Tira Mae West Jack Clayton Cary Grant Slick Wiley Ralf Harolde Benny Pinkowitz Gregory Ratoff Big Bill Barton Edward Arnold Kirk Lawrence Kent Taylor Released by Paramount Pictures | Directed By Wesley Ruggles Proof That It’s Pre-Code It’s a film about Tira, “The woman who discovered you didn’t need to Read more
Helen, AKA The Blonde Venus Marlene Dietrich Ned Herbert Marshall Nick Cary Grant Released by Paramount Pictures | Directed By Josef Von Sternberg Proof That It’s Pre-Code There’s a bevy of beautiful women skinny dipping in the opening scene. Most seem to be wearing flesh-colored underwear for a few of Read more
Jekyll / Hyde Fredric March Muriel Rose Hobart Ivy Miriam Hopkins Released by Paramount Pictures | Directed By Rouben Mamoulian Proof That It’s Pre-Code Men need to control their passions, lest they let their dark side run rampant and turn into horrifying monsters who sexually abuse and murder women. Sound Read more
Michael Richard Cromwell Dora Arline Judge Betty Dorothy Wilson Duke Eric Linden Prof. Matthews John Halliday Barbara Aileen Pringle Released by RKO | Directed By Gregory La Cava Proof That It’s Pre-Code There is kissing in this film. Some damn good kissing. A nice car is like a hotel, but Read more
Rico Edward G. Robinson Joe Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Olga Glenda Farrell Released by Warner Brothers | Directed By Mervyn LeRoy Proof That It’s Pre-Code Homosexual undertones galore. From a few guys checking out Douglas Fairbanks Jr.’s dance moves to Rico’s gushing toady, it’s hard not to read the whole thing Read more
Niki Maurice Chevalier Franzi Claudette Colbert Anna Miriam Hopkins Released by Paramount Pictures | Directed By Ernst Lubitsch Proof That It’s Pre-Code “We are not afraid to skirmish in the dark…” One of Niki’s friends wants his permission to cheat on his wife. “You’re crazy about a girl and you Read more
Tom Powers James Cagney Gwen Allen Jean Harlow Matt Doyle Edward Woods Mike Powers Donald Cook Ma Powers Beryl Mercer Mamie Joan Blondell Released by Warner Brothers | Directed By William A. Wellman Proof That It’s Pre-Code Our hero is a thug and he’s punished for his actions. But, boy, Read more
Matt Nolan James Cagney Sue Riley Nolan Loretta Young Skeets George E. Stone Pop Riley Guy Kibbee Ruby Leila Bennett Buck Gerard David Landau Released by Warner Brothers | Directed By Roy Del Ruth Proof That It’s Pre-Code If you’ve ever wanted to see a woman get slapped around, well, Read more
Chick Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Ruth Joan Blondell Scrap Iron Guy Kibbee Bushy Sloan Alan Hale The Drunk Frank McHugh Kendall David Landau Released by Warner Brothers | Directed By Alfred E. Green Proof That It’s Pre-Code The film’s opening minutes read like a checklist of Code no-nos. There are prostitutes, Read more
“Pre-Code Retro” is my semi-regular examination of post-1934 media that is heavily influenced by or is significantly related to pre-Code Hollywood cinema. Polly Browne Twiggy Tony Brockhurst Christopher Gable Percy Parkhill Byran Pringle De Thrill Vladek Sheybal Tommy Tommy Tune Maisie Anotonia Ellis Released by MGM | Directed By Ken Read more