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I just finished the autobiography in two books of ANITA LOOS, aka Nita, aka Buggie, aka the first writer to speak SEX in novels & countless screenplays. Ever heard of Gentleman Prefer Blondes? Churchill kept the novel by his bed for his sleepless nights and James Joyce read it as he was his sight was failing.
It was the book of course that kept them interested-but the petite Buggie was perhaps the greater lure. She was alluring-every inch of her- at fullest five feet. She was all Eyes- the biggest the prettiest- and she dressed in only the best-and perfectly suited to her tiny frame. She makes the case for Gentleman Prefer-petite well dressed brunette Pixies.
Cecil Beaton called her "the quintessence of cuteness" in his Book of Beauty.
In A Girl Like I and Kiss Hollywood Good bye- names like Hearst, Marion Davies, Goddard and Chaplin, Jean Harlow, Barrymore, Flynn, Mizner- Addison and Wilson, Gable, Aldous Huxley, Garbo-and on and on and on dot every sentence and story. Anita Loos was IN with the IN crowd. She tells tales from her Life-their Life-with very little kiss & tell from noted days in her old date books-filling in all the details with her memories. Hollywood embraced her-but she was a celebrity in her own right and yearned "to live in the great world outside movies; to meet people who created their own dialogue;whose jokes were not the contrivance of some gag writer." In the 20's she did this that in both Paris and London-settling there and breaking a few hearts along the way- not to mention rubbing elbows literally with Lady Colefax, Syrie Maugham, Emerald Cunard and Lady Ottoline Morrell.
"Milling about the ball room (New Year's Eve with Marion and Hearst) with Wilson (Mizner), I was stopped by Irene Castle, recently arrived from Pairs. She approved my gingham ball gown that had been so audaciously trimmed in sable by Mainbocher.
remember LOOS was the lady that said- "I've had my best times when trailing a Mainbocher evening gown across a sawdust floor. I've always loved high style in low company."
Whether this was the same Mainbocher-or she trailed another on this particular night the little lady doesn't say.
(more here about- MS LOOS)
I just finished the autobiography in two books of ANITA LOOS, aka Nita, aka Buggie, aka the first writer to speak SEX in novels & countless screenplays. Ever heard of Gentleman Prefer Blondes? Churchill kept the novel by his bed for his sleepless nights and James Joyce read it as he was his sight was failing.
It was the book of course that kept them interested-but the petite Buggie was perhaps the greater lure. She was alluring-every inch of her- at fullest five feet. She was all Eyes- the biggest the prettiest- and she dressed in only the best-and perfectly suited to her tiny frame. She makes the case for Gentleman Prefer-petite well dressed brunette Pixies.
Cecil Beaton called her "the quintessence of cuteness" in his Book of Beauty.
In A Girl Like I and Kiss Hollywood Good bye- names like Hearst, Marion Davies, Goddard and Chaplin, Jean Harlow, Barrymore, Flynn, Mizner- Addison and Wilson, Gable, Aldous Huxley, Garbo-and on and on and on dot every sentence and story. Anita Loos was IN with the IN crowd. She tells tales from her Life-their Life-with very little kiss & tell from noted days in her old date books-filling in all the details with her memories. Hollywood embraced her-but she was a celebrity in her own right and yearned "to live in the great world outside movies; to meet people who created their own dialogue;whose jokes were not the contrivance of some gag writer." In the 20's she did this that in both Paris and London-settling there and breaking a few hearts along the way- not to mention rubbing elbows literally with Lady Colefax, Syrie Maugham, Emerald Cunard and Lady Ottoline Morrell.
"Milling about the ball room (New Year's Eve with Marion and Hearst) with Wilson (Mizner), I was stopped by Irene Castle, recently arrived from Pairs. She approved my gingham ball gown that had been so audaciously trimmed in sable by Mainbocher.
Whether this was the same Mainbocher-or she trailed another on this particular night the little lady doesn't say.
(more here about- MS LOOS)
If we could only have another Anita Loos instead of Kardashians or Real Housewives! Think how much better our culture would be in the long run.
ReplyDeletehow true, at least with her discretion at not kissing and telling. pgt
DeleteHard not to be nostalgic of another era!
ReplyDeleteDitto to tdclassicist!! Bravo.
ReplyDeleteFascinating post. Loved it. Love the image, too, of Loos in the library.
ReplyDelete