Marlene Dietrich - In Her Own Words

"A Personal Biography"

A review of the new book "Marlene" by Charlotte Chandler. 

I approached "Marlene" by Charlotte Chandler with lots of preconceived notions about Marlene Dietrich. The positives: gorgeous, glamorous, tremendous star, great cook, good mother and war hero. The negatives: remote, superficial and maybe a tad self-involved. I had read her daughter's book, and was glad to learn she was a loving mother (as well as read about all of the juicy intimate details that were included), but I still wasn't 100% swayed into Marlene's camp.

"Marlene" reveals the legendary star as an older woman looking back on a fabulous life. Chandler had the opportunity to interview Marlene in her Paris apartment in the 1970s. She is mostly adorable: warm, funny, a little outrageous and as honest as she feels like being (which sometimes is not very honest at all). She understood her product, protected it, respected it and lived a life of glamor and depth. In her Paris apartment that she rarely left, she holds court and talks abut her favorite subject: Marlene Dietrich. And why not? No false modesty here. She was as delightfully enthralled by this glamorous creation as the rest of the world.


Chandler fills in the gaps with some biographic facts to keep the continuity going, but the book is largely Marlene in her own words, supported by reminisces by the many luminaries who adored her (and some who clearly did not). Some of Chandler's choice subjects include:
Leatrice Gilbert Fountain: The daughter of silent film idol John Gilbert, she paints a loving tribute to Marlene was a woman who not only brought happiness to her father's last days, but also treated his child with great kindness.
Bette Davis: Bette's great recollection of Marlene is of the time they spent working the Hollywood Canteen, a haven for servicemen during WWII and a place where they could get up close and personal with film stars. Bette's recollections of Marlene's cooking and willingness to get down on her hands and knees (always with a hairnet) to scrub floors are priceless.
Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.: Fantastic stories told by Doug, who was her lover for five years. Always a gentleman, he has many funny, sentimental and touching stories, all told first-hand to the author. His interviews are a real treasure.
Fritz Lang: Marlene's fellow German director of "Rancho Notorious" and not a fan.
Burt Bacharach: Fun tales from "On the Road With Marlene."

Some familiar territory is covered, such as her "unique" open marriage, her artistic relationship with Von Sternberg and the hand he had in the initial creation of the Dietrich image from "The Blue Angel" to their spectacular Hollywood collaborations, and the many love affairs with famous people (Jean Gabin, James Stewart, John Wayne to name a very few).


The book moves along at a good clip, letting Marlene tell the bulk of her story. She is most endearing when speaking about her happy childhood in Berlin (her mother's family ran an elegant jewelry store, so love of gems was in her blood), her love for her daughter, and her war effort.

Loved By the Allied Troops - And Who Can Blame Them?

Behind this glamorous creation, there was a very real woman. In her heyday, she never tried to hide this. Marlene was always upfront about having a child at a time when sexy movie stars were not supposed to be mothers. She sacrificed her 36 pieces of Hermes and Louis Vuitton luggage (but not the endless sets of dime-store fingernails) to pack light and entertain her beloved "boys" in uniform.


Much of Marlene's power and strength seems to have come from a childlike self confidence. She really seemed to believe she could do anything. The half-baked plot to kill Hitler while she is naked, related by Fairbanks, is a highlight. But when it came to the Nazis, her sympathies were in the right place. Her extraordinary effort on behalf of the Allied servicemen is well known, but, in her own words, she lets you know how near and dear it was to her heart and just how much it cost her to be reviled by her own countrymen as a traitor.


Because her image was so concentrated on an other worldly beauty and glamor, the aging process was especially difficult for Marlene. When movie offers no longer came, she carved out a second career as a highly successful nightclub chanteuse. Here the illusion was easier to maintain and no close-ups were required.

"The World's Most Glamorous Grandmother"

A real highlight of the book was the extensive interview with screenwriter Joshua Sinclair , who worked closely with Marlene on her last film appearance in 1978's "Just a Gigolo." This story is worth the price of the book. Told with great affection and admiration, Dietrich's swan song is documented with humor, pathos and respect.


