1934
Good Dame (1934) Review, with Sylvia Sydney and Fredric March
Sylvia Sidney and Fredric March are in love again. This time it ain’t the booze that is strangling their relationship– it’s fast-talking slang! So much slang! Slang for days!
1931
Street Scene (1931) Review, with Sylvia Sidney
Rose Maurrant Sylvia Sidney Sam Kaplan William Collier, Jr. Frank Maurrant David Landau Released by Samuel Goldwyn | Directed by King Vidor Run time: 80 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film A four letter word for a Jewish person is used multiple times. One that I wouldn’t use in Read more
1930
Remote Control (1930) Review, with William Haines and Roscoe Ates
William Brennan William Haines Marion Ferguson Mary Doran Dr. Kruger John Miljan Released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Directed by Nick Grinde, Edward Sedgwick and Malcolm St. Clair Run time: 65 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film “Tell me, doctor, what part of the pig did all these sausages come from?” “Baby, Read more
1932
The Famous Ferguson Case (1932) Review, with Joan Blondell and Tom Brown
Bruce Foster Tom Brown Maizie Dickson Joan Blondell Bob Parks Kenneth Thompson Released by Warner Bros. | Directed by Lloyd Bacon Run time: 74 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film There’s a murder set off by a pair of adulterers… adultering. “That’s not your business!” “No, that’s monkey business!” Read more
1934
I Sell Anything (1934) Review, with Pat O’Brien and Ann Dvorak
Cutler Pat O’Brien Barbara Ann Dvorak Millicent Claire Dodd Released by Warner Bros./First National | Directed by Robert Florey Proof That It’s Pre-Code-ish Our main character, “Spot Cash” Cutler, pretty much pushes and prods rubes out of their money by way of selling them junk that’s been falsely made to Read more
1933
The Little Giant (1933) Review, with Edward G. Robinson and Mary Astor
Bugs Alhern Edward G. Robinson Al Daniels Russell Hopton Polly Cass Helen Vinson Ruth Wayburn Mary Astor Donald Cass Berton Churchill Edith Merriam Shirley Grey Released by Warner Brothers | Directed by Roy Del Ruth Proof That It’s Pre-Code Robinson’s Bugs Ahern is known as a mad gangster who murders Read more
1934
He Was Her Man (1934) Review, with James Cagney and Joan Blondell
Flicker Hayes James Cagney Rose Lawrence Joan Blondell Nick Gardella Victor Jory Released by Warner Brothers | Directed By Lloyd Bacon Proof That It’s Pre-Code Early on, Flicker Hayes (Cagney) agrees to rob a safe filled with junk and “nose candy.” Rose Lawerence (Blondell) plays a prostitute who decides to Read more
1931
The Miracle Woman (1931) Review, with Barbara Stanwyck
Proof That It’s Pre-Code Basically calls American evangelism out as being a performing art that exploits the dumb for the sake of profit. So that’s something! When dressed down by his boss, one employee closes the door and responds with a gesture whose meaning is unmistakeable: Florence Fallon … Barbara Read more
1931
Arrowsmith (1931) Review
The Particulars of the Picture Martin Arrowsmith … Ronald Colman Leora Arrowsmith … Helen Hayes Max Gottlieb … A.E. Anson Oliver Marchand … Clarence Brooks Joyce Lanyon … Myrna Loy Gustav Sondelius … Richard Bennett Arrowsmith: Of Romance, Morality, and Passion “We are scientists. That is more than a man.” Read more
1932
Once in a Lifetime (1932) Review
The Particulars of the Picture George Lewis … Jack Oakie May Daniels … Aline MacMahon Jerry Hyland … Russell Hopton Lawrence Vail … Onslow Stevens Herman Glogauer … Gregory Ratoff Susan Walker … Sidney Fox Once in a Lifetime: Making It Big “You don’t know anything about anything, George, and Read more