Who played the title character in the 1929 film Pandora’s Box?

Louise Brooks played the title character in the 1929 film Pandora’s Box.

Brooks played Lulu, the central character in G. W. Pabst’s German silent film Pandora’s Box. Lulu is not Pandora from Greek mythology; she is a modern dramatic character adapted from Frank Wedekind’s plays. The film uses the Pandora comparison as a metaphor for desire, scandal, and destructive consequences.

Brooks was an American actress and dancer whose career included major work in Hollywood and Europe. Her performance as Lulu became her defining screen role, especially after the film’s later critical revival. Her short, dark bob also became one of the most recognizable visual styles associated with silent-film stars.

The movie was released in 1929 and was initially controversial. Modern film historians often place it among the essential works of late silent cinema, while its title can still cause confusion with direct adaptations of the ancient myth.