JANUARY-JUNE 2026 POST

Good Sport (1931) Linda Watkins, John Boles, Greta Nissen, Hedda Hopper, Sally Blane, Louise Beavers, Joyce Compton [Director—Kenneth MacKenna]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—It’s a fun, slightly wicked slice of Hollywood before the Hays Code cracked down—sharp dialogue with a plot twist that’s cheekier than you’d expect from the early ’30s.

Marilyn Parker believes she has an ideal marriage. When her husband takes a three-month business trip to Paris, she plans to take an apartment in the city with her mother for the advantages of shopping and the theater. When she finds an apartment to rent for three months, she finds all indications that the apartment belongs to a young woman, and then she discovers a framed photo of her husband with a signed, loving signature. The apartment surprisingly belongs to her husband’s mistress. Marilyn then plans to keep the apartment without her mother and experience the life of a single, young woman in the big city. She becomes close with the friends of her husband’s mistress, (mistresses themselves) who help her experience the extreme party life of young singles in the city. Conservative, as she is, she balks at the lifestyle until she meets an attractive, wealthy man who shows interest in her. Consider this pre-Code film Must-See Viewing based on the plot itself and the intimate glimpse into the social life of the rich during the 20s/30s. [Fun Facts: Fox considered several working titles—Cheating, Infidelity, Turn About, Her Husband’s Mistress. Publicists promoted the film with the tagline “ONE WIFE AGAINST SIX DEADLY BLONDES…She Leaned About Husbands from Them!” Before becoming Hollywood’s most feared gossip columnist Hedda Hopper was still acting and appears as Marilyn’s mother in this film. Black actress Louise Beavers gets most of the comedic dialogue, and, at times, outshines the leads. Censors at the time asked for Beavers’ scene with her sitting at a cabaret table with white patrons to be cut because “Southern people in particular” might object. Evelyn Preer, one of the most versatile and respected Black performers of her era, sings We Gotta Find a New Kentucky Home in this film but goes uncredited. Greta Nissen was an early sound film casualty having been cast as the lead in Hell’s Angels, but replaced by Jean Harlow when her strong Norwegian accent turned out to be unsuitable. Claire Maynard suffered severe depression following her mother’s death, turned on the gas in her apartment, and committed suicide. Leatrice Joyce was tabloid fodder over her divorce from director John Gilbert. It supposedly provided the “I’m done being pushed around” energy for this film. John Boles, a perfectionist on set, was simultaneously filming as the lead in Frankenstein with Boris Karloff. Director Kenneth MacKenna married superstar Kay Francis the same year this film was released. They divorced in 1934 with his career struggling and her becoming the highest paid actress in the studio.] IMDB: Good Sport

Pardon Us (1931) Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, June Marlowe, Walter Long [Director—James Parrott]

Why you’ll want to see this movie— Pardon Us (1931) is worth your time because it’s Laurel & Hardy’s first feature film, blending their sharp early‑sound slapstick with a surprisingly wild prison‑riot finale that still feels energetic today.

In their first, full-length feature film, Laurel and Hardy go to prison for selling illegal booze. Most of their silly antics take place in the prison, but they escape a few times—once, attempting to hide in blackface, while working on a plantation. This film also features musical numbers with prisoners and slaves doing the singing. Although viewers may consider this dated comedy corny, viewers may find enough laughs to make it worth watching. [Fun Facts: Early previews of this film were lukewarm, so Stan Laurel, himself, pushed for major re-editing and reshoots, delaying for a year the release of the film. He was, unusually for an actor, the creative genius behind the Laurel and Hardy films. MGM shot multiple full versions of the film in French, German, Italian, and Spanish. Laurel and Hardy often spoke their lines phonetically, reading cue cards in languages they didn’t actually know. Hardy was actually a trained vocalist in his youth, but rarely got to showcase his talent. In this film he performs “Lazy Moon,” backed by a choir.]
IMDB: Pardon Us

War Nurse (1930) Robert Montgomery, Anita Page, June Walker, Zasu Pitts, Hedda Hopper, Charles Boyer, Ann Dvorak [Director—Edgar Selwyn]

Why you’ll want to see this movie— War Nurse is a brisk, gritty pre‑Code drama that throws you straight into the chaos of WWI field hospitals, where young volunteer nurses face danger, romance, and moral shock with a rawness Hollywood quickly stopped showing.

Young women, including Babs and Joy, become volunteer nurses during World War I in France. This movie focuses on the horrors of war they experience as nurses as well as the romances among the nurses and soldiers. Most soldiers have a live-for-today attitude and are looking for flings. Wally pursues a fling with Babs, and she loves him but won’t consent. (She later regrets that she didn’t send him off to battle happy.) Robbie pursues Joy, who parties recklessly in Paris, and believes Robbie will marry her, but later learns he’s already married. She later gives birth to a son, but dies in childbirth. Romantic entanglements and the horrors of war continue throughout this film. This unique pre-Code film focuses on the women involved in the war rather than action on the battlefield and openly deals with sexual relationships, disillusionment, trauma, and the emotional collapse caused by war. Consider this film Must-See Viewing. [Fun Facts: This film was based on an anonymous memoir from an American nurse who served in WWI France. The source text was considered controversial at the time because it reportedly included romantic and sexual relationships during wartime service. ZaSu Pitts nearly stole every scene she was in. Hollywood gossip at the time often joked she could “turn any tragedy into nervous comedy just by blinking.” In one of his earliest Hollywood appearances, Charles Boyer appears briefly as a French surgeon.]
IMDB: War Nurse

Once in a Lifetime (1932) Jack Oakie, Sidney Fox, Aline MacMahon, Louise Fazenda, Zeus Pitts, Walter Brennan [Director—Russell Mack]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—This sharp, fast‑moving Hollywood satire lets you watch the chaos of early talkies explode in real time—actors panicking, studios scrambling, and three hustlers trying to con their way to the top.

Three members of a vaudevillian team have their act cancelled when The Jazz Singer debuts and ushers in the age of the “Talkie.” To find work they travel to Hollywood to open an elocution school to teach the actors in silent films to articulate and talk properly for the talkies they’ll start acting in. Incompetence reigns but the trio expose the absurdity, vanity, and opportunism of the film industry. The plot also follows the pursuit by one of the trio of a young, naive aspiring actress. This film gives the viewer a glimpse of Hollywood as it transitions to sound films and provides enough interest to warrant a view. [Fun Facts: The screenplay came from the celebrated 1930 play by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, and much of the rapid-fire dialogue comes directly from their stage version. Aline MacMahon originated her role on stage, giving her a unique familiarity with the material. Tragically, rising star Sidney Fox, died in 1942 at just 29 years old from an accidental overdose of sleeping medication. IMDB: Once in a Lifetime

The Girl from Calgary (1932) Fifi D’Orsay, Paul Kelly, Robert Warwick, Astrid Allwyn [Director—Phil Whitman]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—It’s light, fast, and exactly the kind of early‑’30s escapism that rewards you for giving it an hour.

This film opens with historical footage of the Calgary Stampede and parade in Calgary. It then focuses on Fifi, a French cabaret star who falls in love with a man who recognizes her talent. He becomes her manager, and takes her to New York, where she becomes a Broadway star. They make plans for the future until a wealthy man becomes obsessed with Fifi and plans to employ any means possible, including murder, to eliminate her manager/fiancee. This mediocre B-movie is interesting enough to watch, but the historical footage opening the film may, actually, be the most interesting part of the film. [Fun Facts: Rather than filming expensive musical numbers, the producer borrowed elaborate stage sequences from the 1929 film The Great Gabbo. Fifi D’Orsay was known around Hollywood as a lively party guest. In 1927, Paul Kelly became involved in a notorious love triangle with actor Ray Raymond and his wife, Dorothy Mackaye. Kelly struck him during the altercation, and Raymond died a few days later. Kelly pleaded guilty to manslaughter and served about 25 months in San Quentin Prison. IMDB: The Girl from Calgary

Looking for Trouble (1934) Spencer Tracy, Jack Oakie, Constance Cummings [Director—William A. Wellman]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—This is a fast-paced pre-Code crime comedy packed with mistaken identities, wisecracks, romance, and the kind of mischievous energy that Hollywood would soon have to tone down.

