Vintage Visions Sin in Soft Focus

The unsanitized laws of the Gods and people spiraled into the spheres of our imagination and spawned into the darken theaters across the globe in 1930. (Above picture is Claudette Colbert from 1934s "Cleopatra")

A barrage of human endeavors, including sexual liaisons, abuse of religious and political power permeated the big screen in the fiery face of Hollywood. Picturesque violence, excessive boozing and the abuse of hallucinogenic drugs weaved its way into fornication, adultery, prostitution and crime without punishment.   

Movies were much tamer in the early 1930s, yet some of these nearly 100-year-old films have managed to seize our senses, make us gasps and even laugh.

SALLY

He’s crazy about his wife

LIL

He’s a man ain’t he?

The above picture is from 1932s "Red-Headed Woman starring Jean Harlow as the gold-digging Lil Andrews seen here with her married boss Bill portrayed by Chester Morris.  

The Pre-Code Hollywood era of movies started in 1930 and ended in 1934. As an avid film buff, I understand the different time clock in many films made from 1930-1934, as opposed to movies made from 1935 to the mid 1960s. The best example of this is to watch "Gold Diggers of 1933," and then watch "Gold Diggers of 1935." The chorus girls in the 1933 version show off a lot more leg and expose cleavage that is not shown in the 1935 version. Even Betty Boop's garter belt was not shown in her cartoons starting in 1935. 

From 1930-1934, the rulers of censorship still prevailed in Hollywood, yet the four-year Pre-Code Hollywood films pushed the envelope of censorship and pioneered the way for today’s film makers. 

The above two pictures are from 1931s Night Nurse with Joan Blondell (right) and Barbara Stanwyck. 

"Night Nurse" tinges on forbidden sexuality, excessive boozing, child abuse and illegal gangster activity, and I acquired this movie from the Sonoma County Library. "Night Nurse" is one of five Pre-Code movies on volume 2 of "Forbidden Hollywood." My other favorite flick on volume two was "Three of a Match," also starring Joan Blondell. Nineteen-thirty-twos, "Three on a Match" depicts childhood delinquency and middle school aged boys and girls smoking, and girls showing off their bloomers to the boys and talking about their favorite colors of underwear.  

The above photo is from 1932s "Three on a Match," which is complete with wreckless youth, alchoholism, kidnapping, illegal gambling and fornication with adultery. 

The Sonoma County Library got me hooked on Joan Blondell movies. Her and James Cagney made seven films together, all in 1930-1934 Pre-Code era, and it's a mystery to myself why I still haven't seen all seven of the movies they made together, but the ones I have seen with these two have withstood the test of time, including 1931s "Blonde Crazy."

BLONDELL

Can't you see, I'm in the tub?

Blondell in 1931s "Blonde Crazy"

CAGNEY

Well, move over! 

Blondell paved the way for today's sexy women in films to show off skin and her wits and make movies which displayed the delicious deceits of sexuality and criminality. 

Joan Blondell from 1934s musical comedy "Dames" 

Ever since I heard Joan Blondell as Marie in 1931s "Other Men's Women" say she was APO to and

unwanted suiter, I was hooked on these ancient movies of sin in soft focus.

MARIE (Blondell)

That's right, I'm APO, Ain't Putn' Out! 

   

After 1934, the censors came down hard on Hollywood. Joan Blondell’s 1933 sex comedy, “Convention City,” was literally destroyed because of Christianity and Republican politics. The original print of “Convention City” was even destroyed, thus making it impossible to ever own a high-quality print of "Convention City." 

I’m still searching for a print of this movie, believe me. In the 1960s, Joan Blondell owned a 16 MM print of this movie, and showed it to family and friends on various occasions. Some say “Convention City” was soft core porn for its day.

For movie crazed souls who embrace the wit of the 1930s screenwriters and their daunting task of unwarranted Christian and political input, they still achieved the visions of sexuality and the many vices of addictions.

Mark Izzy Schurr