Best of Pre-Code Cinema

[Philosophe_rouge]

http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss181/missemmaknight/Annex-DietrichMarleneMorocco_02-1.jpg
Pre-code film refers to a very specific era in Hollywood history, when censorship and rules meant virtually nothing. Though as long as film existed, there have been people clamoring to have it restricted and censored to protect so-called values, filmmakers, producers and production heads realized that often any publicity is good publicity, and pushing the envelope will fill seats. As the government started to loom over the industry because of numerous scandals, they decided to police themselves, with little effect. They created what were effectively useless boards and hired virtually ineffective people to put together rules that were only ignored anyway. It was really the creation of The Catholic Legion of Decency that forced the enforcement of the Production code, as the industry faced to lose a huge amount of money when the Catholic Churched began to deem the watching of certain films as being sins. It wasn’t until 1968 with the creation of the MPAA that the code was in place.

A few notes about the list;
-The Pre-Code era refers to talking pictures, all the films were made between1929-1934, and there are no silents (therefore no City Lights).
-I’m categorizing the list by the quality, or more, my preference of the films rather than their scandalizing nature… it would be fun perhaps to re-rank them by their material
-There are still quite a few notable pre-code films I have not seen, notably; I was a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, Midnight Mary, The Divorcee, any Mae West and Waterloo Bridge. There are quite a few others too that I’d love to see, but no point listing them all.

[Philosophe_rouge]

http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss181/missemmaknight/2MerianCCooperKingKongDVDRevie wFayW.jpg
40. King Kong (Irving Pichel & Ernest B. Schoedsack, 1933)

With the release of Inglourious Basterds, and the film's brief allusion to the film being an allegory for the history of blacks in North America, there has been a mini-revival in discussion over this iconic film. Though the arguments inevitably come back to, it was a different era with different values, the fact that 75 years later the film continues to inspire audiences speaks for it's longevity. I've never been one of the film's biggest supporters, I think it lacks sensitivity to Kong, who is painted more as a monster than perhaps the people who remake it care to remember. Nonetheless, the imagery is fantastic, and I love that final line "Oh no, it wasn't the airplanes. It was beauty killed the beast." It's more interesting than the film itself.

[Philosophe_rouge]

http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss181/missemmaknight/femalePDVD_005.jpg
39. Female (Michael Curtiz, 1933)

One of many pre-code films about strong women, they don't get more powerful or in control than Alison Drake, the no-nonsense executive of an automobile factory. As hard as she works, she plays harder, and her play reminds us more of the forceful nature of the Hollywood male than any woman. She chews up young men like they were gum, and spits them out once she's lost the taste for them. What makes her such an exceptional character is that they don't let her become a victim of her emotions. Even when she "falls in love" her work suffers somewhat, but no more than a man in an equal position. Older than the other female leads of the day (though you couldn't really tell) Ruth Chatterton brought a certain maturity and confidence to her performances that made her a unique and treasured screen performer.

[Philosophe_rouge]

http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss181/missemmaknight/bscap051-1.jpg
38. The Old Dark House (James Whale, 1932)

One of James Whale's great efforts beyond Frankenstein, the film holds more similarities to the monster movie's sequel Bride of Frankenstein, which's unique blend of humour and baroque visual sensibilities make it remarkable today. A huge rainstorm brings together a strange set of characters to a remote and ancient home in Wales, owned by the very strange Femm family. Though the host and his sister are strange enough, the stay really becomes difficult when the brutish man servant (Boris Karloff), releases Saul, the psychotic "skeleton" in the closet who runs amuck and tries to burn the house down. Short on genuine scares, the film is remarkable for its absurdity and sense of humour.

[ledfloyd]

great thread idea. i will be tuned in. i'm a bit deficient when it comes to pre-code film, so i hope to get lots of recs here.

[dreamdead]

Whale intrigues me, and the above film especially, since I haven't seen the Frankenstein movies since childhood. I think I'll make exploring his work a necessity after you finish this list.

[Philosophe_rouge]

great thread idea. i will be tuned in. i'm a bit deficient when it comes to pre-code film, so i hope to get lots of recs here.
I'm sure you've seen a few and I'm always happy to provide some recs.