Joe, hard-charging and highly effective as a telephone lineman, carries on a contentious relationship with his girlfriend. After many battles, she finally gives up on him and goes to work for a rival, who Joe knows to be crooked. She starts dating her boss and plans to marry him. When her boss engages in a major crime, Joe engages in a dangerous attempt to intervene. Consider this action film interesting enough to view. [Fun Facts: Spencer Tracy had a reputation for occasionally showing up late or resisting publicity obligations. Despite that, producers kept casting him because audiences immediately believed him on screen. Oakie was often described as someone who “could derail a serious scene into comedy if left unsupervised”—something directors either loved or feared. Constance Cummings had a “cool elegance” that made her hard to typecast, which limited her in Hollywood but boosted her reputation in stage and British film circles. IMDB: Looking for Trouble

Girls About Town (1931) Kay Francis, Joel McCrea, Lilyan Tashman, Eugene Pallette, Louise Beavers, Lucile Browne [Director—George Cukor]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—This is one of the sharpest, most stylish pre‑Code comedies—Kay Francis and Lilyan Tashman turn gold‑digging into an art form, mixing glamour, wit, and surprising emotional depth.

Wanda and Marie are young women paid to entertain men (usually wealthy old men) at clubs and on their private yachts. The devise clever ways to usually avoid sleeping with men at the end of the evenings, but they still amass a fortune in jewels and furs. When Wanda meets a young, wealthy man, she falls in love with him, but he doesn’t take her seriously because of her ‘paid entertainer’ status. She wants to become a ‘good’ girl and desperately tries to pursue the relationship. This fast-moving film provides comedy, drama, sexual tension, engaging plot and an entertaining experience. Consider this film Must-See Viewing. [Fun Facts: Censors objected to the film’s sexual implications and wardrobe choices, especially scenes involving Kay Francis and Lilyan Tashman in revealing lingerie or “undue exposure.” In the early 1930s, Kay Francis’s marriage to actor Kenneth MacKenna was falling apart and ended in divorce. Around the same period, she became involved with several high-profile Hollywood figures (including Maurice Chevalier). She also endured a period of serious emotional instability, including a widely reported suicide attempt in 1934 during the filming of British Agent. Lilyan Tashman was openly bisexual, and her marriage to actor Edmund Lowe was widely considered a sophisticated “open arrangement.” Columnists often described her as someone who could “out-party and out-dress” almost anyone in the business.] IMDBGirls About Town

In Love with Life (1934) Lila Lee, Onslow Stevens, Claude Gillingwater, Dickie Moore [Director—Frank R. Strayer]

Why you’ll want to see this movie— Watch In Love with Life for its appealing mix of romance, family conflict, and Depression-era sentiment.

Sharon abandons her wealthy, but mean and demanding father only to return years later—destitute and seeking simply shelter and support with her young son. Her father makes a deal with her to raise her son and provide him with everything he needs in life if she’ll leave and never she him or her son again. Although she agonizes over the decision, she does what she feels is best for her son and leaves. Her father hires a young man to tutor and raise the boy, and despite the grandfather’s threats of dismissal, the young tutor finds ways to secretly keep the mother informed and, sometimes, even involved in her son’s development. Viewers should find this heartbreaking and heartwarming film worth watching. [Fun Facts: In Love with Life came out of the “Poverty Row” system—tiny studios like Invincible that churned out films fast and cheap. So when you see 1934 Invincible films, you’re often seeing recycled plots, fast shooting schedules, and actors working for career survival. The Meglin Kiddies, a real child-performance troupe popular in early Hollywood, perform a full “Kiddie Kabaret” floor show, including a Russian dance and a Betty Boop–style impersonation act. That troupe was a common pipeline for child performers of the era—many later appeared in small roles across major studios. Lila Lee was a silent-era star whose career had already peaked by the early 1930s. Off-screen, her life was frequently described in Hollywood circles as turbulent—she had a highly publicized early marriage, and she became linked in fan-mag gossip columns with some of Hollywood’s biggest names—including Charlie Chaplin and Rudolph Valentino. As a teen star, Lee’s life was controlled by her legal guardians, and she eventually sued them for control of her money and property. She alleged: financial exploitation, loss of control over her earnings, and manipulation of her career and personal freedom.] IMDB: In Love with Life

Night Life in Reno (1931) Virginia Valli, Jameson Thomas, Dorothy Christy, Dixie Lee [Director—Raymond Cannon]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—It’s a racy glimpse of pre-Code Hollywood, where divorce, infidelity, gambling, drinking, and sexual intrigue collide in 1931 Reno—and the story even throws a murder into the mix.

When June finds her ‘perfect’ husband in the apartment of his lover, she heads straight to Reno to file for a quickie divorce. While in Reno waiting for the six weeks needed to get her divorce, she teams up with another woman to engage in the Reno social scene. When she realizes men expect sex at the end of a date, she gets skittish about her new, single dating life. Meanwhile, her husband tracks her down in Reno in an attempt to reconcile but finds her social life revolting. Consider this ‘B’ movie mildly entertaining but interesting enough to watch. [Fun Facts: At the time of filming, Dixie Lee, the illicit lover in this film, had recently married Bing Crosby and chose to leave acting to focus on marriage and family life. Virginia Valli was a major silent film actress in the 1920s, but struggled with the transition to sound films. Night Life in Reno is part of her late-career talkie phase before she largely stepped away from major Hollywood roles. The film’s murder subplot is often described as “randomly inserted” just to raise the stakes.] IMDB: Night Life in Reno

The Underworld Story (1950) Dan Duryea, Herbert Marshall, Gale Storm, Howard Da Silva, Alan Hale Jr., Mary Anderson [Director—Cy Endfield]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—This is a sharp, cynical film noir about a ruthless, manipulative newspaperman who uses murder, scandal, and the press to get what he wants.

Mike Reese, a cynical and ethically flexible newspaper reporter writes a sensational story revealing that a mob witness will testify against a gangster. The story leads to the witness’s assassination, Reese is blamed for the leak and fired. With his reputation destroyed, no newspaper will hire him. Desperate, Reese takes money from the very gangster connected to the scandal and uses it to buy part ownership in a struggling small-town newspaper. There he clashes with the paper’s idealistic publisher, Catherine Harris, who believes journalism should serve the public rather than exploit it. When a sensational murder occurs in town, Reese sees the case as a chance to revive his career by turning the story into a media spectacle. Although uneven and confusing at times, this “B” noir explores personal morality and media sensationalism and is worth a view. [Fun Facts: The film boldly portrays an innocent Black housekeeper being framed for murder, although (typical at the time) the character was played by a white actress (Mary Anderson) in makeup. Gale Storm was discovered as a talent show winner and, although she starred in some films, she was more successful as a TV star and recording artist. Herbert Marshall lost a leg in World War I and wore a a prosthetic leg, but he moved so well that few realized his disability. Dan Duryea never complained about being typecast, stating that “Villains get all the best dialogue.” ] IMDB: The Underworld Story

Let us be Gay (1930) Norma Shearer, Rod La Rocque, Marie Dressler, Hedda Hopper, Sally Eilers, Dickie Moore [Director—Robert Z. Leonard]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—This film is a sharp, pre‑Code delight where Norma Shearer transforms from neglected housewife to irresistible social force, serving glamour, wit, and a surprisingly modern take on reinvention.

[Gay = carefree, joyful] Devoted wife and mother, Kitty, finds her husband with his lover and refuses to forgive him. Three years later they coincidently meet at a party at wealthy Mrs. Bouccicault’s mansion. Kitty has transformed into a wealthy, world traveler bragging about her many lovers and gay life style. All the men fawn over her at the mansion, and, even though her former husband is there with his fiancee, he seethes with jealousy. Although worth watching, Shearer overacts with her obnoxious display of gaiety. [Fun Facts: Since Norma Shearer had recently won the Academy Award for Best Actress, producers rushed this film into production to take advantage of her popularity. They also rushed filming (just 26 days) because Norma was pregnant. With makeup, hair styling, and costuming, crew members purposely created Shearer’s dowdy appearance at the beginning of the film to render the beautiful actress unrecognizable. Curiously, Kitty’s children disappear from the film entirely once she becomes a glamorous socialite. While TV stations in the 1950s aired classic films, the stations avoided airing this film, considering it too risqué.] IMDB: Let us be Gay

Money Means Nothing (1934) Wallace Ford, Gloria Shea, Edgar Kennedy [Director—Christy Cabanne]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—Watch it for a breezy 70-minute time capsule of 1934 anxieties about class and money, anchored by a likable Wallace Ford performance.

