Monday, September 25, 2017

More reviews of the new Beggars of Life DVD

Here are a few more reviews of the new Beggars of Life DVD / Blu-ray from Kino Lorber. I've highlighted what each reviewer or publication said about the film in general, as well as any comments (forgive me, please) about my audio commentary. Clicking on the hyperlinks will bring you to the full review, so those interested can read more.

An earlier round-up of reviews can be found at this earlier entry, "First reviews of the new Beggars of Life DVD from Kino Lorber (starring Louise Brooks)" from September 7th. Otherwise, here are some of the latest....


On WAMC (Northeast Public Radio out of Albany, NY), Rob Edelman (9/11/2017) broadcast "Its title is BEGGARS OF LIFE, and it joins such late-silent-era American classics as THE CROWD and SUNRISE as genuine works of cinematic art.... Kino Lorber has just released the film to home entertainment.... BEGGARS OF LIFE is a poignant, simple-- but never simplistic-- film.... is crammed with stunning, heartrending visuals.... is a pleasure to see, and to savor."

Roy Frumkes wrote on Films in Review (8/9/2017), "Strong to the point of being offensive in its day, such criticism no longer sticks, but this allows for us to enjoy the aesthetic beauty of the film, and the remarkably subtle performances of the entire cast.... It’s also a wonderful opportunity to enjoy Louise Brooks, the cult maverick of nitrate.... The recently recorded score by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra is often lovely and rarely distracting, and there are two commentaries, one favoring Ms. Brooks (by the founding director of the Louise Brooks Society) and another by William Wellman Jr. for balance."

On Stream on Demand at Home, the noted critic Sean Axmaker (9/10/2017) noted, "... featuring a rare integrated cast, its portrait of the armies of hobos is part homeless underworld and part romanticized escape, but it looks ahead to Wellman’s great depression-era dramas Wild Boys of the Road and Heroes For Sale, which presented a much more harrowing and desperate portrait of hobo life.... On Blu-ray and DVD with two new commentary tracks (one by William Wellman, Jr., and the other by film historian and Louise Brooks Society founder Thomas Gladysz) and a booklet with an essay by film historian Nick Pinkerton."



Mike Gebert on Nitrateville.com (8/21/2017) wrote, "This is an adventure film, fast-paced and able to sweep you along as easily as any silent made, and certainly belongs in that group of end-of-the-era silents that seem to have complete mastery of the form like Sunrise, Seventh Heaven, The Last Command, Lonesome, and a few others.... There are two commentary tracks—one by William Wellman Jr., which based on a spot listen seems to be mostly historical about the production (with some personal reminiscences thrown in), and one by Thomas Gladysz (who I interviewed for NitrateVille Radio), which has more of a focus on Brooks but also covers hobo author Jim Tully and the history of turning his book into this movie."

On It Came from the Bottom Shelf, William T. Garver, aka Garv (9/6/2017) wrote "One of the best examples of the art of late silent visual storytelling is William A. Wellman’s Beggars of Life (1928).... Fans of the silent beauty Louise Brooks, or of the mush-faced character actor Wallace Beery, should consider Beggars of Life required viewing, as it features performances on-par with their best-loved work.... Consult the book Beggars of Life: A Companion to the 1928 Film by Thomas Gladysz (who is one of the commentators on the Blu-ray)."

Michael Giltz wrote on Huffington Post (9/8/2017), "I was lucky to see Beggars Of Life in a theater. This early hit by director William Wellman has a great turn by Wallace Beery and a magnetic performance by Louise Brooks... It’s got verve."


Author James Neibur (9/21/17) wrote, "Beggars of Life is a film in which everything works at such an impressive level, it truly earns the reputation of screen classic.... Extras include commentary by William Wellman jr. and by Thomas Gladysz.  In fact, there is an affordable and highly recommended book that goes perfectly with the blu ray.  Gladysz, director of the Louise Brooks Society, has written a companion book to the movie that features a wealth of information, insight, and photos.  It really puts this film into historical perspective and helps to further understand and more deeply appreciate its status as a  screen classic."

