Sex, vice and violence along with malevolent morals were just some of the things that assailed the senses and souls upon those who ventured into the darkened movie theaters laden throughout the universe.
The above picture is Jean Harlow as Lil Andrews seducing her married boss, William, Chester Morris in 1932s "Red-Headed Woman." Jean Harlow was integral in derailing the critique of commercial Christianity during the Pre-Code Hollywood era.
In "Red-Headed Woman," Lil (Harlow) uses her natural allure to advance herself financially. Adultery and excessive boozing outraged many far-right Republicans and their insane counterparts, the crazed Christians who had the insane idea, they could dictate morals. By 1935, these Wack jobs won, and even the cartoon character of Betty Boop's skirt was drawn closer to her knees, and her garter belt was never shown to mainstream audiences after 1934.
Lured subject matter was still allowed after 1934, but the wicked had to be punished in some form or another, via jail, an untimely death, or other forms of ill will toward these characters who partook in enthusiastic indulgences of sin and vice.
If you want to watch 1932s "Red-Headed Woman," you may not want to read the next sentence and skip to the next paragraph, because I am going to give away the ending to this move. In "Red-Headed Woman," Lil fornicates with at least four different men, and with each of these rich men, she aims for an even a wealthier man, and in the end of the movie she marries a much older and very wealthy man. As Lil and her new hubby are in the back seat of their very nice, chauffeured car, the young handsome chauffer driver looks in the rear-view mirror at Lil and winks, and she winks back at him. Earlier in the film, Lil was married to another rich old man who had the same chauffer driver, and he divorced Lil, because she was seeing him while the two were married, hence, Lil's sins were rewarded in the end, which was a big no-no come 1935.
By 1935, as I learned from reading 1999s "Pre-Code Hollywood Sex, Vice and Insurrection in American Cinema, 1930-1934," far righties and Christians with way too much power inflicted their laws biblically into Hollywood contracts; 'Thou shall not take or cause to be taken any photography in which girls are shown in underwear, fancy lingerie, teddies, scanties or drawers.' This is just one of the 12, yes 12 commandments in the actual Hollywood contract written in 1935, and it wasn't until the 1950s, these insane commandments for moviemakers started to cease, and not until 1968, did Hollywood implement the movie rating system.
The above picture is a publicity shot of Joan Blondell from her 1933 sex comedy, "Convention City." Blondell was another integral babe who combated the far righties and Christians with her sexiness and films that were an opiate for delicious deceits.
Cruel Christians and their poisoned Republicans pals nearly ruined the movie industry, but these fools did their damage. In 1934, the original print of "Convention City" was destroyed along with hundreds of other copies of the 35mm film print, which makes it impossible to own a high-quality print of this lost classic, which, incidentally, is on my bucket-list to acquire. In the 1960s, Blondell owned a 16mm print of "Convention City" and showed this movie to various friends and family, and its been said by some, "Convention City" was soft core porn for its day. ("Joan Blondell A Life Between Takes," 2007)
The above picture is a publicity still of 1932s "Virgins of Bali, a picture featured in the 1999 book, "Forbidden Hollywood..." by Thomas Doherty.
The symbolic journey into the forbidden zone was ventured upon in "Virgins of Bali." The women bathed shamelessly in their nude bronze bodies. The girls were firmly and harmoniously developed and walked with a swinging and easy rhythmic movement. (Doherty)
It's a no brainer today's movies are much more graphic and risqué than the four-year Pre-Code era, but that four-year period in cinematic Sin-Sation pioneered the way for today's sexy men and women to flaunt their stuff, and for the writers and directors to delve into the indulgences of wild youth, devious daughters, straying wife's and the elliptical allusions embracing visions of picturesque violence.
Doherty's book, "Pre-Code Hollywood" is very detailed in documenting the Pre-Code movies exposing political fraud, hard drug use, and the heinous crimes of Al Capone and John Dillinger, among others. Sex just happened to be my favorite subject among these nearly 100-year-old movies, and because of my father and the local library, my quest to own and view these movies has essentially just begun.
Dorothy Mackaill, pictured above from 1931s, Safe in Hell" is a tale of sex trafficking, hard boozing and murder, and yes, I own this gem of a flick. The people who love me the most don't even know me, yet they remaster movies made more than 90 years ago and distribute them just for me. Indeed, there is love for me.
Mark Izzy Schurr
Sound on film was not mainstream until 1930, and the labyrinth of pleasure-seeking vice movies between 1930 and 1934 were truly entertaining and intriguing to me.
