bhryun Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 I would like to announce to the TCM community that my biography of Lois Moran has just been published by Limelight Editions, A Beautiful Fairy Tale: The Life of Actress of Lois Moran. It is 330 pages, hardback, and profusely illustrated with photographs, including pictures by Hurrell, Alfred Cheney Johnston, Weitzel, Carl van Vechten, and many others. My website on Lois, loismoran.com, features many beautiful pictures of her. The first reaction I always get when I mention this biography is that nobody has heard of Lois Moran. This is because her career was brief (she retired from films in 1931) and in later years was not one to dwell on her famous youth. But short though her career may have been, it was fascinating and has curiously been overlooked in film history. Talented and intelligent, Lois made her film debut as Laurel in the 1925 Stella Dallas produced by Samuel Goldwyn and costarring Belle Bennett and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. After this marvelous debut (in American films) she went on to star with the likes of Lon Chaney (The Road to Mandalay), Richard Barthelmess, Al Jolson, John Gilbert, Warner Baxter, Neil Hamilton, Nick Stuart, John Wayne (when he was known as Duke Morrison), Mrs. Patrick Campbell, Lya de Putti, and a host of other highly interesting personalities. Her last film, West of Broadway, with John Gilbert and Ralph Bellamy, was just shown on TCM. Lois is also known for her relationship with the famous novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald. He adored her -- they met at a party at Pickfair in 1927 -- and based characters upon her in books and novels. Lois also originated, on Broadway, the role of Mary Turner in the George and Ira Gershwin musicals Of Thee I Sing and Let 'Em Eat Cake. Lois also co-starred in one of the first television series, Waterfront, which also featured Preston Foster. This program is fondly remembered by many. I hope that my new biography may be of interest to film and book lovers. It's a beautiful volume, if I do say so; Amazon.com offers it at a very reasonable price. I'd welcome feedback and can be contacted through loismoran.com or at rpstardust@aol.com. Cheers! Richard Buller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhryun Posted June 20, 2005 Author Share Posted June 20, 2005 How interesting - over the weekend I watched "West of Broadway" which I had taped on TCM last week. I'd never seen Lois Moran before and enjoyed her performance in the film. Felt rather sorry for Gilbert. In a sad case of art imitating life, the charcters seemed to chastize him for his drinking about every 5 minutes. But an enjoyable, racy pre-Code romp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msladysoul Posted June 23, 2005 Share Posted June 23, 2005 I was going to post something on Lois Moran. She was a beauty. She's another one of those we don't hear a lot about but was popular in their time. She had a spark and you don't want to take your eyes off of her once you see her. She had another kind of beauty, soft and alluring...another beauty type of the 1930's. There was so many beauty types of the 1930's, that's why I love that era more. She really left an impression on me and will be looking for more on her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alix1929 Posted June 23, 2005 Share Posted June 23, 2005 I just finished watching WEST OF BROADWAY, and when it ended, I rewound the tape to figure out who'd played "Dot." She was lovely & wonderful. Thanks for posting her bio! I plan to visit her website soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhryun Posted July 8, 2005 Author Share Posted July 8, 2005 Thanks so much! I'm delighted you enjoyed "West of Broadway." It's my personal favorite of her films. Take care now! Richard Buller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhryun Posted July 8, 2005 Author Share Posted July 8, 2005 Yes, Lois did have that etheral kind of beauty that worked both in silents and early talkies. We can only imagine what she would have achieved had she not retired so early. But I really do appreciate your very kind remarks about her. Cheers! Richard Buller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts