Flicker Hayes James Cagney Rose Lawrence Joan Blondell Nick Gardella Victor Jory Released by Warner Brothers | Directed By Lloyd Bacon Proof That It’s Pre-Code Early on, Flicker Hayes (Cagney) agrees to rob a safe filled with junk and “nose candy.” Rose Lawerence (Blondell) plays a prostitute who decides to Read more
Jim Towner Clive Brook Fanny Towner Kay Francis Rosie Duggan Miriam Hopkins Tony Bruzzi Regis Toomey Hector Champion George Barbier David Melbourne Minor Watson Released by Paramount Pictures | Directed By Marion Gering Proof That It’s Pre-Code Drugs. Sex. Murder. 24 Hours: Counting Down the Minutes “It’s like having a Read more
Released by MGM | Directed By George Marshall Alum and Eve: Tripping the Light Fantastic “And I suppose when the doctor comes in he’ll take out my other appendix!” “Alum and Eve” is one of the most surreal of the non-Betty Boop shorts I’ve sat through, a short where a Read more
Flint Walter Huston Kingsland Conrad Nagel Ann Whitehall Virginia Bruce Tula Lupe Velez Hogan Mitchell Lewis Gregg C. Henry Gordon Released by MGM | Directed By William J. Cowen Proof That It’s Pre-Code Lupe Velez enters the movie in thin strips of cloth. Flint likes calling the Read more
Eadie Jean Harlow Tom Paige Jr. Franchot Tone Tom Paige Sr. Lionel Barrymore Released by MGM | Directed By Jack Conway Proof That It’s Pre-Code-ish Eadie on her home life: “Since you came here, there’s only one way for a girl to end up in this place and you know Read more
Bob Brown Warren William Caroline Jean Muir John Smith David Landau Released by Warner Brothers | Directed By Robert Florey Proof That It’s Pre-Code The film’s opening shot, before it’s revealed to be an innocent examination (but still with plenty of pointed jokes about it): “You said you were bringing Read more
Wong Low Get Edward G. Robinson Sun Toya San Loretta Young Harry En Hai Leslie Fenton Released by Warner Brothers | Directed By William A. Wellman Proof That It’s Pre-Code It’s a movie about Chinese-Americans which means, yes, the main cast is caked in yellow face. It also deals with Read more
Elsa Carlyle Tallulah Bankhead Jeffrey Carlyle Harvey Stephens Hardy Livingstone Irving Pichel Released by Paramount Pictures | Directed By George Abbott Proof That It’s Pre-Code Once again, everyone is amazed by a marriage that involves love. Tallulah Bankhead tries to transform into Wonder Woman but forgot to put her outfit Read more
Nathan Rothschild George Arliss Count Ledrantz Boris Karloff Julie Rothschild Loretta Young Captain Fitzroy Robert Taylor Duke of Wellington C. Aubrey Smith Hannah Rothschild Florence Arliss Released by 20th Century Fox | Directed By Alfred L. Werker Proof That It’s Pre-Code The Duke of Wellington doesn’t swear, but injects the Read more
Rid Riddell Clark Gable Jim Rellence Ernest Torrence Ruby Madge Evans Angela Marie Prevost Tip Scanlon Lew Cody Tommy Boy Released by MGM | Directed By Charles Brabin Proof That It’s Pre-Code Heavy narcotics use. Well, by horses, but still. Sporting Blood: A Legacy of Tragedy “Since the beginning of Read more