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…
Jimmy Kane James Cagney Joan Virginia Bruce Peggy Marian Nixon Released by Warner Brothers | Directed By Roy Del Ruth Proof That It’s Pre-Code Virginia Bruce gets to model a stunning array of lingerie. A trio of tailors fit Cagney for a suit and are very interesting in getting precise Read more…
Annie Snodgrass Zasu Pitts T. Fenny Sylvester Nat Pendleton Adam Frink Edward Everett Horton Toots McGuire Ned Sparks Ruby Pert Kelton Oswald John Qualen Released by RKO | Directed By William A. Seiter Proof That It’s Pre-Code Former actress-turned-kept woman Ruby (Kelton) insists, “I belong to the world!” Sylvester (Pendleton) 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…
Helen/Raquel Constance Bennett Doug Franchot Tone Vicky Tullio Carminati Released by 20th Century Pictures | Directed By Sidney Lanfield Proof That It’s Pre-Code Doug needs to compose his newest musical number in the lady’s room since everywhere else is taken. One of the film’s musical numbers revolves around a woman’s Read more…
Jamil El Shehab Ramon Novarro Diana ‘Di’ Standing Myrna Loy Gerald Hume Reginald Denny Cecil Harwood C. Aubrey Smith Achmed Pasha Edward Arnold Powers Louise Closser Hale Released by MGM | Directed By Sam Wood Proof That It’s Pre-Code Myrna Loy takes a dip in the film’s most infamous scene: Read more…
Sylvia Bruce Marion Davies Bill Williams Bing Crosby Lili Yvonne Fifi D’Orsay Conroy Ned Sparks Jill Patsy Kelly Ernest Baker Stuart Erwin Released by MGM | Directed By Raoul Walsh Proof That It’s Pre-Code “What’s the ‘P’ for?” “Pratt.” “I knew it.” Bing makes a joke about having drank absinthe. 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…
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…
Tom Walter Woolf Dawn Vivienne Segal Shep Keyes Noah Beery Pigeon Lupino Lane Joanna Marion Byron Blink Lee Moran Released by Warner Brothers | Directed By Ray Enright Proof That It’s Pre-Code Blackface galore, and plenty of ugly racial politics to boot. “Silly arse.” A woman wants a man who Read more…