BIG NEWS: the once "lost" synchronized sound version of Beggars of Life, the William Wellman directed film starring Louise Brooks, can now be viewed online -- that is, disc one of the 1928 film. The remaining discs are considered lost, and for now, this is all we have. But still, this almost 10 minute opening sequence is remarkable, even revelatory. I have seen the film many times both on the big and small screen, and seeing it with its original soundtrack is like seeing it for the first time. It is powerful, and makes me crave more.
The fragment was posted to the Vitaphone Soundtrack Project YouTube Channel, a channel any early film buff should subscribe to. They do great work.
The Vitaphone Soundtrack Project is devoted to the preservation of early sound film soundtrack discs released between 1926 and 1931. It is a non-profit effort to digitize soundtracks and films from the early sound period and make them available freely online. Their project website can be found at vitaphoneproject.org
BTW: The Vitaphone channel also contains the entire 1929 film, Redskin, starring Richard Dix. Louise Brooks was originally cast in this film, and even reported to location shooting in Arizona, but was suddenly withdrawn and reassigned to The Canary Murder Case. And the rest is history.... The Vitaphone channel version is part technicolor and is synchronized with original Vitaphone discs. To view it is to experience what might have been....
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SOME BACKGROUND: The late 1920’s marked a period of transition in the film industry, as both studios and exhibitors came to grips with emerging sound technologies. Hedging their bet, the major studios began releasing two versions of most every film, a sound version (often showcasing the latest technical advances), and a silent version meant to play in theaters not yet equipped to project sound.
That was the case with Beggars of Life. At the time, sound was new, almost experimental, and Wellman was resistant to using it. According to film historian Frank Thompson, the director “felt that the intrusion of sound into his carefully constructed drama would be out of place and prove disturbing to the audiences and the mood.” Wellman, however, was overruled, and Paramount General Manager B.P. Schulberg instructed special effect engineer Roy Pomeroy (who had served as a technical director on Wings) to supervise a scene that would feature a song sung by Wallace Beery.
Eventually, it was decided Beggars of Life would be released as both a silent and sound film. The sound version—recorded using the Movietone process— included sound effects, a synchronized musical score, a bit of dialogue, and a song. Though a few earlier Paramount releases had also utilized music and sound effects, Beggars of Life was, notably, the first studio release to include spoken dialogue.
For those who want to learn more, my 2017 book, Beggars of Life: A Companion to the 1928 Film, with a foreword by William Wellman Jr. (son of the film's director), contains an entire chapter on the "lost" sound(s) of the film - its music, dialogue, sound effects,, etc.... The book is available on amazon and elsewhere online.
THE LEGAL STUFF: The Louise Brooks Society™ blog is authored by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society (www.pandorasbox.com). Original content copyright © 2026. Further unauthorized use prohibited. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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