Released by MGM | Directed By Morley Lightfoot and Gilbert Pratt Seal Skins: House of Whosits “A seal for sale– cheap!” For this installment, Thelma’s a newspaper stenographer who yearns to beat one of the female reporters at her game. A mix up in search of a stolen Siberian seal Read more
Released by MGM | Directed By George Marshall The Soilers: Working Their Way Through “The Soilers” is a bit of a letdown. This one finds Zasu and Thelma out in the suburbs trying to sell magazine subscriptions to help themselves “work their way through college.” This is patently unsuccessful since Read more
Released by MGM | Directed By George Marshall Alum and Eve: Tripping the Light Fantastic “And I suppose when the doctor comes in he’ll take out my other appendix!” “Alum and Eve” is one of the most surreal of the non-Betty Boop shorts I’ve sat through, a short where a Read more
Flint Walter Huston Kingsland Conrad Nagel Ann Whitehall Virginia Bruce Tula Lupe Velez Hogan Mitchell Lewis Gregg C. Henry Gordon Released by MGM | Directed By William J. Cowen Proof That It’s Pre-Code Lupe Velez enters the movie in thin strips of cloth. Flint likes calling the Read more
Bill Grimes William Haines Laura O’Neal Madge Evans Sally O’Neal Anita Page Larry Barnes Wallace Ford Honey O’Neal Joan Marsh Alice Grimes Karen Morley Released by MGM | Directed by Harry Beaumont Proof That It’s Pre-Code A carefree young girl sleeps with a man before marriage and learns that men 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
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
Wong Low Get Edward G. Robinson Sun Toya San Loretta Young Harry En Hai Leslie Fenton Released by Warner Brothers | Directed By William A. Wellman Proof That It’s Pre-Code It’s a movie about Chinese-Americans which means, yes, the main cast is caked in yellow face. It also deals with 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