Marlene was by no means a walk in the park. Her back-handed, passive-aggressive comments about her husband's lifelong mistress are eyebrow raising to say the least. She was the uber-female and embodied all of the maddening qualities that go with that.


Ultimately, I ended up feeling a little sad for Marlene Dietrich. Although an intelligent woman who made a tremendous amount of money, she wound up without the means to maintain her lifestyle in her old age. To her credit, she was incredibly generous to her friends and family. And, I must admit, her devotion to extravagance and quality simply because it was what she wanted, endears her to me. Mary Pickford once said "I think Oscar Wilde wrote a poem about a robin who loved a white rose. He loved it so much that he pierced his breast and let his heart's blood turn the white rose red. Maybe this sounds very sentimental, but for anybody who has loved a career as much as I've loved mine, there can be no short cuts."  It seems Marlene loved the Dietrich image and product too much, so much so that it cost her an engagement in life in her last years. But, she wasn't complaining. For her, the success, the luxury, the love affairs and the excitement had all been worth it. What was not worth it to her was to appear on the streets of Paris as an old woman no longer beautiful and have that photo splashed across the newspapers for all to remember. She wanted to be remembered as the movie star Marlene Dietrich, a goal she achieved.

I think I'll go watch a double feature of "Shanghai Express" and "Destry Rides Again" to enjoy the Marlene Dietrich its creator wanted us all to enjoy, admire, adore and applaud.


"Marlene" is available at on-line and real bookstores. I found it to be entertaining, well written, and had just enough new material to shed a new light on a very well documented, but endlessly fascinating, subject.

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Ann Sheridan: One Swell Gal

Fifth in a series about strong women in film. Strong women are independent, beautiful, sexy, feminine and just want everything in life that a man wants and believe that they have every right to have it!

Many great stars seem made of stardust, sent from the heavens to amuse the mere mortals. But not Ann Sheridan. Annie was a down to earth gal whose feet were firmly planted on the ground. She was one of the very few women in film that could stand toe to toe with James Cagney, look Bogey square in the eye and hold her own in a comedy with Cary Grant. She specialized in playing the hard-boiled type whose pedigree said "no papers," but no matter how shady the lady she played, you always knew, when it came to character, she was on the level.

Ann Sheridan was famously a glamor girl, but she endured because she was so much more. Warm, amusing and amused, she came up the hard way (well, at least the hard way for Hollywood). She was a real Warner Brothers "dame" and embodied all of the sass, swagger and heart that was the hallmark image of that studio in the 1930s and 1940s. There is no doubt that she was a "go to" gal and could do anything. Whether she was a glamor puss, waitress, gangster's moll, nightclub entertainer or down on her luck slum child, if you needed a loyal friend, no-nonsense intelligent advice or true, sincere love, Ann Sheridan was the one to call.

Search For Beauty, Cheesecake and OOMPH

Ann Sheridan came to Hollywood from Denton, Texas a winner of the Paramount Pictures "Search For Beauty" contest. Clara Lou Sheridan later became Ann and toiled in a series of small parts, all the while posing for lots of cheesecake. In the end, she was dropped by Paramount.

Young Clara Lou Sheridan

She had better luck at Warner Brothers. Notice how many strong women were developed by that studio? Working there must have required a steely nature, but it seems Jack Warner had an eye for a woman with spunk and a backbone. While rarely getting parts worthy of her Warner co-workers Davis, De Havilland and later, Crawford, Ann carved a niche of her own when it was discovered she had "oomph."

Oomph on a Bearskin Rug

Dreamed up by the Warner  Brothers' Publicity Department, "oomph" was a synonym for sex appeal, which they discovered Ann had quite a bit of. The name stuck and forever after, no matter how elevated her work, she was always know as "The Oomph Girl." Reportedly, she didn't care for the name, but accepted it as her lot in order to keep working and get better parts.

