Pre-Coded Messages

Bette Davis at 100

2008-04-04T18:13:00.000-07:00

Bette Davis is usually either remembered for her early '40s heyday at Warner Brothers or her campy '60s comeback in a variety of lurid, over-the-top roles (Baby Jane Hudson, anyone?). In celebration of what would have been Bette's 100th birthday (Saturday, April 5th), the Stanford Theatre is showing many of her rare early pre-code films.

Davis arrived in Hollywood with her mother in 1930 and was soon signed to a contract with Universal Pictures. However, they didn't seem to know what to do with her. She appeared in six films (some on loan-out), and her contract was dropped in 1932. However, she landed at Warner Brothers, first starrring in "The Man Who Played God." She really established herself as a major star when Warners loaned her to RKO for "Of Human Bondage," the first film version of Maugham's novel.

Critics responded with good notices for Davis, and there was talk of a write-in Oscar campaign for her. Though no offical nomination materialized, Davis soon wound up with better roles at Warners (and she got her nomination and Oscar the next year for "Dangerous").

The Stanford Theatre kicks off "The Complete Early Films of Bette Davis: 1931-1938" this weekend with "Of Human Bondage" and one of her most famous films, William Wyler's "Jezebel."

And if you can't get to Palo Alto, TCM is also celebrating with 24 hours of Bette on Saturday, May 4. First up at 3:00 am PT, Bette has to wash her hair in "The Cabin in the Cotton." Other highlights include the aforementioned "Jezebel" at 7:30PM, as well as an "Essentials" viewing of "All About Eve" with comments by Robert Osborne and co-host Rose McGowan.

You can also celebrate Bette with two new DVD sets: Warner Home Video's "Bette Davis Collection, Volume 3" (six films) and Fox's "Bette Davis Centenary Celebration Collection" (five films, with a new two-disk version of "All About Eve". Each contains commentaries, featurettes and other extras for your Bette Davis eyes only.

TCM Director of the Month William Wellman

2007-12-07T20:51:00.000-08:00

Turner Classic Movies' December schedule salutes prolific director William Wellman, whose career spanned over 80 films from the '20s to the late '50s. Wellman was equally at home with romance and screwball comedy as he was with adventure and western films. His contributions to the Pre-Code era are particularly memorable for their frank and at times raw material (which actually may have led to the crackdown on enforcement of the code). But he also dealt openly with social issues in many of his early talkies at Warner Brothers.

Wednesday 12/12 (all times eastern)

8:00pm Night Nurse - This racy feature (coming out on DVD in '08) stars Wellman favorite Barbara Stanwyck, Joan Blondell, and Clark Gable in a rare villainous role.

9:15pm The Purchase Price - Stanwyck and Wellman team again for a bad girl story involving mail-order brides!

10:30pm Safe in Hell- Gritty pre-code drama featuring nearly forgotten silent star Dorothy Mackaill.

12:00am Lilly Turner - Woman's picture featuring the great Ruth Chatterton as a single expectant mother working at a carnival.

1:15am Midnight Mary - Not a personal favorite, but there is no denying star Loretta Young's beauty in this MGM film from 1933.

2:30am Frisco Jenny - Wellman tries his hand at restaging the San Francisco earthquakei in this Chatterton vehicle from Warner Brothers.

3:45am Other Men's Women - Early Jimmy Cagney along with pre-code favorites Regis Toomey, Joan Blondell, and Mary Astor.

5:00am Love is a Racket - Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. as a New York reporter in this lesser known Wellman flick.

December 20

6:00am The Hatchet Man- Edward G. Robinson as an Chinese hit man (!) in a pre-code drama with drugs, violence, and adultery references that were shocking for the time.

Wellman's better known films are also being featured this month ("A Star in Born," "Nothing Sacred", "The High and the Mighty"), along with an expanded version of the 1970's documentary "The Men Who Made the Movies: William Wellman." Wellman's son William Wellman, Jr., will be joining Robert Osborne to introduce many of the films.

Shearer, Stanwyck and Chatterton Highlight Forbidden Hollywood Collection Volume 2

2007-11-05T14:23:00.000-08:00

DVD Times is reporting the March 4th release of TCM Archives: Forbidden Hollywood Volume 2. This time we have 5 precode classics along with an all-new documentary, "Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood." Here's the much-anticipated lineup of films:

Norma Shearer in "The Divorcee" and "A Free Soul" on Disc One.

Bette Davis, Ann Dvorak, and Joan Blondell make "Three on a Match" along with Ruth Chatterton's racy business exec in "Female" on Disc Two.

And Disc Three brings us Blondell with Barbara Stanwyck and a menacing Clark Gable in "Night Nurse" along with the original documentary on pre-code films!

Warner Home Video has upped the ante this time with some additional extras, including two commentaries and original trailers for some of the movies.

Artwork and pricing to follow.

Cinecon 43

2007-08-19T19:43:00.000-07:00

Classic film lovers will gather in Hollywood Labor Day weekend (August 30-September 3) for the annual Cinecon festival. The full schedule has just been announced, and it is chock full of rarely screened silents, pre-code features, and the ever popular selected shorts.

I am actually going to make the trip this year, and I am look forward to seeing these highlights:

The Gilded Lily - Fred MacMurray and Claudette Colbert's first screen pairing from 1935. This was Colbert's first comedy following her smash "It Happened One Night" for Columbia.

Hollywood Speaks - Dark Pre-Code drama about the sordid side of show business.

Interference - William Powell stars in Paramount's first all-talking picture.

Her Wild Oat - Restored version of this long thought lost Colleen Moore silent comedy from 1928.

Guests at the festival include John Saxon, Piper Laurie, and character actor Dick Miller.

Though I am excited about seeing these films at the famed Egyptian Theater, I also hope to do some sightseeing in LA. Going to try to schedule a Paramount Studio Tour for Friday, if possible.

Spinach Remastered: Popeye Classic Shorts on DVD

2007-07-22T10:49:00.000-07:00

Warner Brothers Home Video has a treat in store for fans of classic animation with the July 31st release of Popeye the Sailor: 1933-1938 Volume One. I got my copy early and it's clear much care has been put into this project. The remastered shorts have been cleaned up and restored to their uncut form. I have not finished watching the whole set, but I am really enjoying it. Popeye is not my favorite animated character, but the inventiveness and whimsy of these Fleischer Studios cartoons is eye-popping. There is so much going on in each frame that these cartoons beg to be watched over and over again. The set is popping with extras about the history of the character and early animation efforts, along with numerous commentaries and featurettes. This set includes two Technicolor Popeye double length shorts from the late '30s. There is talk that Warners will produce four Popeye DVD sets in all.

Now, if only someone do the same for Betty Boop!

Matinee at the Bijou: The Return

2007-07-21T12:33:00.001-07:00

I started to develop a love for old movies when I was a teenager in the 80s, watching them on our local PBS station on the weekends. I remember staying up late on Fridays to watch Fox Musicals with Sonja Henie and Betty Grable. I also remember faithfully watching a series on Saturday afternoons called "Matinee at the Bijou." The show would put together short subjects (Betty Boop cartoons, newsreels, and cliffhanger serials) along with a feature film from the golden age. The show really did a great job of recreating the moviegoing experience of the 1930s for those of us not around to enjoy it the first time.

I just discovered that they are producing a new series of the program to be hosted by Debbie Reynolds. Twelve new two-hour episodes will broadcast in HD on PBS later this year or early next year. Keep track of the progress of the return engagement at Bijou is Back.

