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
Irene Gloria Stuart Robert Lionel Atwill Walter Paul Lukas Released by Universal | Directed By Kurt Neumann The Secret of the Blue Room: Am I Blue “I warned them. But they laughed at me. But I tell you that anybody who sleeps in the blue room is never heard of Read more
Jim Allen Paul Muni Bomber Wells Edward Ellis Marie Glenda Farrell Helen Helen Vinson Rev. Allen Hale Hamilton Barney Sykes Allen Jenkins Released by Warner Brothers | Directed By Mervyn LeRoy Proof That It’s Pre-Code A Texan assures us that the next man who asks him for an inspection will Read more
Dr. Jack Griffin Claude Rains Flora Gloria Stuart Dr. Arthur Kemp William Harrigan Released by Universal | Directed By James Whale Proof That It’s Pre-Code A naked man instigates a reign of terror throughout Great Britain. He also pushes a baby carriage over. Basically, the invisible man murders a ton Read more
Released by United Artists | Directed By Burt Gillett Babes in the Wood: A Murder Most Fun Say what you will about Walt Disney the man (and we’ll all say things, that’s for sure), there’s little doubt that the Disney Studios has produced some impressive work in their eight decades 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
Philo Vance Basil Rathbone Sigurd Arnesson Roland Young Belle Dillard Leila Hyams Released by MGM | Directed By David Burton and Nick Grime The Bishop Murder Case: Hickory Dickory DULL “And as for you… Fools! Idiots! Children! Baffled by Mother Goose!” In doing my research for The Bishop Murder Case, Read more
Jekyll / Hyde Fredric March Muriel Rose Hobart Ivy Miriam Hopkins Released by Paramount Pictures | Directed By Rouben Mamoulian Proof That It’s Pre-Code Men need to control their passions, lest they let their dark side run rampant and turn into horrifying monsters who sexually abuse and murder women. Sound Read more
Rico Edward G. Robinson Joe Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Olga Glenda Farrell Released by Warner Brothers | Directed By Mervyn LeRoy Proof That It’s Pre-Code Homosexual undertones galore. From a few guys checking out Douglas Fairbanks Jr.’s dance moves to Rico’s gushing toady, it’s hard not to read the whole thing Read more
Tom Powers James Cagney Gwen Allen Jean Harlow Matt Doyle Edward Woods Mike Powers Donald Cook Ma Powers Beryl Mercer Mamie Joan Blondell Released by Warner Brothers | Directed By William A. Wellman Proof That It’s Pre-Code Our hero is a thug and he’s punished for his actions. But, boy, Read more