El Capitan Thunder Victor Varconi Ynez Fay Wray Juan Don Alvarado Released by Warner Bros./First National | Directed by Alan Crosland Run time: 65 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film Thunder is a lady’s man, and all the senoritas are totally into that. “Big boy!” “Little girl! Aren’t you Read more
Becky Sharpe Myrna Loy Amelia Sedley Barbara Kent Joseph Seldey Billy Bevan Released by Allied Artists | Directed by Chester M. Franklin Run time: 73 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film Outdated line: “He’s a gay young bachelor!” “You’re a shameless little hussy!” “I know it’s incredibly old fashioned, 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
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
Lola Lola Marlene Dietrich Professor Rath Emil Jannings The Magician Kurt Gerron Released by Paramount Pictures | Directed by Josef Von Sternberg Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film Our lead singer, Lola Lola, has what men want, and is more than willing to pass it along. The Blue Angel: Destroyed Read more
Bert Wheeler Dorothy Lee Roscoe Ates Released by RKO | Directed by William Seiter Too Many Cooks: Mr. Bland Builds His Etc. “I never looked at it that way.” “You can’t that way. Only when looking back.” The beginning and end of wit when it comes to the movie is Read more
Roger Fallon Edmund Lowe Jeanne Drake Jeanette MacDonald Herbert Drake Roland Young Tallulah Hope Una Merkel Chipley Duff J.M. Kerrigan Butterfield Henry Kolker Released by Fox Films | Directed by William K. Howard Proof That It’s Pre-Code “I’m going to be married.” “… again?!” Our protagonist has already had one 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
Joe Anton George Raft Jerry Healy Constance Cummings Iris Wynne Gibson Leo Roscoe Karns Mabel Alison Skipworth Maude Mae West Released by Paramount | Directed by Archie Mayo Proof That It’s Pre-Code “Why that dumb cluck!” George Raft awakens and undresses to bathe. We see a lot of him. Llllladies. Read more
Duke Ellis Richard Dix Johnny Ellis Tom Brown C. Henry Gordon Skinner Released by RKO | Directed by Rowland Brown Proof That It’s Pre-Code One convict had been married– to three wives at the same time. The cook is a homosexual. One guard’s wife is having an affair– and pays Read more