There are lots of different definitions of what a Pre-Code film is and what constitutes it. While this site will explore practically every movie produced between 1930 and July 1934, that doesn’t mean that all of those films are Pre-Code movies. This list of Pre-Code films was culled from several books on the subject, and while it may not be exhaustive, at least serves as a good introduction.

If you’re looking for just a general listing of movies that this site has covered (which will include some not listed below), please check our Site Index. Links below go to relevant reviews.

1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934

The Pre-Code Films of 1930

• A Devil With Women
• Africa Speaks!
• All Quiet on the Western Front
• Animal Crackers
• Anna Christie
• The Bad Man*
• The Big House
• The Big Pond
• The Big Trail
• Billy the Kid
• The Bishop Murder Case
• The Blue Angel
• Born Reckless
• Bride of the Regiment*
• Bright Lights
• Call of the Flesh
• Captain Thunder
• Charley’s Aunt
• Chasing Rainbows
• Cheer Up and Smile*
• Children of Pleasure
• City Girl
• Clancy in Wall Street
• Conspiracy
• The Cuckoos
• Danger Lights
• The Dawn Patrol
• The Devil to Pay!
• The Devil’s Holiday
• Dixiana
• The Divorcee
• Doorway to Hell
• Doughboys
• Du Barry, Woman of Passion
• Fast and Loose
• Feet First
• Follow Thru
• Golden Dawn
• Good News
• Hell Harbor
• Hell’s Angels
• Hell’s Heroes
• Hold Everything
• Holiday
• In Gay Madrid
• Inside the Lines
• Just Imagine
• King of Jazz
• Kismet
• Ladies Love Brutes
• Ladies of Leisure
• The Lash
• Laughter
• Leathernecking
• Let’s Go Native
• Let Us Be Gay
• The Life of the Party
• Liliom
• Loose Ankles
• The Lottery Bride
• Madame Satan
• Mammy
• The Man from Blankley’s*
• Manslaughter
• The Matrimonial Bed
• Men Without Women
• Min and Bill
• Moby Dick
• Monte Carlo
• Morocco
• New Moon
• No, No, Nanette
• Not So Dumb
• The Office Wife
• One Romantic Night
• Our Blushing Brides
• Outward Bound
• Paid
• Paramount on Parade
• Peacock Alley
• Puttin’ on the Ritz
• Queen High
• Raffles
• Reaching for the Moon
• Redemption
• Renegades
• Road to Paradise
• Romance
• The Rogue Song
• Rough Romance
• The Royal Family of Broadway
  
• The Runaway Bride
• Safety in Numbers
• Sarah and Son
• The Second Floor Mystery
• She Couldn’t Say No
• Show Girl in Hollywood
• The Silver Horde
• Sin Takes a Holiday
• The Sins of the Children
• Sinners’ Holiday
• Slightly Scarlet
• Son of the Gods
• Song of the Flame*
• Song of the West*
• The Spoilers
• Street of Chance
• Strictly Unconventional
• Sunny
• Sweet Kitty Bellairs
• They Learned About Women
• Three Faces East
• Tol’able David
• True to the Navy
• The Truth About Youth
• Under a Texas Moon
• Up the River
• The Unholy Three
• The Vagabond King
• Viennese Nights
• The Virtuous Sin
• War Nurse
• What a Widow!
• The Woman Racket
• Whoopee!
• Young Man of Manhattan