A Real Actress and a Comedy Player of Rare Sparkle

Her name Above the Title

Ann was usually singled out for praise no matter what type of role she was given. Although she never really made the top rank of great stars, she came pretty darn close. From sensitive drama to film noir to comedy, she always made the movie better because of her presence. When given a real chance to act, as in "Kings Row," she showed that she was up to the challenge.

She shined in gangster films, like "Angels With Dirty Faces," "They Made Me a Criminal," noir films like "Nora Prentiss" and "The Unfaithful," and showed her comedy skill in "I Was a Male War Bride" and "The Man Who Came to Dinner." No matter what the role, her warmth and intelligence alway came through.

Looking Good in a Snood - 1940s Glamor

Despite her starring roles and good performances, Ann Sheridan was first and foremost known as a glamor girl. She might have fought against it, but when you begin your career as a winner of a "Search for Beauty," and you happen to be lusciously beautiful, well, it's hard for people not to notice! Besides, Ann just looked great in those 40s fashion, especially the snood!

A Snood in the Boudoir  is Always a Hit!

A Snood For Daytime is Also a "Must"

A 1940s Beaver Fur Hat - For those Who Have a Point

Lucky Buttons

My favorite Ann Sheridan performance is Peg, James Cagney's ambitious girl friend in "City For Conquest." Cagney was her greatest co-star and she was his best leading lady. Both were believable and heartbreaking as the inner-city lovers who let the pressures of life and success come between them. 

Cagney and Sheridan: A Great Cinematic Team

I love Ann. She is the woman I would want to have for a best friend. More than her talent and beauty, it is the warmth and sincerity that she radiates that is so appealing. In film after film she proves that you can stand up to and take every knock this hard world throws your way and do it with grace, glamor and kindness. Ann Sheridan showed that you can be strong and never lose warmth, humor and humanity - the qualities that define a quality human being - male and female.

Top-Notch Oomph

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Is a Puzzlement... Little Movie Things That Keep Me Up At Night.....

As Yul Brynner says in "The King and I": 
Is a Puzzlement!

Now, I can suspend disbelief with the best of them. Audrey Hepburn falling in love with Humphrey Bogart in "Sabrina?" I got with the program. Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane" sacrificing all for the obsession with Dorothy Comingore (Dorothy Comingore?)? I got over it. Dick Van Dyke as a cockney chimney sweep in "Mary Poppins"? I learned to love him. I am an obedient little movie goer and I can check my common sense at the box office for the sake of a good movie.

But there are just somethings that I can't stop thinking about, no matter how hard I try!

Things like:

Why do twins separated at birth and raised by different parents in different parts of the US in "The Parent Trap" both have British accents?

Let's Get Together Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!

This film holds a special place in my heart. I wanted to be Hayley, I wanted Maureen O'Hara for a mom and I wanted to go horseback riding into the desert night with Brian Keith (and not come back until really late). The fact that both Hayleys (one reared in Boston, the other out west) speak like Brits does not detract from my enjoyment of the movie, but I just wondered why no one in the film mentions it! Is a puzzlement.

Why does Kim Novak have her shoes on when Jimmy Stewart fishes her out of San Francisco Bay after a fake suicide attempt in "Vertigo"?

Kim's Brand: Shoes That Never Leave Your Feet!

I think I have seen this movie more times than any other. Isn't it perfect to be obsessed with a movie about obsession? But it never ceases to annoy me that Kim has her shoes on when Jimmy carries her out of the bay. How did they stay on? I even tried this myself (not in San Francisco Bay, but in a decent body of water) and my Manolos went out to sea.  Jimmy's character is a detective. He should investigate! Indeed, is a puzzlement.

Why does Barbara Stanwyck return Fred MacMurray's hat in "Double Indemnity" when he clearly took it with him when he left her house?

Is that a hat, or are you just glad to see me?

This is the sequence of things: Insurance salesman Walter (Fred MacMurray) comes to Phyllis' (Barbara Stanwyck's) home to renew her hubby's car insurance policy. Hubby is out, but Phyllis, in a towel & anklet, is in. They flirt, Phyllis gets a bright idea, Walter gets hot, tells Phyllis he has her number is then shown the door. He picks up his hat and puts it on his head as he walks out the door. Later, there is a knock at Walter's door. Phyllis has delivered a forgotten hat to Walter at this home. She doesn't seem to have a hat, yet Walter tells her to put it on the chair. What is going on here? Is a puzzlement.

