Good news for anyone in the New York City area: this month the Film Forum is dedicating itself to showing 42 films of the magnificent Barbara Stanwyck. This includes a lot of her pre-Code work, like a double feature of The Miracle Woman and The Bitter Tea of General Yen Read more
Lt. Bob Denton … John Wayne Evelyn … Laura La Plante Bonnie … June Clyde Proof That It’s Pre-Code In a men’s locker room, you sometimes see men’s hinders lurking in the background. A Mexican prostitute keeps accusing a jerkwad of being a “Poco hombre!” which probably ain’t super risque, Read more
Joe Thunder Horse … Richard Barthelmess Lydia … Ann Dvorak Sam … Clarence Muse Quissenberry … Dudley Diggs Dr. Turner … Arthur Hohl Shanks … Sidney Toler Proof That It’s Pre-Code Oh, hey, it confronts racial prejudice and social issues in that Warner Brothers “let’s be as sensationalistic as possible” Read more
Nick … Edward G. Robinson Jack … James Cagney Marie … Noel Francis Proof That It’s Pre-Code Nick has a bevy of ladies who catch his eye. One earlier in the picture needs $100 for something, but who knows what she needs that cash for. Wink. “I’ll win so much Read more
Attention all readers in the metropolitan Washington D.C. area! At the Hill Center in Abraham Lincoln Hall for the next three weeks, there’s a series of showings of classic pre-Code movies called Tough Dames in Satin Slips. The showings include a discussion led by Neil Minow of Movie Mom and independent Read more
Breckenridge Lee Richard Barthelmess Marcia Fay Wray Breezy Reegis Toomey Proof That It’s Pre-Code Sweet drinkin’. Sweet, sweet premarital sex. The Finger Points: It Points for Thee “You can’t kill a reporter.” That’s the mantra of The Finger Points, a pre-Code drama that’s one of the earliest of Warner’s ‘ripped Read more
Professor Echo … Lon Chaney Harry Earles … Twiddledee Hercules … Ivan Linow Rosie … Lila Lee Hector … Elliot Nugent The Prosecutor … John Miljan Proof That It’s Pre-Code The film opens with a dancer who “broke the sultan’s thermometer!” The fat lady has not seen her “… feet!” Read more
May … Carole Lombard Jimmy … Pat O’Brien Lil … Mayo Methot Proof That It’s Pre-Code It’s all about prostitutes! Women get smacked around and/or killed! In a nice switch around, we get to see a dude get dressed. Drinking galore! Everyone gambles all the time! “A gentleman don’t talk Read more
Cassie … Jean Harlow Gladys … Mae Clarke Dot … Marie Prevost Proof That It’s Pre-Code Drinking by the ill-mannered, with one upper crust youth noting, “Most of the girls around here like to compete to see who can get blotto first!” Several colorful euphemisms for the rear end, including Read more
Karl Brenner … Richard Barthelmess Lotti Brenner … Marian Marsh Martha Brenner … Lucille LaVerne Proof That It’s Pre-Code One very suspicious surgery, and the fact that our hero is in love with his sister. Mind you, he’s adopted, but really. Alias The Doctor: Bond of Brothers The word ‘convoluted’ Read more