The Pre-Code Films of 1931

• A Connecticut Yankee
• A Free Soul
• A Holy Terror
• Alexander Hamilton
• Ambassador Bill
• An American Tragedy
• Arizona
• Arrowsmith
• Bachelor Apartment
• Bad Company
• Bad Girl
• The Bad Sister
• Big Business Girl
• The Blonde Captive
• Blonde Crazy
• Body and Soul
• Born to Love
• Bought!
• Captain Applejack
• Caught Plastered
• The Cheat
• Cimarron
• City Streets
• The Common Law
• Confessions of a Co-Ed
• Cracked Nuts
• The Criminal Code
• Dance, Fools, Dance
• Delicious
• Dirigible
• Dishonored
• Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
• Dracula
• The Easiest Way
• Expensive Women
• Fifty Million Frenchmen
• Fighting Caravans
• Five and Ten
• Five Star Final
• Frankenstein
• Friends and Lovers
• The Front Page
• The Gay Diplomat
• Girls About Town
• Girls Demand Excitement
• God’s Gift to Women
• Goldie
• The Great Lover
• The Guilty Generation
• Guilty Hands
• The Guardsman
• Hell Divers
• His Woman
• Honor Among Lovers
• Hush Money
• I Take This Woman
• Indiscreet
• Ingagi
• Inspiration
• Iron Man
• It Pays to Advertise
• Kept Husbands
• Kick In
• Kiki
• Ladies’ Man
• Ladies of the Big House
• The Lady Refuses
• The Last Flight
• Laughing Sinners
• Little Caesar
• Lonely Wives
• M
• The Mad Genius
• The Mad Parade
• Madchen in Uniform
• The Maltese Falcon
• Maker of Men
• Man of the World
• The Man Who Came Back
• Manhattan Parade
• Mata Hari
• Millie
• The Millionaire
• The Miracle Woman
• Monkey Business
• Morals for Women
• Never the Twain Shall Meet
• Night Nurse
• No Limit
• Once a Lady
• Other Men’s Women
• Palmy Days
• Peach-O-Reno
• Platinum Blonde
• Possessed
• Private Lives
• The Public Enemy
• Quick Millions
• The Road to Singapore
• Safe in Hell
• The Secret Six
• The Sin of Madelon Claudet
• The Sin Ship
• Sit Tight
• Six Cylinder Love
• Smart Money
• Smart Woman
• The Smiling Lieutenant
• Son of India
• The Squaw Man
• Strangers May Kiss
• Street Scene
• Strictly Dishonorable
• Surrender
• Susan Lenox [Her Fall and Rise]
  
• Svengali
• Tarnished Lady
• Ten Cents a Dance
• Tonight or Never
• Trader Horn
• Transatlantic
• The Unholy Garden
• Up Pops the Devil
• Waterloo Bridge
• Women of All Nations

The Pre-Code Films of 1932

• 20,000 Years in Sing Sing
• A Bill of Divorcement
• A Farewell to Arms
• A Successful Calamity
• Afraid to Talk (AKA Merry-Go-Round)
• After Tomorrow
• The Age of Consent
• Air Mail
• Alias the Doctor
• American Madness
• The Animal Kingdom
• Are You Listening?
• Arsène Lupin
• As You Desire Me
• Back Street
• The Beast of the City
• The Big Broadcast
• Big City Blues
• The Big Timer
• Bird of Paradise
• Blessed Event
• Blonde Venus
• Blondie of the Follies
• The Cabin in the Cotton
• Call Her Savage
• The Crowd Roars
• Cynara
• The Dark Horse
• The Devil Is Driving
• Devil and the Deep
• Disorderly Conduct
• Divorce in the Family
• Doctor X
• Downstairs
• Emma
• Faithless
• Fast Life
• The First Year
• Flesh
• Forbidden
• Freaks
• Frisco Jenny
• Girl Crazy
• Grand Hotel
• The Greeks Had a Word for Them
• The Half Naked Truth
• The Hatchet Man
• Hell’s Highway
• Hell’s House
• High Pressure
• Hold ‘Em Jail
• Horse Feathers
• Hot Saturday
• I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
• If I Had a Million
• Impatient Maiden
• Island of Lost Souls
• Jewel Robbery
• The Kid from Spain
• Klondike
• Kongo
• Lady and Gent
• Lady with a Past
• Lawyer Man
• Letty Lynton
• Life Begins
• The Lost Squadron
• Love Affair
• Love is a Racket
• Love Me Tonight
• Madame Butterfly
• Madame Racketeer
• Man Wanted
• The Man Who Played God
• The Mask of Fu Manchu
• The Match King
• Me and My Gal
• Merrily We Go to Hell
• Million Dollar Legs
• The Miracle Man
• Mr. Robinson Crusoe
• The Most Dangerous Game
• The Mouthpiece
• The Mummy
• Murders in the Rue Morgue
• New Morals for Old
• Night After Night
• Night World
• No Man of Her Own
• No More Orchids
• No One Man
• The Old Dark House
• One Hour with You
• One Way Passage
• Panama Flo
• Payment Deferred
• The Penguin Pool Murder
• The Phantom President
• Polly of the Circus
• Prestige
• Probation
• The Purchase Price
• Rain
• Rasputin and the Empress
• Red Dust
• Red-Headed Woman
• The Rich Are Always With Us
• Scarface: Shame of a Nation
  
