This page is part of an experiment in local film history. It presents a record of each documented screening of a particular Louise Brooks film in Northern California, from the time of its release through today. Recorded here are which city and at what venue and over what period of time (one week, three days, one day, etc…) any particular film was shown. Additionally noted are those occasions when a film was shown as part of a double bill, if there was a special guest appearance, or some other unusual circumstance, such as a benefit screening.
This page presents a record of screenings for Beggars of Life, which was officially released by Famous-Players Lasky / Paramount on February 26, 1928. For more about this production, be sure and check out its Louise Brooks Society FILMOGRAPHY PAGE. ||| Or, click here to advance to the NEXT FILM in the Lulu by the Bay set of records.
1928 screenings: Modesto in Modesto (Oct. 16-18, 1928 – see pictured advertisement); California in Pittsburg (Oct. 28-29, 1928); Strand in Gilroy (Nov. 5-6, 1928); Senator in Sacramento (Nov. 10-16, 1928); Warfield in San Francisco (Nov. 10-16, 1928); California in Watsonville (Nov. 12-13, 1928); Liberty in St. Helena (Nov. 14-15, 1928); California in San Jose (Nov. 17-19, 1928); California in Stockton (Nov. 18-20, 1928); Orpheus in San Rafael (Nov. 19-21, 1928); New Stanford in Palo Alto (Nov. 21-23, 1928); Tamalpais in San Anselmo (Nov. 22-24, 1928); California in Salinas (Nov. 23-24, 1928); New Niles Theatre in Niles (Nov. 25-26, 1928); Hippodrome in Napa (Nov. 27-28, 1928); Hub in Mill Valley (Nov. 27-28, 1928); Orpheum in Lakeport (Nov. 27-28, 1928); Oakland in Oakland (Dec. 1-7, 1928); National in Marysville (Dec. 4-6, 1928); Royal in South San Francisco (Dec. 4-5, 1928); Sequoia in Redwood City (Dec. 5-6, 1928); Princess in Sausalito (Dec. 6-7, 1928); Star in Sonora (Dec. 6-8, 1928); U.C. in Berkeley (Dec. 12-14, 1928); Mountain View Theatre in Mountain View (Dec. 13-14, 1928); New Roseville Theatre in Roseville (Dec. 13-15, 1928); Playhouse in Calistoga (Dec. 16-17, 1928); California in Dunsmuir (Dec. 17-18, 1928); National in Marysville (Dec. 17-19, 1928); Fox California in Richmond (Dec. 19-20, 1928); New San Mateo in San Mateo (Dec. 19-21, 1928); California in Petaluma (Dec. 21-22, 1928); Merriam in Blue Lake (Dec. 23, 1928); Del Paso in Sacramento (Dec. 27-28, 1928); Liberty in Susanville (Dec. 31, 1928 – Jan. 1, 1929);
1929 screenings: El Campanil in Antioch (Jan. 6, 1929); Arlington in Suisun (Jan. 6-7, 1929); Strand in Grass Valley (Jan. 9-10, 1929); Merced Theatre in Merced (Jan. 12, 1929); Theatre of the Golden Bough in Carmel (Jan. 13-14, 1929); Nevada in Nevada City (Jan. 13-14, 1929); National in Modesto (Jan. 17-18, 1929); California in Sacramento (Jan. 17-18, 1929); Elite in Placerville (Jan. 18-19, 1929); New Fillmore in San Francisco (Jan. 19-20, 1929); New Mission in San Francisco (Jan. 19-20, 1929); Chimes in Oakland (Jan. 25-26, 1929); California in Turlock (Jan. 27, 1929); Reel Joy in King City (Jan. 28-29, 1929); National in Woodland (Jan. 31 – Feb. 1, 1929); Alexandria in San Francisco (Feb. 3-5, 1929); Lincoln in Pleasanton (Feb. 3-4, 1929); Fortuna in Fortuna (Feb. 3-4, 1929); Engelmine in Engelmine (Feb. 5, 1929); Majestic in Benicia (Feb. 7, 1929); Irving in San Francisco (Feb. 7-8, 1929); Senator in Oakland (Feb. 7-9, 1929); Irving in San Francisco (Feb. 8, 1929); Auburn in Auburn (Feb. 9, 1929); Lorin in Berkeley (Feb. 11-12, 1929); Strand in Berkeley (Feb. 15-16, 1929); State in Oroville (Feb. 17, 1929); Castro in San Francisco (Feb. 17, 1929); New Fruitvale in Oakland (Feb. 18, 1929); New Fruitvale in Oakland (Feb. 19, 1929); State in Martinez (Feb. 20-21, 1929); Senator in Chico (Feb. 21-22, 1929); Alhambra in San Francisco (Feb. 23, 1929 with Forbidden Love); Royal in San Francisco (Feb. 24, 1929 with Forbidden Love); Oaks in Berkeley (Feb. 24-25, 1929); Opal in Hollister (Feb. 25-26, 1929); Haight in San Francisco (Feb. 27-28, 1929); New Menlo in Menlo Park (Mar. 1, 1929); Metropolitan in San Francisco (Mar. 3, 1929); Elite in Placerville (Mar. 5, 1929); New Lyceum in San Francisco (Mar. 6-7, 1929); Fairfax