NEW BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT! Rediscovering Brigitte Helm

That’s right, today I offer news of a forthcoming publication from the good folk at McFarland – and written by me… Rediscovering Brigitte Helm: Film Performance and Stardom, 1925–1935. There is no release date yet, but it should be available to pre-order later this year. I am also working on a new page for this blog to showcase a plethora of Helm memorabilia from my own collection, together with a playlist of tie-in songs from her films. In the next few weeks, I will also offer some reflections on visiting archives and the discoveries I made therein. In the meantime, here is a sneak preview of the cover and the blurb…

In 1927, Brigitte Helm’s sensational debut in Metropolis made her an instant star. Hailed as “fascinating, vigorous, dangerous” on screen, she consolidated her international reputation with a series of hugely popular films. Helm successfully navigated the transition from silent to sound cinema and fought for greater creative influence over her work. Forever battling producers, she was ultimately unwilling to be controlled. Aged just 27, she quit film forever in 1935. This book re-evaluates Helm’s extraordinary career. The product of groundbreaking archival research, this is the first monograph on Helm in English – and the only study to explore all her surviving work. Designed to appeal to general readers as well as specialists, this book broadens our understanding of Helm’s historical significance and deepens our appreciation of her artistic achievements. It affirms that Helm is worth studying, not simply as a creation of her era – but by virtue of her own creation.

Paul Cuff

Author: Paul Cuff

In December 2004, I saw Abel Gance’s Napoléon (1927) and have never been the same since. Experiencing that film projected on 35mm with live orchestra changed the course of my life. From that day, I have spent much of my time thinking and writing about silent cinema. View all posts by Paul Cuff