Bruce Eder of All Movie Guide wrote "Wings (1927) may be William A. Wellman's most renowned silent film -- having won the first Best Picture Oscar -- but Beggars Of Life deserves just about as much recognition within its more modest boundaries..... And beyond Brooks' work, Beggars Of Life has a massive amount going for it, not least of which the visual poetry of Wellman's direction and Henry W. Gerrard's cinematography"

The new Kino Lorber release was also reviewed by a small handful of customers on amazon.com. And among the reviews were these recent comments:

The Movie Man wrote, "Though the subject matter of the film is very dark, director William Wellman (Wings, The Ox-Bow Incident) gives it a good deal of flair.... The 1928 black & white silent film has been digitally restored from 35-mm film elements preserved by the George Eastman Museum. Bonus materials on the unrated Blu-ray release include audio commentary by actor William Wellman, Jr.; audio commentary by the founding director of the Louise Brooks Society; booklet containing a critical essay; and musical score compiled and performed by The Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra, employing selections from the original 1928 Paramount cue sheet."

M. Britton wrote: "A lost masterpiece! Glad to see Kino get this one for a blu ray release. This silent classic has never looked as good as it does here. Love Louise Brooks and everything she is in. Was beginning to wonder if this film was "lost" like many of her films. Great film and a great blu ray! It even has a few wonderful commentaries that are worthy of a listen." 


An earlier round-up of reviews can be found at this earlier entry, "First reviews of the new Beggars of Life DVD from Kino Lorber (starring Louise Brooks)" from September 7th.


Sunday, September 24, 2017

Pandora's Box, starring Louise Brooks, screens thrice in England

Pandora's Box, starring Louise Brooks as the immortal Lulu, will be shown in England in the coming months on a few occasions. Details can be found HERE on the Silent London site, and below. Additional dates in England and Scotland are to be announced. Stay tuned.



First up, the film will be shown in London on November 19 at the British Film Institute. This special event at National Film Theater 1 (located at BFI Southbank) features live piano accompaniment and an introduction by Pamela Hutchinson, author of a forthcoming BFI Film Classics book on Pandora’s Box. More information and time and ticket availability may be found HERE

According to the BFI website, "Lulu (the wonderful Louise Brooks) breaks hearts and causes chaos in this 1928 silent classic: Pandora’s Box is a film ‘that bears repeated viewing and obsessive scrutiny’ (Bryony Dixon, ‘100 Silent Films’). Here is a good moment to re-view Pabst’s classic tale of the ammoral Lulu – played beautifully, in every sense, by Louise Brooks – on the occasion of Pamela Hutchinson’s new BFI Classic which challenges assumptions made about the film and its star by previous generations."



Pandora's Box will also be shown in Bristol on November 24. This special event, hosted by South West Silents, will take place at the Cube Microplex (BS2 8 Bristol, United Kingdom). Time and ticket availability may be found HERE. The film will show from a 35mm film print from the National Film and Television Archive with live piano accompaniment by John Sweeney, and will feature an introduction by Pamela Hutchinson.


According to the South West Silents website, "G.W. Pabst’s 1929 silent masterpiece Pandora’s Box stars Louise Brooks in the role that secured her place as one of the immortal goddesses of the silver screen. This controversial, and in its day heavily censored, film is regularly ranked in the Top 100 films of all time (including Cahiers du Cinema and Sight & Sound). Brooks is unforgettable as Lulu (Louise Brooks), a sexy, amoral dancer who creates a trail of devastation as she blazes through Weimar-era Berlin, breaking hearts and destroying lives. From Germany, she flies to France, and finally to London, where tragedy strikes. This stunning photographed film is loosely based on the controversial Lulu plays by Frank Wedekind, and also features one of the cinema’s earliest lesbian characters." 



Hardly a week later, Pandora's Box will be shown again in London on December 3 at Phoenix Cinema (52 High Rd, East Finchley, London N2 9PJ). Time and ticket availability may be found HERE. The film will feature a live piano accompaniment by Stephen Horne, as well as an introduction by Pamela Hutchinson..  