Barbara Stanwyck at 100

2007-05-08T22:49:00.000-07:00

For many, Barbara Stanwyck epitomizes pre-code film: her portrayals of hard-edged, strong women who were not afraid to use their sexuality to get ahead in the world most definitely contributed to stricter enforcement of the Hays Code starting in 1934. The fact is, Stanwyck remained a unique presence in American film and television in a career spanning over 50 years. Though one could argue that she often played variations on the "tough cookie" role, her range was quite extraordinary - film noir ("Double Indemnity," "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers"), westerns ("Forty Guns," "The Big Valley"), comedy ("The Lady Eve," "Ball of Fire"), tearjerkers ("Stella Dallas"), thrillers ("Sorry, Wrong Number"),and drama ("Meet John Doe").

Many repertory film theatres are running Stanwyck tributes this year in honor of the 100th anniversary of her birth (July 16th, 1907). Besides the just-wrapped tribute at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, a lengthy series is running at the UCLA Film and Television Archive through June 16th. If you are not familiar with her trademark raw emotion and take-no-prisoners demeanor, get to know Barbara by checking her out on the big screen or on DVD, where she is fairly well represented.

The New Yorker's Anthony Lane does a nice job of summing up Stanwyck's allure in this recent "A Critic at Large" piece.

More "Forbidden Hollywood" DVD Sets Coming!

2007-02-28T17:00:00.000-08:00

In a chat held the other night at the Home Theater Forum, Warner Home Video executives confirmed we can expect to see more Forbidden Hollywood DVD sets featuring the best Pre-Code films. Direct from the chat transcript:

[WayneH] I'm wondering if there will be more FORBIDDEN HOLLYWOOD sets and what flicks might make it in future volumes? Many folks were also saddened by the lack of extras in the first. Great movies, though!

[WARNER] Yes. FORBIDDEN HOLLYWOOD #1 was a huge success. We were disappointed that we couldn't add extras either. We had planned to include a documentary that turned out to have clearance issues which prevented its inclusion. As you are aware, we always try to release discs that are full with great extras, so we were bummed. We hope to make it up to you with this year's release, which we plan to have include SIX features, plus a brand-new pre-code documentary that we at WHV are producing right now as we speak. We hope to have two FH releases per year starting in 2008

Great news, and it also addresses the concern over the lack of features on what seemed to be a hurried Volume 1 release. It seems we will get at least one Norma Shearer title in this year's six feature set. Can't wait to find out what the lineup will be.

Pre-Code Musicals

2007-02-11T22:40:00.000-08:00

Two repertory houses on different coasts are spotlighting pre-code musicals on their schedules this winter and spring. First, the Stanford Theatre in Palo Alto will be showing early "all singing, all dancing" films every weekend from February to April. Pre-code movies include:

Monte Carlo (2/24, 2/25) - This early Ernst Lubitsch talkie from 1930 stars Jeanette McDonald.

One Hour With You (3/24, 3/25) - More Lubitsch magic, co-directed by George Cukor.

Footlight Parade (4/7, 4/8) - Busby Berkeley's kaleidoscopic chorepgraphy dazzles in this 1933 musical.

The eclectic winter schedule also features some rare film noir as well as Val Lewton classics.

3000 miles away, Film Forum continues to bring unsung and forgotten classic films to new audiences, this time with an eclectic series of B Musicals. Though most films on the schedule are from the late '30s through the '40s, there are a few nights featuring rarely-screened pre-code musicals.

Sitting Pretty (4/1) - A pre-Fred Astaire Ginger Rogers is pared with Jack Haley in this Paramount production from 1933. Also stars Thelma Todd and Jack Oakie.

Torch Singer (4/1) - Another Paramount gem starring a sultry Claudette Colbert as a New York City nightclub chanteuse. "The worst woman in New York...sang the best love songs!"

Melody Cruise (4/4)- Where else could you see a pre-code "ice ballet?"

Moonlight and Pretzels (4/4) - William Frawley (Fred Mertz) is in this intriguingly titled Universal low-budget musical.

Hips, Hips, Hooray! (4/10) - Wheeler and Woolsey's corny jokes alternate with catchy tunes and scenes of scantily-clad models in this sexy Pre-Code musical.

College Rhythm (4/11) - "Wanna buy a duck?" comic Joe Penner stars in this college musical released at the end of the Pre-Code era.

Song of Love (4/15) - Once thought lost, this 1929 musical features Eve Arden in her film debut.

Also on 4/15, a program of restored Vitaphone shorts from 1926-1930 featuring Broadway and vaudeville stars of the era.

Check out the rest of the schedule for more movie musicals. Though they may not have the budget or name recognition of "Dreamgirls," many of them are sure to get your toes a tapping.

RKO Lost and Found at Film Forum

2007-01-13T23:00:00.000-08:00

New York's Film Forum is once again offering some pre-code rarities in its late winter schedule. The six long-thought lost RKO films recently unearthed by Turner Classic Movies (mentioned in this previous post) will be shown off in their newly restored 35mm splendour. Four of the six films were originally released from 1930-1934. The movies will be screened in three double bills from February 23 through March 1. TCM will be premiering these films later in 2007.

Previewing the "Forbidden Hollywood" Collection

2006-11-26T22:31:00.000-08:00

LA Times writer Susan King offers a nice summary and sneak preview of the forthcoming TCM Archives "Forbidden Hollywood Collection, Vol. 1." King explains how desperate studio executives got around the lax content guidelines in place in the early thirties.

All three films in the set (the newly restored "Baby Face," James Whale's "Waterloo Bridge" (pictured above), and "Red Headed Woman") will air on TCM on December 4th, the evening before the official release of the DVD set. As a bonus, TCM will also air three other Pre-Code gems, including Stanwyck's "Night Nurse," "Union Depot" which pairs Joan Blondell with the dashing Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and the seedy sounding "Under 18" with our favorite cad of the era, Warren William.

The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932)

2006-11-25T22:15:00.000-08:00

Recently screened this frequently censored MGM early horror film starring Myrna Loy at her vampiest in one of her last "bad girl" roles. Though the film is quite dated with its racially insensitive dialogue and stereotypes, it is nicely filmed and fun to see MGM give the picture what had to be considered big-budget treatment for its time.

Boris Karloff (buried under makeup) is sufficiently sinister, hissing most of his lines. Karen Morley attempts hysteria as the hero's girlfriend who is often in peril, though she comes off quite flat here. I remember Karen was honored at the 1999 San Francisco International Film Festival, but she was unable to attend. Wished I could have seen her - her career was effectively ended by the Red Scare in the late 40s and early 50s. Morley died in 2003.

The film is part of the superb Warner "Hollywood Legends of Horror Collection" featuring six classic screamfests, most with entertaining commentaries and trailers. The DVD features a fully restored uncut version of the film. And if you are squeamish - never fear, this is no "Saw III."

TCM Digs Up Six Lost RKO Features

2006-10-28T23:58:00.000-07:00

Turner Classic Movies, continuing to set the standard for cinephiles, recently announced it is restoring six early RKO pictures previously thought to be lost. The films will premiere on TCM in 2007.

Among the titles are some pre-code movies with quite a pedigree:

1933's "Double Harness," directed by John Cromwell, who would shortly after battle the censors and Production Code Administration chief Joseph Breen with his films "Ann Vickers" and "Of Human Bondage." This comedy stars Ann Harding and William Powell.

"One Man's Journey" (1933) - Drama featuring Lionel Barrymore and real-life couple Joel McCrea and Frances Dee.

"Rafter Romance" (1933) - William Seiter directs this comedy starring Ginger Rogers (before she was paired with Fred Astaire).

and William Wellman's "Stingaree," Irene Dunne's first musical at RKO (check out the rave at imdb from someone who screened this at Cinefest in 2001.

For more information on all the films and the restoration efforts, check out this press release.