Why does everyone refer to Joan Fontaine in  "Suspicion," "Rebecca" and "Jane Eyre" as mousy and unattractive? Are they kidding?

I wonder if anyone can see my copy of "In Style"
 inside of this dreary book.

Typical of Hollywood to make beauteous Joan a plain Jane. Of course, in Hollywood, even plain people are beautiful. Real plain people are not allowed.

But really, how many times does Joan have to be called plain? First, by virtually everyone in "Rebecca." Next, the characters in "Suspicion" were none too kind, with Cary Grant calling her "Monkey Face." Orson Welles in "Jane Eyre" thought her quite mousy, too (although Olivier, Grant and Welles found her charming enough to pursue). Look at her! She's gorgeous! Yes, is a puzzlement.

In "Torrid Zone," Ann Sheridan leaps from a banana train, gets thrown in jail, sweats up a storm in the tropics and never once gets her white dress dirty. How does she do that?

Ann laughs because nothing Jimmy can throw at Ann
 can get her dress dirty (or maybe she is just laughing at that mustache?)

Ann is a down on her luck nightclub singer who somehow winds up on a tropical banana plantation. It is hot, it is dusty and not too sanitary. How does she manage to keep the same white outfit clean, pressed and immaculate (not to mention the hair and make up)? Indeed - is a puzzlement.

Now, maybe I am missing some things (it's been known to happen) or maybe key scenes were cut from the films' final versions. Anyway, I've been trying to come up with some plausible answers and I think maybe I have!

Possible Solutions:

Parent Trap: Hayley's Boston Grandmother (Cathleen Nesbitt) is British. She is also quite formidable and demanding. Is it possible that she commanded the twins to speak the King's English while in Maureen's womb?

Vertigo: Being that Kim's character was really a criminal, is it possible that she glued them to her hose so that, in the even she had to beat it, or worse- walk home if Jimmy didn't "save" her, she wouldn't lose her shoes? 

Double Indemnity: Phyllis D and Walter must have been talking in code. There was no hat, but Walter invites her in anyway. He might have been dumb, but he wasn't that dumb!

Joan Fontaine: All of these people who call her plain are really friends of Olivia De Havilland and are just plain jealous. A vast conspiracy, IMHO.

Torrid Zone: Annie was a smart shopper. Once she saw an outfit she liked, she bought multiple versions. As far as hair and makeup - well, she was just a natural beauty, no?

Since I love all of these movies - despite my petty nit-picking - I shall continue to overlook these little nagging questions and just sit back and enjoy the show. After all, if I were going to question EVERYTHING, well then, why doesn't Charles Foster Kane's mother, who allegedly loved him so much, ever see him after she gets the money? Did she run away with someone? And why do the bad guys in "North by Northwest"believe Cary Grant is Kaplan when all of the newspapers are calling him Thornhill? Don't they read the papers? And why are there no Arabs or Africans in "Casablanca"? And didn't I just say I was going to STOP asking these questions?

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Hope & Crosby: Bob + Bing = Bliss

There are some stars that earn the adjective "beloved." Either for their professional or personal contributions, or both, they are adopted by the audience and become a part of the "family." Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, separately, were two such stars.

Bob Hope

With a favorite co-star, Jane Russell

Bob Hope was everywhere. He was a radio star, a movie star and a television star. Audiences from the 1930s through the 1990s (the decade his last television special aired) knew him and loved him. He was the host of Academy Awards Shows before Carson and his dedication to the entertainment of American service men and women is legendary. Most people over 50 can't remember a time when he was not, in some way, a part of their lives.

Bob Hope had a very successful film career. He was the unashamed coward who just happened to be frightfully funny and sort of lovable (in a sneaky kind of way). He was best with a knowing partner who had his number, such as Jane Russell in "The Paleface" and "Son of Paleface." Bob always wanted the pretty girl, but it was ever an uphill battle for him. The last thing he needed was competition from another man, especially a romantic crooner who had his number ever better than the woman.

