Modern Woman

New York readers, here's something to do between Tribeca Film Fest screenings: get thee to "Louise Brooks and the 'New Woman' in Weimar Cinema" at the International Center of Photography before it closes on Sunday. It's a small show featuring terrific production stills of the bewitching Brooks. (If you don't know her whole Wichita-to-Weimar story, you'll find that and much more here.) One still, a makeup test for Pandora's Box, shows Brooks sporting a curly coif at the insistence of G.W. Pabst; as Brooks later wrote, "After seeing the test, he gave up this point and left me with my shiny black helmet."

On your way out of ICP, don't miss a startling close-up of a different breed of Weimar woman: Leni Riefenstahl, in a 1930 glamour shot as a scary, sweaty ski-bunny. (It was taken by the Hungarian Jew Martin Munkacsi; a bit more about his Riefenstahl connection here.)

Comments

[Comment]

We plan on seeing this before it closes - Regarding your previous post re Woody and Nextbook, what do you think of this clip dubbed up in French - Better than the original?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMpW1I-6YBY

Good luck with your book!

[Looker]

Thank you. As for the clip, it seems the only thing more irritating than Kenneth Branagh imitating Woody Allen is Kenneth Branagh imitating Woody Allen in French.

[Comment]

Yes - but it was very funny - Not necessarily intentionally. In a roundabout way it reminded my of "What's Up Tiger Lilly."

On You Tube elsewhere is a clip from Annie Hall with poorly dubbed Russian over Woody walking thru the city - Perhaps you recall the scene - He sees the banal couple on the street, etc. Anyway, pretty funny in Russian

[Comment]

You mentioned not watching Allen for about ten years - That's about when he lost control of his ability to tap into his Id - he became to self-conscious about making mock of some of his self-styled neurosis following his Mia thing.

But sometimes people just run out of ideas.