The Premiere Frank Capra Collection

2006-09-25T16:59:00.000-07:00

Sony finally gives celebrated director Frank Capra his due with "The Premiere Frank Capra Collection," a six-disc box set featuring five of his classic films. Of interest to pre-code fans is the inclusion of "American Madness," an early collaboration with writer Robert Riskin about a run on a bank in the Depression era. Of course, his most famous pre-code, 1934's "It Happened One Night," is also represented, as well as "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town," "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," and "You Can't Take It With You." Each film includes a commentary as well as a brief featurette from his son, Frank Capra, Jr.

And if that wasn't enough to make your life wonderful, the set includes a 96-page scrapbook and a bonus disc with interviews with Frank Capra Jr., Frank Capra documentarian Ken Bowser, and Capra archive curator Jeanine Bassinger, as well as archival footage and the 1997 documentary "Frank Capra’s American Dream."

The Capra collection hits the shelves December 5th, with a suggested retail of $59.95.

Fox Before the Code at New York's Film Forum

2006-09-25T12:09:00.000-07:00

Pre-code movie fans in New York City have some early Christmas presents in store with Film Forum's three-week "Fox Before the Code" series, running from December 1st through the 21st. Many of the titles in the series are rarely screened - sadly, Fox Movie Channel (unlike Time Warner's Turner Classic Movies) generally shies away from pre-1940 fare. Though many of Fox's silents and early talkies are lost, it is nice to see such a treasure trove offered.

On the bill:

Several early Spencer Tracy films, including the delightful "Me and My Gal" with a saucy pre-"Dark Shadows" Joan Bennett, paired with Jean Harlow in "Goldie," and "Quick Millions," a 1931 gangster flick with George Raft.

"Advice to the Lovelorn," a 1933 comedy with pre-code favorite Lee Tracy.

"Blood Money," with an outrageous, censor-provoking turn from Frances Dee.

and for the titles alone: "3 on a Honeymoon," "Girls Demand Excitement," "Coming Out Party," and "She Learned About Sailors."

Who could resist? Many of the films will have new 35mm prints. Hopefully, some of these films will make their way out west after their runs at the Film Forum.

TCM Archives: Forbidden Hollywood Collection Volume 1 in December

2006-08-21T20:59:00.000-07:00

Warner Home Video has officially announced its first collection of Pre-Code films, a 2-disc set featuring the original theatrical and uncensored versions of "Baby Face," Jean Harlow's "Red Headed Woman" and the rarely-seen 1931 release "Waterloo Bridge," directed by James Whale.

No art work has been released yet, but the MSRP is $39.98, and this long-awaited set will hit the street on December 5th. Not much in the way of extras, though Robert Osborne shows up for some intros. The full press release is at DVD Times.

Though I will be one of the first in line for this set, I am a little surprised at the list price for a three-film set, considering how many of Warner's sets offer such great value. They obviously believe interest will be limited. Hopefully, future volumes will offer more titles and better extras at a competitive price.

"Paradise" by the Off-Broadway Lights

2006-06-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

A stage version of one of the best Pre-Code films has extended its Off-Broadway run in New York through July 22nd. This well-received musical adaptation of the Ernst Lubitsch film "Trouble in Paradise" is playing at the Hudson Guild Theater on West 26th St. See Gaston and Lily try to con Madame Colet LIVE while you have the chance! Unfortunately, Kay Francis and Miriam Hopkins will not be reprising their film roles.

13th Festival of Preservation in Los Angeles

2006-06-18T21:07:00.000-07:00

The UCLA Film and Television Archive shows off some of its recent restoration handiwork with the 13th Festival of Preservation at the James Bridges Theater from July 20th-August 19th. The festival runs the gamut from well-known titles to forgotten films, silent movies to TV episodes.

The month-long program schedule includes a few pre-code features and shorts:

Vitaphone Varieties (July 27th, 7:30pm): Early sound shorts from 1927-1930 feature music and vaudeville acts from the era.

The Barker (7/27): This 1928 early talkie starring Dorothy Mackaill, Milton Sills, and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. was a silent film that had Vitaphone sound sequences added into finished product for its official premiere.

Dynamite (July 30th, 7pm): Cecil B. DeMille's first sound feature.

Many silent rarities are also being presented with live accompaniment.

Two films based on Thorne Smith's comedic fantasy novels also get dusted off during the festival. The better known of these is the original "Topper," Hal Roach Studio's whimsical screwball comedy featuring Cary Grant and Constance Bennett as the two of the wittiest and most stylish ghosts you'd ever meet. But the real buried treasure is "Turnabout." This 1940 comedy, was directed by Roach and stars the lovely Carole Landis and a very funny turn by John Hubbard. This gender-bending comedy holds up well thanks to a great supporting cast (Franklin Pangborn, Marjorie Main, Mary Astor, and Donald Meek). I got a sneak preview of "Turnabout" at the San Francisco International Film Festival in April, and I can tell you the 35mm print looks wonderful.

Joan Is Busting Out All Over

2006-06-13T21:01:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have been remiss about posting to my blog. I could make up an excuse that I didn't have a lot of pre-code news to report or movies to review, but that is not necessarily the case (I have a backlog of TCM movies on my TiVo and a Busby Berkeley box set to get to). So as long as you accept my apologies, I will move on!

Joan Crawford is (perhaps unfairly) remembered more for her alleged failings as a mother (see this month's "Mommie Dearest: Hollywood Royalty Edition") or her camp classics (see the new 2-Disc Special Edition of "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?"). While both films are entertaining to say the least, I think Joan would rather we remember her when she was young and beautiful and one of MGM's biggest stars. We get a glimpse of that Joan in the pre-code musical "Dancing Lady" (available on DVD 6/20 both individually and as part of the new "Clark Gable: The Signature Collection" box set). Though I have not yet seen the film, I love seeing early Clark Gable films since the studio didn't quite know what to do with its rising star, casting him in "heavy" roles instead of suave leading man. Here, he gets to show a comedic side in this backstage musical featuring Crawford's future husband Franchot Tone as his romantic rival. This film features an amazing supporting cast: Fred Astaire (in his first sound feature), May Robson, writer Robert Benchley, Eve Arden (in a bit part), and even The Three Stooges! If that lineup is not incentive to seek out this film, I don't know what is!

And speaking of Joan, I bet she would also be quite proud of her Oscar-winning performance in "Mildred Pierce." This noir classic will be shown at a very special screening on July 21st at The Castro Theatre in San Francisco. Hold on to your pie plates, because this benefit screening will feature a live appearance by Ann Blyth (who played Veda, Mildred's ingrate daughter, to perfection)! Noir czar Eddie Muller will interview Miss Blyth prior to the screening in what promises to be a fascinating evening. Tickets are available by calling 415-863-0611 or at ticketweb.com. Hope to see you there!

Stanwyck Before the Code

2006-04-06T22:52:00.000-07:00

Much has been written about the classic Barbara Stanwyck film "Baby Face" since the newly restored version complete with previously censored footage has been making the rounds of the repertory theaters. Just as entertaining are two other Warner Brothers films featuring a young Stanwyck: "Night Nurse" with Clark Gable as a heavy and Joan Blondell as Stanwyck's roommate, and the women in prison flick "Ladies They Talk About."

All three pre-code dramas play over the next week at the Brattle Theater in Harvard Square, one of my favorite places to see classic films. Don't miss them if you are in the Boston area. Each movie contains the hallmarks and joys of the best of the pre-code films. This review from the Boston Phoenix sums up the appeal and raw emotion of Stanwyck who seemingly is restrained from jumping off the screen at times. Stanwyck had a long career, with success on the small screen as well. But her early work shows what made her such a hit with audiences - there was no one quite like her.

