Brilliant Facts About Anita Loos, Hollywood’s Hidden Star
Anita Loos was the first female staff writer in Hollywood. Her sharp wit, classic one-liners and knack for subtly made her a legend of the silent film era.
But she never received the recognition she merited—likely because her husband incessantly claimed it as his own. Along with all of her money. Read these wise and witty facts about Anita Loos, the “the world’s most brilliant woman”.
1. She Loved The Losers
Anita Loos was born in April of 1888. Her parents owned and operated a tabloid newspaper out of San Francisco but her father—a boozer and loser—flitted all of their money away. Sadly, this would be a chilling omen for her own personal life.
Her spendthrift of a father did, however, manage to provide her with inspiration—and a lifelong attraction to bum-husbands.
2. Her Name Was Hard To Pronounce
As long as no one was calling her “loser”, Loos didn’t really care how people pronounced her name. She later said, “Clifford [her brother] would painstakingly correct anyone who mispronounced our name. I never cared what people called me.
So I became Miss ‘Loose’ while my brother was always ‘Dr. Lohse’”. After all, who has time to correct people when you’re supporting an entire family…
3. She Brought Home The Dough
By the time she was in her teens, Anita Loos was responsible for most of her family’s income. Her parents put her and her sister into theater productions, having sold their ailing newspaper business for a theater company in San Diego.
But, even as she recited her lines, Loos knew she wanted to write, not act. And she had plenty of material to work with.
4. She Combed The Dregs
Loos grew up around seedy characters with questionable motives and somewhat wayward morals, including “lowlifes” and ladies of the night. It was the perfect fodder for her writing. And write she did.
Even as she continued working for her parents’ theater company, Loos managed to write 105 scripts, most of which the studios produced.
