Tweet Louise Brooks, Colleen Moore, and that bob haircut...

So, I've seen it written that, although Louise Brooks is known for (among other things) her famous haircut, she copied it from Colleen Moore. I just watched the doc included in the Criterion release of PANDORA'S BOX, and from photographic evidence contained therein, that wouldn't appear to be the case. Louise had had that cut since she was a little girl, and kept it well into her twenties.

Speedy,

In all honesty, Colleen's Bob is not really all that much like Louise's, At least I don't think so. I have illustrations dating back to 1919, that show ladies wearing the same haircut. Then there is the secretary in Roscoe Arbuckle's LEAP YEAR made in 1921 some 2 years before FLAMING YOUTH to consider. Although in truth, I am not all that sure just what Colleen's Bob really looked like in FLAMING YOUTH? Still's suggest it was not as we have been lead to believe.


Have you seen this before?




Paramount Parafan Ad 1926

Speedy,

A couple stills I found from FLAMING YOUTH. I also have a number Lobby-cards I can post and will get to those.




Colleen with Ben Lyon




Colleen-"Hassled Backstage"

Thanks for the fabulous pics!

I agree that there were a few bobs going around, and that Louise and Colleen's bobs weren't exactly alike; my main point was that there's no way that Louise copied her hairstyle from Colleen, despite what's been written to the contrary. She was steadily sporting it way before Miss Moore was.

Speedy,

Here is allot Moore Colleen that you will like much better than those other pics. I don't think you'll be knocking her other hairdo's either. Anyway, hold onto your truss.


Oh my gosh, in this first photo Colleen is the type of Tomboy that you'd have loved to wrestle with as a Kid. Unfortunately, you probably were not so lucky enough to have a Tomboy that looked anything like this living nearby.




Colleen-"Dreamy Country Girl"




Colleen being squeezed by much to Handsome Lloyd Hughes




Colleen And Coop Share A Bite in LILAC TIME (1928)




"Delightfully Frizzy"




Ahh, "Little Girl Face"




Colleen Moore-"Harem Honeybun"





Colleen-"Beautiful Beach"




"OH KAY!" (1928)




"Smiling Irish Eyes"

A few early portraits of Colleen with really long and pretty hair.




Colleen From early 1918.




Plenty Moore hair to spare about 1920




"Long Curly Locks"




Autographed-1922

I haven't been back in years, but the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria used to have one of those Paramount promo fans on display.

WANT.

While Colleen did not orignate the bob, she is credited with popularizing it because she was the first major celebrity to adopt it as her signature style. When Colleen had her hair bobbed for Flaming Youth, Louise was still an unknown, dancing for the Denishaw company. In 1926, when Louise was featured in her first Paramount release, Colleen was the top female star at the box office.

So while Louise may have sported a bob for some time prior to Colleen, she certainly didn't have the fame to ignite the fad. I don't believe either actress copied the other. Hair was being bobbed all over the country. Colleen simply found a hair style (and character) that worked well at the box office and stuck with it, for the most part. Louise already had the hair style, but was unfortunate to arrive on the Hollywood scene after Colleen had already popularized the style.

Tom,

Very good post. That's basically what I was trying to say, but failed to get across in my earlier response.

While Colleen did not orignate the bob, she is credited with popularizing it because she was the first major celebrity to adopt it as her signature style. When Colleen had her hair bobbed for Flaming Youth, Louise was still an unknown, dancing for the Denishaw company. In 1926, when Louise was featured in her first Paramount release, Colleen was the top female star at the box office.

So while Louise may have sported a bob for some time prior to Colleen, she certainly didn't have the fame to ignite the fad. I don't believe either actress copied the other. Hair was being bobbed all over the country. Colleen simply found a hair style (and character) that worked well at the box office and stuck with it, for the most part. Louise already had the hair style, but was unfortunate to arrive on the Hollywood scene after Colleen had already popularized the style.

I agree, Colleen was definitely the celebrity that popularized the bob; again, my point was that those who say Louise copied it from Colleen are incorrect.

And thanks again for the pics, Jeffrey! As you know, Colleen, Clara and Jobyna are my Big Three Silent Film Crushes. Although, I think Louise is becoming a contender as well. I'd never seen any film of hers until I watched PANDORA'S BOX the other night. An absolute stunner, both her and the film.

This certainly ties right in. So far I have figured out most of these ladies. Corinne Griffith, Marion Davis Nita Naldi, Patsy Ruth Miller, Esther Ralston, Bebe Daniels, and Claire Windsor. Who are the other two??? It's hard to read the signatures because they are so small. Anyone have a higher quality graphic of this same ad?






Speedy,

Your gonna like this one. Esther Ralston and Clara Bow from CHILDREN OF DIVORCE. But Clara might not have been so wild about being in the same film with the incredibly beautiful Esther.




Esther and Clara

The "Mulsified Cocoanut Oil Shampoo" models on the clock:

1. ??
2. Esther Ralston
3. Nita Naldi
4. Claire Windsor
5. Bebe Daniels
6. Marion Davies
7. Leatrice Joy
8. ??
9. Mae Murray
10. Corinne Griffith
11. Blanche Sweet

Roger,

Could it be Anita Stewart? Looks like Smith is the last name of the gal between Marion and Claire, but it might be Stewart?

Speedy,

Your gonna like this one. Esther Ralston and Clara Bow from CHILDREN OF DIVORCE. But Clara might not have been so wild about being in the same film with the incredibly beautiful Esther.

Obviously, they are both thinking of co-star Gary Cooper. Esther is having lovely romantic images and Clara's are, er, a bit naughtier.

As for the bobettes, I couldn't name half of them, though I think the first one has some resemblance to Mary Astor. Number eight looks like her first name may be Peg.

Edit: Now I'm thinking number eight is May Allison.

Tom,

From those remarks I presume that you have seen the film? Correct?

I believe that the lady between Mae Murray and Leatrice Joy is May Allison--her signature resembles the name and the face looks reasonably like Allison's.

-Harold

Tom,

From those remarks I presume that you have seen the film? Correct?

Unfortunately, no. I'm just aware that she was in the middle of her affair with Cooper at the time. Esther was apparently smitten with the lanky cowboy too, and Clara reportedly used to take great pleasure in shocking Esther with details of their escapades. You can almost see the wheels turning in Clara's head in that pic.

BTW, I see my proclamation for May Allison lagged Harold's by six minutes. I didn't see his post and really did manage to figure out that one by myself. Honest!

Thanks guys. I really appreciate all your help and comments. You know Esther could be a bit naughty to though. I am thinking specifically of that scene in OLD IRONSIDES where she seduces Charles Farrell aboard ship.

I believe that the lady between Mae Murray and Leatrice Joy is May Allison--her signature resembles the name and the face looks reasonably like Allison's.

-Harold

That shampoo really did wonders for her -- she looks better in this ad than in any of the pictures on Silent Ladies & Gents...

http://silentladies.com/PAllison.html

Looks like the signature on the first one is Patsy Ruth Miller.

greta

Greta,

Yes, that's it! We have nemed all of them. Thanks so much to everyone for your help on this subject. Are there any more of those Para-fan ad's with different Paramout Stars on them? Other ladies and gents?? I imagine there probably were others besides the one.

Does anyone but me think that Betty Page, the porn star had a bob exactly like Miss Brooks?

Bob

I'd say Miss Page's hair was much longer than Miss Brooks'; I also wouldn't exactly call her a porn star.

I believe F. Scott Fitzgerald said that he introduced the flapper (in books), but Colleen Moore exemplified it (in film).

From what I have read, Colleen had long hair, a la Mary Pickford, but couldn't get the film roles she wanted. When she heard about the first flapper film, off came the long hair , and she won the role.

Colleen Moore still had that hair style years later in the 1980s when they made those silent film documentaries.

Getting to the original point of this discussion - I always got the feeling that Colleen claimed that Louise copied her because, in later years, she was a tad miffed that a minor starlet had somehow begun to gain greater recognition than she had. When you look at Colleen's hair and Louise's, they really are completely different and yes, Louise had been wearing her hair like that (on and off, it would seem) since she was a child.

I honestly don't believe the trend was started by a single person, in any case. Gloria Swanson claims that it was she who started the trend when she had her hair cropped in Paris when she was ill, but that was 1924. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote `Bernice Bobs Her Hair' way back in 1920, so it was already an acknowledged trend.

And, as gagman noted above, it appears prominently in Arbuckle's Leap Year from 1921. Not that that film could have popularized the haircut in America -- it was banned from U.S. screens.

Interesting thing about the shampoo ad, Nita never cut her hair in a bob. She had long hair throughout her career, and beyond.

Have you seen this before?




Paramount Parafan Ad 1926

Wow, who is Bebe Daniels? Is any of her silent films available on DVD?

Update: Just noticed that she's on the Harold Lloyd "Smiles & Spectacles" set. Was reading she was in the "Lonesome Luke" two-reelers with Harold Lloyd. Have those ever been released?

Kindy,

Huh? Who was Bebe Daniels???? Did I read that??? Bebe was only one of the biggst female Stars of the 20's. And had been Harold Lloyd's leading lady from 1916 to much of 1919. Know as the "Good Little, Bad Girl."




Bebe Daniels-SHE'S A SHEIK (1927)