Bing Crosby

Box Office Champ

It is impossible to imagine any star today having the multi-media success that Bing Crosby enjoyed in his long career. A wildly successful recording artist and radio star, he was also a mega movie star. From 1934 - 1954 he was in the top 10 box office champions 15 times, coming in at number 1 for five of those years. Famous for his laid back style, he was more than just a lazy crooner. His personality was casual and comfortable, but there was an edge to him. He was not above doing something a little underhanded to get that leading lady at the end of the film.

On his own he was a successful film actor, with such classics as "Going My Way," "Holiday Inn," "The Country Girl," and so many more in his impressive repertoire. Like many singers, he was a very good actor. Light comedy was cake to him and he could also handle the heavier dramatic stuff with his customary ease. But it took the hook up with a wise-cracking golf buddy to create one of the most successful comedy teams in movie history.

Hope & Crosby

BFFs

Bob Hope and Bing Crosby were great friends in real life. When Paramount decided to cast them in a 1940 film called "The Road To Singapore," originally slated to star Fred MacMurray and Jack Oakie, the magic of their personal friendship came to life on the screen and spawned a series of "Road" pictures staring the two pals.

The plots of all of the succeeding "Road" pictures were similar: Bing and Bob are con artists looking to cash in, with Bing being a slightly smarter bulb than Bob. Both are not above double crossing the other in order the get the money and the girl, trouble ensures, hilarity erupts and all is well at the end, with the boys narrowly escaping disaster. What makes these films so delicious is the seemingly add-libbed comments, the great drop-ins by other stars, lots of "inside" jokes, Hope's breaking of the fourth wall to address the audience, and the obvious affection the two stars have for one another. Both Hope and Crosby were very big stars at a time when those words meant something. They did not have to share the screen with anyone. Their fame and name above the title was more than enough to ensure a film's popularity. Yet there is Crosby, playing the straight man, and there is Hope, getting bested by his best friend almost every time (Hope did get the girl in "The Road to Rio" and "The Road to Utopia").

Add Some Dorothy Lamour.....

Perfect Move Cocktail: Bob, Bing & a shot of Dot

Dorothy Lamour was a large part of the "Road" Pictures success. Not only was she beautiful and sexy, she was the perfect foil for those con men on the make. Her tolerance of their antics was endearing and her all-American exotica made their cut-throat competition for her charms understandable.

The "Road" pictures were more than just tomfoolery. They also offered some very beautiful music. Crosby's romantic renditions of "But Beautiful" and  "Moonlight Becomes You," and Dorothy's "Personality," gave the productions a first-class shimmer that made up for some of the plot silliness.

It was all done in great, good fun. Bob and Bing at that moment in time were pure stardust. They cast a glow that can never be repeated. How wonderful of them to share such good times with us. Morocco, Singapore, Rio, Zanzibar, Utopia, Bali... if you're on the road with these boys, it can only lead to joy.

Are you smiling yet? I am, but there is also a little tug at my heart. Having grown up with them ever present in the entertainment world (and on my TV), I miss them. I just assumed they'd always be there. And they are, in a way, thanks to film.

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Elizabeth Taylor: American Beauty

Oh, La Liz, we will surely miss you and are sure that we will never , ever see another like you! You lived large, loved large, laughed large and suffered large. We loved you for it and will miss you endlessly. You were a diamond-studded diva with a heart of pure gold, precious in every way.

Besides being beautiful, she knew how to turn a phrase. Here is Elizabeth in her own words:

Big girls need big diamonds.
 
Marriage is a great institution.
 
When people say, 'She's got everything', I've got one answer - I haven't had tomorrow.
 
I adore wearing gems, but not because they are mine. You can't possess radiance, you can only admire it.

I am a very committed wife. And I should be committed too - for being married so many times.

I don't pretend to be an ordinary housewife.

I feel very adventurous. There are so many doors to be opened, and I'm not afraid to look behind them.