Wealthy Julie considers Kenneth her hero after he rescues her from gangsters on a deserted highway. Kenneth works in an auto parts store, and Julie pursues him there relentlessly. Initially annoyed by her persistence, Kenneth eventually gives in and marries her, despite her parents’ objections. They lead an idyllic married life until obnoxious neighbors interfere and financial and criminal complications arise. Consider this typical “B” movie of the time worth watching. [Fun Facts: Although one of the modest “Poverty Row” films shot quickly with a low budget, it contains a sophisticated bit of cinematography with a smooth tracking shot. Samuel Grundy Jones emigrated from England, and while traveling with another boy named Wallace Ford, Wallace disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Samuel adopted Wallace Ford’s name and used it for the rest of his career.] IMDB: Money Means Nothing

Dance, Fools, Dance (1931) Joan Crawford, Cliff Edwards, Lester Vail, William Holden, Clark Gable, Joan Marsh, Ann Dvorak [Director—Harry Beaumont]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—Watch this film because Joan Crawford delivers a fierce, emotionally charged performance as a socialite forced into the real world, colliding with bootleggers, newsroom grit, and Clark Gable’s dangerous charm.

Wealthy party girl, Bonnie, forfeits her lifestyle after her father loses everything in the 1929 stock market crash and dies shortly thereafter. Bonnie fends for herself and becomes a cub reporter. Her brother, Rodney, drifts into organized crime. When her mentor at the paper, Bert, learns too much about the mob, they gun him down. Bonnie gets the assignment to investigate the murder and goes undercover as a dancer in the mob boss’s club. She finds trouble when she realizes her brother committed Bert’s murder, and the mob boss, although attracted to Bonnie, plans to kill her for knowing too much. This film moves quickly with high energy and sexuality and with Clark Gable playing the dangerous heavy. Consider this film Must-See Viewing. [Fun Facts: Joan Crawford made considerable contributions to the script, polishing her dialogue. The studios often allowed major stars to influence scripts. The film borrows from the current events of the time—The Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre and the murder of Chicago Tribune reporter Jake Lingle. The film displays all the pre-Code characteristics—discussions of sex, alcoholism and bootlegging, gang violence, revealing dress, and frank dialogue. Crawford later admitted to being intimidated by working with Gable because of his strong presence and previous stage experience. They later entered into a well-known love affair.] IMDB: Dance, Fools, Dance

The Affairs of Cellini (1934) Constance Bennett, Fredric March, Frank Morgan, Fay Wray, Paul Harvey, Lucille Ball, Ward Bond [Director—Gregory La Cava]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—Watch this film for the performances of A-list actors.

This film follows the flamboyant Renaissance artist Benvenuto Cellini as he charms his way through Florence, juggling romance, rivalry, and trouble with the law. His bold personality lands him in conflict with powerful figures, but his wit and talent keep him one step ahead. Dated, historically inaccurate, and boring—feel free to skip this one, even though a number of A-list actors comprise the cast. [Fun Facts: At the beginning of her career Lucille Ball took any roles she could get, and she appears as an uncredited extra in this film. The film was released shortly after the Production Code began strict enforcement, and United Artists toned down several scenes (audultry, seduction, torture, and poisoning) to avoid trouble. Despite the impressive cast and fine acting, critics disliked the film, and it lost money.] IMDB: The Affairs of Cellini

Night Alarm (1934) Bruce Cabot, Judith Allen, H.B. Warner, Betty Blythe, Fuzzy Knight [Director—Spencer Gordon Bennet]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—This brisk, pulpy pre-Code crime thriller packs arson, insurance fraud, and a firehouse murder mystery into a lean runtime — it’s the kind of forgotten B-picture that moves fast and never pretends to be more than a good time.

Hal writes the gardening column for the newspaper but yearns to only write stories about action in town. He follows a lot of fire trucks, thinking that’s where the action is and where his stories will come from. When a high-energy beauty, Helen, confronts the editor and demands to be given the gardening column job because the current column stinks, he hires her and re-assigns Hal. Hal and Helen develop a contentious relationship. The best parts of this film center on the fire scenes and a dramatic fire rescue. Bruce Cabot plays an unlikeable character and provides a mediocre performance. Judith Allen shines in this film, but, overall, viewers’ time can be better spent with better films. [Fun Facts: The production company built expensive sets in city locations and set them on fire for several scenes. One accidental fire ignited during filming, causing widespread chaos. Bruce Cabot and Judith Allen both had problematic private lives. Cabot drank heavily, engaged in bar fights, carried on multiple affairs, and married actress Adrienne Ames, which resulted in a turbulent, short union. Allen’s short-lived marriage to wrestler Gus Sonnenberg ended in a high profile divorce before she entered into a messy relationship and breakup with actor Richard Arlen. Studios stopped casting her because of her volatile private life. Fuzzy Knight performs verbatim his nightclub act for this film.] IMDB: Night Alarm

The Road to Ruin (1934) Helen Foster, Nell O’Day, Glen Boles, Mae Busch [Directors—Dorothy Davenport, Melville Shyer]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—Watch it for a provocative glimpse at the sensational, morally charged movies that briefly flourished before the Production Code tightened the reins.

This pre-Code morality tale focuses on a naive high school girl who follows her friends into smoking, drinking and sex. Wild teens populate this heavy-handed “message” film, but featuring worst-case scenarios overshadows the entertainment value of this film. Consider this mediocre film interesting enough to watch, if one can overcome the ‘ick’ factor. [Fun Facts: This film was a sound remake of the 1928 silent film with the same title and the same leading actress—Helen Foster, who was 27 years old when she made this film playing a teenage high school girl. She was also six years older than her boyfriend in the film—Glen Boles. This exploitation film disguised as “education” addressed topics such as teenage drinking, marijuana use, premarital sex, venereal disease, pregnancy, abortion, strip gambling, nude swimming, and parental neglect. Marketing the film as “Adults Only” and advertising that no one under 18 would be admitted only made teens want to see the film even more.] IMDB: The Road to Ruin

It Happened to Jane (1959) Doris Day, Jack Lemmon, Ernie Kovacs, Garry Moore [Director—Richard Quine]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—This light-hearted romantic comedy pairs two top stars—Doris Day and Jack Lemmon with Ernie Kovacs as the villain.

This lighthearted comedy features Jane Osgood, a Maine lobster business owner whose shipment is ruined by a careless railroad. When the company refuses to compensate her, she teams up with her lawyer friend to take on the powerful corporation, rallying the local community in the process. Romance and small-town charm mix with a classic underdog fight. If you enjoy nostalgic comedies, you may enjoy this film, but its pacing and tone may feel dated to some viewers. Also, the continual squabbling between Lemmon and Day becomes tedious. Feel free to skip this one. [Fun Facts: Jack Lemmon argued that this film’s title hurt it’s chances at the box-office, and the film did, indeed, flop. The studio later retitled the film as “Twinkle and Shine,” but it didn’t help. Day expressed frustration with her producer husband, Martin Melcher, who she felt pushed her too quickly into mediocre projects to make money rather than waiting for better opportunities. Kovacs, who played a rare (for him) role as a villain was known off-screen for his chaotic finances, heavy drinking, and eccentric personality. While Kovacs, Quine, and Lemmon lived together in a house during filming, Lemmon, an accomplished pianist, had an electric piano with headphones in his bedroom so as not to disturb his housemates. Director Richard Quine’s first wife, Oscar-nominated actress Susan Peters, was paralyzed in a hunting accident in 1945, was divorced by Quine in 1948, and died in 1952. Quine committed suicide in 1989.] IMDB: It Happened to Jane

Crime Without Passion (1934) Claude Rains, Margo, Whitney Bourne, Fanny Brice, Helen Hayes, Ben Hecht [Directors—Lee Garmes, Ben Hecht, Charles MacArthur]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—Watch this if you want a film that’s stylish, scandalous, and historically important.

