June Betty Compson Russell Courtney John Darrow Sir Gerald Courtney Gilbert Emery Released by RKO | Directed By George Archainbaud Proof That It’s Pre-Code Our heroine is a poor street walker. “Don’t be so Victorian, Dobbs. Cocktails, Dobbs. We must have cocktails!” A bartender from Chicago is called, “one of Read more…
Jim Turner Edward G. Robinson Marge Mayhew Genevieve Tobin Val Wilson Glenda Farrell Released by Warner Brothers/First National | Directed By Alfred E. Green Proof That It’s Pre-Code Marge protests after her husband starts kissing her on the front lawn. “Jim, stop that! The neighbors will think we’re not married!” Read more…
Flint Walter Huston Kingsland Conrad Nagel Ann Whitehall Virginia Bruce Tula Lupe Velez Hogan Mitchell Lewis Gregg C. Henry Gordon Released by MGM | Directed By William J. Cowen Proof That It’s Pre-Code Lupe Velez enters the movie in thin strips of cloth. Flint likes calling the Read more…
Philo Vance Basil Rathbone Sigurd Arnesson Roland Young Belle Dillard Leila Hyams Released by MGM | Directed By David Burton and Nick Grime The Bishop Murder Case: Hickory Dickory DULL “And as for you… Fools! Idiots! Children! Baffled by Mother Goose!” In doing my research for The Bishop Murder Case, Read more…
Claire McIntyre Loretta Young Robert J. Clayton Ricardo Cortez Johnny Saunders Frank Albertson Released by Warner Brothers | Directed By William A. Seiter Proof That It’s Pre-Code A college party sees one couple heading outside to be alone. “Will I be safe with you out there in the dark?” “Safe? Read more…
Mabel Joan Blondell Barbara Hemmingway Ruby Keeler Jimmy Higgins Dick Powell Mathilda Hemmingway Zasu Pitts Horace P. Hemmingway Guy Kibbee Ezra Ounce Hugh Herbert Released by Warner Brothers | Directed By Ray Enright and Busby Berkeley Proof That It’s Pre-Code-ish Leading romantic couple Barbara and Jimmy are 13th cousins, or Read more…
Arlene Bette Davis Val Margaret Lindsay Tony Donald Woods Spencer Lyle Talbot Izzy Hugh Herbert Chief O’Malley Alan Hale Bradford Arthur Byron Jake Bello Irving Pichel Maynard Douglas Dumbrille Released by Warner Brothers | Directed By William Dieterle Proof That It’s Pre-Code Notably, the night club at the beginning of Read more…
Sam Spade Ricardo Cortez Ruth Wonderly Bebe Daniels Casper Gutman Dudley Digges Effie Perine Una Merkel Iva Archer Thelma Todd Dr. Joel Cairo Otto Matieson Released by Warner Brothers | Directed By Roy Del Ruth Proof That It’s Pre-Code Sam Spade likes the ladies. More on that below. Homosexual subtext Read more…
Thatcher Colt Adolphe Menjou Sebastian Donald Cook La Tour Greta Nissen Miss Kelly Ruthelma Stevens Jim Dugan Harry Holman Flandrin Dwight Frye Released by Columbia | Directed By Roy William Neill Proof That It’s Pre-Code A married circus performer is having an affair and everyone wants in on it. A Read more…
Eadie Jean Harlow Tom Paige Jr. Franchot Tone Tom Paige Sr. Lionel Barrymore Released by MGM | Directed By Jack Conway Proof That It’s Pre-Code-ish Eadie on her home life: “Since you came here, there’s only one way for a girl to end up in this place and you know Read more…