Shanghai Express (1932) Review, with Marlene Dietrich, Anna May Wong and...
Madeline / Shanghai Lily Marlene Dietrich Doctor Harvey Clive Brook Hui Fei Anna May Wong Henry Chang Warner Oland Sam Salt Eugene Pallatte Mr. Carmichael Lawrence Grant Released by Paramount Pictures...
View ArticleWide Open (1930) Review, with Edward Everett Horton and Louise Beavers
Simon Edward Everett Horton Doris / Julia Patsy Ruth Miller Easter Louise Beavers Released by Warner Bros. | Directed by Archie Mayo Run time: 69 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film “I never...
View ArticleTCMFF 2016 – Full Schedule Posted and Where You’ll Find Me!
“It’s here, it’s here!” proclaimed Raquel when I opened up Twitter Tuesday morning. Within a few minutes, Angela had sent me a half dozen Snapchats, half shaking fists, half drenched in excitement....
View ArticleThe Famous Ferguson Case (1932) Review, with Joan Blondell and Tom Brown
Bruce Foster Tom Brown Maizie Dickson Joan Blondell Bob Parks Kenneth Thompson Released by Warner Bros. | Directed by Lloyd Bacon Run time: 74 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film There’s a murder...
View ArticleMorocco (1930) Review, with Marlene Dietrich and Gary Cooper
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...
View ArticleThe Merry Widow (1934) Review, with Maurice Cheavalier and Jeanette MacDonald
Danilo Maurice Chevalier Sonia Jeanette MacDonald Ambassador Edward Everett Horton King George Barbier Queen Una Merkel Orderly Sterling Holloway Released by Metro Goldwyn Mayer | Directed by Ernst...
View ArticleTCMFF Day #-1 & #0 – “I like a bartender who drinks. Otherwise I think I’m...
“You’re a dad and shit and doing stuff.” It was harder to leave my kid than I thought it would be. The last month or so she’s started smiling a lot in the morning, and she has a gloriously beautiful...
View ArticleTCMFF 2016 Day #1 –“It’s like a film buff think tank.”
“That’s Gene Kelly’s widow! I see her here every year. I just like that I can say that.” I slept in on Thursday. Are you surprised? No. I slept in and got a free Snickers bar from the Magic Castle....
View ArticleTCMFF 2016 Day #2 – “Just so you know, Tippi Hedren will not be introducing...
“I mean, I don’t want to throw around the phrase Nazi sympathizer…” “Hey now, let’s stick with collaborator.” (Again, no pics. I will add them if and when I can, I promise!) The second true day of the...
View ArticleTCMFF 2016 Day #3 –“He never did anything to be proud of— and he was proud of...
“It’s like Harold Lloyd without his glasses—no one would recognize Elvira in a turtleneck.” I woke up hungover. Hell, I still am hungover and it’s six something in the evening. It’s my own damn fault,...
View ArticleTCMFF 2016 Day #4 – “Anything further, father?! That can’t be right. Anything...
“With the buttons, it was like, hey, look at my chest. Now with the ribbons, it’s like, hey, now check out my crotch!” The good news is that today I woke up and realized that I wasn’t hungover...
View ArticleTurner Classic Movies Film Festival (TCMFF) 2016 Wrap-Up
Before we begin, you can read all of my previous daily entries for this year’s festival here. These include breakdowns of what I saw and amusing bon mots that I have the delusional thought that you’ll...
View ArticleImitation of Life (1934) Review, with Claudette Colbert, Louise Beavers, and...
Beatrice Pullman Claudette Colbert Delilah Johnson Louise Beavers Stephen Archer Warren William Peola Johnson Fredi Washington Jessie Pullman Rochelle Hudson Elmer Smith Ned Sparks Released by...
View ArticleThe Bad Sister (1931) Review, with Conrad Nagel and Sidney Fox
Dr. Dick Lundley Conrad Nagel Marianne Madison Sidney Fox Laura Madison Bette Davis Mr. Madison Charles Winninger Valentine Corliss Humphrey Bogart Hedrick Madison David Durand Released by Universal...
View ArticleLonely Wives (1931) Review, with Edward Everett Horton and Edward Everett Horton
Mr. Smith / The Great Zero Edward Everett Horton Madeline Esther Ralston Diane Laura La Plante Kitty Patsy Ruth Miller Mrs. Mantel Maude Eburne Andrews Spencer Charters Released by Pathe | Directed by...
View ArticleBerekeley Square (1933) Review, with Leslie Howard and Heather Angel
Peter Standish Leslie Howard Helen Pettigrew Heather Angel Major Clinton Alan Mowbray Released by Fox Film | Directed by Frank Lloyd Proof That It’s Pre-Code Look, a guy travels through time to bone...
View ArticleSide Show (1931) Review, with Winnie Lightner and Charles Butterworth
Babs Winnie Lightner Sidney Charles Butterworth Joe Donald Cook Released by First National/Vitaphone/WB | Directed by Roy Del Ruth Run time: 64 minutes Proof That It’s a Pre-Code Film Star Lightner...
View ArticleRemote Control (1930) Review, with William Haines and Roscoe Ates
William Brennan William Haines Marion Ferguson Mary Doran Dr. Kruger John Miljan Released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Directed by Nick Grinde, Edward Sedgwick and Malcolm St. Clair Run time: 65 minutes...
View ArticleOne Man’s Journey (1933) Review, with Lionel Barrymore, May Robson, and Joel...
Eli Watt Lionel Barrymore Sarah May Robson Jimmy Watt Joel McCrea Letty McGinnis Dorothy Jordan Joan Stockton Frances Dee McGinnis David Landau Released by RKO Pictures | Directed by John S. Robertson...
View ArticleISSUE #5 of THE PRE-CODE COMPANION now available!
The fifth issue of The Pre-Code Companion is now available at Amazon. It runs 57 pages and costs $2.99, with all profits being donated to the ASPCA. Click on the image above to check it out. I know...
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