Here are some of the more notable actors of the Pre-Code era. So far this mostly consists of those whose movies I’ve covered in significant numbers, but I’ll add more when I can.

And for those of you who don’t appreciate the graphical interface, here’s the list of pages:

 


Ricardo Cortez

Click here for all relevant posts.

Ricardo Cortez got his start in silent film in the early 1920’s as studios put him forward as a hope to cash in on the Valentino craze. With the arrival of talkies, however, Cortez’s accent and rough but playful attitude made him the ideal villain, and while he had a few shots at a romantic lead– House on 56th Street or as the original Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon— he was more often assigned to the role of the cunning cad, most notably in films like Midnight Mary and Mandalay.

After screen work began to dry up in the late 30’s, Cortez directed seven films and then moved back to New York, where he became a broker on Wall Street. He died in 1977.

Ricardo Cortez’s Pre-Code Filmography

  • The Phantom in the House (1929)
  • The Lost Zeppelin (1929)
  • Montana Moon (1930)
  • Her Man (1930)
  • Illicit (1931)
  • Ten Cents a Dance (1931)
  • Behind Office Doors (1931)
  • White Shoulders (1931)
  • The Maltese Falcon (1931)
  • Big Business Girl (1931)
  • Transgression (1931)
  • Reckless Living (1931)
  • Bad Company (1931)
  • Men of Chance (1931)
  • No One Man (1932)
  • Symphony of Six Million (1932)
  • Is My Face Red? (1932)
  • Thirteen Women (1932)
  • The Phantom of Crestwood (1932)
  • Flesh (1932)
  • Broadway Bad (1933)
  • Midnight Mary (1933)
  • Torch Singer (1933)
  • Big Executive (1933)
  • The House on 56th Street (1933)
  • The Big Shakedown (1934)
  • Mandalay (1934)
  • Wonder Bar (1934)

Ricardo Cortez Sites and Links

Wikipedia

Return to the top.

Cary Grant

Click here for all relevant posts.

Archibald Leach came to Hollywood in 1931 and gained his famous moniker upon signing with Paramount Pictures. The actor, always a goofy, sweet, and all together charming man, would become soon become the Hollywood embodiment of sophistication for three decades. The early 1930’s provided a proving ground for the young charming actor, with his biggest successes coming from starring with Mae West in two of her most notorious pictures, She Done Him Wrong and I’m No Angel.

He had a few other roles in the era, but it wouldn’t be until the late 1930’s until Grant hit his stride, starring in a variety of films from Only Angels Have Wings and The Philadelphia Story to Suspicion and His Girl Friday. His career never flagged, and he became one of the most widely sought after stars until his retirement in 1966. He kept busy until his death in 1986 from a cerebral hemorrhage.

Cary Grant’s Pre-Code Filmography

Cary Grant Sites and Links

Wikipedia

Return to the top.

Hugh Herbert

Click here for relevant posts.

Chubby but adorable Hugh Herbert had an infectious laugh and was a steady comedic presence in movies from the 1930’s on. He was big supporting player in Warner’s films of the Pre-Code era, a favorite in musical comedies where his buffoonish persona made him a perfect foil.

After moving to Columbia in 1943, he starred in a long series of short subjects. He died of a heart attack in 1952.

Hugh Herbert’s Pre-Code Filmography

  • Danger Lights (1930)
  • Hook Line and Sinker (1930)
  • She Went for a Tramp (1931)
  • Laugh and Get Rich (1931)
  • The Sin Ship (1931)
  • Traveling Husbands (1931)
  • Friends and Lovers (1931)
  • The Lost Squadron (1932)
  • Million Dollar Legs (1932)
  • Faithless (1932)
  • Sham Poo, the Magician (1932)
  • Strictly Personal (1933)
  • Diplomaniacs (1933)
  • She Had to Say Yes (1933)
  • Goodbye Again (1933)
  • Bureau of Missing Persons (1933)
  • Footlight Parade (1933)
  • ‘Tis Spring (1933)
  • College Coach (1933)
  • From Headquarters (1933)
  • Convention City (1933)
  • Easy to Love (1934)
  • Fashions of 1934 (1934)
  • Wonder Bar (1934)
  • Harold Teen (1934)
  • Merry Wives of Reno (1934)
  • The Merry Frinks (1934)
  • Fog Over Frisco (1934)
  • Dames (1934)

Hugh Herbert Sites and Links

Wikipedia

Return to the top.