I fell off my pink cloud with a thud.

I have a woman's body and a child's emotions.

I haven't read any of the autobiographies about me.

I really don't remember much about Cleopatra. There were a lot of other things going on.

I suppose when they reach a certain age some men are afraid to grow up. It seems the older the men get, the younger their new wives get.

I sweat real sweat and I shake real shakes.

I think I'm finally growing up - and about time.

I'm a survivor - a living example of what people can go through and survive.

I've always admitted that I'm ruled by my passions.

I've been through it all, baby, I'm mother courage.

I've only slept with men I've been married to. How many women can make that claim?

If someone's dumb enough to offer me a million dollars to make a picture, I'm certainly not dumb enough to turn it down.

It is strange that the years teach us patience; that the shorter our time, the greater our capacity for waiting.

My mother says I didn't open my eyes for eight days after I was born, but when I did, the first thing I saw was an engagement ring. I was hooked.

People who know me well, call me Elizabeth. I dislike Liz.

Some of my best leading men have been dogs and horses.

Success is a great deodorant.

The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they're going to have some pretty annoying virtues.

You find out who your real friends are when you're involved in a scandal.

Rest in Peace, my beauty. Now if I could only know whose arms you run to first: Mike Todd’s or Richard Burton’s? Sigh….. I’ll bet there is a battle in Heaven raging right now for your charms!

Elizabeth through the ages:

I was very fortunate to see Elizabeth Taylor on Broadway in 1981 in "The Little Foxes." I can tell you that, not only was she beautiful beyond belief, she sparkled on that stage brighter than that 69-carat diamond from Richard Burton! She was by far the the brightest gem in her collection. 

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Lina Lamont's Lament

Dora Bailey reporting here from Hollywood!

Imagine that you have been a loyal employee for many years. Suddenly, new technology is introduced into your workplace and your employer no longer needs nor wants you. To make matters worse, he ridicules you in front of the entire world. This, my friends, was poor Lina Lamont's fate.

It's time Lina had her say!

We decided to interview Miss Lamont at her spacious Beverly Hills home. It has been five years since Lina has appeared in a film. However, she seems to be doing well, as her home is as well-maintained and as luxurious as ever. As we motor up the sweeping driveway to her front door, we are greeted by none other than Lina, herself (draped in jade silk pajamas with a white fox trim).
DB: Lina! You never looked lovelier!
LL: Thank you, Dora. I do try my best.

Lina escorts me into her lovely sitting room. Freshly brewed iced tea with a fragrant hint of mint and finger sandwiches are awaiting us.

DB: Lina, the last time I interviewed you was at the premier of "The Royal Rascal," your next-to-last motion picture before your sudden retirement.

At the time, you were engaged to Don Lockwood. Your's was one of Hollywood's most popular and glamorous romances. With all of that chemistry on screen and off, everyone just assumed you'd get married. It seemed like a match made in the stars.

LL: Well, Dora, I just assumed it, too. After all, we were engaged. But then that Selden woman wormed her way into my Donny's heart.

Lina's eyes well with tiny, pearl-shaped tears, but she courageously tells her story in her charming, little-girl voice.

LL: Oh Dora, it was a terrible time for me. Here I was, the biggest star at Monumental Studios. It was me, ME, who gave Donny his start. He was just a lowly stunt man when I saw something special in him. Over time I came to love him deeply, but I found out the hard way that he was just interested in me to advance his career. Once  he thought that this Selden creature could be of more use to him, he dumped me.

DB: You were indeed Monumental Studio's biggest star!
Lina retrieves a yellowing scrap of newspaper from a Louis XIV writing desk.
LL: I was "a shimmering, glowing star in the cinema firmament." Says so, right here.
DB: Yes you were, sweetheart.  On that fateful evening of the premier of "The Dancing Cavalier," your first talking picture, Lockwood cruelly exposed that Kathy Selden had dubbed your voice. Lockwood then went on to marry her. Talk to me about that.

