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).
The Cat Creeps (1930) – Universal’s (Mostly) Lost Dark House
A look at lost Universal horror film The Cat Creeps (1930) starring Helen Twelvetrees. Contemporary reaction. Piecing the lost film together from Boo! and various versions of The Cat and the Canary.
Young Bride (1932) Starring Helen Twelvetrees and Eric Linden
RKO-Pathe pre-Code Young Bride (1932), aka Love Starved, features great period slang throughout a lower middle-class slice of life in the city. Stars Helen Twelvetrees with excellent work from leading man Eric Linden, and Arline Judge in support.
Murder by the Clock (1931) Starring William “Stage” Boyd and Lilyan Tashman
Tough to find and thus underappreciated, Murder by the Clock (1931) is an early mystery thriller highlighted by Lilyan Tashman, a creepy tomb alarm and a few surprising twists.
The Office Wife (1930) Starring Dorothy Mackaill and Lewis Stone
Publisher Lewis Stone needs a new secretary and Dorothy Mackaill gets the job in The Office Wife (1930). Great dialogue in this pre-Code hit, with many of the best lines coming from Joan Blondell.