Whale intrigues me, and the above film especially, since I haven't seen the Frankenstein movies since childhood. I think I'll make exploring his work a necessity after you finish this list.

I've only seen three of his films, the Frankensteins and this. I think he's pretty great, around Halloween I'll hopefully see a few more. He's definetely underappreciated.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Awesome thread Rouge. I'll be paying attention for future recs.

[Eleven]

I've only seen three of his films, the Frankensteins and this. I think he's pretty great, around Halloween I'll hopefully see a few more. He's definetely underappreciated.

The Great Garrick is one of the many films I discovered via Jonathan Rosenbaum's top 1000 list, and it's a hoot. A sort of screwball theater comedy of disguises, acting, and hoaxes. The lead, Brian Aherne, is a hammy riot.

I've heard good things about Whale's Show Boat as well.

[Duncan]

I've been meaning to see more pre-code stuff. Good thread. Will be reading.

[megladon8]

Excellent list idea, Philosophe!

I trust you're a fan of the "Forbidden Hollywood" sets released from WB??

[Philosophe_rouge]

Excellent list idea, Philosophe!

I trust you're a fan of the "Forbidden Hollywood" sets released from WB??

I am indeed, luckily my video store has got three sets. Though I haven't seen all the films on them yet

[Philosophe_rouge]

http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss181/missemmaknight/vlcsnap554269wu9.png
37. Grand Hotel (Edmund Goulding, 1932)

Perhaps best remembered for bringing together a wide range of some of the most popular and famous actors of the early 1930s, Grand Hotel is hit or miss, as many multiple storyline films happen to be. Surprisingly, the biggest weakness is Greta Garbo who is horribly miscast as a ballerina. Though in most of her films she's smooth as ice, here her attempts at grace come accross as awkward, and her lovesick performance is gratting at best. The film is still worth watching though, especially for Joan Crawford who manages to steal the show. She plays a sexy bookeeper (a stenographer more specifically, if I remember correctly), who is torn between a brutish womanizing boss, and a man in his last days. It's over the top melodrama, but it's quite a bit of fun, and Garbo aside, the performances are quite strong.

[Qrazy]

I've been meaning to see Grand Hotel for so long and lord knows I like me some Curtiz so perhaps I'll check out those two first.

[Philosophe_rouge]

http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss181/missemmaknight/TheSmilingLieutenant1.jpg
36. The Smiling Lieutenant (Ernst Lubitsch, 1931)

Not my favourite Lubitsch, but there are only two or three of his films I don't think are above average. This one is just light fun, has one of my favourite musical sequences of the era "Jazz up your Lingerie"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBevkUkope8

[Philosophe_rouge]

I've been meaning to see Grand Hotel for so long and lord knows I like me some Curtiz so perhaps I'll check out those two first.

IT's kinda an essential, though it's comparitively weak to many of the eras better films.

[B-side]

Awesome thread Rouge. I'll be paying attention for future recs.

This.

[Philosophe_rouge]

http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss181/missemmaknight/ared-headedFORBIDDEN_HLLYWD_RHW_WB-.jpg
35. The Red-Headed Woman (Jack Conway, 1932)
The magic of pre-code was the frank portrayal of female sexuality. Although women of similar "loose morals" (to paraphrase the hays commission) appeared once the Production Code was enforced, they were almost always punished for their ways, and they were never the hero of the story. Jean Harlow is the Red-Headed Woman, a girl from the wrong side of the tracks who has worked her whole life but hasn't gotten far. Seeing no future for herself she aims to entrap her married boss, and get him to marry her so she can live the easy life.

In one scene, Lil (Harlow) is in her bedroom with her boss, and he slaps her, she retorts “I like it!, Hit me again!” In the other room is Lil's roommate, who misinterprets what is happening, assuming the scene is far more intimate than it actually is.

The film treads a fine line between empowerment and exploitation, featuring many gratuitous nearly nude shots and undressing. In a world where women could do little to get ahead, using sex, was perhaps the only leverage they did have against the male dominated business world.