• Scarlet Dawn
• Shanghai Express
• Shopworn
• The Sign of the Cross
• The Silent Witness
• Silver Dollar
• Sinners in the Sun
• Sky Devils
• Skyscraper Souls
• Smilin’ Through
• So Big!
• Speak Easily
• Strange Interlude
• Strange Justice
• The Strange Love of Molly Louvain
• Symphony of Six Million
• Tarzan the Ape Man
• Taxi!
• Tess of the Storm Country
• Thirteen Women
• The Thirteenth Guest
• This Is the Night
• The Reckless Age
• Three on a Match
• Three Wise Girls
• Trouble in Paradise
• Two Kinds of Women
• Under 18
• Vanity Fair
• Weekend Marriage
• Week-Ends Only
• Westward Passage
• The Wet Parade
• What Price Hollywood?
• White Zombie
• Wild Girl
• The Wiser Sex
• Winner Take All
• Young America

The Pre-Code Films of 1933

• 42nd Street
• A Shriek in the Night
• After Tonight
• Air Hostess
• Ann Carver’s Profession
• Ann Vickers
• Another Language
• Baby Face
• The Barbarian
• Beauty for Sale
• Bed of Roses
• The Bitter Tea of General Yen
• Blind Adventure
• Blondie Johnson
• Blood Money
• Bombshell
• The Bowery
• Brief Moment
• Broadway Through a Keyhole
• Broadway to Hollywood
• Bureau of Missing Persons
• Cavalcade
• Central Airport
• Child of Manhattan
• Christopher Strong
• College Coach
• College Humor
• Convention City*
• Counsellor at Law
• Dancing Lady
• Day of Reckoning
• Design for Living
• The Devil’s Brother
• Dinner at Eight
• Diplomaniacs
• Doctor Bull
• Double Harness
• Duck Soup
• The Eagle and the Hawk
• Ecstasy
• The Emperor Jones
• Employees’ Entrance
• Ever in My Heart
• Ex-Lady
• Female
• Flying Devils
• Flying Down to Rio
• Footlight Parade
• From Hell to Heaven
• Gabriel Over the White House
• Gambling Ship
• Girl Without a Room
• Going Hollywood
• Gold Diggers of 1933
• Goodbye Again
• Goodbye Love
• Hallelujah, I’m a Bum
• Hard to Handle
• Havana Widows
• Hell Below
• Hello, Sister!
• Heroes for Sale
• Hold Your Man
• Hoop-La
• Hot Pepper
• The House on 56th Street
• I Am Suzanne!
• I Cover the Waterfront
• I’m No Angel
• The Invisible Man
• International House
• It’s Great to Be Alive
• Jennie Gerhardt
• King Kong
• The Kiss Before the Mirror
• Ladies They Talk About
• Lady Killer
• Laughter in Hell
• The Life of Jimmy Dolan
• Lilly Turner
• The Little Giant
• Man’s Castle
• The Masquerader
• The Mayor of Hell
• Meet the Baron
• Melody Cruise
• Men Must Fight
• Midnight Club
• Midnight Mary
• Morning Glory
• Murders in the Zoo
• Myrt and Marge
• Mystery of the Wax Museum
• My Weakness
• Night Flight
• One Sunday Afternoon
• Only Yesterday
• Our Betters
• Parachute Jumper
• Parole Girl
• The Past of Mary Holmes
• Peg o’ My Heart
• Penthouse
• Perfect Understanding
• Pick-Up
• Picture Snatcher
• The Power and the Glory
• Private Detective 62
• The Private Life of Henry VIII
• The Prizefighter and the Lady
• Queen Christina
• Rafter Romance
• The Right to Romance
• Roman Scandals
• Sailor’s Luck
• Saturday’s Millions
• Scarlet River
• Secret of the Blue Room
• Secrets
• Sensation Hunters
• Shanghai Madness
• She Done Him Wrong
• She Had to Say Yes
• Should Ladies Behave
• The Silver Cord
• The Sin of Nora Moran
• Sitting Pretty
• So This is Africa
• Sons of the Desert
• The Secret of Madame Blanche
• The Song of Songs
• Stage Mother
• State Fair
• The Story of Temple Drake
• Supernatural
• This Day and Age
• Three Cornered Moon
• To the Last Man
• Today We Live
• Too Much Harmony
• Topaze
• Torch Singer
• Turn Back the Clock
• The Vampire Bat
• Voltaire
• The Warrior’s Husband
• West of Singapore*
• When Ladies Meet
• Whistling in the Dark
• The White Sister
• White Woman
• Wild Boys of the Road
• The Woman Accused
• The Working Man
• The World Changes
• The World Gone Mad
• You Made Me Love You
• Zoo in Budapest

