wiedler.ch

book (design) story #264

arnolt bronnen:
film und leben – barbara la marr

ernst rowohlt verlag k.g.a.a., berlin, 1928
printer: poeschel & trepte, leipzig
size: 19 x 13 cm
designer: (unknown)

barbara la marr (1896-1926) – real name: reatha dale watson – was a popular american stage and film actress, cabaret artist and writer. in the 1920s she became a big star, but also a heroin addict. "the girl who was too beautiful" as she was dubbed by the press died young in 1926. later hollywood actress hedy lamarr (born hedwig kiesler) chose her pseudonym after her.

this is a biography of la marr by austrian-born writer arnolt bronnen (1895-1959) who was actually called arnold bronner. in the 1920 he moved to berlin where he worked with brecht and murnau. although he had a jewish father, he started to sympathize with nazi ideas by 1930, and befriended ernst jünger and even goebbels. however as a "half-jew" bronner ran into troubles and was finally excluded from the reichskulturkammer. after 1945 he joined the austrian communist party but was soon excluded. nevertheless he moved to the gdr in 1955 where he died.

the book is here for its nice photographic jacket design. i especially like the filmstrip-like sequence running down the spine. the asymmetric sans-serif titles in red are classic "new typography" style. the designer is not credited.

the typography of the inner pages is conventional.