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
Simon Edward Everett Horton Doris / Julia Patsy Ruth Miller Easter Louise Beavers Released by Warner Bros. | Directed by Archie Mayo Run time: 69 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film “I never spoiled a reputation in my life– male or female!” Simon’s maid, a black woman named Easter, Read more
Peggy Sawyer Ruby Keeler Dorothy Brock Bebe Daniels Julian Marsh Warner Baxter Billy Lawler Dick Powell Abner Dillon Guy Kibbee Pat Denning George Brent Loraine “Lolly” Fleming Una Merkel “Anytime” Annie Lowell Ginger Rogers Thomas Barry Ned Sparks Mac Elroy Allen Jenkins Andy Lee George E. Stone The Blonde Toby 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
Mary / Sally Mary Astor George Lloyd Hughes Clara Natalie Moorhead Released by RKO | Directed by Donald Crisp Proof That It’s Pre-Code A woman runs away with a man to elope, but then realizes that he’s kind of a dick. But they signed a hotel register together, so if Read more
Released by Paramount Pictures | Directed by Norman Z. McLeod Alice in Wonderland: The Exquisite Tragedy of a World Gone Mad “If everybody minded their own business, the world would go around much faster than it does.” There are things I miss about the studio system. Imagine you’re Cary Grant. You Read more
Karin Greta Garbo Larry Melvyn Douglas Griselda Constance Bennett Released by MGM | Directed by George Cukor Two-Faced Woman: The Two Farces of Eve “You’ve made me lose my poise; for that I shall never forgive you.” Two Faced Woman is kind of a disaster. Wresting mediocrity from the jaws 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