Wild RKO pre-Code gem Are These Our Children? (1931) examines Prohibition-era youth gone wild. Includes brief biography of star Eric Linden. Also co-star Arline Judge.
The Vice Squad (1931) Starring Paul Lukas, Kay Francis, Judith Wood
Ripped from the headlines: New York’s Vice Squad scandal in Paramount pre-Code The Vice Squad (1931), starring Paul Lukas in a part inspired by Chile Acuna, with Kay Francis and Judith Wood. Directed by John Cromwell.
Ten Cents a Dance (1931) Starring Barbara Stanwyck
A pre-Code set around a dance hall starring Barbara Stanwyck with Monroe Owsley and Ricardo Cortez, and I didn’t like it? Uh uh. Here’s what I didn’t like about Ten Cents a Dance (1931).
Bad Company (1931) Starring Ricardo Cortez
RKO-Pathe pre-Code gangster film Bad Company (1931) stars Ricardo Cortez with Helen Twelvetrees and John Garrick. Directed by Tay Garnett.
Lightning Review: The Easiest Way (1931) Starring Constance Bennett
Brief look at MGM pre-Code The Easiest Way (1931) starring Constance Bennett, Adolphe Menjou, and Robert Montgomery. Directed by Jack Conway. With Clark Gable.
Blonde Crazy (1931) Starring James Cagney and Joan Blondell
A wild pre-Code con man romp directed by Roy Del Ruth for Warner Bros. and featuring the great chemistry of James Cagney and Joan Blondell. Blonde Crazy released in November 1931. Supporting cast highlighted by Louis Calhern, Noel Francis, Guy Kibbee, Polly Walters, and a very young Ray Milland.
Five and Ten (1931) Starring Marion Davies and Leslie Howard
From a novel by Fannie Hurst, MGM’s Five and Ten stars Marion Davies and Leslie Howard, but this tale of the nouveau riche is at its weakest during their scenes. Strong support from Richard Bennett, Irene Rich, and Kent Douglass should have been even stronger. A recent MOD DVD-R release from Warner Archive.
The Last Flight (1931) – John Monk Saunders Hijacks Hemingway’s Lost Generation
Upon publication reviews called John Monk Saunders anything from a hack to a plagiarist when his Single Lady cashed in as an inferior version of Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises. Adapted as The Last Flight, Saunders’s story emerges as perhaps the best of any film about The Lost Generation. Directed by William Dieterle, with excellent performances from Richard Barthelmess and Helen Chandler.
A House Divided (1931) – Walter Huston Stars in Early Talkie from William Wyler
This early talkie from legendary director William Wyler stars Walter Huston as the father of meek Kent Douglass, who falls in love with Dad’s mail-order bride, Helen Chandler. Excellent work from Huston as always with surprising heat and chemistry from the two young co-stars.
Secret Service (1931) – William Gillette’s Civil War Melodrama Comes to RKO
Digging deep into RKO’s 1931 adaptation of William Gillette’s Secret Service starring Richard Dix and Shirley Grey. Comparing the movie to the 1896 play. What was added and what was kept and how classic scenes were interpreted on film.
