Teresita Lupe Velez Bates Lee Tracy Achilles Eugene Pallette Released by RKO | Directed By Gregory La Cava Proof That It’s Pre-Code An enticement to see an exotic dancer that doesn’t work as well nowadays: “She makes the old grow young and the young grow gay.” “But he ain’t the Read more
Hildegarde Withers Edna May Oliver Inspector Piper James Gleason Gwen Mae Clarke Philip Donald Cook Hemingway Clarence Wilson Barry Robert Armstrong Released by RKO | Directed By George Archainbaud The Penguin Pool Murder: Whirlpool of Intrigue We’re going to do something a little differently this week. Instead of my usual Read more
Kathleen / Moonyeen Norma Shearer Sir John Carteret Leslie Howard Kenneth / Jeremy Frederic March Released by MGM | Directed By Sidney Franklin Proof That It’s Pre-Code “Don’t you want me? I want you. And I’m not ashamed to say it.” An injury to one of the characters later in Read more
Nina Norma Shearer Ned Clark Gable Sam Alexander Kirkland Charlie Ralph Morgan Gordon Robert Young Madeline Maureen O’Sullivan Released by MGM | Directed by Robert Z. Leonard Proof That It’s Pre-Code “Self important ass!” “I’ve been bad, Charlie. Wicked. I need to be punished. And you’re the only one who Read more
Rasputin Lionel Barrymore Prince Chegodieff John Barrymore The Czarina Ethel Barrymore The Czar Ralph Morgan Natasha Diana Wynyard The Czarevitch Tad Alexander Released by MGM | Directed By Charles Brabin and Richard Boleslawski Proof That It’s Pre-Code Rasputin, the charmer, is clearly blackmailing women into having sex with him. Rasputin Read more
Released by United Artists | Directed By Burt Gillett Babes in the Wood: A Murder Most Fun Say what you will about Walt Disney the man (and we’ll all say things, that’s for sure), there’s little doubt that the Disney Studios has produced some impressive work in their eight decades Read more
Released by Paramount | Directed By Aubrey Scotto Rhapsody in Black and Blue: And Fun All Over “Who’s gigolo-in’ what? You haven’t paid me for that last romancing yet!” So when I wrote my review of “I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead You Rascal You” a short while ago, I’d Read more
Released by Paramount | Directed By Dave Fleischer Minnie the Moocher: Ghostly Goofs As a boy growing up in Illinois, there’s really only one thing that was a staple in every child’s cultural education. That was the movie The Blues Brothers, of course, which ran on WGN at least once Read more
Released by MGM | Directed By Ub Iwerks The Bully: The Ol’ One-Two Flip the Frog is a footnote in the cartoon industry. Like Bosko or Betty Boop’s many sidekicks, you probably have to have had a serious side education in early cartoons to know his name. MGM, looking to Read more
Released by Paramount | Directed By Dave Fleischer I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead: Et Al The Betty Boop cartoons that Dave Fleischer put out are kind of a weird rarity. Besides the occasional Jewish in-joke originating from its director, they often showcased African-American singers and acts who were rarely Read more