Mrs. Livingston Baldwin-Crane Edna May Oliver Ms. Yvette Gordon Jill Esmond Andrew MacKaig Roscoe Ates Released by RKO | Directed by Lowell Sherman Run time: 63 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film Plenty of double entendres: “But you must be examined. Before you can serve as a juror, you Read more
King Henry VIII Charles Laughton Anne Boleyn Merle Oberon Jane Seymour Wendy Barrie Anne of Cleves Elsa Lanchester Katherine Howard Binnie Barnes Thomas Culpeper Robert Donat Released by United Artists | Directed by Alexander Korda Run time: 97 minutes Private Life of Henry VIII: A Royal Rumpus “You smile, do Read more
T.K. Blair / Doc Varney George M. Cohan Curly Cooney Jimmy Durante Felicia Hammond Claudette Colbert Released by Paramount | Directed by Norman Taurog Run time: 78 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film Cohan puts on blackface for a number. Yay. Sidney Toler puts on yellow face once more. Read more
Joe William Boyd Steve William Gargan Mabel Wynne Gibson Released by RKO | Directed by Edward L. Cahn Run time: 65 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film Mabel’s last name is Weenie, which annoys her to no end. Steve delights in it, saying to her at various points: “I Read more
Barrington Hunt Ronald Colman Camille Fay Wray Eliza Estelle Taylor Released by Samuel Goldwyn | Directed by George Fitzmaurice Run time: 75 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film The main action takes place in a desert oasis full of scumbuckets. There’s also a girl who goes between beds as Read more
Ann Vickers Irene Dunne Barney Dolphin Walter Huston Lindsey Atwell Conrad Nagel Released by RKO | Directed by John Cromwell Run time: 76 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film One suspicious trip to Havana that ends in an out-of-wedlock child’s life ending. One prisoner is told, “We’ll have to Read more
Vincent Day Warren William Celia Farraday Sidney Fox Miss Hickey Aline MacMahon Released by Warner Bros. | Directed by James Flood & Elliott Nugent Run time: 86 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film Attorney Vince Day’s career involves saving murderers and thieves after he accidentally sends a man to Read more
Joe Anton George Raft Jerry Healy Constance Cummings Iris Wynne Gibson Leo Roscoe Karns Mabel Alison Skipworth Maude Mae West Released by Paramount | Directed by Archie Mayo Proof That It’s Pre-Code “Why that dumb cluck!” George Raft awakens and undresses to bathe. We see a lot of him. Llllladies. Read more
Professor Topaze John Barrymore Coco Myrna Loy Philippe de La Tour-La Tour Reginald Mason Released by RKO | Directed by Harry d’Abbadie d’Arrast Proof That It’s Pre-Code Honesty, integrity, truth… it’s all bunk. Coco is the kept woman of a rich man. There’s no bones made about her role as Read more
Bud Eric Linden Vida Joan Blondell Cousin Gibby Walter Catlett Hummell Guy Kibbee The Station Agent Grant Mitchell Ms. Cartlich Jobyna Howland Released by Warner Brothers | Directed by Mervyn LeRoy Proof That It’s Pre-Code A bootlegger, before informing a client about yet another ‘change of address’, pleasantly tells his Read more