While touring England she performed 'the Charleston,' - a dance move that was popular in the United States but had not yet made its way over to England - making her the first woman to perform the dance move in London.ģ) She was “discovered” by Walter Wagner of Paramount Pictures while dancing with the Ziegfeld Follies. Want a little history before the film? Here are 10 little known facts about Louise Brooks – the strong-willed actress that refused to be silenced:ġ) She was the youngest member of the Denishawn Dancers, joining the troupe and traveling to New York City to pursue a career in dance at just 15 years old.įrom the New York Public Library Digital Gallery, Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The Denishawn Collection.Ģ) She did a dance tour of Europe in 1925 with friend and fellow actress Barbara Bennett. Watch Masterpiece: The Chaperone on WGBH Passport starting August 10. Well-known for her iconic bobbed haircut and her roles in The Show-Off, Pandora’s Box, and Diary of a Lost Girl, her impact on film can still be felt to this day. And along the way, Norma and Louise learn from each other on how to live life to the fullest.īorn in Cherryvale, Kansas in 1906, Brooks led a life that was as wide-ranging as the characters she portrayed on screen.

Taking place in New York City in the 1920’s, the film focuses on the famed silent film actress’s early days in the city, as well as the events that led to her meteoric rise to fame. Masterpiece: The Chaperone explores the fictional relationship between a not-yet-famous Louise Brooks (Haley Lu Richardson, The Edge of Seventeen, Split) and Norma Carlisle (Elizabeth McGovern, Downton Abbey), a woman who is given the difficult task of looking after the free-spirited teen.

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