Les mendiants de la vie

Original title: Beggars of Life

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Wallace Beery in Les mendiants de la vie (1928)

After killing her treacherous step-father, a girl escapes with a young vagabond and dresses as a boy. They hop freight trains, quarrel with a group of hobos, and use a stolen car in their at... Read allAfter killing her treacherous step-father, a girl escapes with a young vagabond and dresses as a boy. They hop freight trains, quarrel with a group of hobos, and use a stolen car in their attempt to reach Canada.After killing her treacherous step-father, a girl escapes with a young vagabond and dresses as a boy. They hop freight trains, quarrel with a group of hobos, and use a stolen car in their attempt to reach Canada.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.4/10

1.4K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

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Top cast18

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Wallace Beery

Oklahoma Red

Richard Arlen

The Boy - Jim

Louise Brooks

The Girl - Nancy

Bob Perry

The Arkansaw Snake
(as Robert Perry)

Roscoe Karns

Lame Hoppy

Blue Washington

Black Mose
(as Edgar Washington Blue)

Kewpie Morgan

Skinny
(as H.A. Morgan)

Andy Clark

Skelly

Mike Donlin

Bill

Johnnie Morris

Rubin

George Kotsonaros

Baldy

Jack Chapin

Ukie
(as Jacques Chapin)

Robert Brower

Blind Sims

Frank Brownlee

Farmer

Gilbert Holmes

Hobo
(uncredited)

Guy Oliver

Sheriff
(uncredited)

Harvey Parry

Hobo
(uncredited)

Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams

Baker's Cart Driver
(uncredited)

Director
- William A. Wellman
Writers
- Benjamin Glazer
- Jim Tully
All cast & crew
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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The train wreck in this movie (an actual derailment) was filmed in Carrizo Gorge in the Southern California desert; the wreckage is still there.

Quotes
The Boy: Ain't it funny when you think of the millions o' people in warm houses and feather beds, an' us just driftin' 'round like the clouds? But I guess it's about even when you boil it down. Even them people in feather beds ain't satisfied - we're all beggars of life.

Crazy credits
On the movie's title card the order of the star cast names is as follows: Wallace Beery, Richard Arlen, Louise Brooks. In the cast list the order is: Wallace Beery, Louise Brooks, Richard Arlen.

Connections
Featured in Arena: Louise Brooks (1986)

Soundtracks
Beggars of Life
Music by Karl Hajos
Lyrics by J. Keirn Brennan

User reviews30

Featured review

Louise Brooks Was a Star

and this film proves it. Beggars of Life is a gritty tale set against some beautiful images in the way that Sunrise or Days of Heaven used visual imagery. There are some stunning scenes and great camera work. William Wellman directs. Brooks stars as a girl on the run with a man she meets (Richard Arlen). The picaresque tale takes them west as they try to get to Canada. They run into a hobo camp where Oklahoma Red (Wallace Beery) takes control of their destinies. Great performances by the stars. The camera work on the trains is great, and the stars do their own stunt work. Brooks was always a difficult star, and she paid the price by losing her Hollywood career. Too bad. This 1928 silent shows she had real talent. Although she gets 3rd billing, she is the center of this remarkably adult film about sin, love, lust, honor, and hope. Beery is good, but Arlen is wonderful in his "big brother" role. Roscoe Karns and Guinn Williams (familiar faces in 30s films) co-star. But Louise Brooks is the reason to see this, her best American film, especially if you've seen her German films with Pabst. A must!