Louise Brooks: Fame and Irony

The sad story of The Times reporting the demise of former Hollywood star Louise Brooks (Aug. 10) tells us that the road to fame, even in Hollywood, is a two-way street and often paved with dramatic irony.

We know of many sales clerks who became Hollywood stars--Dorothy Lamour and Mary Livingstone among others--but Miss Brooks was a movie star who a later became a sales clerk in Rochester, New York.

Fate can be kind to those just starting out and most unkind to those who have reached the top. C’est la vie! I remember my dear mother saying to me many years ago: “Life offers no guarantees. Everyone needs a bit of luck”. MONROE RUBINGER

Beverly Hills