2006 San Francisco Silent Film Festival Preview

2006-03-21T21:26:00.000-08:00

"True art transcends time." That's the slogan of the popular San Francisco Silent Film Festival, held annually in July at the Castro Theatre. Though these films predate pre-code, it is always a treat to see them the way they were meant to be seen - in a grand movie house with live music. It is amazing to me that many of these films evoke more true emotion and feeling without saying a word than many of today's cookie-cutter movies. Last year's "The Sideshow" was just such a film, a B-picture in its day, but still powerful, funny, and poignant.

Four of the films on this year's program have been announced:

Frank Borzage's Oscar winner "Seventh Heaven," with Best Actress Janet Gaynor.

Tod Browning directs Lon Chaney in "The Unholy Three," another sideshow tale!

A brand new 35mm print of "Sparrows," with silent film queen Mary Pickford.

"Show People," a satire of Hollywood starring Marion Davies and gay film star William Haines and lots of cameos from other big names of the era.

Five more features will be announced later this spring. The 11th annual festival runs the weekend of July 14th-16th.

The Great Lover

2006-03-19T16:43:00.000-08:00

Silent film star John Gilbert was bigger than Valentino at the height of his fame in the '20s. He made four films opposite Greta Garbo, including their first hit "Flesh and the Devil." But the dawn of sound seemed to spell the end of his career. Though legend has it that audiences laughed when they heard his milquetoast voice in the talkies, most agree that arguments with MGM studio head L.B. Mayer helped seal his fate. Though he made a comeback of sorts in 1932's "Downstairs," based on a short story Gilbert wrote, the studio sent him lousy scripts as he was out of favor with Mayer. Sadly, he hit the bottle and died of a massive heart attack in 1936.

Judge for yourself whether Gilbert's voice is cause for amusement in two pre-code films featured on TCM early tomorrow morning (all times Pacific) :

Monday, March 20
4:45 AM
The Phantom of Paris (1931)

A magician is charged with killing his fiancee's father.

6:00 AM
Fast Workers (1933)

Tod Browning ("Freaks") directs Gilbert in his last film under contract with MGM. Also stars Mae Clarke and Robert Armstrong ("King Kong").

She Took the Yellow Ones...

2006-03-13T23:14:00.000-08:00

We interrupt this blog to bring you news of a long-awaited DVD releases of two classic films (though they are not classic in a pre-code sense). Yes, the camp classics "Valley of the Dolls" and "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" are finally coming to DVD. Amazon has both films up for pre-order, with a release date of June 13th. It appears they both will be special editions - so we can hope each will be packed with extras (Judy Garland's work on VotD before she was canned from the production, anyone?). Perhaps Patty Duke has been persuaded to participate. She used to disown the film, but in recent years has had a sense of humor about it. I will never forget seeing the wonderful Barbara Parkins in person at the Castro about 7 years ago in a Q&A session before a screening. She said Susan Hayward was "hyper," but had nothing but good things to say about the late Sharon Tate.

As Helen Lawson might say, "Get outta my way - I got a DVD waitin' for me!"

WB Home Video HTF Chat

2006-02-26T19:34:00.000-08:00

The folks at the Home Theater Forum recently hosted a chat with Warner Home Video executives regarding upcoming DVD film releases in 2006 and beyond. Many exciting plans were discussed, there was not much news on pre-code titles. This is perhaps explained by the fact that very few of the chat attendees asked specifically about films from that period. What we do know:

* There is the potential for some early Norma Shearer pre-codes to be released, along with a few of her silent films.

* The original camera negative for the 1932 horror film "The Mask of Fu Manchu" has been found and the DVD release (most likely late in 2006) will be the uncensored version.

* The earliest surviving Charlie Chan film, "The Black Camel" (1931), will be released as part of a Chan box set containing the Monogram Films entries in the series.

* June 2006 brings us a Clark Gable Signature Collection, featuring his second film with Joan Crawford, 1933's "Dancing Lady." There will also be more box sets in 2006-2007 devoted to such pre-code stars as Crawford, Jean Harlow, and James Cagney.

* The Lon Chaney Collection, Volume II is on the way, featuring his only talkie, the 1930 version of "The Unholy Three," restored from the original camera negative.

Of course, this does not represent the studio's entire output for 2006-2007, and as always, plans could change.

TCM Archives: Forbidden Hollywood

2006-02-01T16:52:00.001-08:00

Though there has been no official announcement, The Digital Bits is reporting news about Warner Home Video's plans to finally start releasing some of its pre-code films on DVD. For months, we have known that the newly restored, unedited "Baby Face" would be sold on DVD once it made its way through the theaters. At one point, it appeared there would be a big box set coming our way in 2006.

Now comes word that Warners will releasing a series of Pre-Code sets under its TCM Archives label. The "Forbidden Hollywood Collection" series will start with a bang with Volume 1 set to feature the aforementioned "Baby Face," along with Jean Harlow in "Red-Headed Woman" and the long unseen "Waterloo Bridge," directed by James Whale. This first collection will also include a new feature-length documentary. No release date has been announced, but it would most likely be in May at the earliest, since Warner Home Video's press releases are just now trumpeting May product.

The previous TCM Archives releases have mostly focused on silent film, but they have received high marks from reviewers. Time Warner owns the rights to some of the most well-known Pre-Code films, so even if they came out with new Forbidden Hollywood volumes every quarter, they would not run out of material for some time. They released at least 20 titles on VHS in the early 90s.

Though this is great news, I am a little disappointed we aren't getting a big box set this year with 10 titles over five discs, etc. But if sales are good for this first volume, surely Warner's will release many more.

Naughty Gems

2006-01-15T20:47:00.000-08:00

Pre-code film series continue to pop up on rep schedules around the country. This January and February, Pittsburgh Filmmakers is showing a Sunday night series featuring some of the better-known films of the period, including "Tarzan and His Mate" and "Blonde Venus" (soon to be released on DVD).

And in February in San Francisco, the Mechanics' Institute CinemaLit film series will shine the spotlight on Pre-Code Hollywood on Friday nights. Curator Michael Fox presents "Baby Face" (Feb. 3rd), "Design for Living" (Feb. 10th), "Downstairs" (February 17th, with former Roxie programmer Elliot Lavine as special guest) and "I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang" (Feb. 24th).

Speaking of the Roxie (or should I say, the Roxie Film Center), SF Weekly had a good piece about the changes taking place at the theater in order to the cinema from closing its doors forever.

Glamour Girls Gussy Up for DVD Collections

2006-01-12T23:04:00.000-08:00

Good news on the DVD release front: NBC/Universal is finally starting to open their vaults to release some of their classic library of Paramount and Universal films. DVD Times announced the April 4th releases of three two-disc "Glamour Collections" devoted to three of Paramount's biggest female stars: Mae West, Marlene Dietrich, and Carole Lombard.

Here are the lineups:

Mae West:
- Mae's first film, "Night After Night"
- her pre-code classic "I'm No Angel," arguably her best movie.
- "Goin' to Town"
- "Go West Young Man" with Cary Grant's roommate Randolph Scott
- and Universal's "My Little Chickadee" with W.C. Fields (which also appears on the "W.C. Fields Comedy Collection").

Marlene Dietrich:
- 1930's "Morocco," her first American film which paired her with a very young Gary Cooper.
- Another Josef von Sternberg pre-code collaboration, "Blonde Venus."
- "The Devil Is a Woman," with pre-code favorites Alison Skipworth and Edward Everett Horton.
- Universal's "The Flame of New Orleans," a period comedy-drama in which director Rene Clair sends up Dietrich's scandalous persona.
- and Mitchell Leisen's WWII romance "Golden Earrings."