in Oakland (Mar. 11, 1929); Fairfax in Oakland (Mar. 12, 1929); Star in Newman (Mar. 13, 1929); Marina in San Francisco (Mar. 24-25, 1929); California in Santa Rosa (Mar. 25-26, 1929); Golden State in Oakland (Mar. 26, 1929); Piedmont in Oakland (Mar. 26, 1929); Redding Theatre in Redding (May 27-28, 1929); Palace in San Leandro (Mar. 28-29, 1929); Ramona in Walnut Creek (Mar. 30-31, 1929); Rivoli in Berkeley (Apr. 1-2, 1929); Clark in Vacaville (Apr. 3-4, 1929); Harding in San Francisco (Apr. 3-4, 1929); Lincoln in Oakland (Apr. 8, 1929); Capitol in Oakland (Apr. 11-12, 1929); Plaza in Oakland (Apr. 11-12, 1929); Hester in San Jose (Apr. 16-17, 1929); Eastmont in Oakland (Apr. 18, 1929); Strand in Salinas (Apr. 18-19, 1929); Eastmont on Oakland (Apr. 19, 1929); New Santa Cruz Theatre in Santa Cruz (Apr. 19-20, 1929); Palace in Oakland (Apr. 22-23, 1929); Avenue in San Francisco (Apr. 28, 1929); Riviera in San Francisco (May 1, 1929); Hayward Theatre in Hayward (May 1-2, 1929); State in Fort Bragg (May 2, 1929); High School in Winters (May 4, 1929); National in San Jose (May 5-7, 1929); Excelsior in San Francisco (May 8-9, 1929); Fern in Oakland (May 14-15, 1929); Roosevelt in San Francisco (May 22-23, 1929); Redding in Redding (May 28, 1929); Daly City in Daly City (June 19, 1929); Casino in San Francisco (June 20-21, 1929); Ramona in Walnut Creek (June 25, 1929); Liberty in Healdsburg (July 5-6, 1929); State in Ukiah (July 9, 1929); New Colma in Colma (July 15-16, 1929); Cline in Santa Rosa (Aug. 24, 1929); Strand in Colusa (Sept. 3-4, 1929); Los Gatos in Los Gatos (Sept. 5, 1929); Majestic in Concord (Sept. 7, 1929); Broadway in Oakland (Oct. 20-21, 1929 with The Jazz Age); Rialto in Stockton (Oct. 27-28, 1929); Century in Oakland (Dec. 6-7, 1929 with Trent’s Last Case);
1930 screenings: Smiths’ Theater in Yuba City (May 6-7, 1930); Rose in Santa Rosa (Aug. 1-2, 1930 with The Fighting Legion);
Contemporary screenings: Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley (Jan. 25, 1972 followed by Wild Boys of the Road); Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley (Aug. 17, 1976 with It’s the Old Army Game); San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco (Aug. 22, 1976 with It’s the Old Army Game); Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley (Mar. 15, 1981 with It’s the Old Army Game and Overland Stage Raiders as part of the series “The American Films of Louise Brooks”); Avenue in San Francisco (June 26, 1981 with Hollywood Without Makeup); Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley (Oct. 13, 1985 as part of the series “William Wellman Directs”); Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley (Jan. 14, 1988 as part of the “International Children’s Film Festival”); Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley (Jan. 14, 1996); Castro in San Francisco (July 14, 2007 as part of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, with an introduction by William Wellman Jr.).
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If you live in Northern California and are curious to learn if a Brooks’ film played where you live, the 25 pages that comprise Lulu by the Bay — including this one, may be just the record to satisfy your curiosity. Want to know more about the non-Louise Brooks films which made the other half of a double bill? Try searching the Internet Movie Database, or IMDb. Additionally, if you are interested in finding out more about any of the theaters noted above, then be sure and check out Cinema Treasures. It’s a truly remarkable website with entries on more than 60,000 movie theaters from not only around California and the United States, but also around the world. Most every theater has its own page, which includes its location, a brief history, historic and contemporary images, and lots more. Cinema Treasures includes not just current theaters, but also those many venues which have closed, been converted to another use, or torn down. Notably, this crowd sourced website can be searched by theater name, location, or zip code.
Have a question or know of other screening not listed above? If so, please CONTACT the Louise Brooks Society.