Proof That It’s Pre-Code Blood, guts, naked butts and gore, all in hefty doses considering the period it was made in. Our soldiers get a brief reprieve to make love, which includes some unmistakeable gasps and coos. Considering its anti-nationalistic bent, it would never have been made five years later. Read more…
Proof That It’s Pre-Code One of our white bread heroes goes into a starlet’s changing room to wait for her, and then accidentally watches her strip down. Accidentally. Yeah. There’s a few shots near the end of the movies portraying the 20’s where we get a couple of quick moments Read more…
Proof That It’s Pre-Code All the usual hotel nighttime activities. There’s an extended subplot about an industrialist negotiating with a stenographer about what she will give him in exchange for an all-expense paid trip through Europe. It includes this wonderful line: “I don’t suppose you’d take some… dictation from me Read more…
The Particulars of the Picture Myra Mae Clarke Roy Douglass Montgomery Directed by James Whale Proof That It’s Pre-Code Prostitutes! Plenty of them, all morally conflicted about their place in the world. Oh, and some scantily clad backstage antics for good measure. As per the ever perceptive IMDB keywords, “Nipples Read more…
Lily Barbara Stanwyck Courtland Trenholm George Brent Mr. Stevens Donald Cook Chico Theresa Harris Mr. Carter Henry Kolker Mr. Sipple Arthur Hohl Proof That It’s Pre-Code The film’s main conceit is that all life is exploitation, and you must simply be the one doing the exploiting. One book thumping scholar Read more…
Barbara O’Neill Barbara Stanwyck Bradley Carlton Ricardo Cortez Eddie Miller … Monroe Owlsey Proof That It’s Pre-Code Ten Cents a Dance is about professional dance hall girls, who don’t come across like prostitutes at all. I mean, sure, they stand around, looking bored (“while you wait, you advertise”), waiting for Read more…
Proof That It’s Pre-Code So, uh, you ever seen a woman in prison movie? Catfights and other assorted nastiness, though nothing as extreme and as crazy sexist as you’d get about thirty years later. There’s a nice long scene where our protagonist is introduced to her fellow inmates who have Read more…
Proof That It’s Pre-Code Adultery. Duh. Our characters get sloshed in a speakeasy, with Joan Blondell busting out some fantastic drunk acting. A noble act of suicide saves the day. It should be noted that it does not look painless, though. Line that wouldn’t mean the same thing nowadays: “I’m Read more…
President Jud Hammond … Walter Huston Pendy Moloy … Karen Morley Beek … Franchot Tone Nick Diamond … C. Henry Gordon Bronson … David Landau Directed by Gregory La Cava Proof That It’s Pre-Code A movie about the President of the United States. The man elected is a complete coward, Read more…
Proof That It’s Pre-Code Our rather sleazy main character Jimmie, who spends most of the film two timing his wife, attends a church service where most people are deciding on how much they’re taking out of the collection. Loretta Young pokes through her dress a few times. What? I notice Read more…