This film follows a ruthless, highly successful lawyer who manipulates the legal system without remorse. When his lover becomes a liability, he plans the perfect crime—only to be haunted by guilt and visions that threaten his control and sanity.
This stylish pre-Code experiments in noir-like storytelling with striking visuals and a psychological edge. It’s worth watching for its bold themes and atmosphere, but its pacing and theatrical tone may feel dated, and the film itself comes off as bizarre. This film may not be worth the viewer’s time. [Fun Facts: Cinematographer, Lee Garmes, claimed to have directed most of this film because writers/directors, Hecht and MacArthur, often arrived late or were busy drinking, holding court with admirers, or rewriting scenes. Cultured gentleman, Claude Rains, avoided tabloid scandals, although he did marry six times. This film opens with no credits, which run at the end of the film. Instead, the film opens with a landmark of Hollywood surrealism with the “Furies” rising from a pool of blood, wearing revealing negligees attacking sinners across Manhattan. This scene was considered indecent by the Hayes Office, removed from prints for decades, and only resurfaced 50 years later. 16-year-old Margo (niece of bandleader Xavier Cugat) makes her film debut, and her character’s emotional instability caused considerable Production Code concerns. She later entered into a life-long marriage to actor Eddie Albert. This film never became a commercial hit and gradually slipped into obscurity.] IMDB: Crime Without Passion

Moonrise (1948) Dane Clark, Gail Russell, Ethel Barrymore, Harry Morgan, Harry Carey, Jr., Lloyd Bridges [Director—Frank Borzage]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—If you like moody visuals and morally complicated characters as well as flashy plot twists, this film is a hidden gem.

Danny Hawkins, a troubled young man, leads a life haunted by the stigma of his father’s execution for murder. He finally builds a normal life with a kind-hearted woman, but after years of bullying, he impulsively kills a tormentor and is consumed by guilt and paranoia. He struggles with confronting his past and deciding whether to confess. This moody, psychological film noir offers strong performances but a slow pace, which may deter viewers. Worth watching if this type of film suits you. [Fun Facts: The scene shot with children tarring and feathering another child was so brutal The Production Code Administration forced the scene to be cut from the film. The beautiful actress Gail Russell suffered from crippling stage fright. Executives encouraged her to drink before her scenes to calm her nerves. This began her downward spiral into alcoholism. In 1956, while driving drunk, she crashed her car into a coffee shop, running over a janitor working at night. She died alone in her apartment, surrounded by liquor bottles at age 36. Considered today by many film critics a masterpiece, this film was a commercial flop. IMDB: Moonrise

Tomorrow’s Children (1935) Diane Sinclair, Donald Douglas, John Preston, Sterling Holloway [Director—Crane Wilbur]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—It’s worth watching not just as a gripping social-issue melodrama, but as a genuine historical artifact: a mainstream film willing to challenge real, ongoing eugenics policy while it was still happening.

Tomorrow’s Children centers on a perfectly normal young woman whose impoverished, drunken and disabled family is targeted by authorities under eugenics laws. Declared ‘unfit,’ she faces forced sterilization and must fight a system that reduces human worth to heredity. The story follows her struggle for dignity, love, and the right to control her own future. This stark, thought-provoking pre-Code drama tackles controversial social policies head-on. Its message is powerful and still relevant. Consider this film Must-See Viewing for its bold critique of eugenics and its emotional impact. [Fun Facts: This film’s subject matter was unacceptable under Hollywood’s morality standards, and the producer submitted the film to individual state censorship boards, where only Ohio and Pennsylvania approved it. Since major theater chains refused to screen this film, the film was shown primarily in drive-ins and independent theaters—branded as an educational health warning. Ironically, this film sought to spotlight the government’s intrusion into and control of people’s private lives, but the film itself was highly censored and even banned by the Catholic Church. Producer Bryan Foy based his film on the 1927 Supreme Court case Buck v. Bell, which upheld Virginia’s sterilization law, with Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. writing, “Three generations of imbeciles are enough.”] IMDB: Tomorrow’s Children

Journey’s End (1930) Colin Clive, Ian Maclaren, David Manners [Director—James Whale]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—It’s a claustrophobic portrait of British officers trapped in the trenches during World War I shot just twelve years after the armistice by a director (James Whale) who’d actually served in the trenches.

Set in a British trench and bunker during World War I, this film focuses on a group of officers awaiting a German attack. The young and idealistic Raleigh arrives eager for glory but soon confronts the grim reality of war. His commanding officer, Stanhope, struggles with fear and alcoholism as tension builds toward the inevitable assault. This early war drama emphasizes psychological strain over action. All the action takes place in a bunker with soldiers only leaving briefly for the trenches. Consider this film too boring to watch. [Fun Facts: James Whale directed the stage play in London and then on Broadway before directing the film (his first) with a nearly verbatim script of the play. Colin Clive plays a soldier who drinks in order to cope with the horrors of war. In real life, Clive was a raging alcoholic who frequently collapsed during productions, napped on set, and sometimes had to be held up for over-the-shoulder shots. He tragically died at age 37. Playwright R. C. Sherriff served in the British Army, was seriously wounded, and wrote the play based on his experiences in the trenches, where war is fear, exhaustion, and waiting.] IMDB: Journey’s End

Sunny Side Up (1929) Janet Gaynor, Charles Farrell, Marjorie White, Jackie Cooper [Director—David Butler]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—It’s a brisk, bubbly time capsule that shows 1929 Hollywood pushing boundaries before the censors slammed the door shut.

This light musical comedy set in New York follows Jack, a carefree soda jerk, and Molly, a sweet but ambitious young woman, as they navigate romance and class differences. Molly briefly falls for a wealthy suitor, but ultimately realizes her true feelings for Jack. The film blends early sound-era dialogue with many musical numbers. This early Hollywood musical may be worth watching for its upbeat songs and historical value, though the story itself is simple and dated. [Fun Facts: At just 22 years of age, Janet Gaynor won the first ever Best Actress Academy Award in 1929 for the three silent films she made in 1927-28. She starred with Charles Farrell in three silent films and 9 talkies, with most of their films featuring them as a romantic couple. They were actually lovers off screen as well, but when Farrell proposed, Gaynor refused the proposal stating that they loved each other but Farrell was a partying socialite, while Gaynor was not. This was the first talkie/musical for Gaynor and Farrell, and moviegoers were anxious to hear their voices. Gaynor was a decent singer, while Farrell was less adequate. This pre-Code film also featured scenes that could not be filmed years later—such as ‘Turn on the Heat” in which scantily-clad dancers encourage bananas to grow—a visual double entendre. At 25-years-old Marjorie White provides a delightful comic spark to this film, and her career included comedic pairings with other top comics, but she tragically died in an auto accident when she was 31-years-old. IMDB: Sunny Side Up

New York Nights (1929) Norma Talmadge, Gilbert Roland, John Wray, Stanley Fields, Jean Harlow, Al Jolson, Lilyan Tashman [Director—Lewis Milestone]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—It’s worth watching for film history buffs curious how silent-era stars navigated the transition to sound, plus it’s got a fun pre-Code energy of backstage drama, betrayal, and speakeasy glamour.

Broadway chorus girl Jill Deverne helps her alcoholic, self-destructive songwriter husband, Fred, by forwarding his songs to gangster-producer Joe Providi. Racketeer and nightclub boss Joe becomes obsessed with Jill and pushes her husband’s songs into his shows. When Fred gets caught in a nightclub police raid in a compromising situation with a chorus girl, Jill gives up on him and pursues a life in the world of clubs, parties, and gangsters, but Joe’s controlling jealousy presents complications for Jill. Consider this film Must-See Viewing for its atmospheric portrayal of 1920s nightlife and as an example of Hollywood transitioning into talkies. Norma Talmadge also stars here in her first sound film. [Fun Facts: Norma Talmadge prepared for more than year for her talkie debut in this film by taking voice/diction lessons. Her voice was pleasant, and she even sang in this film, but the film didn’t do well at the box office. She made one more talkie (a flop) before ending her career as a movie star. This pre-Code film could not have been produced after enforcement of the Code because it featuring a married woman separated from her husband, infidelity, a gangster with a mistress, sexual manipulation, nightclub and party scenes, sexual assault, murder and violence. At 18-years-old Jean Harlow appears in an uncredited role as a party girl. Gilbert Roland (25) and Talmadge (36) were romantically involved off-screen during the making of this film even though Talmadge was married to the head of United Artists—Joseph M. Schenck. Schenck had tolerated Talmadge’s affairs, but in this case attempted to blacklist Roland. It was even rumored that Schenck had Roland castrated, but Roland boldly walked nude through an all-male athletic club and then dove into the pool to prove he was intact. In 1934 Talmadge divorced Schenck and married George Jessel. Lilyan Tashman, fashion icon, socialite, and the focus of many Hollywood gossip columns for her rumored bisexuality, sharp wit, and lavish parties, died tragically at 37 from debilitating cancer. Publicists covered up her illness, and she kept working until two weeks before her death.] IMDB: New York Nights

For the Defense (1930) William Powell, Kay Francis, Scott Kolk, Billie Bevan, George ‘Gabby’ Hayes [Director—John Cromwell]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—It’s a sleek, fast‑moving pre‑Code crime drama where William Powell and Kay Francis push moral boundaries in a way Hollywood soon wouldn’t allow, giving you sharp dialogue, speakeasy atmosphere, and a surprisingly dark final twist.

