1932
The Final Edition (1932) Review, with Mae Clarke and Pat O’Brien
An ace newspaper reporter hunts down a murderer in order to take down a crime syndicate– and she’s a woman?! Bless my stars and garters.
1934
Viva Villa! (1934) Review, with Wallace Beery, Leo Carrillo and Fay Wray
Pancho Villa Wallace Beery Rodolfo Leo Carrillo Teresa Fay Wray Jonny Sykes Stuart Erwin General Pascal Joseph Schildkraut Francisco Madero Henry B. Walthall Released by MGM | Directed by Jack Conway Run time: 115 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film People are murdered pretty indiscriminately– this is a revolution, Read more
1933
Bureau of Missing Persons (1933) Review, with Bette Davis and Pat O’Brien
Norma Bette Davis Butch Pat O’Brien The Captain Lewis Stone Joe Allen Jenkins Belle Glenda Farrell Pete Ruth Donnelly Released by Warner Bros. | Directed by Roy Del Ruth Run time: 72 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film Since this is a film dealing with the destitute, it’s fairly Read more
1933
Ann Vickers (1933) Review, with Irene Dunne, Walter Huston and Conrad Nagel
Ann Vickers Irene Dunne Barney Dolphin Walter Huston Lindsey Atwell Conrad Nagel Released by RKO | Directed by John Cromwell Run time: 76 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film One suspicious trip to Havana that ends in an out-of-wedlock child’s life ending. One prisoner is told, “We’ll have to Read more
1933
The Solitaire Man (1933) Review, with Herbert Marshall and Lionel Atwill
Oliver Lane Herbert Marshall Wallace Lionel Atwill Bascom Ralph Forbes Mrs. Vail May Robson Mrs. Hopkins Mary Boland Helen Elizabeth Allen Released by Metro Goldwyn Mayer | Directed by Jack Conway Run time: 67 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film [poking head out of bathroom] “I thought you were Read more
1932
Shanghai Express (1932) Review, with Marlene Dietrich, Anna May Wong and Colin Brook
Madeline / Shanghai Lily Marlene Dietrich Doctor Harvey Clive Brook Hui Fei Anna May Wong Henry Chang Warner Oland Sam Salt Eugene Pallatte Mr. Carmichael Lawrence Grant Released by Paramount Pictures | Directed by Josef Von Sternberg Run time: 83 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film This film’s most Read more
1930
Her Man (1930) Review, with Helen Twelvetrees, Phillips Holmes, and Ricardo Cortez
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
1932
Big City Blues (1932) Review, with Eric Linden and Joan Blondell
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
1933
Roman Scandals (1933) Review, with Eddie Cantor
Eddie / Oedipus Eddie Cantor Josephus David Manners Princess Sylvia Gloria Stewart Emperor Valerius Edward Arnold Olga Ruth Etting Empress Agrippa Verree Teasdale Released by United Artists | Directed By Frank Tuttle Proof That It’s Pre-Code “The empress Agrippa, the one I was sleeping with, was his wife.” The chief Read more
1930
The Fall Guy (1930) Review, with Jack Mulhall, Mae Clarke, and Ned Sparks
Johnny Quinlan Jack Mulhall Bertha Quinlan Mae Clarke Danny Walsh Ned Sparks Released by RKO | Directed By Leslie Pearce Proof That It’s Pre-Code Our louse in the lead, Johnny, is chasing around ladies other than his wife. The gangster boss Nifty has a network of men carrying high end Read more