Interesting about the screenplay, based on a book written by a woman, adapted by the famous Anita Loos (of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes success), and was also helped along by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

[Philosophe_rouge]

http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss181/missemmaknight/10243_Z1.jpg
34. Horse Feathers (Norman Z. McLeod, 1932)

The first Marx bros film I saw, so I'm somewhat partial to it. That being said, I rarely know what to say about the famous brothers' films, they often have to be seen to believe. They're wild experiences in absurdity and surrealism, with a fair share of physical, verbal and musical comedy. I love when Groucho is put into powers of authority, even if it's just in a school. It puts a fun twist on society, and the corrupt and often inept figures of authority.

[Philosophe_rouge]

http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss181/missemmaknight/aJosefvonSternbergMoroccoDVDRe viewG.jpg
33. Morocco (Josef Von Sternberg, 1930)

Morocco is just at the beginning of Sternberg's move towards the cinema of "Dietrich". It's smoky, it's hot, and it's obscured. Dietrich holds together each scene and set-piece, and if she's missing, the audience feels at a loss; the film suffers. The film plays up her androgyny better than any of their other collaborations, especially in the scene where she comes on stage dressed as a man. That's not where the act ends though, the appeal is that she behaves like one too, and her strong sensuality is not limited by femininity. In one of the most infamous pre-code moments, she takes a flower from a woman's hair, admires it for a moment, before sweeping down to kiss the blushing woman on the mouth.

[Philosophe_rouge]

http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss181/missemmaknight/bLloydBacon42ndStreetBusbyBerk eleyD.jpg
32. 42nd Street (Lloyd Bacon, 1933)

Complaining that a plot in a Busby Berkeley musical is lacking, seems to miss the point.. but comparitively to his other films, I find this one has by far the least interesting storyline, and it's low placement on the list is due to that itsy bitsy factor. That being said, once we move into the musical end of things, the film is absolutely thrilling and wonderful. Berkeley's kaleidoscope style and use of the female form as a key component in composition and appearance is still breathtaking in the 21st century. He was a unique talent that brought the musical to a new and exciting realm. The title sequence is still probably my favourite in any of his choreographed films.

[Philosophe_rouge]

http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss181/missemmaknight/cLloydBaconFootlightParadeBusb yBerk.jpg
31. Footlight Parade (Lloyd Bacon, 1933)

A notch about 42nd Street due to the presence of James Cagney, the film is a lot of fun, especially for it's pocking at the looming censors in pre-code Hollywood. The censor character is a bumbling idiot, complaining about silly things, missing the point and the artistry. He is also painted as a hypocrite, who not only goes against his convictions, but uses his authority as a means of doing it! As with most Berkeley musicals, the actual dance sequences would have been near impossible to portray on stage. This one featuring extensive underwater sequences, as well as the geometric overhanging shots that he is so fond of.

[Dead & Messed Up]

38. The Old Dark House (James Whale, 1932)

One of James Whale's great efforts beyond Frankenstein, the film holds more similarities to the monster movie's sequel Bride of Frankenstein, which's unique blend of humour and baroque visual sensibilities make it remarkable today. A huge rainstorm brings together a strange set of characters to a remote and ancient home in Wales, owned by the very strange Femm family. Though the host and his sister are strange enough, the stay really becomes difficult when the brutish man servant (Boris Karloff), releases Saul, the psychotic "skeleton" in the closet who runs amuck and tries to burn the house down. Short on genuine scares, the film is remarkable for its absurdity and sense of humour.

Great to see love for this guy. Although I do think the film packs plenty of atmosphere into its quick runtime, enough that it's not just a comedy (although it is that too).

I've seen four of Whale's pictures. The two Frankensteins he did, this film, and The Invisible Man, and going off those, he's the best horror film director of all time. A title he would've hated, as he never held much regard for the genre. But he added two vital elements: a cheeky sense of comedy and mastery of the tracking camera.

Both proved invaluable in the development of the genre.

[ledfloyd]

i love the smiling lieutenant. the red-headed woman sounds really interesting. i will put it on my queue.

[SirNewt]

I love this thread. I really love film from this era in Hollywood.

[megladon8]

I'm ashamed...I've still never seen a Marx Brothers movie.

[Dead & Messed Up]

I'm ashamed...I've still never seen a Marx Brothers movie.

::slap::

[Philosophe_rouge]

Great to see love for this guy. Although I do think the film packs plenty of atmosphere into its quick runtime, enough that it's not just a comedy (although it is that too).

