Mata Hari Greta Garbo Alexis Rosanoff Ramon Novarro General Shubin Lionel Barrymore Andriani Lewis Stone DuBois C. Henry Gordon Carlotta Karen Morley Released by MGM | Directed By George Fitzmaurice Proof That It’s Pre-Code The titular Mata Hari is an exotic dancer who doubles as a spy in Paris during Read more
Carol Morgan Tallulah Bankhead Bill Wade Robert Montgomery Peter Blainey Hugh Herbert Released by MGM | Directed By Harry Beaumont Proof That It’s Pre-Code The film opens with a montage of newspaper headlines over the years promising that the end of the Depression is at hand. The papers are greeted Read more
Jerry Fredric March Joan Sylvia Sidney Claire Adrienne Allen Buck Skeets Gallagher Vi Esther Howard Mr. Prentice George Irving Released by Paramount Pictures | Directed By Dorothy Arzner Proof That It’s Pre-Code The movie is based on a short story entitled, “I, Jerry, Take Thee, Joan.” This was changed to Read more
Temple Drake Miriam Hopkins Stephen Benbow William Gargan Trigger Jack La Rue Released by Paramount Pictures | Directed By Stephen Roberts Proof That It’s Pre-Code I’m going to go ahead and just quote Thomas Doherty’s Pre-Code Hollywood on this one: The Story of Temple Drake is a model of pre-Code Read more
Elsa Carlyle Tallulah Bankhead Jeffrey Carlyle Harvey Stephens Hardy Livingstone Irving Pichel Released by Paramount Pictures | Directed By George Abbott Proof That It’s Pre-Code Once again, everyone is amazed by a marriage that involves love. Tallulah Bankhead tries to transform into Wonder Woman but forgot to put her outfit Read more
Nathan Rothschild George Arliss Count Ledrantz Boris Karloff Julie Rothschild Loretta Young Captain Fitzroy Robert Taylor Duke of Wellington C. Aubrey Smith Hannah Rothschild Florence Arliss Released by 20th Century Fox | Directed By Alfred L. Werker Proof That It’s Pre-Code The Duke of Wellington doesn’t swear, but injects the Read more
Lydia Darrow Miriam Hopkins Don Ellis Frederic March Honey Rogers George Raft Released by Paramount Pictures | Directed By James Flood Proof That It’s Pre-Code Everyone seems to be pregnant, whether they’re married or not. I really don’t get to write this often, but really: suicide galore. All of Me: Read more
Sadie McKee Joan Crawford Michael Alderson Franchot Tone Tommy Wallace Gene Raymond Jack Brennan Edward Arnold Opal Jean Dixon Dolly Merrick Esther Ralston Released by MGM | Directed By Clarence Brown Proof That It’s Pre-Code Sadie and Tommy move into a one room apartment where it’s noted that the landlord Read more
Rid Riddell Clark Gable Jim Rellence Ernest Torrence Ruby Madge Evans Angela Marie Prevost Tip Scanlon Lew Cody Tommy Boy Released by MGM | Directed By Charles Brabin Proof That It’s Pre-Code Heavy narcotics use. Well, by horses, but still. Sporting Blood: A Legacy of Tragedy “Since the beginning of Read more
Jeff Keane Lionel Barrymore Consuela Fairbanks Karen Morley Brenner Nils Asther Released by MGM | Directed By Charles Brabin Proof That It’s Pre-Code A man’s marriage? A SHAM. The government? A SHAM. Eh, there are probably more shammy things here too. Oh, and the Senator tells his daughter playfully, “You’re Read more