Today I went into a local bookstore, Westside Stories, here in Colorado Springs, with a pair of author’s copies of Pre-Code Essentials that I wanted to put in their Local Authors section. They looked up in their magical book database and told me, hey, the book is selling really well and they would, in fact, just give me money for my books. My face turned bright red. Anyway, because I am who I am, that tidy sum of cash ($20) (the first and possibly only money I will make on the book after my advance) cut in half what I spent at the bookstore that day, which
The good news is Pre-Code Essentials is doing well! Kim and I were just informed that the book is headed back for a second printing, which, for what can ungenerously be called a listicle book about century-old movies, I think is pretty astounding. As always, thank you to everyone who has picked a copy up; it’s hard to believe it’s been out for a year, and it’s great to hear kind words about it. (I’m ignoring the bad ones; sorry, my ego is so thin it’s practically translucent.)
Also! We are still doing events for the book. Kim and I are taking a trip Columbus Day weekend to first present to the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles on October 17th and then talking at the Palm Springs Cultural Center on the 18th to both chat and then show The Divorcee. Check it out if you’re around!
In other news, TCM’s Star of the Month for October is none other than Myrna Loy, meaning this might me the most amount of pre-Codes the network has ever shown in one month. It’s a ton; lots of good stuff to be found!
Pre-Code Movies on TCM in October 2026
All times listed below are EST. Click here for the full schedule. Films marked with an asterisk (*) are featured in my book Pre-Code Essentials. Schedule subject to change.
- 10/5 @ 2:45 PM – The Truth About Youth (1930)
- 10/5 @ 4:00 PM – The Naughty Flirt (1930)
- 10/5 @ 5:00 PM – Consolation Marriage (1931)
- 10/5 @ 6:30 PM – Rebound (1931)
- 10/6 @ 3:30 AM – Manhattan Melodrama (1934)
- 10/6 @ 11:30 PM – The Kennel Murder Case (1933)
- 10/7 @ 6:00 AM – River’s End (1930)
- 10/7 @ 4:45 PM – The Guardsman (1931)
- 10/11 @ 8:00 PM – Back Street (1932)
- 10/11 @ 10:00 PM – King of Jazz (1930)
- 10/12 @ 6:00 AM – Tugboat Annie (1933)
- 10/12 @ 7:30 AM – Emma (1932)
- 10/12 @ 9:00 AM – Vanity Fair (1932)
- 10/12 @ 10:30 AM – The Wet Parade (1932)
- 10/12 @ 12:30 PM – New Morals for Old (1932)
- 10/12 @ 2:00 PM – Love Me Tonight (1932) *
- 10/12 @ 3:45 PM – Thirteen Women (1932)
- 10/12 @ 5:00 PM – The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932)
- 10/12 @ 6:30 PM – The Animal Kingdom (1932)
- 10/12 @ 8:00 PM – The Thin Man (1934)
- 10/14 @ 7:15 AM – Outward Bound (1930)
- 10/14 @ 8:45 AM – Smilin’ Through (1932)
- 10/15 @ 6:15 AM – Elmer the Great (1933)
- 10/15 @ 2:15 PM – I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932) *
- 10/15 @ 4:00 PM – Little Caesar (1930)
- 10/16 @ 6:45 PM – Freaks (1932) *
- 10/19 @ 9:00 AM – The Barbarian (1933)
- 10/19 @ 10:30 AM – When Ladies Meet (1933)
- 10/19 @ 12:00 PM – Penthouse (1933)
- 10/19 @ 1:30 PM – Night Flight (1933)
- 10/19 @ 3:00 PM – The Prizefighter and the Lady (1933)
- 10/19 @ 5:00 PM – Men in White (1934)
- 10/20 @ 7:30 AM – A Successful Calamity (1932)
- 10/20 @ 9:00 AM – Turn Back the Clock (1933)
- 10/20 @ 10:30 AM – The Millionaire (1931)
- 10/20 @ 2:30 PM – Silver Dollar (1932)
- 10/20 @ 4:00 PM – The World Changes (1933)
- 10/21 @ 7:15 AM – They Learned About Women (1930)
- 10/22 @ 09:00 AM – What Price Hollywood? (1932)
- 10/22 @ 10:30 AM – Bed of Roses (1933)
- 10/23 @ 1:45 PM – Cimarron (1931)
- 10/23 @ 4:00 PM – Ghost Valley (1932)
- 10/23 @ 7:00 PM – Scarlet River (1933)
- 10/23 @ 9:45 PM – Frankenstein (1931) *
- 10/23 @ 11:00 PM – The Invisible Man (1933)
- 10/23 @ 12:15 AM – The Black Cat (1934) *
- 10/25 @ 8:00 PM – Tonight or Never (1931)
- 10/27 @ 8:00 AM – The Man in Possession (1931)
- 10/28 @ 8:15 AM – Upperworld (1934)
- 10/28 @ 9:45 AM – Private Detective 62 (1933)
- 10/29 @ 6:00 PM – Tarzan and His Mate (1934) *
- 10/30 @ 11:00 AM – White Zombie (1932)
- 10/31 @ 8:30 AM – Doctor X (1932)
- 10/31 @ 10:00 AM – Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933)
- 10/31 @ 1:45 PM – Dracula (1931)
- 10/31 @ 3:15 PM – The Mummy (1932)
- 10/31 @ 4:45 PM – Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1932) *
Hope you find a good watch this month, and have a spooky time!
