Long time readers will fondly recall the entirety of 2024 where I kept hinting that I had something big in the works. Well, it wasn’t that Young Man of Manhattan review that somehow took me for forever. No, I have a book coming out! And it’s about pre-Code Hollywood!
Written with my pal Kim Luperi, the book covers 50 pre-Codes from 1930 to 1934, including Madam Satan, The Divorcee, Grand Hotel, The Most Dangerous Game, Frankenstein, and more. (45 more to be exact.) Kim delved into the Studio Relations Committee archives to pull out some really fun stories about each movie, and we get to dive into each film with lots of details, photos and trivia.
The book releases in October 2025 and the link to pre-order the book is up on Amazon. Barnes & Noble, Hachette, and Bookshop.org. (The Amazon link is an affiliate one, so I would make an extra buck if you order it that way, but I also don’t blame anyone for not buying from Amazon. And, as a librarian, I will add an WorldCat link to this list whenever I have it!)
If you pre-order the book and send me an email with picture proof plus your name and address, we will mail you an exclusive signed sticker– offer good in the US and Europe. More details on that coming soon.
This book was a long-in-coming labor of love– we initially approached TCM about it all the way back in 2017– and we came up with something that’s great for anyone new to pre-Code or who loves it already. I hope you pick it up!
Pre-Code Movies on TCM, March 2025
There are a ton of great pre-Codes on TCM in March, especially the 5th, where it is more than 24 unbroken hours of pre-Code films. Mind you, it’s half horror movies, half Barbara Stanwyck films, which is a weird combo, but there are some wonderful gems in there.
(Brief side note: awkward to mention when I’m trying to sell you a completely different book, but Saturdays in March TCM is showing each entry in the Hildegarde Withers film series, which I wrote a book about about a decade ago. Feel free to pick that up, too, if you’re interested!)
All times listed are Eastern Standard. Schedules may change due to unforeseen circumstances. For the full March 2025 schedule, click here.
- 3/1 @ 07:30 – Five Star Final (1931)
- 3/2 @ 06:15 – The Divorcee (1930)
- 3/2 @ 08:00 – Little Women (1933)
- 3/2 @ 22:00 – It Happened One Night (1934)
- 3/5 @ 06:00 – Kongo (1932)
- 3/5 @ 07:45 – Freaks (1932)
- 3/5 @ 09:00 – Doctor X (1932)
- 3/5 @ 10:30 – Mystery at the Wax Museum (1933)
- 3/5 @ 12:00 – White Zombie (1932)
- 3/5 @ 13:15 – Thirteen Women (1932)
- 3/5 @ 14:30 – Svengali (1931)
- 3/5 @ 16:00 – Rasputin and the Empress (1932)
- 3/5 @ 18:15 – Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1932)
- 3/5 @ 20:00 – Baby Face (1933)
- 3/5 @ 21:30 – Ladies of Leisure (1930)
- 3/5 @ 23:15 – The Miracle Woman (1931)
- 3/6 @ 01:00 – Forbidden (1932)
- 3/6 @ 02:45 – Night Nurse (1931)
- 3/6 @ 04:00 – Purchase Price (1932)
- 3/6 @ 05:15 – So Big (1932)
- 3/6 @ 06:45 – Illicit (1931)
- 3/6 @ 08:15 – Ladies They Talk About (1933)
- 3/6 @ 09:30 – Gambling Lady (1934)
- 3/6 @ 10:45 – Ever in My Heart (1933)
- 3/7 @ 06:00 – Sporting Blood (1931)
- 3/8 @ 10:10 – The Penguin Pool Murder (1932)
- 3/8 @ 21:30 – Merrily We Go to Hell (1932)
- 3/8 @ 23:00 – Christopher Strong (1933)
- 3/10 @ 06:15 – Employees’ Entrance (1933)
- 3/10 @ 07:45 – Success at Any Price (1934)
- 3/10 @ 09:15 – Female (1933)
- 3/17 @ 08:00 – Peg O’ My Heart (1933)
- 3/18 @ 07:45 – But the Flesh is Weak (1932)
- 3/18 @ 12:15 – Lonely Wives (1932)
- 3/18 @ 15:15 – Roar of the Dragon (1932)
- 3/19 @ 04:30 – Night Nurse (1932)
- 3/19 @ 13:15 – Movie Crazy (1932)
- 3/19 @ 15:00 – What Price Hollywood? (1932)
- 3/21 @ 06:00 – Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933)
- 3/21 @ 08:45 – Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1932)
- 3/26 @ 07:30 – Spring is Here (1930)
- 3/28 @ 20:00 – The Gay Divorcee (1934)
- 3/30 @ 06:00 – Grand Hotel (1932)
- 3/30 @ 08:00 – Dinner at Eight (1933)
- 3/31 @ 06:00 – Kept Husbands (1931)
- 3/31 @ 07:30 – Mary Stevens, MD (1933)
- 3/31 @ 08:45 – 42nd Street (1933)
- 3/31 @ 10:30 – Picture Snatcher (1933)
Looks like you can’t really go wrong this month so I hope you get to watch something good! Also:
