Art is the only means by which we can escape from the miserable condition of life, in which everything is but emptiness and deception, and attain, at least for a moment, to a higher state in which we can feel that we are in harmony with the universe and experience a happiness that is beyond the reach of chance. Art is the highest task and the truly metaphysical activity in this life. Arthur Schopenhauer Louise Brooks and her friend, Clara Bow, were sitting in a busy diner, sipping on milkshakes and discussing their careers in the film industry. They were chatting about the latest gossip in Hollywood when the topic…