Mary Evans Constance Bennett Max Carey Lowell Sherman Lonny Borden Neil Hamilton Released by RKO/Pathe | Directed by George Cukor Run time: 88 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film “You want me to call Nick over?” “Sure. Tell him about that 17-year-old girl you put in pictures.” The tipsy Read more
Released by Fleischer Studios | Directed by Dave Fleischer Run time: 6 minutes Betty Boop for President: Boop-A-Doop-Gate “What this country is in need of is a lot of heidi ho, boop-a-doop, and chocolate ice cream!” Released just before the 1932 Presidential election, “Betty Boop for President” imagines the squeaky Read more
Larry Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Diane Loretta Young Areal Henry Kolker Released by First National / Warner Bros. | Directed by William C. McGann Run time: 63 (out of 70) minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film “What’ve you got there?” “Prune juice, sir.” “No, don’t think so. Don’t need it Read more
Tom Brown Gary Cooper Amy Jolly Marlene Dietrich La Bessiere Adolphe Menjou Released by Paramount | Directed by Josef von Sternberg Run time: 91 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film “What are you doing with those fingers?” “Nothing. … yet.” One infamous scene has Dietrich, in a tux, kissing Read more
Monty Greer Edmund Lowe Kay Graham Myrna Loy Henry Graham John Halliday Sigrid Carline Greta Nissen Rudolph Kramer Jean Hersholt Judy Kramer Lois Moran Released by Fox Films | Directed by William K. Howard Proof That It’s Pre-Code “Be reasonable, my wife’s in the next room.” “Just where a good Read more
Joe Anton George Raft Jerry Healy Constance Cummings Iris Wynne Gibson Leo Roscoe Karns Mabel Alison Skipworth Maude Mae West Released by Paramount | Directed by Archie Mayo Proof That It’s Pre-Code “Why that dumb cluck!” George Raft awakens and undresses to bathe. We see a lot of him. Llllladies. Read more
Ted Taylor David Manners Judy Mason Ann Dvorak Peter Sturgis Ken Murray Released by Warner Bros. | Directed by Lloyd Bacon Proof That It’s Pre-Code Saxophone player Ted Taylor thinks he’s getting a good reaction from a stage manager, but the guy’s only checking out a woman in a leotard Read more
Jimmy Kane James Cagney Joan Virginia Bruce Peggy Marian Nixon Released by Warner Brothers | Directed By Roy Del Ruth Proof That It’s Pre-Code Virginia Bruce gets to model a stunning array of lingerie. A trio of tailors fit Cagney for a suit and are very interesting in getting precise Read more
Queen Christina Greta Garbo Antonio John Gilbert Magnus Ian Keith Oxenstierna Lewis Stone Ebba Elizabeth Owen Aage C. Aubrey Smith Released by MGM | Directed By Rouben Mamoulian Proof That It’s Pre-Code The titular queen is quite obviously a bisexual and also crossdresses. Christina compares nights of passionate lovemaking to Read more
Countess Helene Mara Jeanette MacDonald Count Rudolph Farriere Jack Buchanan Prince Otto Von Liebenheim Claude Allister Released by Paramount Pictures | Directed By Ernst Lubitsch Proof That It’s Pre-Code Jeanette MacDonald is probably wearing just a neglige for about 25% of the movie. The Prince Liebenheim’s introductory song assures us Read more