Naughty Lola , a backstory. By Starkadder

[Blackwolf]

Louise de Villiers 1900-1989            
(aka “Naughty Lola”, “Marlene Wolff”, “Flora Poste” )            
Social revolutionary and aviatrix            
            
Call her by the name she earned and the one most fondly remembered by all who knew her. Lola.            
            
The “Naughty” was worn with spectacular pride even at the end of her life. A gifted polymath, Lola spoke six languages,            
            
Lola was born to wealth and connections. Her father was Gottfried von Kleist, a minor Prussian noble with a fortune in Silesian coal and armaments engineering. Her mother was the exquisitely beautiful Parisian socialite, Eleanora de Villiers. It was a happy marriage tragically cut short by von Kleist’s death in a mysterious ballooning accident in the Himalayas in 1912. Eleanora never recovered and withdrew from public life to drown her sorrow in absinthe and cocaine. She died in 1916.            
            
Lola’s education was left to the enigmatic Max Rheinhardt who had worked with Otto Lillienthal on his ground-breaking glider experiments. He imparted his love of aviation to the impressionable young Lola who made her first solo flight in a Lawrence Hargraves-designed box-kite in 1909. By 1916, Lola had logged over a thousand hours, many of them in her powder-blue Etrich Taube.            
            
She was a wild girl and, even today, many of the tales told of her cannot be confirmed. It is said that the Secret Services of at least six countries still hold confidential files on her activities.            
            
On public record are the high-speed and distance world records she held for float-planes during the Twenties and Thirties, her work with Frank Whittle on jet engine development and at least one logged high altitude attempt at the age of sixty-two in a modified NF-104A "borrowed" from NASA! (Achieved: 120,800 ft (36,820 m)). "Pancho" Barnes, Amelia Earhart and Beryl Markham all claimed her as a role model.            
            
One shadowy but persistent rumour is her depth of her association with the Rhino Air Pirates movement between the wars. We know that Rheinhardt himself claimed to have founded the Pirates as a reaction to the polarisation of politics after World War One. Rheinhardt wanted to "make it hot for them" and "they" meant anyone who believed in the right to oppress anyone else. Certainly Rheinhardt was a huge presence in her early life but it is difficult to assess her later involvement with him particularly as the Pirates early principles became corrupted by their growing arrogance. The legendary Last Stand of the Pirates in their heavily armoured high altitude dirigible Skystrip One still provokes argument as to who was "in the right" when the hammer fell. All we know is that Lola never spoke of her own involvement.            
            
She once proudly claimed to have flown around the world three times without "shtupping a single fascist". A born free spirit, she had many lovers in several countries but never married. Howard Hughes was besotted with her, Marlene Dietrich claimed she broke her heart after being rejected, Douglas Fairbanks and Errol Flynn both vied for her attention. She was a heller.            
            
Her last adventure was perhaps her strangest but again so typically "Naughty". We have no idea how but, at the age of 89, Lola was later identified as the mysterious pilot who flew an Antonov 26 ("Curl"), fully laden with C-4 into the Berlin Wall two days before President Ronald Reagan's famous call to "tear that Wall down".            
            
She was always her own woman.            
            
Naughty Lola was sung by Marlene Dietrich in the film The Blue Angel.            
            
"Ich bin die fesche Lola"            
Music: Friedrich Hollaender            
Lyrics: Friedrich Hollaender, Robert Liebmann            
            
Ich bin die fesche Lola, der Liebling der Saison!            
Ich hab' ein Pianola zu Haus' in mein' Salon            
Ich bin die fesche Lola, mich liebt ein jeder Mann            
doch an mein Pianola, da laß ich keinen ran!            
            
Ich bin die fesche Lola, der Liebling der Saison!            
Ich hab' ein Pianola zu Haus' in mein' Salon.            
Und will mich wer begleiten da unten aus dem Saal,            
dem hau' ich in die Seiten und tret' ihm aufs Pedal!            
            
Lola, Lola - jeder weiß, wer ich bin            
Sieht man nur mach mir hin,            
Schon verwirrt sich der Sinn.            
Männer, Männer - keinen küß ich hier            
Und allein am Klavier,            
sing die Zeilen mit mir.            
            
Ich bin die fesche Lola, der Liebling der Saison!            
Ich hab' ein Pianola zu Haus' in mein' Salon            
ich bin die fesche Lola, mich liebt ein jeder Mann,            
doch an mein Pianola, da laß ich keinen ran!            
            
