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 It Pays to Advertise, which was officially released by Paramount Publix Corporation on May 3, 1931. 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.

1931 Screenings:  California in San Francisco (March 14-19, 1931); State in Red Bluff (March 21, 1931); Fox Hippodrome in Sacramento (March 22-23, 1931); Fox U.C. in Berkeley (March 24-27, 1931); Fox in Napa (March. 28, 1931); Princess in Sausalito (March 29-30, 1931); Fox Grand Lake in Oakland (March 29 – Apr. 1, 1931); Arbuckle in Arbuckle (March 31, 1931 benefit for the Women’s Club of Arbuckle); Colusa in Colusa (April 1-2, 1931); Lincoln  in Pleasanton (April 5, 1931); Stanford in Palo Alto April 5, 1931); Plaza in Healdsburg (April 10, 1931); Sequoia in Redwood City (April 10, 1931); Fox Senator in Vallejo (April 10-11, 1931); New Santa Cruz Theatre in Santa Cruz (April 11, 1931); Plaza in Healdsburg (April. 11, 1931); California in Salinas (April 12, 1931); Fox in Turlock (April 15, 1931); Cline in Santa Rosa (April18, 1931); Auburn Theatre in Auburn (April 24, 1931); Mystic in Petaluma (April 25, 1931); State in Martinez (April 25, 1931 with Indians are Coming); Empire in Placerville (April 28-29, 1931 with Fair Warning); California in Pittsburg (May 2, 1931); Grand in Tracy (May 3, 1931); Reel Joy in King City (May 4-5, 1931); Minor in Arcata (May 5-6, 1931); Liberty in St. Helena (May 8-9, 1931 with Near the Rainbow’s End); Senator in Chico (May 8-9, 1931); El Campanil in Antioch (May 9, 1931);  New Fillmore in San Francisco (May 14-15, 1931); New Mission in San Francisco (May 14-15, 1931); Strand in Gilroy (May 16, 1931 as Pays to Advertise); California in Dunsmuir (May 16, 1931); Senator in Oakland (May 20, 1931); Strand in Lincoln (May 23, 1931 with Men on Call); New San Mateo in San Mateo (May 24-25, 1931); Peninsula in Burlingame (May 29, 1931); State in Mendocino (May 29-30, 1931 with Outside the Law); Sequoia in Mill Valley (May 30, 1931 with Going Wild); Lorin in Berkeley (May 31, 1931 with The Seas Beneath); State in Fort Bragg (June 5-6, 1931 with Outside the Law); State in Ukiah (June 5-6, 1931); Hayward Theatre in Hayward (June 7, 1931 matinee only); Castro in San Francisco (June 8-9, 1931); Princess in Sausalito (June 14-15, 1931); Casa Grande in Santa Clara (June 19, 1931 with Not Exactly Gentlemen); Rivoli in Berkeley (June 19-20, 1931 with Road to Paradise); Excelsior in San Francisco (June 20, 1931 with Sinner’s Holiday); Davies in San Francisco (June 24-26, 1931 with Woman Who Was Forgotten); Irving in San Francisco (June 27, 1931); Lyceum in San Francisco (June 27, 1931); Parkside in San Francisco (June 27, 1931); Allendale in Oakland (July 1, 1931); Roosevelt in San Francisco (July 3-4, 1931); Haight in San Francisco (July 5, 1931); New Roseville Theatre in Roseville (July 5, 1931); Hester in San Jose (July 5-6, 1931); Solano in Fairfield (July 10, 1931); Victory in San Jose (July 10-11, 1931 with Gentleman’s Fate); Palace in San Leandro (July 11, 1931 with The Dancers); Riviera in San Francisco (July 13, 1931); Majestic in San Francisco (July 15-16, 1931 with The Flood); Broadway in Oakland (July 18, 1931); Lincoln in Oakland (July 25, 1931); Vista Theatre in Rio Vista (July 25, 1931); Clark in Vacaville (Aug. 21, 1931 with Dancing Dynamite); Century in Oakland (Aug. 21-22, 1931 with The Ruling Voice); Premier in Oakland (Aug. 26-27, 1931); Rialto in Stockton (Aug. 27-28, 1931 with Not Exactly Gentlemen); Nevada in Nevada City (Sept. 3, 1931); Neptune Palace Theater in Alameda (Sept. 3-4, 1931); State in Oroville (Sept. 8-9, 1931); Coliseum in San Francisco (Sept. 24-25, 1931); National in Modesto (Oct. 6-7, 1931); Smith’s in Yuba City (Oct. 19, 1931); Majestic in Benicia (Nov. 12, 1931); California in Sacramento with Skyline (Nov. 21, 1931);

Screenings after 1931:  National in San Jose (March 31 – Apr. 1, 1932 with Men of the Sky); Century in Oakland (Aug. 21-22, 1932 with The Ruling Voice); American in Oakland (Nov. 10-11, 1932 with After Tomorrow); Roxie in Sacramento (March 27, 1938 with Hopalong Cassidy Returns); Casino in San Francisco (March 29-30. 1938 with Midnight Madonna); American in Oakland (April 2, 1938 with Criminals of the Air); Empire in San Francisco (June 28-29. 1938 with City Girl);

Contemporary screenings:  Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley (Jan. 19, 1984 as part of the series “William K. Everson Introduces Pre- and Post-Code Comedies from the Thirties”); Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley (Oct. 29, 1986 as part of “William K. Everson Presents”).

***

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.