According to the Phoenix Cinema website, "A free-loving, status-climbing dancer takes up with a succession of lovers, gradually descending to the life of a streetwalker, and thus, her own doom. Lulu (Louise Brooks) lives beyond the constraints of time - she is a radiant, outrageous icon of modernity. In challenging moral conventions with depth and complexity, she has become a screen seductress like no other. Directed by G.W. Pabst in 1929, Pandora's Box is an acknowledged masterpiece of sensual imagery and remains an astonishingly modern work of art.

The Phoenix is very pleased to be welcoming film historian and author Pamela Hutchinson, who has recently written a book on Pandora’s Box for the BFI Film Classics series: Die Büchse der Pandora (Pandora’s Box, 1929), starring Hollywood icon Louise Brooks, is an established classic of the silent era. Pamela Hutchinson revisits and challenges many assumptions made about the film, its lead character and its star. Putting the film in historical and contemporary contexts, Hutchinson investigates how the film speaks to new audiences. She will be with us to introduce the film and will remain after the screening for an exclusive book signing."


More about the book, which is pictured below.


Saturday, September 23, 2017

Painting of Louise Brooks on display in UK

A painting of Louise Brooks is on display in a gallery in Leeds, England. The work, by UK artist Bay Backner, is on display at the Cafe 164, The Gallery at 164 (on Duke Street).

The artist explained the inspiration behind her recent work to the Bradford Telegraph and Argus,

"I'd had a brilliant chat with Janine Sykes, course leader in MA Curation Practices at Leeds College of Art. We'd talked about the faces we see as beautiful, and this is being changed by digital media and globalised industry. So the idea came together of a show to explore female beauty and its iconic images," says Bay, who works in oil paint on stretched canvas, then creates limited-edition prints in archival ink.
Another article, in the Yorkshire Evening Post, noting that Backner's new work focuses on the notion of beauty, stating "She spent six months examining what we see as beauty, how it affects how we see ourselves and what it means around the world for the exhibition, which features brightly coloured, large portraits of the women, painted in a style that harks back to the Golden Age of Hollywood."

According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, "The portraits are not based on a single photograph of the women, but the artists’ personal perspective of their image, based on a composite of pictures of them." Iconic beauties such as Hedy Lamarr and Audrey Hepburn, as well as supermodels Kate Moss and Bella Hadid, and artist Frida Kahlo are included among the portraits. As is Louise Brooks.

The artist looked around online, exploring the idea of beauty. "There were women there that I didn’t even realise had become part of my beauty mix," Backner is quoted as saying. "I really responded to Louise Brooks, who was the original 1920s ‘It girl’ and made it cool to have a boy-like figure and short hair. She changed the way women wanted to look."

In the Bradford Telegraph and Argus, Backner reiterated her point, "Of course my paintings are a very personal selection of faces. They're the women who have shaped my western ideal of beauty, and whose images hold in my mind as I look in the mirror every day. Interestingly, some are women unknown to me before I started research for the show - but I realised just how much their image changed how I, and many women today, see themselves. For example, Louise Brooks was the original 1920s 'It Girl'. She made short hair and a boy-like figure desirable after three centuries of corseted curves and waist-length hair. We'd look very different without her!"

In a statement sent to the Louise Brooks Society, the artists noted, "I first came across Louise Brooks in stills from Pandora's Box. I saw them while designing the set for another Wedekind play, Spring Awakening. My impression was of a strikingly beautiful, magnetic women with presence and energy. I reencountered her images while researching the 'How to Be Beautiful' exhibition - and was haunted by her expressions."

This portrait of Louise Brooks, "Louise in Pink" (oil on canvas, 24"x34"), is displayed at the gallery and on Backner's website.


“There were women there that I didn’t even realise had become part of my beauty mix,” Backner said. “I really responded to Louise Brooks, who was the original 1920s ‘It girl’ and made it cool to have a boy-like figure and short hair. She changed the way women wanted to look.”

