Anita Loos

Anita Loos was an American author, playwright, and screenwriter. Loos is best known for her satirical novel Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1925). Later, the book was adapted into a successful Broadway musical and two film versions.

Corinne Anita Loos was born in Sisson, California. She wanted to be a writer by age six. In 1903, her family moved to San Diego, where she began performing in her father's theater company while writing under a pseudonym for a legitimate stock company. Loos found success with her play The Ink Well and started exploring the world of filmmaking.

In 1911, she submitted her first screenplay, He Was a College Boy, to the Biograph Company, receiving $25 for the work. Her breakthrough came with The New York Hat (1912), a film starring Mary Pickford and Lionel Barrymore, directed by D.W. Griffith. Drawing inspiration from real-life experiences, Loos churned out scripts, incorporating characters from her father's circle and encounters with San Diego vacationers.

Between 1912 and 1915, Loos sold scripts to various studios, including Biograph and Lubin. Loos had penned 200 scenarios before even setting foot in a film studio, showcasing her remarkable talent.

Her satirical novel, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: The Intimate Diary of a Professional Lady, released in the same year as Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby and Van Vechten's Firecrackers delves into the carefree indulgence and hedonism of the Jazz Age. The book, narrated by the fictional character Lorelei Lee, a blonde gold digger, became a cultural phenomenon and solidified Loos' reputation as a witty and insightful writer.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes became the second best-selling novel in the US in 1926 and an international bestseller. It has been printed worldwide in over thirteen languages, including Russian and Chinese.

Loos's sharp sense of humor and understanding of Hollywood's inner workings made her a sought-after screenwriter, and she contributed to the success of films like Red-Headed Woman (1932) and San Francisco (1936), among others.

In addition to her work in film, Anita Loos also wrote plays, essays, and short stories. She continued to write throughout her life, penning novels such as But Gentlemen Marry Brunettes (1927), a sequel to Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and A Mouse Is Born (1951).

Anita Loos passed away in New York City at the age of 93.