Perhaps most exciting to me is the Carole Lombard set, since many of these titles are rarely seen anymore:

- 1931's "Man of the World" - Carole would end up marrying her co-star William Powell.
- Pre-code musical "We're Not Dressing," with Bing Crosby and Ethel Merman.
- Three screwball comedies opposite Fred MacMurray, "True Confession," "The Princess Comes Across" and Mitchell Leisen's "Hands Across the Table."
- The 1936 Universal release "Love Before Breakfast"

The only extras are a few original trailers, but it's nice to see Universal give these ladies their due on DVD. MSRP for each set is $26.98, a bargain for five (or in the case of Carole, six) films. Let's hope this means Universal will open the floodgates this year and follow with more classics.

Happy New Year!

2005-12-31T20:27:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note before raising a glass of champagne to 2006: Ben Ohmart of Bear Manor Media emailed me with the news that Scott O'Brien's "Kay Francis: I Can't Wait to Be Forgotten" ships today! Looking forward to reading that along with my copy of Mick LaSalle's "Complicated Women" I received for Christmas.

Also, in case you missed it earlier in 2005, the Balboa will be running the newly restored "Baby Face" along with another Barbara Stanwyck pre-code classic, "Night Nurse" in early February. Kudos to the Balboa for putting together some wonderful schedules sure to please film buffs in the Bay Area.

Young Loretta Young

2005-12-29T23:10:00.000-08:00

TCM is offering quite a few pre-code treats in January, including a bevy of Loretta Young's early films on the anniversary of her birth on Friday, January 6th.

(all times Pacific)

3:00 AM Road To Paradise (1930) Loretta plays a dual role in this early talkie thriller.

4:15 AM Big Business Girl (1931) How far can Loretta and Joan Blondell go in business - on brains alone?

5:30 AM The Right of Way (1931)
A married lawyer with amnesia falls in love with another woman.

6:45 AM Life Begins (1932)
First National/Warner's favorites Aline McMahon and Glenda Farrell add some witty retorts to this drama set in a maternity ward.

8:00 AM Play-Girl (1932)
Early Vitaphone singing sensation Winnie Lightner shares the bill with Loretta in this romantic drama.

9:15 AM Weekend Marriage (1932)
When her husband loses his job, a woman risks her marriage to become the breadwinner.

10:30 AM The Life of Jimmy Dolan (1933) One of TCM's January Cult Movie Picks - with Aline McMahon and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.

TCM is also showing Young's famous "The Bishop's Wife," while Fox Movie Channel is showing some more Young pre-codes in January: 1933's "The Devil's in Love" and "Born to Be Bad" (1934) with Cary Grant and The Aldrich Family's Jackie Kelk.

Merry Christmas!

2005-12-24T11:30:00.000-08:00

It's a White Christmas here in Maine at the parents' house. Not much news on the classic movie front lately, but Amazon has posted the Busby Berkeley box set for preorder. Also, a reminder for those in San Francisco that the Castro Theatre will be showing many Busby films during the holiday week, so enjoy the season!

Happy Holidays and happy movie viewing!

"The Busby Berkeley Collection" DVD Box Set Due in March

2005-12-08T23:22:00.000-08:00

As expected, Warner Home Video has officially announced a six-disc "Busby Berkeley Collection" box set dancing your way on 3/21/06. Joining "42nd Street" on DVD and exclusive to the set are the classics "Gold Diggers of 1933," "Footlight Parade," "Dames," and "Gold Diggers of 1935." Each disc is chock full of extras, including new featurettes showcasing the behind the scenes stories of the films themselves, in addition to trailers, radio promos, and vintage cartoons and featurettes from the Warner Brothers library. And the sixth disc? It contains a compilation of 20 Busby Berkeley musical numbers and rarities (nearly three hours of his signature showstoppers), including "The Lady in Red" from 1935's "In Caliente," and the finale from "Gold Diggers of 1937." MSRP is $59.95, but most stores will discount to around $40-$45. Don't miss these restored and remastered dancin' feet!

Busby Berkeley for the Holidays

2005-11-25T23:56:00.000-08:00

Some holiday treats are coming soon to The Castro: Busby Berkeley's greatest all-singing, all-dancing extravaganzas. From Dec 26 through the 30th, we'll see his eye-popping choreography in a series of films from Warner Brothers, MGM, United Artists, and Fox.

Schedule highlights include:

The classic backstage musical "42nd Street"

His celebrated pre-code "Gold Diggers" films.

And perhaps the most exciting feature, the rarely seen 20th Century Fox three-strip Technicolor production "The Gang's All Here." Carmen Miranda's "Tutti Frutti Hat" number is a camp classic.

Though Berkeley's larger-than-life production numbers demand to be seen on the big screen, Warner Home Video will be coming out with a Busby DVD box set sometime in 2006. And it also appears Fox will be issuing "The Gang's All Here" on DVD in the near future as they start to mine their library of musicals.

In the meantime, don't forget to buy tickets for another all-singing, all dancing spectacular at the Castro: the SFGMC Home for the Holidays concerts on December 15th and the 24th!

The Notorious Gertrude Michael

2005-11-15T21:43:00.000-08:00

One of the lesser known stars of the pre-code era has been featured in six of the films in the Balboa's Paramount series - and once you see Gertrude Michael, you immediately want to know more about her.

I first saw Gertrude Michael in "Search for Beauty" which plays the Balboa November 16th. Her sharp tongue, comic flair and somewhat manic energy make her a standout in the film. I soon discovered she had a long and varied career spanning the stage and screen, even scoring several lead roles while at Paramount in the 1930s. She appeared most often as a hard-edged woman who was not to be tangled with (see "Murder at the Vanities.") Perhaps her best starring role was the title character in "The Notorious Sophie Lang." She plays a glamorous master jewel thief trying to one up a male rival from across the pond. Good pacing, clever dialog, and a touch of risque humor made this comedy a big enough hit to spawn two sequels. "Sophie Lang" was the mystery feature mentioned in my last post, and I have a feeling Gertrude gained a few more fans after the screening. Though bouts with the bottle may have hurt her career, she continued to work into the '60s. A manuscript for a Michael bio exists, so let's hope that it will be published someday to shed some further light on this versatile performer.

Michael also appears in DeMille's "Cleopatra," playing this Saturday at the Balboa and turning up from time to time on TCM.

Billion Dollar Scandal (1933)

2005-11-08T19:14:00.000-08:00

I finally got my first look at the Balboa's Sin in Soft Focus series featuring Paramount pre-codes last Monday night. The rainy and foggy weather seemed fitting for the evening's mystery and crime thriller theme.

First up was a very rare 16mm print of 1933's Billion Dollar Scandal. The plot meandered a bit, but it revolved around a lovable ex-con named Fingers Partos (King Kong's Robert Armstrong), who tries to make good by working for an oil baron (Frank Morgan in a sinister role). Said oil baron is up to no good, working with his bigwig government pals in a scheme to take control of America's oil reserves. Partos decides to take on the corruption by testifying his against his boss in Senate hearings. One can't help comparing the drama on screen to the today's reality as Partos says, "What this country needs right now is a few good squealers!" The plot takes quite a few twists and turns, but everything is tied together in the final minutes, though, refreshingly, the ending is not necessarily storybook. Great acting leavens the story, with Sydney Toler (later famous as Charlie Chan), a young Frank Albertson ("Chico and the Man"), and Russian actress Olga Baclanova ("Freaks"). Baclanova authority and local film collector Paul Meienberg did the introductory honors for all three films on Monday. The female lead, lovely Constance Cummings, is one of the few remaining living female stars of the era.

The next film on the marquis was "Guilty as Hell," a macabre 1932 murder mystery with a sense of humor. The audience sees who commits the dastardly deed in the opening moments, but we don't know if he will get away with it. There is some very entertaining banter between the police detective (Victor McLaglen) and the newspaper reporter (Edmund Lowe) at the crime scene. The wonderful Elizabeth Patterson (known to many as Mrs. Trumbull from "I Love Lucy") plays a dotty employee of the murderous Doctor Tindal. There is some inventive camera work from Oscar-winning cinematographer Karl Struss in this surprisingly engrossing crime drama. Problem is, the 16mm print the Balboa obtained was riddled with problems, and after several stops and starts, the theater decided that the remaining 20 minutes of the film could not be shown (just as the mystery was being solved!). Balboa management handled it nicely, though, and offered to schedule a special screening of the film for Monday ticketholders if a better print could be found in the future.

