favorite pre-code film

[Judex]

Jewel Robbery with William Powell and Kay Francis! It's so sexy and funny.

[chinaseas]

My is Red Headed Woman with Jean Harlow. It is sexy and funny all in one. Its one of the great pre-code films.

[TheGrandMaster]

Freaks or The Public Enemy for me. 

[TopBilled]

I always find it interesting that when people discuss precodes, they tend to leave western precodes out of the discussion.

[jamesjazzguitar]

11 hours ago, TopBilled said:

I always find it interesting that when people discuss precodes, they tend to leave western precodes out of the discussion.

We discussed this before;  it all comes down to if one classify pre-codes as a genre (like westerns),  or as just a time-period; talking films made until the 'code' was really enforced in July of 1934.

(and of course some that define it as some type of combo of both of the above).

I tend to define pre-codes as a genre,  but as you know I'm very flexible in this regard (and so are you since neither of us get 'hung-up' on such labels).

So to me there is such a thing as a pre-code western;   a film with a western setting and theme but that has pre-code content that after July of 1934 wouldn't be seen again in American films until the 60s.

(like Blood on the Moon is a noir-western).

 

 

[TopBilled]

1 hour ago, jamesjazzguitar said:

We discussed this before;  it all comes down to if one classify pre-codes as a genre (like westerns),  or as just a time-period; talking films made until the 'code' was really enforced in July of 1934.

(and of course some that define it as some type of combo of both of the above).

I tend to define pre-codes as a genre,  but as you know I'm very flexible in this regard (and so are you since neither of us get 'hung-up' on such labels).

So to me there is such a thing as a pre-code western;   a film with a western setting and theme but that has pre-code content that after July of 1934 wouldn't be seen again in American films until the 60s.

(like Blood on the Moon is a noir-western).

Recently I watched TO THE LAST MAN (1933) on YouTube. It's an early Henry Hathaway western, made at Paramount. There's a scene where leading lady Esther Ralston goes to take a bath in a pond, and it's clear the actress has no clothes on. Very precode. So yeah, I'd definitely say there is such a thing as a precode western.

[cinemaspeak59]

There's much to choose from, but I like rewatching these. I can think of many more, though.

42nd Street (1933)

Dinner at Eight (1933)

Private Lives (1931)

Waterloo Bridge (1931)

Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)