LL: Dora, Donny was a good man until he met that horrible Kathy Selden! He would never think of such cruelty until he took up with her. Why, did you know that she actually assaulted me at a party with a cake? A party, I might add, where she made her entrance jumping out of a cake.The woman is a menace!

DB: Oh Lina, that's terrible. Have you been following Don and Kathy's careers?

LL: I pay them no mind. I have no use for second rate talents. I only follow big stars.

DB: Speaking of big stars, do you ever see any of the old gang anymore?

LL: Not so much. I still talk to Zelda Zanders from time to time. She's doing well in talkies. I lost touch with Olga Mara and while I still see Norma Desmond being driven around town, I never speak to her any more. I hope she is doing well. I guess you could say I am no longer in the movie business.

DB: That's too bad, because "The Dancing Cavalier" was a very big hit and you were just beautiful in it.

LL: Thank you, Dora. You're very sweet to say that. But let me tell you, that wig weighed a ton! 

And I just didn't like all of the dangers that wiring for sound presented. In fact, on of the reasons I stopped working is due to an injury I suffered on the set while they were wiring me for sound. Some jerk pulled on the microphone cord they had sewn in my dress and I went you-know-what over tea kettle! Landed right on my derrière! I always suspected it was R.F. Simpson, but I could never be sure.

DB: Oh my! You really took some physical abuse! Can you tell our readers what is next for Lina Lamont?

LL: I can indeed! In fact, that's why I am allowing you to speak to me today. I have a bit of news.

DB: A scoop?

LL: Yes! I am getting married.

Lina waves her dainty hand, revealing a gorgeous diamond ring that has to be at least 20 carats

But her glow was not just from the glittering gem.

LL: Remember Cosmo Brown, the brains behind Don Lockwood? Cosmo and I never used to like each other. In fact, I thought he was a real pill. But Cosmo and I have been keeping company for some time now. Donny also turned his back on Cosmo after he married that Selden woman and they were the best of friends. Cosmo and I commiserated and gradually fell in love. 

DB: Oh you sly young lovers! You really kept that on the QT! Didn't I just read that Cosmo Brown had been fired from Monumental Studios for jumping through another wall? Apparently, he has destroyed one too many.

LL: Now, Dora, you know you can't believe everything you read! The truth is, Donny had Cosmo fired because of our relationship. Apparently, he is still jealous. Well, it's his loss. He can sit home and knit with Miss Mousy. Cosmo is leaving for Broadway to write the music for a new show and I'm gonna star in it! I'll show them I ain't just people! Goodbye, Hollywood, Hello Broadway!

We all wish Lina great success. She is a grand gal and I, for one, know she will be a big hit on Broadway. What do you have to say about that Don and Kathy?

This is Dora Bailey signing off from Hollywood!

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The Flappers: Free, Female & 21

Fourth in a series about strong women in film. Strong women are independent, beautiful, sexy, feminine and just want everything in life that a man wants and believe that they have every right to have it!

The 1920s, that youth-worshiping decade of freedom and abandon, spawned a female phenomena known as "The Flapper." Skirts were higher, hair was bobbed and women were voting, working and living on their own. It was this independence that made these young women the antithesis of earlier women film stars with a more demure attitude (though strong in their own way) such as Mary Pickford and Lillian Gish.

The Flappers, though outwardly carefree and fun-loving, set the stage for the strong film women of the 1930s and beyond. They made their own money, bought their own fashionable clothes, lived away from Mom & Dad (either on their own or with a room mate) and pursued men as eagerly as men pursued them. Although  the mores of the times dictated that there be no sex before marriage (though they frequently came close), the audience knew these girls were no innocents. To the young men so scarred from World War I, the Flappers were a tonic.

Louise Brooks: The Perfect Image of the Flapper

Louise Brooks had the look and the life. She is totally "today" in her attitude, her minimalist method of acting and her elegant sense of style. It is fashionable to prefer her to such bigger stars of the era such as Clara Bow or Collen Moore, who look a little dated to us today. As an actress, we rely heavily on her splendid performances in her two German films, "Pandora's Box" and "Diary of a Lost Girl" as proof of her star power. However, her American films many times showcase her as the fun-loving girl of the '20s, a lifestyle this ex-Follies dancer knew all too well.

