Here’s a most enjoyable pre-code item that I’d never heard of called ‘Air Hostess’ (1933), starring Evalyn Knapp and James Murray. Knapp was a popular actress of the day with two deficits; she couldn’t act, and she didn’t know how to spell her first name. But the real stars of
The famous (in her day) nightclub hostess/chanteuse Texas Guinan was captured on film on several occasions, the most elaborate of which was a feature she starred in called ‘Queen Of The Nightclubs’. Shot in 1928, it was likely the best and most detailed view of the true look, tone and
Here’s an astonishing four minute reel of outtakes from ‘Hells Angels’, saved apparently by accident and carefully preserved and lovingly restored. I can’t begin to tell you how rare it is to see outtakes from a film this early–movie outtakes began to be saved in the mid-thirties as a result
Yesterday we began a weeklong look at Howard Hughes’ landmark 1930 World War 1 aerial epic ‘Hells Angels’ by viewing the film’s brilliantly achieved air-born climax. Today we hit the ground with a resounding thud and move from the astoundingly impressive to the astoundingly awful, with a two-part scene set
Here are two clips from a Mae West film I’ve never seen called ‘Goin To Town’ (1936). The film is a ‘Post Code’ West and, as you know, she’s really more of a ‘Pre-Code’ kinda gal. All you really need to understand the story of the film are these two
This extraordinary clip from ‘I Cover The Waterfront’ (1933) shows that kink in Hollywood was alive and well years before one might think. (I’m discounting so-called ‘adult’ films of the era). Here we see Claudette Colbert shackled up in a pillory and forced to submit to unasked for kisses. Of