Anita Loos, a trailblazing screenwriter, made a lasting impact on Hollywood's early days. She began her career at the Biograph Company, writing screen scenarios at a remarkably young age. Her first produced script, The New York Hat (1912),was directed by the legendary D.W. Griffith and starred Mary Pickford, another future Hollywood heavyweight.
Loos continued to work with Griffith, writing subtitles for his epic Intolerance (1916),before collaborating with Douglas Fairbanks, whom she had championed in his early days in Hollywood. However, her husband and collaborator, John Emerson, convinced her to give up screenwriting for the sake of his own pride.
Fate intervened when Loos compiled a series of magazine stories into the book "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," based on the predilection of intellectual H.L. Mencken to be dazzled by gold-digging ditzes. The book became a surprise smash worldwide, spawning a sequel, "But Gentlemen Marry Brunettes," which was later adapted into a silent movie and a successful film starring Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell.
This success, combined with the on-again, off-again nature of her marriage to Emerson, allowed Loos to re-enter the film industry. She worked on classics such as San Francisco (1936),The Women (1939),and Red-Headed Woman (1932),starring Jean Harlow.
In her later years, Loos wrote several pieces for the theater and regained fame through her movie memoirs, including "A Girl Like I" and "Kiss Hollywood Goodbye." These memoirs are renowned for their colorful treatment of the truth and witty observations on the early days of Hollywood.
Loos's remarkable career spanned over six decades, leaving an indelible mark on the film industry. Her legacy continues to inspire and entertain audiences to this day.