Most of the remaining films in the series are 35mm prints and in better shape than "Guilty as Hell." This series is getting some great press (listen to Mick LaSalle's podcast) and it's worth a trip (or two) to the Balboa. If the attendance is good, maybe they will be persuaded to make it an annual event (like the extremely popular Noir City fest).

More tomorrow on the "special mystery bonus feature" screened Monday night.

TCM Schedule, November 1-12

2005-10-30T20:24:00.000-08:00

There's always something to watch on Turner Classic Movies, but here are some pre-code highlights coming your way in the first part of November:

THIRTEEN WOMEN (1932), Sunday, 11/6, 2:00 am - Irene Dunne, Ricardo Cortez, and a pre-Nora Myrna Loy. Atmospheric RKO horror film.

BACK PAY (1930), Saturday, 11/12, 2:00 am - Grant Withers, Corrine Griffith. Directed by the reliable William Seiter, this early talkie melodrama is based on a novel by Fannie Hurst (Imitation of Life, Back Street).

All times Pacific.

Ann Carver's Profession (1933)

2005-10-29T18:51:00.000-07:00

As we look forward to another bevy of rare pre-codes at the Balboa, I wanted to add a belated note on "Ann Carver's Profession," a Fay Wray vehicle that played the Castro a couple weeks ago. This Columbia picture about a law school grad (Wray) who marries her college football star boyfriend (Gene Raymond). Ambitious Ann can't stay away from the law, however, and soon gets drafted into taking a high-profile case. When Ann's jaw-dropping courtroom stunt earns a victory in the courtroom, she becomes the toast of the town and a media sensation. Meanwhile, Ann's husband, reluctantly relinquishing breadwinner status to his wife, is forced to bear the shame of appearing as a second rate crooner in a local nightclub. Apparently, this is almost as embarrassing as it was for Mildred Pierce to be (GASP) ... a waitress! When he becomes mixed up in the death of his co-star on the nightclub marquis (a boozy and over-the-top Claire Dodd) , it's up to Ann to save the day by defending her estranged husband.

The film is typical of the genre in spotlighting a career girl rising to the top of a male-dominated profession. But it wants to play it both ways - Ann seems to be punished for her success in that her marriage crumbles as soon as she hits it big. The finale has Ann promising the jury she will give up her career should she succeed in clearing her husband's name. So much for girl power.

Raymond perfected playing the weak, ineffectual male throughout his early films (check out "Red Dust"). Wray is pleasant, if not particularly forceful, in the title role. Check out Wray in her most famous pre-code film, "King Kong," coming soon in an eagerly awaited Warner Home Video special edition DVD loaded with extras.

The Virtues of "Virtue"

2005-10-15T18:54:00.000-07:00

Film buffs convened on the Castro Friday night as the Columbia Before the Code series continues. On the double bill: the 1932 comedy/drama "Virtue" and an unusual Depression drama from director Frank Borzage, "Man's Castle."

"Virtue," though typical of the era, sparkles with snappy dialogue from frequent Frank Capra collaborator Robert Riskin. It helps that the film stars two fast-talking actors, Pat O'Brien and the wonderful Carole Lombard, who make the most of his script. Lombard plays Mae, a tough prostitute who the cops try to run out of town. She ignores orders to leave New York City, and while she lies low, she meets another tough but lovable sort, cab driver Jimmy (O'Brien). They fall in love and marry with a promise that her past is behind her. Money troubles and a murder threaten to break up the union half past "just married." Lombard is perfect, adding some trademark vulnerability to her "just one of the guys" act. O'Brien has never been a favorite of mine, but his bluster also fits well in this role. Mayo Methot (third wife of Bogie) is a standout as Mae's heart of gold pal with bad taste in men.

Frank Borzage is not particularly well-known as a director among the general public, but he directed some of the most interesting, socially relevant films of the Depression era. His romantic drama "Man's Castle" is an unusual film in that it deals frankly with issues of class and poverty that were plaguing the country at the time the film was made. Loretta Young (playing the most beautiful homeless person you've ever seen) meets equally down and out Spencer Tracy. He invites her to live with him in a shantytown overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge. The set for this sea of shacks (including a stylized skyline in the background) gives us one of the most interesting shots of the movie. It's charming yet ugly at the same time. Borzage wants us to see the dignity and beauty in the homeless people's lives, but he's not afraid to show us the warts as well. It's hard to like or understand Spencer Tracy's character when he cheats on the devoted Loretta Young, and seems to be threatening violence against her for most of the movie. Young becomes pregnant, and Tracy begrudgingly decides to marry her. But he considers robbing a toy factory to leave her some money before he rides the rails to leave her to single motherhood. After the code, nearly everyone in the film would have to be "punished" for their misdeeds and flaws. Though the film seems disjointed in that it is trying to be too many things at once, it offers a far more realistic picture of the time than the escapist fare about well-to-do people that was drawing audiences in the early 30s.

"The Cocktail Hour" and "Child of Manhattan"

2005-10-12T23:30:00.000-07:00

The Castro's "Columbia Before the Code" series got off to a great start last night with a couple of vintage romantic dramas with two very different female stars. "The Cocktail Hour" featured Bebe Daniels as a working girl artist "making $60,000 a year" and enjoying her independence. Her boss, played rather unconvincingly by Cary Grant's then-roommate Randolph Scott, has other ideas - namely that she should get married to him and ditch the career. Bebe goes on a transatlantic cruise to escape his chauvanistic ideas and promptly meets the suave but oily Sydney Blackmer. That's about as forward thinking as this film gets - Bebe's character is seemingly punished as it turns out her new man (Blackmer) is a married cad who ditches her before disembarking. The movie starts out with some clever dialogue and a nicely handled deck chair flirtation scene, but it gets increasingly heavy-handed with its message. Bebe Daniels has an easy charm and confidence, which makes it all the more distressing to see her lose her backbone and beg Randolph Scott for forgiveness at the end. Kudos to the Castro for getting a great print of the film.

"Child of Manhattan" was actually the more shocking of the two. Nancy Carroll plays the part of a naive and fun-loving dance hall girl Madeleine McGonegal. John Boles plays debonaire millionaire Paul Vanderkill, who is leasing part of his estate to the dance hall. The two fall in love after he pays a visit to his tenant. Madeleine and Paul realize they are from two completely different social circles, but they plan to marry. Madeleine then learns she is pregnant, and she is worried that it will appear she trapped Paul into marriage for his money. Abortion is hinted at, but Paul won't hear of it and arranges to get married right away. Shortly after, Madeleine goes into labor, but the baby dies shortly after birth. Distraught, Madeleine tries to spare Paul from any social embarassment by rushing to Mexico for a quickie divorce. Further complications ensue, but as with most pre-code pix, there is a neat happy ending.

The script is not particularly sharp-witted, even though it is based on an early Preston Sturges play. But the cast and performances make this a standout. I must confess I had never seen a Nancy Carroll film before. Not only is she luminously beautiful, but she shows an astonishing range. The hospital scene in which she finds out about the death of her child is heartbreaking. She has a nice chemistry with both Boles and his rival for her affections, Western star Buck Jones. Nice to see Nat Pendleton and Betty Grable in small roles.

Looking forward to seeing more of these rarities on Friday...

Counting Down to the Columbia Series

2005-10-09T01:19:00.000-07:00

While we eagerly await the start of the Castro's pre-code series this Wednesday, the Chronicle's pink pages preview the coming attractions. Nice to see these rare films getting some early press.

