Idols
Louise Brooks
Born in Cherryvale, Kansas in 1906, a lawyer’s daughter, Louise Brooks never really hit the big time in Hollywood – she is now known chiefly for her distinctive bobbed hairstyle and for two striking performances in German silent films directed by GW Pabst: Pandora’s Box (which featured a lesbian love scene – in 1928!) and the positively sordid Diary Of A Lost Girl.
Despite recognition for these films, and having previously starred in an early Howard Hawks film, Brooks’ career still did not take off in America.
She became a recluse, spending her time studying and writing about film, but as the years wore on her cult status grew and grew. When she died in 1985 she was more respected than ever.