Kitty Lorraine Alice Brady Shirley Lorraine Maureen O’Sullivan Warren Foster Franchot Tone Released by MGM | Directed by Charles Brabin Run time: 84 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film In one of the most unique scenes of the entire pre-Code era, the titular ‘stage mother’ offers to hook her Read more
Mary Sidney Fox Gus Paul Lukas Lewis Stone Mr. Jones Released by Universal | Directed by John M. Stahl Run time: 90 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film “How about you go to–“ The first act takes place in a speakeasy. A man and woman are living together before Read more
Lola Loretta Young Ken Norman Foster Agnes Aline MacMahon Released by Warner Bros. | Directed by Thornton Freeland Run time: 67 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film A working women succeeds in a man’s world. Men wake up in the morning with one thing on their mind. Week-End Marriage: Read more
Wayne Lowell Sherman Helene Andrews Irene Dunne Agatha Carraway Mae Murray Released by RKO | Directed by Lowell Sherman Run time: 76 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film “I’m a firm believer in that a woman’s place is next to her husband.” Noel Francis keeps slipping in and out Read more
Cary Lockwood Richard Barthelmess Shep Lambert David Manners Nikki Helen Chandler Released by Warner Bros. | Directed by William Dieterle Run time: 76 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film Nikki is, “just an old hussy we found scattered around.” A friend named Frink is “a member of the wandering Read more
John Allen Edward G. Robinson Shirley Day Vivienne Osborne Bud Clark Preston Foster Released by Warner Bros. | Directed by Mervyn LeRoy Run time: 68 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film There’s a surprisingly detailed discussion of electrocution death. “I ain’t gonna live with no lily!” When Bud gets Read more
Sparrow Bert Wheeler Professor Cunningham Robert Woolsey Anita Dorothy Lee Released by RKO | Directed by Paul Sloane Run time: 97 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film “What does a girl generally want a little fella for?” “In my country, we marry women first. Then we teach them how Read more
Mrs. Livingston Baldwin-Crane Edna May Oliver Ms. Yvette Gordon Jill Esmond Andrew MacKaig Roscoe Ates Released by RKO | Directed by Lowell Sherman Run time: 63 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film Plenty of double entendres: “But you must be examined. Before you can serve as a juror, you Read more
Jack Thomas John Gilbert Frank Louis Wolheim Marjorie Leila Hyams Ruth Anita Page Mabel Marie Prevost Florio John Miljan Released by MGM | Directed by Mervyn LeRoy Run time: 90 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film A bootlegger tells his skeptical brother, who’s sniffing a bottle, “That stuff ain’t Read more
Bonnie Jordan Joan Crawford Rodney Jordan William Bakewell Jake Luva Clark Gable Released by MGM | Directed by Harry Beaumont Run time: 80 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film How to tell this one comes from the flapper era– a dull party is made lively again by someone suggesting: Read more