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Stub Record
Beggars of Life
Director:
William A. Wellman
(Dir)
Release Date:
22 Sep 1928
Duration (in mins):
80
Duration (in feet):
7,560
Duration (in reels):
9
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Cast:
Wallace Beery
(Oklahoma Red)
Louise Brooks
(Nancy)
Richard Arlen
(Jim)
Edgar Washington Blue
(Mose)
H. A. Morgan
(Skinny)
Andy Clark
(Skelly)
Mike Donlin
(Bill)
Roscoe Karns
(Hopper)
Robert Perry
(Arkansas Snake)
Johnnie Morris
(Rubin)
George Kotsonaros
(Baldy)
Jacques Chapin
(Ukie)
Robert Brower
(Blind Sims)
Frank Brownlee
(Farmer)
Summary:
Nancy lives in mortal fear of her foster father and, when he attacks her, she kills him in a moment of panic. The murder is discovered by Jim, a young hobo, who helps her to escape. Nancy dresses in men's rough clothes, and she and Jim hop a freight; thrown off by the brakeman, they take refuge in a hobo camp, the leadership of which is bitterly contested between Arkansas Snake and Oklahoma Red. The encampment is broken up by detectives, and Jim and Nancy take refuge with Mose and a seriously ill tramp in an abandoned shack. Red unexpectedly shows up with a stolen car and women's clothing for Nancy, helping her and Jim to escape in the car. The sick tramp dies, and Red, dressing him in Nancy's rough clothes, places his body in a lumber car which he sets aflame. The pursuing detective kills Red, and Jim and Nancy (who is declared to be officially dead by the police) hop a passenger train for Canada.
Production Company:
Paramount Famous Lasky Corp.
Distribution Company:
Paramount Famous Lasky Corp.
Director:
William A. Wellman
(Dir)
Producer:
Adolph Zukor
(Pres)
Jesse L. Lasky
(Pres)
Benjamin Glazer
(Supv)
Writer:
Benjamin Glazer
(Scen)
Jim Tully
(Scen)
Julian Johnson
(Titles)
Photography:
Henry Gerrard
(Dir of photog)
Film Editor:
Alyson Shaffer
(Film ed)
Country:
United States
Language:
English
Source Text:
Based on the novel
Beggars of Life
by Jim Tully (New York, 1924).
Authors:
Jim Tully
Copyright Claimant
Copyright Date
Copyright Number
Paramount Famous Lasky Corp.
21/9/1928
dd/mm/yyyy
LP25642
Physical Properties:
Si with sd seq:
Talking seq, mus score, and sd eff by Movietone
b&w:
Genre:
Drama
Subjects (Major):
Detectives
Disguise
Foster parents
Murder
Railroads
Tramps
Note:
A silent version of the film was also released, at a length of 7,504 feet.
Bibliographic Sources:
Date
Page
Exhibitor's Herald-World and Moving Picture World
30 Oct 1928
p, 51.
Film Daily
30 Sep 1928
p. 8.
The Film Spectator
27 Oct 1938
pp. 6-7.
New York Times
24 Sep 1928
p. 25.
Variety
26 Sep 1928
p. 14.
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