Paul Frank Morgan Maria Nancy Carroll Walter Paul Lukas Hilda Jean Dixon Schultz Charlie Grapewin Lucy Gloria Stuart Released by Paramount | Directed By James Whale Proof That It’s Pre-Code A premeditated murder is committed, and surely it’s okay to do that sometimes, right? One of the reporters seems a Read more
Coach Gore Pat O’Brien Claire Ann Dvorak Buck Weaver Lyle Talbot Phil Sargeant Dick Powell Barnett Hugh Herbert Dr. Sargeant Arthur Byron Released by Warner Brothers | Directed By William A. Wellman Proof That It’s Pre-Code Buck Weaver keeps a picture of a scantily clad woman in his dorm room. Read more
Nora Moran Zita Johann Dick Crawford Paul Cavanagh John Grant Alan Dinehart Edith Crawford Claire Du Brey Father Ryan Henry B. Walthall Paulino John Miljan Released by Majestic Pictures | Directed By Phil Goldstone Proof That It’s Pre-Code Nora is called, “a common cheap hooker,” which is surprisingly blunt for Read more
Biff Gary Cooper Virginia Fay Wray Amy Frances Fuller Released by Paramount Pictures | Directed by Stephen Roberts One Sunday Afternoon: Regrets, I Have a Few “Ain’t no crime in this world like stealing another man’s woman.” One Sunday Afternoon is about two things that constantly interest me: class conflict Read more
Myron Brown, M.D. Lew Ayres Ruth Robbins Mae Clarke Betty Merrick Una Merkel Released by Universal | Directed By James Whale Proof That It’s Pre-Code “No man can be expected to live his entire life with one woman!” Both Clarke and Merkel get undressed at different points. Attempted suicide. A Read more
Marcia Cameron Mae Clarke Bob Henderson James Hall Trixie Barnes Marie Prevost Released by Columbia | Directed By Roy William Neill Proof That It’s Pre-Code “You cheap, common…” Women living with criminals outside of wedlock. Rich people are assholes. The Good Bad Girl: And The Ugly “That’s what I was. Read more
Damon Wells Edward G. Robinson Jessica Mary Astor Weston Ricardo Cortez Daphne Mae Clarke Stanley Vance Louis Calhern Curtis David Landau Released by Warner Brothers | Directed by Archie Mayo Proof That It’s Pre-Code Our film’s villain is a murderous briber who uses hypnotism and spousal abuse to rob people Read more
Johnny Quinlan Jack Mulhall Bertha Quinlan Mae Clarke Danny Walsh Ned Sparks Released by RKO | Directed By Leslie Pearce Proof That It’s Pre-Code Our louse in the lead, Johnny, is chasing around ladies other than his wife. The gangster boss Nifty has a network of men carrying high end Read more
Joe Gimlet Lee Tracy Mary Gimlet / Mary Wright Mae Clarke Ted Wright Otto Kruger Released by MGM | Directed by Edgar Selwyn Proof That It’s Pre-Code “As the lady said to the sailor, nothing’s stopping you.” Drunk Tracy is clearly checking out Clarke’s rear when she insists that he Read more
George Simon John Barrymore Rexy Gordon Bebe Daniels Doris Kenyon Cora Simon Roy Darwin Melvyn Douglas Harry Becker Vincent Sherman Lillian La Rue Thelma Todd Released by Universal | Directed by William Wyler Proof That It’s Pre-Code Ya’ll like class warfare? Our hero previously rigged a court case with a Read more