Ann Vickers Irene Dunne Barney Dolphin Walter Huston Lindsey Atwell Conrad Nagel Released by RKO | Directed by John Cromwell Run time: 76 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film One suspicious trip to Havana that ends in an out-of-wedlock child’s life ending. One prisoner is told, “We’ll have to Read more
Carol Joan Blondell Lawrence Warren William Trixie Aline MacMahon Polly Ruby Keeler Brad Dick Powell Peabody Guy Kibbee Barney Ned Sparks Fay Ginger Rogers Singer Etta Moten Released by Warner Brothers | Directed by Mervyn LeRoy Proof That It’s Pre-Code One of the musical numbers is called “Pettin’ in the Read more
Queen Christina Greta Garbo Antonio John Gilbert Magnus Ian Keith Oxenstierna Lewis Stone Ebba Elizabeth Owen Aage C. Aubrey Smith Released by MGM | Directed By Rouben Mamoulian Proof That It’s Pre-Code The titular queen is quite obviously a bisexual and also crossdresses. Christina compares nights of passionate lovemaking to Read more
Mabel Joan Blondell Barbara Hemmingway Ruby Keeler Jimmy Higgins Dick Powell Mathilda Hemmingway Zasu Pitts Horace P. Hemmingway Guy Kibbee Ezra Ounce Hugh Herbert Released by Warner Brothers | Directed By Ray Enright and Busby Berkeley Proof That It’s Pre-Code-ish Leading romantic couple Barbara and Jimmy are 13th cousins, or Read more
Update, 2025: This post is over 13 (!) years old as I’m typing this. While we all know nothing happened in world history between 2012 and 2025, my opinions on what were and are essential pre-Codes has evolved as this site has racked up to almost 1,000 reviews in total. Read more