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Mystery

The Maltese Falcon (1931)
1931

The Maltese Falcon (1931) Review, with Ricardo Cortez and Bebe Daniels

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…

By Danny, 11 yearsDecember 1, 2014 ago
The Circus Queen Murder (1933)
1933

The Circus Queen Murder (1933) Review, with Adolphe Menjou

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…

By Danny, 11 yearsNovember 28, 2014 ago
1934

The Thin Man (1934) Review, with William Powell and Myrna Loy

Nick Charles William Powell Nora Charles Myrna Loy Asta Skippy Released by MGM | Directed By W.S. Van Dyke Proof That It’s Pre-Code Well, Nick Charles punches Nora Charles in the face. There are a large number of jokes about dogs peeing. The police just punch a dude in the Read more…

By Danny, 12 yearsFebruary 14, 2014 ago
1931

The Black Camel (1931), with Warner Oland and Bela Lugosi

Charlie Chan … Warner Oland Tarneverro … Bela Lugosi Julie O’Neal … Sally Eilers Proof That It’s Pre-Code Chan loses it at his assistant: “You are zebra! Sport model jackass!” The Black Camel: Waiting, Silently There is old saying: “Death is a black camel that kneels unbidden at every gate.” Read more…

By Danny, 13 yearsOctober 15, 2013 ago
Miss Pinkerton (1932)
1932

Miss Pinkerton (1932) Review, with Joan Blondell and George Brent

Proof That It’s Pre-Code Well, you know, there’s a scene where Joan Blondell is having a conversation with her coworkers about how bored she is in her job… and she slowly strips throughout her diatribe. I guess that’s one way to introduce the character… Our main character, a nurse, accidentally Read more…

By Danny, 13 yearsOctober 26, 2012 ago
1930

Grumpy (1930)

Bah humbug.

By Danny, 14 yearsApril 1, 2012 ago
1934

Mystery Liner (1934)

Where’s an iceberg when you need it?

By Danny, 14 yearsMarch 11, 2012 ago
1934

Murder at the Vanities (1934) Review

That’s pretty close to nudity, that’s some blood, there’s some murder. Oh, and weeeeed. 420, sing songs every day.

By Danny, 15 yearsOctober 2, 2011 ago
1933

Private Detective 62 (1933) Review, with William Powell

Pre-Code Follies: It’s another round with William Powell being so-damned-charming-it-hurts in a movie that’s so-damn-boring-that-writing-a-description-of-it-is-also-boring. From-Danny.

By Danny, 15 yearsAugust 13, 2011 ago
1931

Guilty Hands (1931) Review, with Kay Francis and Lionel Barrymore

A delay on the podcast this week, but instead we’ve got a spine tingler and a black comedy rolled into one, with Lionel Barrymore and Kay Francis! Yes, again, I like Kay Francis, shut up. From Danny

By Danny, 15 yearsAugust 7, 2011 ago

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Pre-Code.Com celebrates Hollywood films made from 1930 to 34, when the talkies were new and censorship was lax. Learn more about the era here, or browse our many reviews.

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