Which American actor played Lulu in G. W. Pabst’s 1929 film Pandora’s Box?

Louise Brooks played Lulu in G. W. Pabst’s 1929 film Pandora’s Box.

Brooks was an American actress and dancer who became internationally famous for her bobbed hairstyle and distinctive screen presence. In Pabst’s film, she plays Lulu, the central figure whose relationships drive the story’s tragic consequences.

Pandora’s Box was made in Germany during the silent-film era and was based on Frank Wedekind’s plays Earth Spirit and Pandora’s Box. Brooks’s performance helped make the film a landmark, even though the movie did not become an immediate mainstream success everywhere.

The role is often discussed separately from the ancient Greek Pandora. Lulu is a modern dramatic character, while Hesiod’s Pandora belongs to a myth about the origins of human troubles. The shared title and ideas of danger and consequence create the connection between them.