David Dwight … Warren William Lynn … Maureen O’Sullivan Sarah… Verree Teasdale Tom … Norman Foster Jenny … Anita Page Ella Dwight … Hedda Hopper Skyscraper Souls: A Monument to Mankind’s Hubris They laughed at me when I said I wanted a hundred-story building. They said it wouldn’t hold together. Read more…
The Particulars of the Picture Vicki … Joan Blondell Tony … Warren William Vernon … Edward Everett Horton Anita … Claire Dodd George … Frank McHugh Bonnie … Joan Wheeler Smarty: Slap Happy Spanking, slapping, screwing. If any of those intrigue you, you may be interested in Smarty, one of Read more…
Alexander Stream … Warren William Hettie Stream … Mary Astor Lilly Linda … Ginger Rogers Oscar … Andy Devine Lou … J. Carrol Naish Moran … Sidney Toler Upperworld: Taking It From the Top I’ve watched a number of movies from 1934 now, but it still surprises me how completely Read more…
Groucho Chico Harpo Zeppo Thelma Todd And… Maurice Chevalier? Monkey Business: Cruising for Craziness “I want gaiety! I want laughter! I want ha-cha-cha-cha!” Let’s start off with an important note for whenever I talk about the Marx Brothers movies on this site. On Monkey Business, you will notice this at Read more…
The Particulars of the Picture Angela … Kay Johnson Bob … Reginald Denny Jimmy Wade … Roland Young Trixie … Lilian Roth Madam Satan … ??? Directed by Cecil B. DeMille Madam Satan: Hell in a Handbasket Who wants to go to hell with Madam Satan? Cecil B. DeMille’s Madam Read more…
The Particulars of the Picture Cynthia Darrington … Katharine Hepburn Christopher Strong … Colin Clive Elaine Strong … Billie Burke Monica Strong … Helen Chandler Henry Rawlinson … Ralph Forbes Directed by Dorothy Arzner Christopher Strong: Making You Weak in the Knees The very first time the viewer sees the Read more…
Proof That It’s Pre-Code All the usual hotel nighttime activities. There’s an extended subplot about an industrialist negotiating with a stenographer about what she will give him in exchange for an all-expense paid trip through Europe. It includes this wonderful line: “I don’t suppose you’d take some… dictation from me Read more…
Proof That It’s Pre-Code I’m going to have to stretch it a little this week, since there’s inherently very little about this picture that was risque for the time that it arrived in. There’s a cute Indian girl who runs around with a cute little white boy and forty years Read more…
Lily Barbara Stanwyck Courtland Trenholm George Brent Mr. Stevens Donald Cook Chico Theresa Harris Mr. Carter Henry Kolker Mr. Sipple Arthur Hohl Proof That It’s Pre-Code The film’s main conceit is that all life is exploitation, and you must simply be the one doing the exploiting. One book thumping scholar Read more…
Proof That It’s Pre-Code Getting a little ahead of myself, but the movie is about two couples on their honeymoon, so there’s that. And it leads to some naughty moments, including Norma Shearer showing off: The next twist of the plot is that one member of each couple were married Read more…