Louise Brooks is a Flapper whose fame rests largely on the brilliant gallery of still photographs that beguile us to this day. Her beauty is evident, but there is a stubborn streak of independence and strength that cuts through the 2-dimensional glossies. No matter what, this woman is not going back to the days before the liberating 1920s!

Clara Bow:Jazz Baby Supreme

Clara Bow was the definitive Flapper. The original "Jazz Baby," she was fun-loving, independent, pretty and presumably reckless. Her most famous film, "It," showcased all of the elements of the Flapper. Her character worked and made her own money, she was saucy and knew how to have fun, and she was impudent enough to pursue the boss because she wanted him and knew she was irresistible to him.

Clara Bow's Flapper stressed the joys of youth, freedom and strength. There was never any doubt that Clara was strong. She was proudly a girl from Brooklyn, and if you messed with her - watch out. In many ways she pre-dated Joan Crawford's 1930s determined shop girl, usually playing a "regular" gal of modest means. More than anything, Clara's Flapper was fun. But always there was a far-away look in her eyes, the hint of sadness that was just right for the desperately fun-loving 20s.

Constance Talmadge: Silent Screwball

Constance Talmadge was sophisticated and funny. Like a glass of French champagne, she was bubbly and a little forbidden (in those days of Prohibition). And maybe a little out of reach.

Connie, sister to the dramatic Norma and sister-in-law to Buster Keaton via her sister Natalie's marriage, was the zany, fun-loving girl who didn't take sex very seriously. Though a great comedienne, her image was also chic. She was a genuine Hollywood Star. Though her range was wide (her first important role was that of the Mountain Girl in Griffith's "Intolerance"), she seemed most at home in a mansion with servants and a very nice wardrobe. Her image and temperament somewhat predated Carole Lombard in "My Man Godfrey" and Katharine Hepburn in "Bringing Up Baby."  Her confidence in her right to be delightful on her own terms and her devil-may-care insouciance in such films as "Her Night of Romance" and "Her Sister from Paris" offer a breath of fresh air that places her firmly in the company of these fabulous Flappers.

Colleen Moore: Ground Breaker

Colleen Moore was an actress who played the part of the Flapper. While Louise Brooks, Clara Bow and Constance Talmadge all lived, to some degree, the life of a Flapper in real life, Colleen merely portrayed this type of woman on screen. Off screen, she was a thoughtful woman who took her career very seriously.

Yet, here she is, bobbed hair, short skirts and all. Films such as "Flaming Youth" and "Synthetic Sin" made her one of the very first cinema Flappers, although the emphasis on sex was more innocent than most others. Another first-rate comedienne, she was the healthy, fun-loving collegiate just sampling the first taste of freedom. Sadly,many of her films are lost today.

The Flappers and the Great Depression
The crash of 1929 heralded the end of the Roaring 20s and its representative woman, the Flapper. Each of the above-referenced woman's career either ended or stalled in the 30s and none of them would ever achieve the career luster they enjoyed in the 20s. The revolutionary aspect of their character, their insistence on freedom in the bedroom, the workplace and society suddenly became obsolete. Interestingly, all except Colleen Moore struggled with great personal unhappiness in their maturity.

And then there is Joan Crawford...

Joan Crawford was also a representative Flapper. Unlike her contemporaries, however, she did not meet the same end. Her image evolved from that of the carefree woman to the free woman with cares; in other words, a mature woman. Crawford offered a bridge between the fledgling Flapper and a full-fledged woman of true strength and freedom.


These Bright Young Things, as much girls as women, paved the way for the strong women in film that followed for ever after. Their look, their style and their attitude gave women a new way to look, not just at the world, but at themselves, their place in it and the possibilities that lie ahead.

To them, we raise a glass of forbidden bubbly!

And a shout out to other film flappers Olive Thomas, Leatrice Joy and Billie Dove!

Olive Thomas

Leatrice Joy

Billie Dove

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