The Pre-Code Films of 1934

• A Modern Hero
• The Affairs of Cellini
• All of Me
• Bachelor Bait
• The Barretts of Wimpole Street
• Belle of the Nineties
• The Big Shakedown
• The Black Cat
• Black Moon
• Bolero
• Born to be Bad
• Bottoms Up
• Carolina
• The Cat and the Fiddle
• Chained
• Cleopatra
• Dames
• Dr. Monica
• Fashions of 1934
• Finishing School
• Fog Over Frisco
• Forsaking All Others
• Four Frightened People
• Fugitive Lovers
• Gambling Lady
• The Gay Bride
• The Gay Divorcee
• George White’s Scandals
• The Girl from Missouri
• Hat, Coat and Glove
• Heat Lightning
• He Was Her Man
• Hi, Nellie!
• Hips, Hips, Hooray!
• Hollywood Party
• The House of Rothschild
• Imitation of Life
• It Happened One Night
• Jimmy the Gent
• Laughing Boy
• Lazy River
• The Life of Vergie Winters
• Liliom
• Little Man, What Now?
• Little Miss Marker
• The Lost Patrol
• Mandalay
• Manhattan Love Song
• Manhattan Melodrama
• Massacre
• Men in White
• The Merry Widow
• Midnight
• Midnight Alibi
• Moulin Rouge
• Murder at the Vanities
• Murder on the Blackboard
• The Mystery of Mr. X
• Nana
• No Greater Glory
• Now I’ll Tell
• Of Human Bondage
• Once to Every Woman
• Operator 13
• The Painted Veil
• Palooka
• Riptide
• The Road to Ruin
• Sadie McKee
• The Scarlet Empress
• Search for Beauty
• She Loves Me Not
• Side Streets
• Six of a Kind
• Smarty
• Social Register
• Spitfire
• Stand Up and Cheer!
• Stingaree
• Strictly Dynamite
• Success at Any Price
• Tarzan and His Mate
• The Thin Man
• Thirty Day Princess
• This Man is Mine
• The Trumpet Blows
• Twentieth Century
• Twenty Million Sweethearts
• Two Alone
• Upperworld
• Viva Villa!
• We’re Not Dressing
• West of the Divide
• Wharf Angel
• Wonder Bar

Notes

• This list comes from the relevant Wikipedia page.
• Here’s the list over at IMDB.
• Movies marked with an asterisk (*) are difficult to find and/or missing.