Niki Maurice Chevalier Franzi Claudette Colbert Anna Miriam Hopkins Released by Paramount Pictures | Directed By Ernst Lubitsch Proof That It’s Pre-Code “We are not afraid to skirmish in the dark…” One of Niki’s friends wants his permission to cheat on his wife. “You’re crazy about a girl and you Read more
Good news, everyone! In the six weeks since I announced the collaborative book Thoughts on The Thin Man, progress has been made! Besides finally finishing up grad school and getting to the prospect of finally receiving my Thin Man DVDs in the mail (ordered July 5th, estimated arrival August 21st?!), Read more
Tom Powers James Cagney Gwen Allen Jean Harlow Matt Doyle Edward Woods Mike Powers Donald Cook Ma Powers Beryl Mercer Mamie Joan Blondell Released by Warner Brothers | Directed By William A. Wellman Proof That It’s Pre-Code Our hero is a thug and he’s punished for his actions. But, boy, Read more
Matt Nolan James Cagney Sue Riley Nolan Loretta Young Skeets George E. Stone Pop Riley Guy Kibbee Ruby Leila Bennett Buck Gerard David Landau Released by Warner Brothers | Directed By Roy Del Ruth Proof That It’s Pre-Code If you’ve ever wanted to see a woman get slapped around, well, Read more
Chick Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Ruth Joan Blondell Scrap Iron Guy Kibbee Bushy Sloan Alan Hale The Drunk Frank McHugh Kendall David Landau Released by Warner Brothers | Directed By Alfred E. Green Proof That It’s Pre-Code The film’s opening minutes read like a checklist of Code no-nos. There are prostitutes, Read more
Helen Bette Davis Don Gene Raymond Nick Monroe Owsley Hugo Frank McHugh Iris Claire Dodd Peggy Kay Strozzi Released by Warner Brothers | Directed By Robert Florey Proof That It’s Pre-Code A woman decides to flout modern morality and sleep with a man she loves before marriage. However, he begs Read more
Tom Cardigan John Barrymore June Perry Helen Twelvetrees Vanny Powers William Boyd Released by RKO | Directed By George Archainbaud Proof That It’s Pre-Code Our lead character has a fridge full of alcohol. And a table full. Several table fulls. The dude likes to drink. He may Read more
Pre-Code.Com Site News for August 2014 By the time you read this I will be down to less than two weeks of grad school left. Get the cake ready. Participants in The Thin Man book project should take this as their one month warning siren. I’ll be sending out an Read more
Harold Hall Harold Lloyd Mary Sears Constance Cummings Vance Kenneth Thompson Released by Paramount Pictures | Directed By Clyde Bruckman Proof That It’s Pre-Code When Harold dons a magician’s coat and accidentally lets loose a flood of mice at a ritzy party, the person who flips out the most is Read more
“Pre-Code Retro” is my semi-regular examination of post-1934 media that is heavily influenced by or is significantly related to pre-Code Hollywood cinema. Polly Browne Twiggy Tony Brockhurst Christopher Gable Percy Parkhill Byran Pringle De Thrill Vladek Sheybal Tommy Tommy Tune Maisie Anotonia Ellis Released by MGM | Directed By Ken Read more