Lou Tellegens self-fashioning

Brabantse romantische held in Hollywood?

Samenvatting

Lou Tellegen’s self-fashioning: a romantic hero from Brabant in Hollywood?

Actor Lou Tellegen (1883-1934) is often presented as the first Dutch Hollywood star. Records show his movies indeed were screened in Dutch cinemas, including those in the province of North-Brabant. In recent years, he even has been appropriated as a Brabantine Hollywood star by several writers, television makers and heritage organizations. Central source mate- rial for their stories on Tellegen is his own autobiography Women have been kind (1932). Tellegen presents a – literally – fantastic narrative of his life, which has never really been critically examined. Basic archival research debunks most of Tellegens claims, but the more interesting question is why Tellegen wrote such fantastical stories in his autobiography. This question should be followed by the question what influences he was subject to. These are the central questions in this article. It considers autobiography as a form of narrative identity, subject not only to the ‘free will’ of its author, but also to all kinds of societal discourses. This article unpicks the choices Tellegen made in setting up the narratives in his autobiography and explains them from the context of his life.