''Beggars of Life'' is an American film directed by William Wellman and starring

Wallace Beery Wallace Fitzgerald Beery (April 1, 1885 – April 15, 1949) was an American film and stage actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Bill in '' Min and Bill'' (1930) opposite Marie Dressler, as General Director Preysing in '' Grand Hotel'' ( ...

and

Richard Arlen Richard Arlen (born Sylvanus Richard Mattimore, September 1, 1899 – March 28, 1976) was an American actor of film and television. Biography Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Arlen attended the University of Pennsylvania. He served in Canada as a ...

as hobos, and

Louise Brooks Mary Louise Brooks (November 14, 1906 – August 8, 1985) was an American film actress and dancer during the 1920s and 1930s. She is regarded today as an icon of the Jazz Age and flapper culture, in part due to the bob hairstyle that she helpe ...

as a young woman who dresses as a young man and flees the law. The film is regarded as Brooks's best American movie. The actress recounted her memories of working on the film in her essay, “On Location with Billy Wellman,” which is included in her 1982 book, ''Lulu in Hollywood''. ''Beggars of Life'' was released as both a silent and sound film (the latter with added music, sound effects, and dialogue) in September 1928. The sound sequences, which included train noises and Beery singing a song, are now considered lost. This was Paramount's first feature with spoken dialogue and the first time Beery's voice was recorded for a film, although Beery's spoken dialogue was limited. Today, only the silent version of ''Beggars of Life'' is known to survive. The film is based on '' Outside Looking In'', a stage play by Maxwell Anderson adapted from Jim Tully’s 1924 autobiographical book, ''Beggars of Life''. The play debuted September 7, 1925 at the Greenwich Village Theater. Among those who attended a performance was

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is conside ...

, who was accompanied by Louise Brooks. Paramount purchased the rights to Tully's book and Anderson's play in early 1928. Arlen and Brooks had appeared together the previous year in '' Rolled Stockings'', which is considered a

lost film A lost film is a feature or short film that no longer exists in any studio archive, private collection, public archive or the U.S. Library of Congress. Conditions During most of the 20th century, U.S. copyright law required at least one copy ...

. Beery and Brooks had appeared together the previous year in ''

Now We're in the Air ''Now We're in the Air'' is a 1927 American silent comedy film directed by Frank R. Strayer, starring the late-1920s intermittent comedy team of Wallace Beery and Raymond Hatton. In a supporting role, Louise Brooks plays twins, one raised Fren ...

'', which was considered a lost film until 2016 when an incomplete copy was found in

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

.''Outside Looking In'', the Broadway play upon which Beggars of Life is based, was staged at the Greenwich Village Theatre and 39th Street Theatre Sept.7, 1925-Dec 1925; IBDb.com
/ref> In 2017, the best surviving copy of ''Beggars of Life'' was released on DVD and Blu-ray by Kino Lorber.

Cast

as Oklahoma Red *

as The Girl (Nancy) *

as The Boy (Jim) *(Robert Perry)(Bob Perry) as The Arkansaw Snake *

Blue Washington Edgar Hughes "Blue" Washington (12 February 1898 – 15 September 1970) was an American actor and baseball player who played in the Negro leagues from 1915 to 1920 as a pitcher and first baseman. Baseball career Washington started his baseba ...

as Black Mose *

Roscoe Karns Roscoe, also spelled Rosco or Roscow, may refer to: People * Roscoe (name) Places United States * Roscoe, California (disambiguation) * Roscoe Township (disambiguation) * Roscoe, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Roscoe, Illinois, a villag ...

as Lame Hoppy *Robert Brower as Blind Sims (uncredited) *

Frank Brownlee Frank Brownlee (October 11, 1874 – February 10, 1948) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 110 films between 1911 and 1943. He was born in Dallas, Texas and died in Los Angeles, California. Selected filmography * ''Sold ...

as the Farmer (uncredited) *Jacques (Jack) Chapin as Ukie (uncredited) *Andy Clark as Skelly (uncredited) *

Mike Donlin Michael Joseph Donlin (May 30, 1878 – September 24, 1933) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder and actor. As a professional baseball player, his MLB career spanned from 1899 to 1914 in which he played mainly in the National L ...

as Bill (uncredited) *

George Kotsonaros George Kotsonaros ( el, Γεώργιος Κωτσονάρος; October 16, 1892 in Nafplio, Greece – July 13, 1933 in Eutaw, Alabama) was a Greek-born professional wrestler and film actor. He acted mostly in silent pictures. His original name ...

as Baldy (uncredited) * Kewpie Morgan as Skinny (uncredited) *

Guinn "Big Boy" Williams Guinn Terrell Williams Jr. (April 26, 1899 – June 6, 1962) was an American actor who appeared in memorable westerns such as '' Dodge City'' (1939), ''Santa Fe Trail'' (1940), and '' The Comancheros'' (1961). He was nicknamed "Big Boy" ...

as Baker's Cart Driver (uncredited)

References

Sources

* * *

External links

* * *
The AFI Catalog of Feature Films: ''Beggars of Life''

''Beggars of Life'' at Louise Brooks Society

''Beggars of Life'' at Virtual History
{{William A. Wellman 1928 films 1928 adventure films 1928 crime drama films American crime drama films American LGBT-related films American black-and-white films Cross-dressing in American films Fictional hoboes Films directed by William A. Wellman Paramount Pictures films Rail transport films 1920s LGBT-related films Transitional sound films Films scored by Karl Hajos 1920s American films

Cast

See also

References

Sources

External links