Molly Louvain Ann Dvorak Scotty Cornell Lee Tracy Nicky Grant Leslie Fenton Jimmy Hook Richard Cromwell Captain Slade Charles Middleton Pops Guy Kibbee Released by Warner Brothers/First National | Directed By Michael Curtiz Proof That It’s Pre-Code Molly Louvain gets pregnant out of wedlock and has a child. Molly Louvain Read more
Arlene Bette Davis Val Margaret Lindsay Tony Donald Woods Spencer Lyle Talbot Izzy Hugh Herbert Chief O’Malley Alan Hale Bradford Arthur Byron Jake Bello Irving Pichel Maynard Douglas Dumbrille Released by Warner Brothers | Directed By William Dieterle Proof That It’s Pre-Code Notably, the night club at the beginning of Read more
Sam Spade Ricardo Cortez Ruth Wonderly Bebe Daniels Casper Gutman Dudley Digges Effie Perine Una Merkel Iva Archer Thelma Todd Dr. Joel Cairo Otto Matieson Released by Warner Brothers | Directed By Roy Del Ruth Proof That It’s Pre-Code Sam Spade likes the ladies. More on that below. Homosexual subtext Read more
Thatcher Colt Adolphe Menjou Sebastian Donald Cook La Tour Greta Nissen Miss Kelly Ruthelma Stevens Jim Dugan Harry Holman Flandrin Dwight Frye Released by Columbia | Directed By Roy William Neill Proof That It’s Pre-Code A married circus performer is having an affair and everyone wants in on it. A Read more
Louanne Dorothy Mackaill Wally Dean Frank Fay Miguel Parada Noah Beery Released by Warner Brothers | Directed by Michael Curtiz Proof That It’s Pre-Code “Why don’t you marry that guy and forget him?” We meet Dorothy Mackaill in the movie lounging in a negligee cooing a parrot on her outstretched 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
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
Dan Quigley James Cagney Myra Mae Clarke Lois Underwood Margaret Lindsay Released by Warner Brothers | Directed By Roy Del Ruth Proof That It’s Pre-Code “I’m not a madam!” “Well… I wouldn’t know about that.” The main character is a conman who goes from card swindling, running a casino, grand Read more
Jimmy Russell Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Stanley Fiske Lee Tracy Sally Condon Ann Dvorak Bernie Olds Warren Hymer Eddie Shaw Lyle Talbot Mary Wodehouse Frances Dee Released by Warner Brothers | Directed By William A. Wellman Proof That It’s Pre-Code Unpunished murder, my friends. The good old fashioned Read more