Brilliant but arrogant and unethical defense lawyer, William Foster, refuses to marry his long-time love interest, actress Irene Manners. Irene wants marriage and stability, so she accepts the proposal of wealthy suitor Jack Defoe. While driving her car with Jack in the passenger seat, he leans over to embrace Irene. She loses control of the car and accidentally kills a pedestrian. Jack convinces her to run away, and he takes responsibility for the accident. Irene pleads with Foster to defend Jack, and Foster agrees because he still loves her. When he realizes Irene was driving the car, any ethics he may have had go out the window. Solid acting and a compelling story of corruption, drunkenness, and adultery make this film well worth watching. [Fun Facts: Powell’s lawyer character is based on William J. “Bill” Fallon, a criminal defense lawyer in 1920s New York who defended underworld individuals. Moviegoers usually relate William Powell to Myrna Loy in the Thin Man series, but he had a long screen relationship with Kay Francis prior to that. Film executives thought Francis’ lisp would destroy her talking picture career, but, instead, it endeared her to film fans. Director John Cromwell gave talkies a shot in the arm with (at the time) inventive techniques such as voice-over dialogue, rear-projected exterior footage (sometimes “borrowed” from other studios), moving-camera techniques, and authentic New York locations—and he shot this film in 15 days. Francis’ private diaries detailed her four marriages, secret affairs, abortions, and heavy drinking.] IMDB: For the Defense

Born to be Bad (1934) Loretta Young, Cary Grant, Jackie Kelk, Paul Harvey [Directors—Lowell Sherman, Jack Conway]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—Unusual for Loretta Young, she plays a wicked seductress in a film censors would not have allowed once the Code was strictly enforced.

Letty Strong gets pregnant at age 15 and runs away from home. She raises her son, Mickey, to be tough, dishonest, and manipulative. Letty survives by charming and entertaining men. When wealthy executive Malcolm Trevor accidentally hits Mickey with his truck while Mickey roller skates, Letty sues Malcolm for money. The judge in the court case throws it out when he realizes Mickey was not seriously hurt and Letty is scheming for a payout. The judge places Mickey in a boys’ institution, from which Malcolm and his wife adopt him since they can’t have children on their own. Letty seduces Malcolm and records evidence of their affair to use against him. Malcolm, however, actually falls in love with Letty and plans to leave his wife for her. This pre-Code film offers major melodrama and a totally bad woman played by Young. This film also offers interest in that it displays Young and Grant in an early film for each of them. Consider this film Must-See Viewing for its historically fascinating presentation of late pre-Code cinema. [Fun Facts: Producers released this film just two weeks before strict enforcement of the Production Code. It was rejected twice by the Hays Office, banned by the Catholic Church’s Legion of Decency, and banned in many theaters. Reshoots removed shots of Young in underwear with revealing views of her legs and downplayed the fact that she was a call girl. Young was hesitant to accept the part, feeling she wasn’t the right type. The role was originally intended for Jean Harlow, but she wasn’t available. Despite her hesitancy to make this film and her off-screen relationship with married Spencer Tracy and later relationship with Clark Gable, which resulted in the birth of her daughter, Young usually created the on-screen persona as the elegant, moral “good girl.” This movie warrants significance in film history as one of the last films released before strict enforcement of the Code. IMDB: Born to be Bad

Paradise Island (1930) Kenneth Harlan, Marceline Day, Tom Santschi [Director—Bert Glennon]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—This early pre-Code talkie delivers South Seas romance and rivalry through a poker game where the stakes are a plantation, a fortune in pearls, and even the heroine herself—a wonderfully melodramatic curio from the first year of talking pictures.

Ellen Bradford travels to a South Sea island to marry her fiancé, Roy, who she discovers has turned into an alcoholic gambler. As the only white woman on the island, Ellen attracts the attention of many men. Dutch Lutze, a corrupt saloon owner and local strongman, tries to manipulate Ellen and dominate her. A sailor with a rough reputation, Jim Thorne, tries to help Roy and protect Ellen. Conflict between Jim and Dutch escalates to the point that Ellen becomes a prize to be won. This film moves at a rapid pace, and even as a low-budget, early sound movie, viewers should enjoy this pre-Code adventure/romance. [Fun Facts: There are actually songs in this adventure film with some of the songs dubbed by off-screen signers and lip-synched by Day and Harlan. This low-budget production company re-used the set they’d already used for their film Mamba. The film’s villain, Tom Santschi, was the most experienced cast member, having appeared in more than 245 films as well as having directed many films. Santschi died in his sleep at the age of 52 shortly after making this film. This film’s title is ironic in that the film features gambling, drunkeness, violence, sexual rivalry, cheating at cards, threats against women, brutal fights, and pearl-related intrigue. Kenneth Harlan may hold the record for the number of Hollywood marriages with nine. Marceline Day, a WAMPAS Bay Star in 1926 and major silent film star, struggled in talkies, with this low-budget film being one of her last. She retired to private life and never granted interviews or publicly discussed her film career. IMDB: Paradise Island

The Bat Whispers (1930) Chester Morris, Una Merkel, William Bakewell [Director—Roland West]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—Watch it and you’re not just seeing a fun, twisty mystery-comedy—you’re watching the visual language of noir and superhero cinema being invented in real time, decades before it had a name.

The Bat Whispers is a mystery thriller about a masked criminal known as “The Bat,” who terrorizes a mansion where a group of guests search for hidden money. As murders and disappearances mount, suspicion shifts among the characters. A detective works to uncover the Bat’s identity, leading to a tense and twist-filled finale. Even though this early talkie blends horror and mystery with inventive camerawork and atmosphere, the film generates only moderate interest. [Fun Facts: Comic book artist Bob Kane cited this film as the inspiration for his Batman character. Director Roland West shot the film in conventional 35mm but simultaneously in experimental 65mm widescreen format. Theaters at the time had just upgraded to accommodate talkies, and would not expend the money to accommodate widescreen films. The format died until it was revived as CinemaScope twenty three years later to compete with the growing popularity of television. Cast and crew suffered during filming because of the intense heat created by the additional lighting required for filming in 65mm. West also shot only at night to avoid interference by studio executives. This film was considered lost until a copy was found as a part of Mary Pickford’s estate collection in 1987 and restored by UCLA. Famous actress Thelma Todd began an affair with West after filming Corsair with him in 1931. In 1935 she was found dead from carbon monoxide poisoning in the garage she shared with West. On his deathbed West confessed that he’d locked Todd in the garage after an argument, and she apparently started the car for warmth. West died at 69 from a barbiturate overdose while suffering from cancer. IMDB: The Bat Whispers

The Last Warning (1928) Laura La Plante, Montagu Love, Roy D’Arcy, Margaret Livingston, Mack Swain, Slim Summerville [Director—Paul Leni]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—It’s a rare chance to see Universal’s Phantom of the Opera sets repurposed into a stylish, atmospheric mystery set that feels like the bridge between silent horror and the studio’s 1930s golden era.

