captioned photograph is typical of the kind found on the picture page of some Polish newspapers. The caption below the portrait of Brooks reads "Piekna aktorka filmowa Luiza Brooks", which translates as "Beautiful actress Louise Brooks".

Above is a typical column running news bits from Hollywood. It leads with a bit about a film called Zycie paryskie, which I am confident is God's Gift to Women, which starred Laura LaPlante (and Frank Fay). I don't know that it was ever shown in Poland (at least under that title), as I have yet to find any other reference to it.

Above is a nice assortment of ads, from 1930. All the biggest stars are mentioned, Garbo, Dietrich, Chaney, Valentino, and even Larry Semon. Notice the ad with the double bill of a George Bancroft film and an Esther Ralston film. The latter may be for American Venus (1926), which starred Ralston and featured Louise Brooks in her first credited role. I can't be sure. And have not been able to align that title with any other reference. While searching, however, I did come across this appealing cover for the satirical humor magazine Kabaret.

Louise Brooks: Greetings from Poland, part 5

A continuation of the previous four posts, the results of my look through a online Polish archives in search of any and all Louise Brooks clippings or advertisements. Here is some more of the material I found.

Above is another splendid advertisement from Poland, this one a 1931 variant for The Diary of a Lost Girl, which is hear titled Dusze Bez Steru. Also on the program was an early Mickey Mouse film.

Speaking of variants, here is one for Lulu or Puszka Pandory, or Pandora's Box. It is from 1929. Also on the bill is something called Chaplinada.

And here are a couple for Prix de beauté, which was called either Nie Grzesz Kobieto or Kobieto nie grzesz in Poland. The example above dates from 1931, and appeared on the top front page of Ziemia Lubelska, a Polish newspaper. The example below dates from 1933, and references the English title of this French film, Miss Europe.