Frankie Helen Twelvetrees Johnnie Ricardo Cortez Dan Phillips Holmes Annie Marjorie Rambeau Sport Frank Pangborn Nelly Thelma Todd Released by Pathe (RKO) | Directed by Tay Garnett Proof That It’s Pre-Code Look, you can’t say it, but this movie is filled to the brim with prostitutes. Oh, and murder. And Read more
Bud Eric Linden Vida Joan Blondell Cousin Gibby Walter Catlett Hummell Guy Kibbee The Station Agent Grant Mitchell Ms. Cartlich Jobyna Howland Released by Warner Brothers | Directed by Mervyn LeRoy Proof That It’s Pre-Code A bootlegger, before informing a client about yet another ‘change of address’, pleasantly tells his Read more
Bugs Alhern Edward G. Robinson Al Daniels Russell Hopton Polly Cass Helen Vinson Ruth Wayburn Mary Astor Donald Cass Berton Churchill Edith Merriam Shirley Grey Released by Warner Brothers | Directed by Roy Del Ruth Proof That It’s Pre-Code Robinson’s Bugs Ahern is known as a mad gangster who murders Read more
Carol Joan Blondell Lawrence Warren William Trixie Aline MacMahon Polly Ruby Keeler Brad Dick Powell Peabody Guy Kibbee Barney Ned Sparks Fay Ginger Rogers Singer Etta Moten Released by Warner Brothers | Directed by Mervyn LeRoy Proof That It’s Pre-Code One of the musical numbers is called “Pettin’ in the Read more
George Simon John Barrymore Rexy Gordon Bebe Daniels Doris Kenyon Cora Simon Roy Darwin Melvyn Douglas Harry Becker Vincent Sherman Lillian La Rue Thelma Todd Released by Universal | Directed by William Wyler Proof That It’s Pre-Code Ya’ll like class warfare? Our hero previously rigged a court case with a Read more
Sylvia Day Mae Clarke Joseph B. Smith Ralph Bellamy Jeanie Vance Marie Prevost Released by Columbia Pictures | Directed By Edward F. Cline Proof That It’s Pre-Code Sylvia (Clarke) and Tony (Hale Hamilton) run a con that involves a fake pick pocketing and extortion from dopey department stores. Tony becomes Read more
Molly Louvain Ann Dvorak Scotty Cornell Lee Tracy Nicky Grant Leslie Fenton Jimmy Hook Richard Cromwell Captain Slade Charles Middleton Pops Guy Kibbee Released by Warner Brothers/First National | Directed By Michael Curtiz Proof That It’s Pre-Code Molly Louvain gets pregnant out of wedlock and has a child. Molly Louvain Read more
Teresita Lupe Velez Bates Lee Tracy Achilles Eugene Pallette Released by RKO | Directed By Gregory La Cava Proof That It’s Pre-Code An enticement to see an exotic dancer that doesn’t work as well nowadays: “She makes the old grow young and the young grow gay.” “But he ain’t the Read more
J. Phineas Stevens Lee Tracy Dorothy Mason Madge Evans Dr. Prescott Frank Morgan Floppy Charles Butterworth Kelley David Landau Calhoun John Miljan Released by Metro Goldwyn Mayer | Directed By Jack Conway Proof That It’s Pre-Code “Since you refuse to share my humble dwellings for the evening, there’s only one Read more
Hildegarde Withers Edna May Oliver Inspector Piper James Gleason Gwen Mae Clarke Philip Donald Cook Hemingway Clarence Wilson Barry Robert Armstrong Released by RKO | Directed By George Archainbaud The Penguin Pool Murder: Whirlpool of Intrigue We’re going to do something a little differently this week. Instead of my usual Read more