This 1928 silent mystery-horror film is set in a Broadway theater where a troubled production is being revived five years after a lead actor mysteriously died during a performance. As rehearsals resume, cast and crew begin dying or disappearing under eerie circumstances, and the theater seems genuinely haunted. A detective investigates the string of incidents, uncovering secret passageways, hidden identities, and a carefully staged scheme behind the “supernatural” events. This early silent horror film’s expressionist lighting and claustrophobic theater setting make it historically important for viewers interested in the roots of mystery films although, overall, the film provides only modest entertainment. [Fun Facts: Being on the cusp of the sound film era, this silent film also was shot as a partial talkie with sound effects, screaming, minor dialogue, and music. The talkie version is not available today. Established silent film star Laura La Plante actually went through a “scream test” prior to filming to determine if she could provide the intensity and loudness of screaming needed in this partial sound film. La Plante starred in director Paul Leni’s successful The Cat and the Canary in 1927, and he recycled her in this follow-up horror film. He also recycled the entire set from The Phantom of the Opera (1925). The film is based on the story “The House of Fear” by Wadsworth Camp—the father of Madeleine L’Engle, the future author of A Wrinkle in Time. Leni’s camera work was especially inventive in this film. He used overhead, swooping shots, dramatic shadows, and expressionist angles. Destined for a great career, all was cut short for Leni when he died shortly after this film premiered at 44 from a dental infection turned into sepsis. And finally, Margaret Livingston famously played the seductress in F. W. Murnau’s Sunrise and off-screen was the mistress of Thomas H. Ince. She was with him when he was shot and killed aboard the Hearst yacht.] IMDB: The Last Warning

Phantom of the Opera (1929) Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin, Norman Kerry, Mary Fabian [Director—Rupert Julian with additional and reshoot work by directors including Lon Chaney, Ernst Laemmle, and Edward Sedgwick]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—It’s worth watching for Chaney’s legendary self-designed makeup and unmasking scene—still shocking nearly a century later—plus the lavish, two-color Technicolor masquerade sequence that shows off just how ambitious silent-era spectacle could be.

This silent horror film features a disfigured musical genius who secretly lives beneath the Paris Opera House. Obsessed with young singer Christine Daaé, he mentors her from the shadows, believing she will become a star—and his. When Christine discovers his identity after he abducts her into his underground lair, she is horrified, and a pursuit begins through the opera’s labyrinthine passages. This landmark early horror film, famous for Lon Chaney’s striking makeup and the film’s atmospheric sets is most likely best appreciated by fans of film history. Modern viewers should expect a slower pace and exaggerated theatrical acting. This widely circulated synchronized-sound version (with music and effects added) was released during the transition to “talkies.” It wasn’t a full remake—just a reissued version of the 1925 silent film with updated audio technology. Consider this version of the film well worth watching. [Fun Facts: The 1929 version of this film is, essentially, the 1925 version reworked for sound with some scenes reshot, and some characters changed or added. Chaney was contractually forbidden to speak in the 1929 version, so a character was added, his servant, who spoke for him in shadows and behind scenery. Chaney also famously created and applied his own makeup. His makeup behind the mask was so horrifying that audience members screamed or dropped to the floor, and some, literally, fainted in shock when he removed the mask. Mary Philbin authentically screamed in horror when Chaney removed his mask. He later apologized to Philbin for traumatizing her. Mary Philbin was a conservative, shy 18-19-year-od when she filmed Phantom. She was chaperoned by her mother at all times. During intimate scenes with womanizer Norman Kerry, she had to fight off his groping hands. Later in life, Mary fell in love with and planned to marry producer Paul Kohner. Her parents forbad the marriage because she was Catholic and he was Jewish. He later married, but she remained unmarried. When Kohner died, relatives found a trove of old love letters in his desk from Mary. Director of this film, Rupert Julian, alienated the entire crew with his overbearing ego. Chaney refused to talk with him and directed most of his own scenes. When the intermediary cinematographer relayed a direction from Rupert, Chaney usually responded, “Tell him to go to hell!” Executives eventually fired Rupert. The set of Phantom was massive, served as the set for many other films, and was not dismantled until 2014.] AMAZON: Phantom of the Opera

Untamed (1929) Joan Crawford, Robert Montgomery, Ernest Torrence [Director—Jack Conway]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—Joan Crawford explodes with incredible energy in her first talkie. Witness a powerhouse entertainer in the infancy of her career.

Hank raises his daughter, Bingo, in the South American jungle while overseeing his oil business. Bingo grows up wild, impulsive, and physically aggressive. Howard and Ben, old associates of Hank join him to help run his business. An oil worker wants Bingo for himself and murders Hank. Ben and Howard save Bingo and take her to New York to civilize her. On board the ship to New York Bingo immediately falls in love with Andy, a handsome but poor young man, and aggressively pursues him. Because of Bingo’s inherited wealth, Ben sees Andy as only being interested in her money and obstructs the relationship while Howard develops romantic feelings for Bingo himself. Complications ensue. Consider this film Must-See Viewing for its drama and extreme emotionality. This film holds historical significance for being Joan Crawford’s first major talking picture lead. [Fun Facts: This film debuted Crawford as a lead in a talkie. To prepare for her role she bought a Dictaphone and practiced reading poetry into it with her new husband, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. coaching her. She lowered the timbre of her voice to record well. While critical reviews of this film were tepid, the film was successful because of Crawford’s popularity. Producers created both a sound and a silent version of this film since many theaters had not yet converted to sound technology. A continuity error occurs when Bingo is told her father has died, but he is visibly still breathing. A pre-Code plot twist occurs when the heroine shoots the hero because he refuses her romantic advances. He responds, though, by caving and marrying her. Crawford also in 1929 married Douglas Fairbanks Jr., making her the the daughter of Hollywood royalty—Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. The in-laws disapproved of the marriage—Crawford came from poverty, was older, more famous, and more worldly than Junior. They expected him to marry someone “proper” and never did accept the married couple. The couple married quietly in New York to avoid the parents’ interference and meddling by the studio.] IMDB: Untamed

Vacation from Marriage (Perfect Strangers) (1945) Robert Donat, Deborah Kerr, Glynis Johns [Director—Alexander Korda]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—With superb performances from Robert Donat and Deborah Kerr, it’s an emotionally honest, beautifully acted look at love, marriage, and second chances.

Boring and uncommunicative couple, Robert and Cathy, follow a daily routine robotically. World War II interrupts their marriage with Robert joining the British Navy and Cathy joining the Women’s Royal Naval Service. While separated for three years, Robert becomes more confident, physically stronger, and socially capable. Cathy gains independence, glamour, and self-confidence. Both meet attractive new people during the war, and both begin questioning their marriage. They dread reuniting. This war-time romance focuses not on the battlefield but awkwardness, insecurity, and emotional shifts in a relationship. This film also features Deborah Kerr’s exceptional talents early in her career. Consider this film well worth watching. [Fun Facts: Producer/director Alexander Korda struck a deal with MGM boss Louis B. Mayer to make a series of movies together. This was the only film they made because fiercely independent Korda felt he was being treated as a Hollywood subordinate. He also hated having to attend Mayer’s elaborate dinner parties. Mayer, however, was gobsmacked by Kerr, declaring “That girl’s a star!” She then became a major MGM star earning six Academy Award nominations for Best Actress. Ironically, Kerr’s career was ascending while Donat’s was winding down, particularly because of his chronic asthma, which forced production on this film to repeatedly halt or reschedule. A real-life irony concerning this film is that it focuses on a troubled marriage while Donat’s off-screen marriage was falling apart and ended in divorce in 1946. Future 007 Roger Moore makes his film debut in this film as an uncredited soldier.] IMDB: Vacation from Marriage

The Flying Fleet (1929) Ramon Novarro, Ralph Graves, Anita Page [Director—George W. Hil]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—The Flying Fleet lets you watch real Navy pilots, real carrier takeoffs, and real 1928 danger—no Hollywood faking, just raw early‑aviation spectacle.

