John Day Richard Dix Dorothy Day Madge Evans Mamie Una Merkel Released by MGM Directed by Charles Brabin Run time: 68 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film Adultery. One man asks the prison librarian, “Do you have a book on sex?” There are a couple of murders here, and Read more
Christina Irene Dunne David Joel McCrea Mother Laura Hope Crews Robert Eric Linden Hester Frances Dee The Doctor Gustav von Seyffertitz Released by RKO Directed by John Cromwell Run time: 74 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film Irene Dunne plays a lady scientist. Her mentor praises her, saying, “You Read more
Lilly Turner Ruth Chatterton Bob George Brent Dave Frank McHugh Released by Warner Bros. Directed by William Wellman Run time: 65 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film Lilly goes through a number of tragedies that would make censors blush soon enough. For one, it turns out her husband has Read more
Capt. Fred Allison Leslie Howard Lt. Jack ‘Dig’ Digby Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Col. Carl Ehlrich Paul Lukas Released by Warner Bros. Directed by Roy Del Ruth Run time: 69 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film Early in the film, a cadre of captured soldiers are stripped naked and forced Read more
Marian Joan Crawford Mark Whitney Clark Gable Al Manning Wallace Ford Released by MGM Directed by Clarence Brown Run time: 76 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film Joan Crawford plays a fallen, kept woman who loves her life no matter how many times she gets trampled on or slapped. Read more
Jerry Young Fredric March Henry Crocker Cary Grant Mike Richards Jack Oakie Released by Paramount | Directed by Stuart Walker Run time: 72 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film There are plenty of awful moments of combat, including a hand covered in blood and plenty of other bullet- riddled Read more
Carl Denham Robert Armstrong Hilda Helen Mack Helstrom John Marston Released by RKO | Directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack Run time: 69 minutes Son of Kong: More is Less “Lady, you’ll never catch a monkey that way.” “Did you ever catch a monkey?” “Did I ever…? Lady, you’d be surprised.” Read more
Kitty Lorraine Alice Brady Shirley Lorraine Maureen O’Sullivan Warren Foster Franchot Tone Released by MGM | Directed by Charles Brabin Run time: 84 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film In one of the most unique scenes of the entire pre-Code era, the titular ‘stage mother’ offers to hook her Read more
Florence Loretta Young Maizee Winnie Lightner Daniel Lyle Talbot Released by Warner Bros. | Directed by George Amy & Busby Berkeley Run time: 64 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film It’s about forced prostitution, virginity, and petulant male power grabs. She Had to Say Yes: It’s an Awful, Awful Read more
Blacky Gorman Joel McCrea Marge Ginger Rogers Glory Marian Nixon Released by RKO | Directed by William Seiter Run time: 71 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film “That’s mighty white of you!” “C’mon, you peeping toms, we’ve got a lot of drinking to do!” At one point, Glory turns Read more