Allen Jenkins

Click here for all relevant posts.

One of the great scene stealers of the 1930’s, Allen Jenkins had the perfect mixture of buffoonery and menace to make him every criminals perfect lackey. This can be seen in pictures from Lawyer Man to Blondie Johnson.

Allen worked steadily in pictures and on television his entire life, including a brief cameo in It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World. His final role was a brief bit in Billy Wilder’s The Front Page. He died of lung cancer in 1974.

Allen Jenkins’ Pre-Code Filmography

Allen Jenkins Sites and Links

Wikipedia

 Return to the top.

Boris Karloff

Click here for relevant posts.

One of the most iconic horror actors of all time, Boris Karloff worked sporadically in silent movies until a series of supporting roles in films like Scarface and Five Star Final would increase his stature. This led to his role in Frankenstein as the monster, making him a star overnight. The rest of the Pre-Code era saw him in a variety of roles from The Mummy to The Mask of Dr. Fu Manchu.

Karloff carved out a sizable niche in the horror genre and would work continuously throughout his life, and would reappear as the Frankenstein monster several times. He also made a series of horror movies with Val Lewton at RKO and would top his career with the fantastic Targets. He died in 1969.

Boris Karloff’s Pre-Code Filmography

  • The Bad One (1930)
  • The Sea Bat (1930)
  • The Utah Kid (1930)
  • The Criminal Code (1931)
  • King of the Wild (1931)
  • Cracked Nuts (1931)
  • The Vanishing Legion (1931)
  • Young Donovan’s Kid (1931)
  • The Public Defender (1931)
  • Five Star Final (1931)
  • I Like Your Nerve (1931)
  • Graft (1931)
  • The Yellow Ticket (1931)
  • The Mad Genius (1931)
  • The Guilty Generation (1931)
  • Frankenstein (1931)
  • Tonight or Never (1931)
  • Behind the Mask (1932)
  • Business and Pleasure (1932)
  • The Cohens and Kellys in Hollywood (1932)
  • Scarface (1932)
  • The Miracle Man (1932)
  • Night World (1932)
  • The Old Dark House (1932)
  • The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932)
  • The Mummy (1932)
  • The Ghoul (1933)
  • The Lost Patrol (1934)
  • The House of Rothschild (1934)
  • The Black Cat (1934)

Boris Karloff Sites and Links

Wikipedia

 Return to the top.

Buster Keaton

Buster Keaton

Click here for relevant posts.

The greatest silent comedian ever put to screen, Buster Keaton had a rocky transition to talkies. Having previously worked as an auteur– writer, director, producer, and star of his own films– the cost of sound technology and a few flops under his belt proved too much and the ability to for steady work lured Keaton to work for MGM. Unfortunately, the bargain, which cost Keaton most of his freedom, saw him instead injected into any random humorous stage plays that struck his producer’s fancy. This attempt to turn Keaton away from his slapstick sensibilities and into more of a wiseacre turned out to be disastrous for both parties.

Keaton’s last film for MGM, and the last American film he starred in, was 1933’s unbelievably awful What – No Beer?. After that he made a few foreign films and a series of shorts. The alcoholism that plagued him for much of the early 1930s finally dissipated by the end of the decade, and he lived long enough to see his silent films reappraised and appreciated for the classics that they were. His talkies… not so much.

Buster Keaton’s Pre-Code Filmography

Buster Keaton Sites and Links

Return to the top.

Guy Kibbee

Click here for relevant posts.

Rotund Guy Kibbee was a reliable buffoon whenever one was called for. Often appearing in comedies and musicals in the early 1930’s, he was one of Warner Brothers’ handiest comic relief assets.

His appearance in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington capped off the 1930’s for him, and he worked throughout the 40’s. He passed away in 1956.