Six Naval Academy friends graduate from Annapolis and dream of becoming Navy aviators. The group meets Anita Hastings, and both Tommy and Steve fall for her. Anita clearly prefers Tommy, which makes Steve jealous. Steve pulls pranks and underhanded tricks against Tommy. Tommy retaliates by dangerously “buzzing” Steve with his airplane after a mock dogfight. An admiral punishes Tommy by taking away his chance to pilot an important Honolulu flight. The admiral instead gives the mission to Steve, whose plane with its crew crashes into the ocean during a storm. Tommy flies a daring rescue mission but parachutes from his plane when the engine fails. Although the producers used real Navy aircraft, real carrier operations, and impressive aerial photography for 1929 as well as stunts performed for real, the film actually moves slowly and may be too sentimental for modern viewers. [Fun Facts: One of the best things about this movie is that is presents a time capsule of the US Navy in 1928—the USS Langley (the first aircraft carrier), the USS Relief (the Navy’s first hospital ship), the Navy’s aerobatic team, The Three Sea Hawks, and exteriors shot at the U.S. naval base in San Diego. Anita Page couldn’t swim, so her swimming and water skiing scenes were shot using a local 18-year-old, Patricia Ingle. Ramon Navarro was gay, but publicists covered the fact with stories about his romances with female stars. There was a rumor that he proposed to Anita Page and Page turned him down. Page considered Navarro “something to dream about…so good looking” but stated that “she couldn’t marry someone who took longer to get ready than she did.” Benito Mussolini actually aggressively pursued Anita Page with many fan letters and a marriage proposal. At age 68 Navarro’s life ended tragically. Two young boys posing as escorts believed Navarro had a stash of money in his home, and when they realized he didn’t have it, they beat him to death.] IMDB: The Flying Fleet

Half Marriage (1929) Olive Borden, Morgan Farley, Ken Murray, Ann Greenway, Sally Blane, Hedda Hopper, Randolph Scott [Director—William J. Cowen]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—In this pre-Code melodrama Olive Borden heats up the screen in scenes that would be censored after Code enforcement. The film features secret relationships, glamour, emotional volatility, and a shocking fatality.

Judy Page falls in love with Dick Carroll. She secretly marries him because she fears her wealthy parents will disapprove. Tom Stribbling relentlessly pursues Judy while she rejects his advances and struggles to keep her marriage hidden. Judy fights off Tom when he tries to rape her. In the struggle, Tom falls from the ledge of Judy’s balcony to his death. Will the police arrest Judy for Tom’s death? Will her secret marriage be revealed? Will her parents accept Dick? Viewers should find this film captivating as an early sound-era pre-Code relationship drama and its 1920s fashion and Art Deco aesthetics. The movie also offers historical charm: secret marriages, class tension, flapper-era nightlife, and surprisingly dark material for 1929. Consider this film Must-See Viewing. [Fun Facts: Olive Borden reigned supreme as a top star at Fox during the silent film era. She lived extravagantly with lavish spending, expensive clothes and furs, and a robust nightlife, but she also battled with studio executives. When the market crashed in 1929, Fox tried to reduce Borden’s salary, but she refused, so the studio fired her for being “difficult.” Her first marriage to Theodore Spector in 1926 ended quickly when he was prosecuted for bigamy. Her second marriage in 1931 to boxer Teddy Hayes consisted of heavy drinking, volatile fights, and rumored physical abuse. Her third marriage in 1934 to Navy officer Richard F. Barker ended due to her heavy drinking and uncontrolled temper. Her life drifted into poverty, living in a home for impoverished women, and dying at 40 of cirrhosis. Vaudevillian Ken Murray makes his film debut in this movie to provide comic relief. His film career didn’t take off, but he succeeded later in radio and television. Hedda Hopper also plays as a supporting actress in this movie, as she did in many films at this time. She later became famous as a feared Hollywood columnist.] IMDB: Half Marriage

The Lost Zeppelin (1929) Conway Tearle, Virginia Valli, Ricardo Cortez [Director—Edward Sloma]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—It’s a fascinating glimpse at how filmmakers of 1929 imagined the future of aviation.

Commander Donald Hall leads a zeppelin expedition to the South Pole. Before the mission begins, Hall’s wife tells him she is in love with his friend and fellow explorer, Tom Armstrong. Hall agrees to give her a divorce after the expedition.
Tom Armstrong joins Hall on the South Pole zeppelin voyage. The zeppelin crashes in Antarctica during a violent storm. Tom and Hall survive the crash and struggle through the ice with the other survivors. A rescue airplane arrives but only has room for one man. Hall sacrifices his own chance of rescue and insists Tom should go instead. Tom returns home believing Hall has died. Although this film provides a good example of late-1920s filmmaking during the shift from silent movies to sound and there’s historical curiosity inspired by the fame of polar explorer Richard Byrd, the acting and dialogue can feel stiff because of primitive sound-recording technology, the special effects are dated even by early adventure-film standards, and the love triangle is fairly predictable. Modern viewers may find this film too slow and unemotional to be entertaining. [Fun Facts: This movie started out as a silent film, but as the industry quickly moved to sound, producers scrapped the original film, cobbled together scenes from the original, reshot most of the film with a new director and new cast members, and made it a sound picture—a Frankenstein piece of work. The film was advertised as “More than one year in the making!” That wasn’t because producers turned out a fabulous film, but because production was a mess. The film capitalized on the recent real life crash of Umberto Nobile’s zeppelin-type of airship and the death of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen in the rescue attempt. As in many early sound movies, actors struggled with natural delivery of their dialogue—stiffly standing still and talking into microphones hidden in vases and fruit baskets. As with other actors, respectable silent film star Virginia Valli’s awkward, high-pitched, wavering delivery damaged her film career going forward. Valli was married and divorced from a theatrical agent before marrying Charles Farrell in 1931. Screen partners Farrell and Janet Gaynor were lovers for years, and Farrell carried on a long-term affair with another woman during his marriage to Valli. Their marriage was one of Hollywood’s most toxic, but Valli refused to divorce Farrell. Despite their differences, they opened a racquet club in Palm Springs popular with the Hollywood crowd, Farrell became mayor, and they stayed together until her death. Jewish Jacob Krantz was born in Vienna and grew up in New York, but studio executives renamed him “Ricardo Cortez” to take advantage of the “Latin Lover” craze sparked by Rudolph Valentino.] IMDB: The Lost Zeppelin

Nothing but the Truth (1929) Richard Dix, Helen Kane, Louis John Bartels, Ned Sparks, Dorothy Hall, Wynne Gibson [Director—Victor Schertzinger]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—It’s a fast, talky snapshot of early‑sound Hollywood with bonus charm from baby‑voiced Helen Kane, whose appearance alone makes it a piece of pre‑Code history worth your time.

In this pre-Code comedy, stockbroker Robert plans to help his fiancé make an investment. His fiancé, Gwenn, needs to double her $10,000 for a charity project. Robert’s stockbroker colleagues, who know he pushes weak investments with his clients, arrange a bet that he can’t tell the truth for 24 hours. Robert wages Glenn’s $10,000 on the bet. Robert’s colleagues pester him continually with questions trying to get him to lie. In telling the truth among his colleagues, friends, social acquaintances, and even his fiancé, Robert embarrasses and alienates everyone by exposing secrets, affairs, and dishonesty. This movie can feel stagey at times because it came from a Broadway play and was made during the early sound era. It’s especially interesting, though, as a snapshot of Hollywood learning how to make “talkies.” Helen Kane provides a highlight in the film with her lively musical-comedy presence. Overall, consider this film mildly entertaining. [Fun Facts: This film suffered from the same fate as other early “talkies”—static microphones, stiff performances, and too much talk. Helen Kane made her debut film performance here and garnered the most positive reviews of all the cast members. She was a hugely popular Broadway and nightclub performer and brought her jazz-age nightclub hit “Do Something” to the film. She perfected the baby talking “boo-oop-a-doop” persona in her act, and sued Max Fleischer and Paramount Publix Corporation for $250,000 claiming their Betty Boop character represented unfair competition. She lost in court when women who voiced Betty Boop claimed they weren’t copying Helen, the court noted she’s named Helen Kane not Helen Boop, and evidence was presented that a baby-voice performer Esther Jones performed in the Cotton Club in the early 20s, predating Kane’s use of the style. Producers of this film shot separate French, German, and Spanish versions using the same set with different actors. Richard Dix wanted Jeanette MacDonld for the lead in this film, and she tested for the part. Broadway producers wouldn’t release her from her stage contract, but when director Ernst Lubitsch saw her screen test, he later hired her for The Love Parade—launching her incredible film career.] IMDB: Nothing but the Truth

Street Angel (1928) Janet Gaynor, Charles Farrell, Natalie Kingston, Alberto Rabagliati, Henry Armetta, Lewis Borzage Sr., Dolly Borzage, Mary Borzage, Sue Borzage [Directed by Frank Borzage]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—Janet Gaynor delivers an Academy Award winning, tender, emotional and unforgettable performance in this essential, classic silent film.

