Pre-code films — films made before the effective imposition of Hollywood’s self-censoring “Production Code” in 1934 — are justifiably popular today. There’s a shock of recognition for contemporary audiences when they see these films and their treatment of sexuality, crime, and other taboos. This series, with its delicately understated title, is a selection of the most pre-code of all the pre-code films. From the rabid sexual awakening of Miriam Hopkins in THE SMILING LIEUTENANT to Barbara Stanwyck’s tough-talking women-in-prison melodrama LADIES THEY TALK ABOUT, this series represents some of the most fun you can have without censors present.