Guy Kibbee’s Pre-Code Filmography

  • Stolen Heaven (1931)
  • Man of the World (1931)
  • City Streets (1931)
  • Laughing Sinners (1931)
  • Side Show (1931)
  • New Adventures of Get Rich Quick Wallingford (1931)
  • Blonde Crazy (1931)
  • Flying High (1931)
  • Union Depot (1932)
  • Taxi! (1932)
  • High Pressure (1932)
  • Fireman, Save My Child (1932)
  • Play-Girl (1932)
  • The Crowd Roars (1932)
  • The Mouthpiece (1932)
  • Two Seconds (1932)
  • The Strange Love of Molly Louvain (1932)
  • The Dark Horse (1932)
  • Winner Take All (1932)
  • Crooner (1932)
  • Big City Blues (1932)
  • Rain (1932)
  • Scarlet Dawn (1932)
  • The Conquerors (1932)
  • Central Park (1932)
  • Girl Missing (1933)
  • 42nd Street (1933)
  • Lilly Turner (1933)
  • Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)
  • The Life of Jimmy Dolan (1933)
  • The Silk Express (1933)
  • Lady for a Day (1933)
  • Footlight Parade (1933)
  • Havana Widows (1933)
  • The World Changes (1933)
  • Convention City (1933)
  • Easy to Love (1934)
  • Wonder Bar (1934)
  • Harold Teen (1934)
  • Merry Wives of Reno (1934)
  • The Merry Frinks (1934)
  • Dames (1934)

Guy Kibbee Sites and Links

Wikipedia

 Return to the top.

Bela Lugosi pre-code actor

Bela Lugosi

Click here for all relevant posts.

Thick accented, Hungarian born Bela Lugosi was on the stage when tapped to play the lead in a stage play of Dracula. He made the transition to movies quickly as a character actor, and hit it big when he starred in the screen version of the play. He carved a small niche out in a variety of horror films like The Black Cat and Island of Lost Souls.

The rest of his life was a mix of oddball parts and near misses (he famously turned down the opportunity to play Frankenstein) and he soon descended into poverty row pictures that did little to help him overcome crippling addictions to drugs and bad marriages. His late career involved his now infamous movies with Ed Wood before passing away in 1956.

Bela Lugosi’s Pre-Code Filmography

Bela Lugosi Sites and Links

Return to the top.

The Four Marx Brothers Pre-Code Hollywood Actors Comedians

The Marx Brothers

Click here for all relevant posts.

Few comedy icons are remembered with as much relish as the Four Marx Brothers… except maybe the Three Marx Brothers, but that’s a different matter all together.

Julius (Groucho), Leonard (Chico), Arthur (Harpo) and Herbert (Zeppo) Marx grew up on the stage, touring across the country first as musicians and singers, then as a comedy troupe. Their move to Broadway in the 20s made them nationally famous, and when talking pictures arrived, they made the leap to sound. Their first few movies for Paramount were filmed in New York and based on their stages shows, namely The Cocoanuts and Animal Crackers. The box office fortunes declined, however, and their last picture for Paramount, Duck Soup, flopped badly.

Under Irving Thalberg at MGM, their fortunes reversed once again with A Night at the Opera in 1935, and the brothers worked in pictures steadily for another decade– all save Zeppo, who became an agent. They’ve all passed away now, but that hasn’t stopped their popularity one bit.

The Marx Brothers’ Pre-Code Filmography

The Marx Brothers Sites and Links

Return to the top.

Frank McHugh

Click here for relevant posts.

Smart aleck Frank McHugh worked steadily through the Pre-Code era as both a heavy and comic relief. McHugh worked steadily in film and television throughout his life before he passed away in 1981.

