In one of this week's profiles of historic properties in the Roslyn community, the beautiful Chalet Des Lacs , home of Eugene Valentine Brewster was featured.
I have to admit that my only knowledge of Chalet Des Lacs and Brewster was the above photo with the caption: Searching for the next Mary Pickford, Eugene Brewster hosted 25 aspiring actresses at his Roslyn home on August 23, 1919. The women were selected from 100,000 entries in a contest held by Brewster's Motion Picture Story magazine.
A full-page ad promoting the film "A Dream of Fair Woman" featuring four winners form the 1919 contest.
When I recently obtained this photo of Chalet Des Lacs "the Bryant Avenue home of Eugene V. Brewster from the Nassau County Photo Archives, I became intrigued where was this house located on Bryant Avenue and who was Brewster? With the wonderful assistance of Carol Clark, archivist of the Bryant Library Local History Collection, I was able to track the site to around 120 Bryant Avenue in now Roslyn Harbor.-Howard Kroplick
Site visits confirmed the existence of remnants of the entrance column and wall, foundation and garage of Chalet Des Lacs.
A quick Google search of Eugene V. Brewster (1869-1939) revealed a pioneering movie magazine publisher who helped start the film careers of Clara Bow and Mary Astor and whose personal life made headlines in the 1920s and 1930s. The story behind Eugene V. Brewster was featured in a 2018 book by Jennifer Ann Redmond's Southern Belle to Hollywood Hell .
The best online profile of Brewster is available on the 50plusworld.com:
2 Comments
Oh there's a LOT more about the Brewster wives! Eleanor Cator Brewster was my favorite. She was such an eccentric. I had a blast writing about Brewster and Corliss both in SOUTHERN BELLE TO HOLLYWOOD HELL and I still think their story would make a great film. "Reality show" hijinks from over 100 years ago!
Emilie. Sorry, wrong wife!
Fascinating unknown history of Roslyn Harbor resident Brewster. Recently Friends of Cedarmere VP Tom Powell discovered a photo showing a silent film was shot at Cedarmere in 1919. I wonder if Brewster had any connection.
Brewster shot a couple of films under his own production company (distribution was hell) - any way you could post/send more info about the film? I'm wondering if it was A DREAM OF FAIR WOMEN.