I've seen four of Whale's pictures. The two Frankensteins he did, this film, and The Invisible Man, and going off those, he's the best horror film director of all time. A title he would've hated, as he never held much regard for the genre. But he added two vital elements: a cheeky sense of comedy and mastery of the tracking camera.

Both proved invaluable in the development of the genre.
It has been a while since I've seen it, so I might be underestimating it's atmosphere. I do like the set design though, it has always been a strength of Whale's. I don't think I'd call him the greatest horror director of all time, I can think of one or two I'd place ahead of him, but he is up there.

This is not the last horror yuo'll see on this list.


i love the smiling lieutenant. the red-headed woman sounds really interesting. i will put it on my queue.
I hope you liked it!


I love this thread. I really love film from this era in Hollywood.
It's one of the best Hollywood eras, this and Film Noir is the tops when it comes to Hollywood filmmaking as far as I'm concerned.


I'm ashamed...I've still never seen a Marx Brothers movie.
That's just... uhh... fix it.

[Dead & Messed Up]

It has been a while since I've seen it, so I might be underestimating it's atmosphere. I do like the set design though, it has always been a strength of Whale's. I don't think I'd call him the greatest horror director of all time, I can think of one or two I'd place ahead of him, but he is up there.

You don't have to rush, but I think it's a terrific pulp exercise. Karloff has his imposing presence, and Brember Willis's Saul is successfully creepy, nearly eighty years later. Whale's my favorite mostly because he's the only one I can think of with a perfect batting average.


This is not the last horror yuo'll see on this list.

Right on. But learning about other films is also fun. I've added Red-Headed Woman and Morocco to my queue.

[Philosophe_rouge]

http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss181/missemmaknight/2-10.jpg
30. Freaks (Tod Browning, 1932)

Freaks is one of those totally unique films that could never be replicated, for more reasons than one. The obvious political and humanitarian reasons are obvious, but Browning also brings a sort of naive curiosity that treads close to exploitation, though it rarely crosses it. In that respect, the film is still palateable, there is a clear and successful attempt at humanizing the so-called freaks. Much like Frankenstein, made one year earlier, the film attempts to explain what being human means, and how it may not be defined by biology, but rather a state of mind-- or a certain capacity for reasoning or empathy. Though classified as a horror, most of the film is more of a drama, only treading into "horror" in the final act as the freaks take their revenge on a woman who insulted and mistreated one of them, which they see as an act against all.

[Philosophe_rouge]

http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss181/missemmaknight/aFrankCapraTheMiracleWomanBarb araSt.jpg
29. The Miracle Woman (Frank Capra, 1931)

In the same vein as Elmer Gantry, The Miracle Woman is about a beautiful and charasmatic young woman's abuse of people's belief in God. After her father is fired from a church where he preached for many years, Florence loves her faith in God. She sees the practionners as hypocrites, and teams up with a con artist in order to take advantage of people's corrupt and status based religious beliefs. Her moving church is a circus and spectacle... there is nothing spiritual about it, and though it preys on people's greatest fears and insecurities, there is a kind of vindication in Stanwyck's act. When she meets a young man who is blind, she starts to rethink the morality of her actions. The film paints a rather bleak portrait of religion, organized or otherwise, though it does offer that morality is not linked to religion or God.

[dreamdead]

35. The Red-Headed Woman (Jack Conway, 1932)
The magic of pre-code was the frank portrayal of female sexuality. Although women of similar "loose morals" (to paraphrase the hays commission) appeared once the Production Code was enforced, they were almost always punished for their ways, and they were never the hero of the story. Jean Harlow is the Red-Headed Woman, a girl from the wrong side of the tracks who has worked her whole life but hasn't gotten far. Seeing no future for herself she aims to entrap her married boss, and get him to marry her so she can live the easy life.

...