Read more at: http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/painting-picture-of-beauty-at-leeds-art-exhibition-1-8761140

Bay studied at the Ruskin School of Art, Oxford University, and Central Saint Martins, London. She works in oil paint on stretched canvas, then creates limited-edition prints in archival ink. Bay’s paintings are informed by fine-art’s ‘old masters’ as well as today’s street artists and fashion photographers. Her work was recently featured by Grazia Magazine.

‘How To Be Beautiful’ is at Cafe 164, The Gallery at 164, until Saturday October 7, 2017.

Friday, September 22, 2017

Beggars of Life shows in Cleveland, Ohio tomorrow

The new restoration of Beggars of Life will be shown in Cleveland, Ohio on Saturday, September 23 at 5 pm. The 1928 film, which stars Louise Brooks, will be shown at the Cinematheque at the Cleveland Institute of Art (11610 Euclid Avenue). Beggars of Life is based on a memoir by vagabond writer and onetime Kent, OH, resident Jim Tully. Paul Bauer, co-author (with Mark Dawidziak) of the stellar 2011 biography Jim Tully: American Writer, Irish Rover, Hollywood Brawler, will introduce the film and sell and sign copies of his book. Cleveland revival premiere. DCP. 81 min. More information may be found HERE.


Louise Brooks’ best American film was made shortly before she left for Germany and found everlasting fame in G.W. Pabst’s Pandora’s Box and Diary of a Lost Girl. Here she plays a young woman who flees her cruel stepfather and, dressed in boy’s clothing, rides the rails with hobos. Wallace Beery and Richard Arlen co-star. At the time of its release, the Cleveland Plain Dealer described Beggars of Life as "a raw, sometimes bleeding slice of life." This silent film presentation has a new music score by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra. 




The Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque is one of the country’s best repertory movie theaters, according to The New York Times. Founded in 1986, the alternative film theater shows classic, foreign, and independent films 50 weekends of the year. The Cinematheque offers discounted tickets to all CIA students and contributes to the richness of the college’s public programming in the arts.

Want to learn more about this acclaimed film ? Check out my new book, Beggars of Life: A Companion to the 1928 Film. This first ever study of Beggars of Life looks at the film Oscar-winning director William Wellman thought his finest silent movie. Based on Jim Tully's bestselling book of hobo life-and filmed by Wellman the year after he made Wings (the first film to win the Best Picture Oscar), Beggars of Life is a riveting drama about an orphan girl (screen legend Louise Brooks) who kills her abusive stepfather and flees the law. She meets a boy tramp (leading man Richard Arlen), and together they ride the rails through a dangerous hobo underground ruled over by Oklahoma Red (future Oscar winner Wallace Beery). Beggars of Life showcases Brooks in her best American silent. Copies may be purchased through amazon.com, B&N.com, or through select independent bookstores. The new digital restoration of the film has just been released by Kino Lorber on DVD / Blu-ray.

Thursday, September 21, 2017

Portrait of Louise Brooks Goes to Auction

This painting will be offered on November 20th at Bonhams Auction House in New York City, along with almost 400 other pieces from the collection of Ira Resnick. Details to come.

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

TODAY: Beggars of Life, starring Louise Brooks, shows in Northbrook, Illinois

Beggars of Life, the acclaimed 1928 silent film starring Louise Brooks, will be shown today at the Northbrook Public Library in Northbrook, Ilinois. "An American silent film classic, Beggars of Life stars Louise Brooks as a train-hopping hobo who dresses like a boy to survive."

This screening, part of the Wednesday Classic Film Series, will take place at 7:30 pm in the library auditorium. Dave Drazin will accompany the film on piano. More information may be found HERE.


It's pretty cool that pianist Dave Drazin will accompany the film. This performer is a legend. Here is a little bit about him from his website.

Pianist and composer David Drazin is a music and motion picture archivist who has acquired a national reputation for his piano improvisations accompanying silent films. Among silent movie screenings for which he has performed are Cinevent Film Festival in Columbus, Ohio, the Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute in Chicago (staff accompanist since 1985), Pordenone Silent Film Festival, Italy (guest pianist 2003 and 2004), Silent Film Society of Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory, LaSalle Bank Theatre, North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Cleveland Cinematheque as well as at many universities, libraries and churches.