Ich bin die fesche Lola, der Liebling der Saison!            
Ich hab' ein Pianola zu Haus' in mein' Salon.            
Doch will mich wer begleiten da unten aus dem Saal,            
dem hau' ich in die Seiten und tret' ihm aufs Pedal!            
            
Ich bin die fesche Lola, der Liebling der Saison!            
Ich hab' ein Pianola zu Haus' in mein' Salon            
ich bin die fesche Lola, mich liebt ein jeder Mann            
doch an mein Pianola, da laß ich keinen ran!            
            
And in English...            
            
"They call me naughty Lola"            
Music: Friedrich Hollaender            
Lyrics: Friedrich Hollaender, Robert Liebmann            
            
They call me naughty Lola            
The wisest girl on earth            
At home my pianola            
It works for all it's worth            
The boys all love my music I can't keep them away            
So my little pianola keeps working night and day            
            
They call me naughty Lola            
The wisest girl on earth            
At home my pianola            
It works for all it's worth            
Now I tell you a secret            
Don't hammer on the keys            
For a little pianissimo is always bound to please            
            
Lola, Lola - everybody knows me            
Ask the first man you see            
He knows how to find me            
Old men, young men, all fall in to my net            
they all want me to pet            
there's a reason, you bet!            
            
They call me naughty Lola            
The wisest girl on earth            
At home my pianola            
It works for all it worth            
The boys all love my music I can't keep them away            
So my little pianola keeps working night and day            
            
They call me naughty Lola            
The wisest girl on earth            
At home my pianola            
It works for all it's worth            
Now I tell you a secret            
Don't hammer on the keys            
For a little pianissimo is always bound to please            
They call me naughty Lola            
The wisest girl on earth            
At home my pianola            
It works for all it's worth            
The boys all love my music I can't keep them away            
So my little pianola keeps working night and day            

T

[Blackwolf]

Just to reiterate ,a brilliant piece by my good friend Starkadder.
 Hopefully more about Naughty Lola soon,from his  agile pen.

    Greywolf

[Blackwolf]

[oxiana]

Great mini!

And absolutely filthy song lyrics... There's a fantastic version sung by Ute Lemper on her album of Berlin Cabaret Songs - brilliant stuff for decadent Pulp scene setting!

[starkadder]

Ute Lemper is fantastic and Naughty Lola is indeed one of my favourite songs.

Lola's story is a work in progress but she's become an unexpected heroine to everyone she's shot at.

Thanks, Greywolf. I hope it's not too far off-forum for anyone. Suggestions are most welcome to slot into her story.

[Wirelizard]

Ute Lemper does "They Call Me Naughty Lola".

Excellent song, and a great backstory, Greywolf!

[Doomhippie]

Interesting to see that the English lyrics are a bit more - interesting - than the German ones...

[diehard]

Great little piece there Starkadder, thanks for sharing. I absolutely love to see pieces that intertwine with actual history. Hope to see more from you on this.

[d phipps]

Very nice! Thanks for sharing!!   

[starkadder]

Ute Lemper does "They Call Me Naughty Lola".

Thanks for that link Wirelizard! I have just changed someone's life with it. I managed to prove the magnifience of Ute Lemper.

[former user]

fascinating...
for 5 seconds, I thought the story was real




apart from their voices and talent, I not a fan of these girls, but...

[Capitan Diavolo]

Fascinating!

Sent a PM to Starkadder... Hope he will get it.

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

Great stuff! 

The legendary Last Stand of the Pirates in their heavily armoured high altitude dirigible Skystrip One still provokes argument as to who was "in the right" when the hammer fell.

This sounds like a great game in the making?

[Silent Invader]

fascinating...
for 5 seconds, I thought the story was real

It got me.....

..... But perhaps I wanted to be got!?! 

[starkadder]

Sent a PM to Starkadder... Hope he will get it.

He did, Captain. Our couriers found him atop Mt Largawi in Papua - New Guinea, where he was placing the finishing touches to his privately-funded interplanetary research vessel, Marlene D. It is rumoured that his choice of co-pilot is actually Lola's grand-daughter, Basia.

He thanks you for your interest and has sent an aethergram in response.

Your respectfully

Edward Ginley
Starkadder's powerful manservant responding on his behalf