Sin in Soft Focus at the Balboa

2005-10-04T12:51:00.000-07:00

The Balboa's new schedule for the remainder of 2005 is out, and it does not disappoint. "Sin in Soft Focus" brings us 43 pre-code films from one of the most daring studios of the day, Paramount Pictures. Pre-code scholar Mark A. Viera helped put together the program, which is presented in conjunction with the San Francisco Film Society and the UCLA Film and Television Archive. Though there are some familiar titles like "Blonde Venus" and "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," most are rarely screened movies not available on DVD and not seen on TV in years.

Here's just a few of the highlights of the program, running November 3 through the 24th:

Friday, 11/4: Viera introduces Mitchell Leisen's "Murder at the Vanities" (with young ingenue Kitty Carlisle) and the 1934 drama "Bolero" featuring tough guy George Raft as a dancer. At 11PM (separate admission), early talkie favorite Miriam Hopkins stars in the infamous "The Story of Temple Drake" , presented along with some ultra-rare pre-code movie trailers.

Monday, 11/7: Crime and Thriller Triple Feature: "Guilty as Hell," "Billion Dollar Scandal" and a surprise feature!

Thursday, 11/10: More rare Miriam Hopkins in 1932's "Two Kinds of Women," directed by Cecil B.'s older brother William de Mille.

Wednesday, 11/16: Check out the recently restored two-strip Technicolor golf musical "Follow Thru" with Paramount stars Buddy Rogers and Nancy Carroll. Don't miss the early feature on the double bill, "Search for Beauty," one of the last gasps of the pre-code era, starring Buster Crabbe and a very young Ida Lupino.

Thursday, 11/17: Buster's on the bill again in "King of the Jungle," playing a Tarzan type opposite Frances Dee as a city-living Jane. Paired with 1933's lurid jungle drama "White Woman."

Tuesday, 11/22: Mae West commits grand theft larceny by stealing the picture in her movie debut "Night After Night." Crime also pays for Alison Skipworth as "Madame Racketeer" in the second feature.

Obviously, there are too many great movies to mention them all. Cary Grant, Marlene Dietrich, Claudette Colbert, and The Marx Brothers are also represented in the series.

As an added bonus, some Betty Boop cartoons will round out the bill on many evenings.

Bravo, Balboa, on an ambitious and sure to be well-attended series!

Golden Boy Comes to the Golden Gate

2005-09-26T16:15:00.000-07:00

Those folks at the Balboa Theater say their new calendar should be out and about around October 7th. That's when we find out what titles will appear in the Paramount Pre-Code series. One other notable event at the Balboa - '50s heartthrob Tab Hunter will be appearing live at the Balboa on November 1st and 2nd for screenings of camp classics "Polyester," "Lust in the Dust," and the 1958 western noir "Gunman's Walk." Noir afficionado Eddie Muller will do the interview honors. Muller is the co-author of Hunter's coming autobio, "Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star." Based on early reviews of the book, Tab should have plenty to talk about.

Oh, Kay!

2005-09-25T16:45:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back, I told you about two soon-to-be-released biographies of glamorous '30s star Kay Francis. The second book is "Kay Francis: A Passionate Life and Career," co-authored by Lynn Kear and John Rossman. Like Scott O'Brien's forthcoming tome, Kear and Rossman rely on Kay's diaries, scrapbooks, and correspondence which are now housed at the Wesleyan University Cinema Archives. I had heard that the diaries weren't particularly revelatory about her personal life, though the authors claim many diary entries were written in code, and once deciphered, are actually surprisingly frank. Kear and Rossman feature some rare outtakes from Kay's films on their Web site. It's a lot of fun to see some quick glimpses of the real Kay. The biography should be published in late fall '05 or early '06

Columbia Before the Code

2005-09-17T23:30:00.000-07:00

Great news for San Francisco pre-code enthusiasts: there are not one but two pre-code film series hitting the indie houses in the city this fall! Mick LaSalle's article in the Chronicle confirms what we already hinted at: the Paramount Before the Code series which packed them in at New York's Film Forum last summer will be playing in an abbreviated form at the Balboa in October. Titles have not been announced yet, but Mark Viera, author of "Sin in Soft Focus: Pre-Code Hollywood" and a new Greta Garbo biois putting together the program. Details as soon as the schedule is announced.

Perhaps more surprising is that The Castro has also announced a pre-code program featuring several rare Columbia releases not available on video or DVD! The nine-day series runs from October 12th through the 20th. Among the highlights:

Nancy Carroll in 1933's "Child of Manhattan," based on an early Preston Sturges play.
Spencer Tracy and Loretta Young in "Man's Castle" (1933)
Jean Harlow, Marie Prevost, and Mae Clarke in "Three Wise Girls"
A Fay Wray double feature: "Ann Carver's Profession," written by husband and Capra collaborator Robert Riskin, and 1934's "Mills of the Gods."
Early Barbara Stanwyck: "Mexicali Rose" (1929) and "Shopworn" with Regis Toomey.
Pre-Code Sopranos-style with the Italian mob melodrama "The Guilty Generation."

When it rains, it pours, as they say! After the success of the PFA's summer series, it was only a matter of time before the other rep houses followed suit. My only hope is that the two series don't conflict with each other. The Castro is already selling a series pass for the Columbia films at $45 for all 18 films!

Kay Francis Remembered

2005-08-14T22:46:00.000-07:00

Kay Francis was a huge star in her day, commanding a top salary and getting choice roles opposite such leading men as Joel McCrea, Cary Grant, William Powell, Errol Flynn, and Leslie Howard. Unfortunately, she is largely forgotten amongst today's moviegoers. But she remains a favorite of most Pre-Code fans -myself included! I am happy to report there are not one but TWO upcoming biographies devoted to Francis. Northern California writer Scott O'Brien's "Kay Francis: I Can't Wait to Be Forgotten" will soon be published by BearManor Media. Prior to this book, no full-scale biography of Kay existed. Much of what had been written painted a somewhat sad portrait of the actress, with little information beyond her retirement from acting in the early 50s. Scott tells me he had some amazing sources for his book, including one of Kay's dearest friends (still acting today in her 80s!), as well as her two godsons. Scott sheds light on her retirement years, as well as her disillusionment with the movie industry that made her a very wealthy woman. The book contains many rare and never before published photos of this unconventional beauty. Get in line behind me and preorder a copy today!

If you aren't familiar with the work of Kay Francis, TCM shows her Warner Brothers films quite frequently. In fact, TCM host Robert Osborne has contributed the foreword to Scott O'Brien's bio. Check out one of her early pre-code films on 8/23 at 4:30am EST on TCM: 1931's "A Notorious Affair." I can't always put my finger on why Kay is one of my favorites. She has a speech impediment and her acting style could sometimes be overwrought. But you literally can't take your eyes off her when she is on screen. She has star quality and charm that elevates her performances, even in her most humdrum films. If you haven't yet discovered her, you are in for a treat.

Cukor's "Girls About Town" (1931)

2005-08-09T13:59:00.000-07:00

The Pacific Film Archive closed out its well-attended "Trouble in Paradise: Pre-Code Hollywood" series last Sunday with a fabulous example of the genre, George Cukor's cynically hilarious "Girls About Town." This early Cukor film about a pair of gold-digging beauties is in some ways a precursor to his later masterpiece, "The Women." As a big Kay Francis fan, I was anxious to see this comedy. Always the clotheshorse, Kay looks fabulous - but costar Lilyan Tashman steals the picture. Her acid-tongued lines are delivered with a twinkle in her eyes, while Kay's role is the more serious of the two. It's a shame that Tashman died so young - she showed great promise. Joel McCrea delivers in a role that requires little more than to act as eye candy. Cukor's direction is inventive (I especially enjoyed a champagne filled sequence early in the film) and stylish. It was a lot of fun to see Louise Beavers in a minor role.