He is notable among contemporary film accompanists for his use of the 1920s-era jazz and blues, rather than classic ragtime, in playing for silent comedies. His improvisational ballet and dance accompaniment skills serve him well in developing music for dramas, such as the films in the Fritz Lang film series recently shown at the Art Institute.

Not limited only to music, David has operated cameras and projectors as well as crafting several short films of his own. His archive collection includes 78 rpm records, 8 and 16 millimeter silent and sound films. 

"Seeing a 35mm print of such a restoration well projected is the ideal, of course, especially with an expert pianist like the Cinematheque’s David Drazin providing the accompaniment." -- Kristin Thompson and David Bordwell, University of Wisconsin, Observations on Film Art blog

"A consummate musician with a supernatural talent for film accompaniment." -- Marilyn Ferdinand, author, Chicago film critic, ferdyonfilms.com

"If you've never heard/seen David Drazin accompany a silent film, then you're in for a real treat." -- Arnie Bernstein, author, Hollywood on Lake Michigan

"The accompaniments of David Drazin alone are worth the price of admission!" -- Jonathan Rosenbaum, film critic, writer

"Superb live musical interpretation for silent films." -- Classic Images

"Expertly fills in the sounds of silence." --  Cleveland Plain Dealer

"And should the piano playing of David Drazin be half as good as when he accompanied "City Girl" last month, then this qualifies as another must-see event." -- Detroit Free Press

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Schedule of screenings for Beggars of Life, starring Louise Brooks

The new DCP of Beggars of Life continues to "pick-up steam," with additional screening popping up just about everywhere. Here is a list, with links for time and ticket information, to forthcoming events.


Film Forum -- New York City     September 19, 2017
with live piano accompaniment by Steve Sterner

Northbrook Public Library -- Northbrook, Illinois     September 20, 2017
with live piano accompaniment by Dave Drazin

Cleveland Cinematheque -- Cleveland, Ohio   September 23, 2017
introduced by Jim Tully biographer Paul Bauer 

National Audiovisual Institute, KAVI -- Helsinki, Finland     October 12 and 15, 2017

Brooklyn Public Library  --  Brooklyn, New York     November 12, 2017
with live piano accompaniment by Bernie Anderson. Hosted & Curated by Ken Gordon.


Wisconsin Cinematheque -- Madison, Wisconsin     December 1, 2017

Riverrun International Film Festival  --  Winston-Salem, North Carolina     April, 2018

An American silent film classic, Beggars of Life (1928) stars Louise Brooks as a train-hopping hobo who dresses like a boy to survive. After escaping her violent stepfather, Nancy (Brooks) befriends kindly drifter Jim (Richard Arlen). They ride the rails together until a fateful encounter with the blustery Oklahoma Red (Wallace Beery) and his rambunctious band of hoboes, leading to daring, desperate conflict on top of a moving train. Based on the memoir of real-life hobo Jim Tully, and directed with adventuresome verve by William Wellman (Wings, The Public Enemy, A Star is Born, The Ox-Bow Incident, etc....), Beggars of Life is an essential American original.

See the movie - read the new book about the movie!

This first ever study of Beggars of Life looks at the film Oscar-winning director William Wellman thought his finest silent movie. Based on Jim Tully’s bestselling book of hobo life—and filmed by Wellman the year after he made Wings (the first film to win the Best Picture Oscar), Beggars of Life is a riveting drama about an orphan girl (screen legend Louise Brooks) who kills her abusive stepfather and flees the law. She meets a boy tramp (leading man Richard Arlen), and together they ride the rails through a dangerous hobo underground ruled over by Oklahoma Red (future Oscar winner Wallace Beery). Beggars of Life showcases Brooks in her best American silent—a film the Cleveland Plain Dealer described as “a raw, sometimes bleeding slice of life.” With more than 50 little seen images, and a foreword by William Wellman, Jr.


Listen to Rob Edelman's WAMC radio review of the Beggars of Life HERE!
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