Ted Taylor David Manners Judy Mason Ann Dvorak Peter Sturgis Ken Murray Released by Warner Bros. | Directed by Lloyd Bacon Proof That It’s Pre-Code Saxophone player Ted Taylor thinks he’s getting a good reaction from a stage manager, but the guy’s only checking out a woman in a leotard 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
Pre-Code.Com Site News for January 2016 And so that wraps up another year here at the site. It was a busy, fun year, and will only increase in craziness next year as I start school (both teaching and attending) as well as, of course, having a baby. So I hope Read more
Hey everyone! Because I’m extraordinarily bad at planning, I will be doing a few new posts this week to wrap up the year before taking a two week break. (You’d think I’d plan it so I had Christmas off, but… nah…) The first one is an update about the many Read more
Helen Helen Twelvetrees Goldie Gorio Ricardo Cortez Steve John Garrick Released by RKO Pathe | Directed by Tay Garnett Proof That It’s Pre-Code Plenty of drinking and gambling. To tell a person to get lost, they’re simply ordered to “Screw.” A butler has had multiple wives A nasty gangster lures Read more
Frankie Helen Twelvetrees Johnnie Ricardo Cortez Dan Phillips Holmes Annie Marjorie Rambeau Sport Frank Pangborn Nelly Thelma Todd Released by Pathe (RKO) | Directed by Tay Garnett Proof That It’s Pre-Code Look, you can’t say it, but this movie is filled to the brim with prostitutes. Oh, and murder. And Read more
Rene Maurice Chevalier Victor Edward Everett Horton Sally Helen Twelvetrees Released by Paramount Pictures | Directed by Norman Taurog Proof That It’s Pre-Code Get this– a Maurice Chevalier character chases after multiple women, ignoring (or just ignorant of) their marital status. There is a very real worry at first that 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
Flo Helen Twelvetrees Babe Robert Armstrong McTeague Charles Bickford Released by Fox Pathe | Directed by Ryan Murphy Proof That It’s Pre-Code Drinking and speakeasies. Everyone is after Flo’s virtue. Or if they haven’t got it, they don’t believe she still has it. Not the nicest portrayal of South American Read more
Bill Poster Ricardo Cortez Peggy Helen Twelvetrees Mildred Jill Esmond Tony Sidney Toler Maloney Robert Armstrong The Operator Zasu Pitts Released by RKO | Directed by William A. Seiter Proof That It’s Pre-Code An old man is running around with a showgirl who calls him ‘popsie wopsie’. Our protagonist smacks Read more