Mary / Sally Mary Astor George Lloyd Hughes Clara Natalie Moorhead Released by RKO | Directed by Donald Crisp Proof That It’s Pre-Code A woman runs away with a man to elope, but then realizes that he’s kind of a dick. But they signed a hotel register together, so if Read more
Chandu Edmund Lowe Princess Nadji Irene Ware Roxor Bela Lugosi Released by Fox Film | Directed by William Cameron Menzies & Marcel Varnel Proof That It’s Pre-Code Death rays! … wait, that’s not exclusive to the early 1930s? Lots of mysticism and indulging in the mystics. One not particularly effective Read more
Released by Paramount Pictures | Directed by Norman Z. McLeod Alice in Wonderland: The Exquisite Tragedy of a World Gone Mad “If everybody minded their own business, the world would go around much faster than it does.” There are things I miss about the studio system. Imagine you’re Cary Grant. You Read more
Karin Greta Garbo Larry Melvyn Douglas Griselda Constance Bennett Released by MGM | Directed by George Cukor Two-Faced Woman: The Two Farces of Eve “You’ve made me lose my poise; for that I shall never forgive you.” Two Faced Woman is kind of a disaster. Wresting mediocrity from the jaws Read more
Zara / Maria Greta Garbo Bruno Melvyn Douglas Salter Erich von Stroheim Released by Metro Goldwyn Mayer | Directed by George Fitzmaurice Proof That It’s Pre-Code Zara lives out of wedlock with a man, despite the fact that she may be married to another. (Though, to be fair, she has… Read more
Helga/Susan Lenox Greta Garbo Rodney Clark Gable Ohlin Jean Hersholt Released by MGM | Directed by Robert Z. Leonard Proof That It’s Pre-Code Our female lead is threatened with rape and abuse constantly before turning to prostitution and gold digging. Susan Lenox: It’s A Man’s World “I think the most Read more
Grace Sutton Loretta Young Jed Sutton Eric Linden Miss Bowers Aline MacMahon Floret Glenda Farrell A Patient Dorothy Peterson Ringer Frank McHugh Released by First National/Warner Bros. | Directed by James Flood Proof That It’s Pre-Code Let’s just say that medicine has changed in 80-some years. One nervous father is Read more
Yvonne Greta Garbo Andre Robert Montgomery Delval Lewis Stone Released by Metro Goldwyn Mayer | Directed by Clarence Brown Proof That It’s Pre-Code “There are tricks in every trade.” “You ought to know, dearie. Your trade is the oldest.” “I was just going to ask if you came with a Read more
Rita Cavallini Greta Garbo Cornelius Van Tuyl Lewis Stone Tom Armstrong Gavin Gordon Released by Metro Goldwyn Mayer | Directed by Clarence Brown Proof That It’s Pre-Code Rita was sold into a brothel at a young age and has gained infamy as an opera singer… but also as a woman Read more
Released by Hal Roach Studios | Directed by Gus Meins Maid in Hollywood: A Sneezy, Breezy Time “Hollywood, the land of promises. That’s all you get. Promises. Did you ever try to eat a promise? Well, I did.” This time out for Kelly and Todd are a pair of unsuccessful Read more