Cho-Cho-san Sylvia Sidney Lt. Pinkerton Cary Grant Lt. Barton Charlie Ruggles Released by Paramount Directed by Marion Gering Run time: 86 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film A man marries two different women. Sure, it’s bigamy. It’s big of them too! (ugh) Madame Butterfly: Yuck Yuck Yuck “Before kiss, Read more…
Diana Sturm Tallulah Bankhead Lt. Sempter Gary Cooper Cmdr. Charles Sturm Charles Laughton Released by Paramount Directed by Marion Gering Run time: 75 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film A woman hisses at Diana, “You probably heard me say that I’d very much like to spank you!” Diana raises Read more…
Ann Darrow Fay Wray Carl Denham Robert Armstrong John Driscoll Bruce Cabot Released by RKO Directed by Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack Run time: 104 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film This film touches lightly on a ton of material from white slavery to bestiality, that would be Read more…
Peg Marion Davies Jerry Onslow Stevens Alaric Tyrell Davis Released by MGM Directed by Robert Z. Leonard Run time: 86 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film “You little Irish–!!” Our hero, Peg (Davies), pretends to have an illicit extramarital affair in order to help another woman out. Peg O’ Read more…
Roger Standish Richard Dix Caroline Ogden Ann Harding Matilda Blake Edna May Oliver Released by RKO Directed by William Wellman Run time: 86 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film There are a couple of particularly brutal episodes in this one, including a child begging for its life before dying Read more…
Dulce Morado Kay Francis Cassy Pringle Wallace Kay Johnson Dan Wallace Charles Bickford Tony Lewis Stone Tommy Dickie Moore Mrs. Harney Zasu Pitts Released by MGM Directed by William C. DeMille Run time: 78 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film Worried that she almost fell off a cliff, Dulce Read more…
Jimmy Mason Junior Durkin Matt Kelly Pat O’Brien Peggy Gardner Bette Davis Released by Allied Artists (?) Directed by Howard Higgin Run time: 72 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film One early scene has Jimmy Mason (Durkin) trying to pick the right door to knock on, and he plays Read more…
Orin Nordholm Jr. Paul Muni Anna Nordholm Aline MacMahon Ginny Claffin Mary Astor Released by Warner Bros./First National Directed by Mervyn LeRoy Run time: 91 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film A broad historical overview that features suicide, multiple marriages and even the Great Depression. The World Changes: Never Read more…
Millie Helen Twelvetrees Helen Lilyan Tashman Angie Joan Blondell Released by RKO Directed by John Francis Dillon Run time: 85 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film We’re introduced to Blondell and Tashman’s characters shacked up in bed together. Frank McHugh has a musical number (yes) about being a beautiful Read more…
Letty Madge Evans Mrs. Sherwood Alice Brady Sherwood Otto Kruger Carol Una Merkel Mrs. Merrick May Robson Burt Barton Phillips Holmes Released by MGM Directed by Richard Boleslavsky Run time: 86 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film “You know how divorces are.” “I’ve never been married.” “Not even once?!” Read more…