Angela lives in poverty in Naples with her dying mother. When the doctor says her mother needs life-saving medication immediately, Angela at first tries prostitution to raise enough money for the medication. (This scene provides, rather than pity or tragedy, a hilarious comedic sequence.) Failing at prostitution, Angela steals money from the counter where a man is making a purchase. She is immediately arrested and sentenced to prison, where she escapes and hides as a performer in a traveling circus. She meets an artist who endears himself to her by painting an angelic portrait of her. They fall in love, but their deep love proves difficult and tragic over time. This movie, produced near the end of the silent film era, provides a stunning example of cinematography and exceptional, emotional storytelling portrayed by first-class acting. Consider this film Must-See Viewing. [Fun Facts: Benito Mussolini banned this film in Italy for the portrayal of poverty, crime and street life in Naples. The director and cinematographer intentionally made the film appear like a picture with shadows, mist, and imaginative sets. Filmed at the dawn of talkies, there is no spoken dialogue in this film—only intertitles, sound effects and music. Director Borzage included a number of his family members in the cast. Gaynor appeared in three ground-breaking, award winning films simultaneously: 7th Heaven, Street Angel, and Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans—regarded as three of the great artistic achievements of the late silent movie era. Janet Gaynor won the first Academy Award for Best Actress for her combined performances in these films. Although incredibly handsome and a major attraction in silent films, Charles Farrell spoke with a strong Boston accent, which detracted from his talkie films. He and Gaynor, despite denials from them and the studio, carried on a years-long love affair off-screen. They made twelve films together and were lovers shortly after their first film until her marriage in 1929. Farrell later married actress Virginia Valli in 1931, became major of Palm Springs, and in the 1950s played Gale Storm’s father in My Little Margie.] IMDB: Street Angel

The Man Who Laughs (1928) Mary Philbin, Conrad Veidt, Julius Molnar [Director—Paul Leni]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—It’s a powerful, eerie tale of love and cruelty that helped shape the very DNA of later screen villains.

The king executes a nobleman who opposes him and has his young son, Gwynplaine, disfigured so his face in frozen in a permanent grin. Gwynplaine’s caretakers abandon him, and he wanders in a winter storm, where he finds and saves an infant girl lying next to her dead mother. A traveling showman, Ursus, takes in and raises both children. The infant girl, Dea, turns out to be blind, and as a young woman falls in love with Gwynplaine. Countess Josiana learns that Gwynplaine actually was born into nobility and is due an immense inheritance. She attempts to seduce him and force a marriage. Gwynplaine remains devoted to Dea, but the powerful nobility have other plans for him. Although considered a silent film masterpiece, the complicated, plodding plot may make this film best suited for silent film devotees and scholars. [Fun Facts: Gwynplaine’s grotesque grin directly inspired the look of the Joker in the modern Batman film. The device he wore to create his broad grin in the film was painful, and the agony viewers see in his eyes enhanced his role. Olga Baclanova, who played the Duchess Josiana, was one of silent films most provocative actresses. Her sexual pursuit of Gwynplaine was more explicit that what movie producers would have accepted in later films. Author Ray Bradbury stated that viewing the end of the movie as a child moved him to tears.]
IMDB: The Man Who Laughs

The Singing Fool (1928) Al Jolson, Betty Bronson, Josephine Dunn, The Yacht Club Boys [Director—Lloyd Bacon]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—In Al Jolson’s raw, tearjerking rendition of “Sonny Boy” to a dying child you get a snapshot of the exact moment movies learned to sing and cry at the same time.

Singing waiter, Al Stone, works in a nightclub while waiting for his big break and loves the glamorous club singer, Molly Winton, who has no interest in Al. A Broadway producer catches Al’s performance and offers him a professional opportunity. Al’s career takes off, Molly now becomes interested in him, and they marry and have a child, Sonny. Molly gets bored with married life, has an affair, leaves Al, and takes Sonny with her overseas. Al goes into a deep depression, and his career tanks. The highly sentimental, sad, but uplifting conclusion of the film made this film and the song ‘Sonny Boy’ big hits at the time. This movie includes a highly theatrical performance, over-the top sentimentality, and a blackface scene. However, this landmark early sound film helped convince Hollywood that talkies were the future of the film industry. Consider this film worth watching, at least, for historical value. [Fun Facts: The Singing Fool was a massive blockbuster—one of the highest-grossing films ever until Gone With the Wind (1939). The film’s signature song “Sonny Boy” was written as what producers thought was just a melodramatic plot device. Instead, it became one of the first songs ever to sell over a million sheet music copies. Jolson was extremely controlling about his performances, intensely competitive, and very image-conscious. He dominated sets and insisted scenes be built around his singing numbers, even when directors wanted more balance.]
IMDB: The Singing Fool

A Daughter of Destiny (Alraune) (1928) Brigitte Helm, Paul Wegener, Iván Petrovich [Director—Henrik Galeen]

Why you’ll want to see this movie— Watch it for Brigitte Helm’s magnetic, unsettling performance as Alraune—a woman artificially conceived from a hanged man’s semen and a prostitute’s egg, raised as a living experiment in whether “nature vs. nurture” can be engineered.

In this German silent film Professor Brinken seeks to test whether evil traits can be biologically engineered. Using morally questionable means, his experiment creates a child, Alraune, who is incapable of love or morality. The professor plans to raise the girl himself, but she becomes mischievous, rebellious, and manipulative. As an adult the beautiful, seductive girl moves through settings such as a circus and high society—causing emotional and financial ruin for those who fall for her. The professor, himself, falls in love with her, and determines to have her or kill her. Consider this film well worth watching as an early sci-fi horror film with an outstanding performance by Brigitte Helm. [Fun Facts: Brigitte Helm played the “perfect machine woman” in Metropolis and the “soulless temptress” in Alraune. This created an early Hollywood-style typecasting situation—she became associated with inhuman femininity, which she reportedly found limiting as her career progressed.] IMDB: A Daughter of Destiny

The Dance of Life (1929) Hal Skelly, Nancy Carroll, Dorothy Revier, Oscar Levant [Directors—John Cromwell, A. Edward Sutherland]

Why you’ll want to see this movie—This film provides an honest, gritty view of ambition and self-destruction in the fading world of vaudeville with the bonus of a two-strip Technicolor sequence—a chance to experience color filmmaking at the dawn of the sound film era.

Burlesque comic, Ralph, gets fired and meets Bonny, a dancer who just failed an audition. They decide to team up to form an act. They find success in a traveling burlesque company, fall in love and marry. With Bonny’s encouragement, Ralph eventually leaves her behind when he joins the Ziegfeld Follies. In New York success goes to Ralph’s head as he carouses, drinks, and carries on an affair. In a surprise visit to New York, Bonny discovers Ralph’s state and leaves him a note saying she’s filing for divorce. She plans to marry a wealthy admirer. Complications arise in the love triangle, as Ralph’s drinking and misconduct escalate. Consider this film Must-See Viewing as a strong, early Hollywood backstage drama. Made before strict enforcement of the Production Code, it contains themes of adultery, marital conflict, alcoholism, backstage burlesque life, and sexual temptation. [Fun Facts: The Dance of Life was adapted from the hit Broadway play Burlesque. Lead actor Hal Skelly had already played Ralph on stage and simply brought his role to the screen. Before Hollywood, Hal Skelly ran away from home as a teenager and joined a circus. His rough-and-tumble background made him a natural fit for the burlesque performer he portrayed in the film. Barbara Stanwyck had played Bonny on stage and even tested for the film. Paramount ultimately chose Nancy Carroll because she already had movie recognition. In fact, in 1928 she made eight films. Theater advertisements made claims of “100 Broadway Beauties” in the film, and that wasn’t far from the truth. The film emphasized singing, dancing, romance, and even Technicolor sequences. Hal Skelly tragically died at age 43 when his car was struck by a train.] IMDB: The Dance of Life