Hap Brown Hal Skelly Gardoni William Powell Marie Fay Wray Released by Paramount Pictures | Directed by Robert Milton Proof That It’s Pre-Code A married man cheats on his wife. But, hey, he’s Italian and super smooth. Behind the Makeup: Cloying Around “I seem to lack something. Something that appeals Read more
Eli Watt Lionel Barrymore Sarah May Robson Jimmy Watt Joel McCrea Letty McGinnis Dorothy Jordan Joan Stockton Frances Dee McGinnis David Landau Released by RKO Pictures | Directed by John S. Robertson Run time: 72 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film Pre-marital sex. One Man’s Journey: Never Ending Story Read more
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
Babs Winnie Lightner Sidney Charles Butterworth Joe Donald Cook Released by First National/Vitaphone/WB | Directed by Roy Del Ruth Run time: 64 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film Star Lightner dresses in a hula skirt and has no qualms about flipping it up, down, and all around. Another job Read more
Peter Standish Leslie Howard Helen Pettigrew Heather Angel Major Clinton Alan Mowbray Released by Fox Film | Directed by Frank Lloyd Proof That It’s Pre-Code Look, a guy travels through time to bone his great something-or-other’s cousin. It raises questions, certainly. Berkeley Square: Romance Through the Ages “Time– real time– Read more
Mr. Smith / The Great Zero Edward Everett Horton Madeline Esther Ralston Diane Laura La Plante Kitty Patsy Ruth Miller Mrs. Mantel Maude Eburne Andrews Spencer Charters Released by Pathe | Directed by Russell Mack Run time: 86 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film “You don’t mean he’s a Read more
Dr. Dick Lundley Conrad Nagel Marianne Madison Sidney Fox Laura Madison Bette Davis Mr. Madison Charles Winninger Valentine Corliss Humphrey Bogart Hedrick Madison David Durand Released by Universal Pictures | Directed by Hobart Henley Proof That It’s Pre-Code The family’s youngest brother pesters his sister about her undergarments: “Why don’t Read more
Beatrice Pullman Claudette Colbert Delilah Johnson Louise Beavers Stephen Archer Warren William Peola Johnson Fredi Washington Jessie Pullman Rochelle Hudson Elmer Smith Ned Sparks Released by Universal Pictures | Directed by John M. Stahl Proof That It’s Pre-Code-ish The relationship between two women, one black and one white, and their Read more
Danilo Maurice Chevalier Sonia Jeanette MacDonald Ambassador Edward Everett Horton King George Barbier Queen Una Merkel Orderly Sterling Holloway Released by Metro Goldwyn Mayer | Directed by Ernst Lubitsch Proof That It’s Pre-Code-ish How sexually carefree and attractive is the Chevalier character this go around? At a mod Parisian brothel, Read more
Tom Brown Gary Cooper Amy Jolly Marlene Dietrich La Bessiere Adolphe Menjou Released by Paramount | Directed by Josef von Sternberg Run time: 91 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film “What are you doing with those fingers?” “Nothing. … yet.” One infamous scene has Dietrich, in a tux, kissing Read more