Frank McHugh’s Pre-Code Filmography

  • The Dawn Patrol (1930)
  • Top Speed (1930)
  • Bright Lights (1930)
  • College Lovers (1930)
  • The Widow from Chicago (1930)
  • Going Wild (1930)
  • Kiss Me Again (1931)
  • Millie (1931)
  • The Front Page (1931)
  • Up for Murder (1931)
  • Men of the Sky (1931)
  • That’s News to Me (1931)
  • Traveling Husbands (1931)
  • The Hot Spot (1931)
  • The Great Junction Hotel (1931)
  • Bad Company (1931)
  • The Big Scoop (1931)
  • Corsair (1931)
  • The Wide Open Spaces (1931)
  • Union Depot (1932)
  • High Pressure (1932)
  • Extra! Extra! (1932)
  • The Crowd Roars (1932)
  • The Strange Love of Molly Louvain (1932)
  • The Dark Horse (1932)
  • Blessed Event (1932)
  • Life Begins (1932)
  • One Way Passage (1932)
  • Parachute Jumper (1933)
  • Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933)
  • Grand Slam (1933)
  • The Telegraph Trail (1933)
  • Private Jones (1933)
  • Elmer, the Great (1933)
  • Lilly Turner (1933)
  • Ex-Lady (1933)
  • Hold Me Tight (1933)
  • Tomorrow at Seven (1933)
  • Professional Sweetheart (1933)
  • Footlight Parade (1933)
  • Havana Widows (1933)
  • Son of a Sailor (1933)
  • The House on 56th Street (1933)
  • Convention City (1933)
  • Fashions of 1934 (1934)
  • Heat Lightning (1934)
  • Let’s Be Ritzy (1934)
  • Merry Wives of Reno (1934)
  • Smarty (1934)

Frank McHugh Sites and Links

Wikipedia

 Return to the top.

Robert Montgomery pre-code actor

Robert Montgomery

Click here for all relevant posts.

Dashing Robert Montgomery started out wanting to write, but, at the suggestion of a friend, gave acting a shot. His first roles were with director George Cukor which led him to Hollywood. There he paired up MGM leading lady Norma Shearer on several memorable occasions– i.e., The Divorcee and Private Lives— and made steady work as a handsome leading man.

His career continued well after the Pre-Code era and eventually transitioned into directing films and producing television shows. He passed away in 1981.

Robert Montgomery’s Pre-Code Filmography

  • So This Is College (1929)
  • Untamed (1929)
  • Their Own Desire (1929)
  • Free and Easy (1930)
  • The Divorcee (1930)
  • The Big House (1930)
  • The Sins of the Children (1930)
  • Our Blushing Brides (1930)
  • Love in the Rough (1930)
  • War Nurse (1930)
  • Inspiration (1931)
  • The Easiest Way (1931)
  • Strangers May Kiss (1931)
  • Shipmates (1931)
  • The Man in Possession (1931)
  • Private Lives (1931)
  • Lovers Courageous (1932)
  • -But the Flesh Is Weak (1932)
  • Letty Lynton (1932)
  • Blondie of the Follies (1932)
  • Faithless (1932)
  • Hell Below (1933)
  • Made on Broadway (1933)
  • When Ladies Meet (1933)
  • Another Language (1933)
  • Night Flight (1933)
  • Fugitive Lovers (1934)
  • Riptide (1934)

Robert Montgomery Sites and Links

Return to the top.

Lyle Talbot

Click here for relevant posts.

A handsome fellow who spent the 1930’s as a leading man, Talbot made his way as a contract player for Warner Brothers working in a variety of roles.

Lyle Talbot transitioned into B movies later in life, including a minor role in Plan Nine From Outer Space. With over 300 acting credits to his name, he passed away in 1996.

Lyle Talbot’s Pre-Code Filmography

  • The Nightingale (1931)
  • Stranger in Town (1931)
  • The Clyde Mystery (1931)
  • Unholy Love (1932)
  • Love Is a Racket (1932)
  • The Purchase Price (1932)
  • Miss Pinkerton (1932)
  • The Thirteenth Guest (1932)
  • Klondike (1932)
  • Three on a Match (1932)
  • No More Orchids (1932)
  • 20,000 Years in Sing Sing (1932)
  • Ladies They Talk About (1933)
  • Girl Missing (1933)
  • The Life of Jimmy Dolan (1933)
  • She Had to Say Yes (1933)
  • Mary Stevens, M.D. (1933)
  • A Shriek in the Night (1933)
  • College Coach (1933)
  • Havana Widows (1933)
  • Mandalay (1934)
  • Heat Lightning (1934)
  • Registered Nurse (1934)
  • Fog Over Frisco (1934)
  • Return of the Terror (1934)

Lyle Talbot Sites and Links

Wikipedia

 Return to the top.


 

Return to Pre-Code.com