Louise Brooks
Known for Acting · 37 credits
- Born
- 1906-11-14
- Died
- 1985-08-08
- Place of birth
- Cherryvale, Kansas, USA
- Also known as
- Mary Louise Brooks
Biography
Mary Louise Brooks (November 14, 1906 – August 8, 1985) was an American film actress and dancer during the 1920s and 1930s. She is regarded today as an icon of the Jazz Age and flapper culture, in part due to the bob hairstyle that she helped popularize during the prime of her career.
Brooks began her career as a dancer. While dancing in the Ziegfeld Follies in New York City, she came to the attention of Walter Wanger, a producer at Paramount Pictures, and was signed to a five-year contract with the studio. She appeared in supporting roles in various Paramount films before taking the heroine's role in Beggars of Life (1928).
Dissatisfied with her mediocre roles in Hollywood films, Brooks went to Germany in 1929 and starred in three feature films that launched her to international stardom: Pandora's Box (1929), Diary of a Lost Girl (1929), and Miss Europe (1930); the first two were directed by G. W. Pabst. By 1938, she had starred in seventeen silent films and eight sound films.
After retiring from acting, she fell upon financial hardship and became a paid escort. For the next two decades, she struggled with alcoholism and suicidal tendencies.
Following the rediscovery of her films by cinephiles in the 1950s, a reclusive Brooks began writing articles about her film career; her insightful essays drew considerable acclaim. She published her memoir, Lulu in Hollywood, in 1982. Three years later, she died of a heart attack at age 78.
Known For
TV Shows (2)
Movies (35)
Rolled Stockings
1927
as Carol Fleming
Pandora's Box
1929
as Lulu
Beggars of Life
1928
as The Girl (Nancy)
Flappers, Speakeasies, and the Birth of Modern Culture
2010
Away with Words
2026
as Louise Brooks
When You're in Love
1937
as Specialty Ballerina in Chorus
1001 Films
1989
as (archival)
The Show Off
1926
as Clara
Empty Saddles
1936
as Boots Boone
Miss Europe
1930
as Lucienne
The Casting Couch
1995
A Social Celebrity
1926
as Kitty Laverne
Diary of a Lost Girl
1929
as Thymian Henning
Overland Stage Raiders
1938
as Beth Hoyt
A Girl in Every Port
1928
as Marie / Mam'selle Godiva
The Canary Murder Case
1929
as The Canary
Clara Bow: Discovering the "It" Girl
1999
as Self (archive footage)
Just Another Blonde
1926
as Diana O'Sullivan
God's Gift to Women
1931
as Florine
It's the Old Army Game
1926
as Mildred Marshall
Louise Brooks: Looking for Lulu
1998
as Herself (archive footage)
Now We're in the Air
1927
as Griselle and Grisette
The American Venus
1926
as Miss Bayport
Fragments: Surviving Pieces of Lost Films
2011
as Herself (archive footage)
Louise Brooks
1986
as Herself (Archival Footage)
It Pays to Advertise
1931
as Thelma Temple
Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema
2007
as Self (archive footage)
The Street of Forgotten Men
1925
as A Moll
Memories of Berlin: The Twilight of Weimar Culture
1976
as Self - Interviewee
The City Gone Wild
1927
as Snuggles Joy
Windy Riley Goes Hollywood
1931
as Betty Grey
Clara Bow: Hollywood's Lost Screen Goddess
2012
Evening Clothes
1927
as Fox Trot
Love 'Em and Leave 'Em
1926
as Janie Walsh
Lulu in Berlin
1984
as Self
About Louise Brooks
Mary Louise Brooks (November 14, 1906 – August 8, 1985) was an American film actress and dancer during the 1920s and 1930s. She is regarded today as an icon of the Jazz Age and flapper culture, in part due to the bob hairstyle that she helped popularize during the prime of her career. Brooks began her career as a dancer. While dancing in the Ziegfeld Follies in New York City, she came to the attention of Walter Wanger, a producer at Paramount Pictures, and was signed to a five-year contract with the studio. She appeared in supporting roles in… With 37 credits spanning from 1925 to 2026, Louise Brooks has appeared in 35 films and 2 TV shows.
Fans searching for Louise Brooks movies, Louise Brooks filmography, or the latest projects starring Louise Brooks can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Louise Brooks Movies
- Rolled Stockings (1927) — as Carol Fleming
- Pandora's Box (1929) — as Lulu
- Beggars of Life (1928) — as The Girl (Nancy)
- Flappers, Speakeasies, and the Birth of Modern Culture (2010)
- Away with Words (2026) — as Louise Brooks
Where to Watch Louise Brooks Films
Most Louise Brooks movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Louise Brooks, check our movies catalogue and browse page.