If you didn't get the chance to see "Girls about Town," don't fret - it may be coming back to the Bay Area in the near future. In comments before the film, a PFA staffer noted that former Castro programmer Anita Monga is working on putting together a Paramount Before the Code series similar to the program at New York's Film Forum earlier this summer. I would bet this series is for the Balboa Theater. I'll keep investigating!

If I Had a Hammer...

2005-07-31T17:57:00.000-07:00

Cinecon has posted the tentative schedule for its upcoming classic film festival in Los Angeles over Labor Day weekend. Among the pre-code films being screened is the early Cary Grant/Edward Everett Horton feature "Ladies Should Listen" (pictured) from 1933. Also on the docket is the 1934 Universal comedy release "Gift of Gab," directed by Karl Freund ("The Mummy") with fellow Universal horror standouts Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, and "Titanic" star Gloria Stuart. There are some very rare silent features booked, including the long thought lost Oscar-nominated film "Sorrell and Son." Scheduled guests include Nanette Fabray, Patricia Neal, Diane Baker, and famed director Delbert Mann.

Solutions for B.O. Doldrums - The Lubitsch Touch

2005-07-19T15:28:00.000-07:00

Seems like everyone and their brother is offering opinions on why domestic box office is down drastically this year. We've heard many potential explanations: the popularity of home theater, the shortened DVD window (the time it takes from when a film hits the first-run theatres to its release on DVD), and the cost of going to the movies. But a simpler explanation may lie in the fact that today's movies just aren't very good. Knight-Ridder columnist Mary Pols recently took in some pre-code gems at the PFA series in Berkeley, and she thinks there are lessons to be learned from these classic films.

Cinecon 41

2005-07-13T14:03:00.000-07:00

The 41st annual CINECON, one of the biggest and oldest classic film festivals, has just updated details of this year's event. The festival takes place September 1-5 in Hollywood at the Egyptian Theatre. The full movie line-up has not been announced, but they have confirmed they will show the newly restored and uncensored "Baby Face." Also on the schedule is the 1951 melodrama "I Can Get It for You Wholesale" featuing Susan Hayward and Dan Dailey. This one has been running on Fox Movie Channel lately, and though it isn't Pre-Code, it is waiting for me on my TiVo!

Cinecon programmers usually goes to great lengths to find rarely screened silents and pre-codes, as well as forgotten classic films from 30s, 40s, and 50s. Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it this year, but I'll keep you posted as more information becomes available.

July TV Schedules

2005-07-09T15:45:00.000-07:00

Upcoming movies of note at a cable box near you:

TCM

7/21
6:00AM Daybreak (1931) - of note for its stars Ramon Novarro and Helen Chandler.
7:30 AM The Man In Possession (1931) - An out-of-luck heiress falls for the man appointed to dispose of her property. Robert Montgomery
9:00 AM Never The Twain Shall Meet (1931) A young lawyer's society romance suffers when he's appointed guardian of a South Seas beauty. Leslie Howard, Karen Morley. D: W.S. Van Dyke II. MY PICK FOR THE MONTH
10:30 AM Son Of India (1931) More Ramon Novarro, paired here with Madge Evans.
7/22
1:30 PM Journal Of A Crime (1934) The great Ruth Chatterton (of "Female") succumbs to amnesia before she can confess to shooting her husband's mistress
7/28 Seven pre-code comedies featuring Warner's star Joe E. Brown:
6:00 am Broadminded (1931)
7:15 am Local Boy Makes Good (1931)
8:30 am Tenderfoot, The (1932)
9:45 am Elmer The Great (1933)
11:00 am Son Of A Sailor (1933)
12:15 pm Circus Clown, The (1934)
1:30 pm Very Honorable Guy, A (1934)
7/29
6:00 AM One Way Passage (1932) An ocean voyage leads to romance for a dying heiress and a condemned criminal. Kay Francis, William Powell
7:15 AM The Key (1934) A British officer stationed in Ireland falls for the wife of an intelligence man. William Powell, Edna Best, Colin Clive. D: Michael Curtiz.
7/30
5:00 PM THE ESSENTIALS: Ernst Lubitsch's "The Merry Widow"

Fox Movie Channel

7/25 10:45PM Born to Be Bad (1934) Loretta Young, Cary Grant

Blood Money (1933)

2005-07-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

Took a trip across the Bay to see this pre-code at the Pacific Film Archive. Very entertaining, fast-paced comedy featuring an unexpectedly showy turn from Frances Dee. Dee, usually cast as a good girl, clearly relishes her chance to play Elaine Harbert, a masochist, nymphomaniac, and kleptomaniac! Dame Judith Anderson (in her film debut) also plays against type as a glamorous if somewhat world weary "nightclub owner." The movie crackles with some great dialogue and inventive direction by Rowland Brown. Brown only directed four films, and was blackballed after some violent run-ins with producers. However, he continued to write for films. Apparently, "Blood Money" has gained cult film status (Danny Peary mentioned it in his second volume of "Cult Movies"). Though never released commercially on DVD or video, you may be able to find it at a specialty dealer. It's worth checking out - if only for a look at the cross-dressing bar patrons!
"Blood Money" shared the marquis with a second feature at the PFA, Raoul Walsh's "Me and My Gal" a comedy/drama starring a young Spencer Tracy and Joan Bennett. Tracy and Bennett's abundant chemistry adds a lot to the picture; however the story dragged at times. Perhaps after the breakneck pace of "Blood Money," this film was bound to be a letdown. Bennett is hard as nails as the gum-chewing chowder house waitress, but it is a lot of fun to compare her performance here to her work in "Dark Shadows" 35 years later.

Pre-Code Summer Screenings

2005-07-04T23:04:00.000-07:00

There are a few great pre-code series that are underway at art house theaters across the country that have been getting a bit of press. New York's Film Forum has assembled a rare collection of Paramount Pre-Codes, many of which are not available on DVD or video and haven't been seen on the small screen in many years. Paramount stars featured include Kay Francis, Claudette Colbert, Cary Grant, Mae West, Marlene Dietrich, Miriam Hopkins, and Gary Cooper. I only wish I could be there to see them! Paramount arguably pushed the envelope more than any other studio until the Hays Office clamped down on things in 1934. The outrageous Murder at the Vanities and Search for Beauty are worth a look if you have never caught these oddball delights.

Over on the left coast, another pre-code series is screening at the Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley, California. Though many of the features in this series are screened frequently on TCM, there are still some rarities. The highlight of the series will be Library of Congress motion picture curator Michael Mashon proudly introducing his spectacular find, an uncut version of Barbara Stanwyck's Baby Face. This will be the Bay Area premiere of the restored version, which contains five minutes of racy material that was excised prior to the film's official release. Mashon will also present a few other Warner Brothers classics: Night Nurse, Employees' Entrance, and Two Seconds. Could these all be part of Warner Home Video's planned pre-code DVD box set slated for sometime in 2006?

WELCOME!

2005-07-04T22:51:00.000-07:00

I recently did a search on the Web for a blog devoted to a subject near and dear to my heart, pre-code movies. Coming up relatively empty-handed, I decided I would start one myself! If you have landed on this page, you probably already know that pre-code films are defined as US movies released by the major studios from the period 1930-1934. It was in 1934 that the Hays Production Code for motion pictures was strengthened and rigidly enforced, and that essentially ended the pre-code era. But the movies live on, thanks to TCM, DVD releases, and showings at repertory movie houses around the world. I hope to keep both new and veteran pre-code fans informed with news about screenings, DVD releases, book releases, and tidbits about that bygone era. Take a seat, have some popcorn, and enjoy the show!