Interesting about the screenplay, based on a book written by a woman, adapted by the famous Anita Loos (of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes success), and was also helped along by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Somehow, this film just didn't work for me. I love this period of cinema and how women were able to use their bodies as a commodity for moving up in the capitalistic society, but for whatever reason Harlow plays her as a one-note narcissistic, which just dampens any potential fun that can be had with such a ludicrous plot. And though Anita Loos tries to give her dialogue that can be used to both brand others and to reveal herself, Harlow's voice just ends up as a monotone, self-interested nagging. Though the turnabout at the end of Babyface isn't truly believable, there is nonetheless the sense of relational growth and that capital isn't all there is to personal relations. This sentiment, while not as hardline as RHW, still allows for a feminist rage about injustice, it just tempers the ribald anger with a touch of humanity.

[Philosophe_rouge]

http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss181/missemmaknight/MarxBrothersAnimalCrackers_02-1.jpg
28. Animal Crackers (Victor Heerman, 1930)

One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don't know.

[ledfloyd]

[I]One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don't know.
my favorite quote from that film.

[Sycophant]

I added three of these to my Netflix queue this morning. Thanks, Rouge!

(I would've added more, but my queue is full; I bumped them to the top, though.)

[Eleven]

More Lubitsch FTW!

[ledfloyd]

More Lubitsch FTW!
knowing rouge i'm expecting more lubitsch near the top.

[megladon8]

In my defense, I was going to buy that beautiful looking "Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection" containing Animal Crackers, Duck Soup and three others, but I've read that the transfers are horrendous, so I didn't.

[Eleven]

The existence of Marx Brothers movies is one of the reasons I can keep getting myself up every morning.

[Sycophant]

The existence of Marx Brothers movies is one of the reasons I can keep getting myself up every morning.

I agree with you and Woody Allen.

I haven't had too much a problem with that silver box of Marx brothers films, but I'm not all that picky.

[megladon8]

Can't agree with Woody Allen.

I think he's one of the more annoying personalities in Hollywood history.

[Sycophant]

Well... I guess you'd better not watch any Marx brothers movies, then?!

[megladon8]

Well... I guess you'd better not watch any Marx brothers movies, then?!


What is there some correlation between the two?

Marx Brothers movies are about a pathetic, lonely little New York jew who casts himself oppostie beautiful women in annoyingly self-loathing movies with great dialogue structure?

[Sycophant]

You misread what I said. Woody Allen being introduced here wasn't just a non sequitur. I agree with Eleven and Woody Allen about the Marx Brothers. I can't actually remember how Eleven feels about Woody Allen. There's a movie--one of his best--Hannah and Her Sisters that basically takes the position that the Marx Brothers are a good reason to get out of bed in the morning.

Of course, Woody Allen is pretty much my favorite filmmaker of the seventies and eighties, but that really wasn't a factor in making my post.

I think your characterization of his pictures is pretty severely flawed, but that's neither her nor there in terms of this thread.

[Eleven]

Marx Brothers movies are about a pathetic, lonely little New York jew who casts himself oppostie beautiful women in annoyingly self-loathing movies with great dialogue structure?

And in such small portions.

[Philosophe_rouge]

Somehow, this film just didn't work for me. I love this period of cinema and how women were able to use their bodies as a commodity for moving up in the capitalistic society, but for whatever reason Harlow plays her as a one-note narcissistic, which just dampens any potential fun that can be had with such a ludicrous plot. And though Anita Loos tries to give her dialogue that can be used to both brand others and to reveal herself, Harlow's voice just ends up as a monotone, self-interested nagging. Though the turnabout at the end of Babyface isn't truly believable, there is nonetheless the sense of relational growth and that capital isn't all there is to personal relations. This sentiment, while not as hardline as RHW, still allows for a feminist rage about injustice, it just tempers the ribald anger with a touch of humanity.
I can understand this, and part of why I ranked it a bit low. I think it's one of the weaker "feminist rage" films of pre-code cinema and Baby Doll is far stronger. That being said, I think Jean Harlow is an actress that is often difficult to like. I understand what you're saying, but I actually enjoy her narcissism and the static nature of her character. I find the final bit especially compelling, as her nature is not quite as "success" motivated as I had assumed, and it was far more about sex and conquest than I initially thought. I have found though, that in general Harlow is inconsistent... I love her here and in Libeled Lady, but I've thought her entirely unremarkable or even dislikeable in all the other films of hers I've seen.


More Lubitsch FTW!
I am a Lubitsch fan girl.


In my defense, I was going to buy that beautiful looking "Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection" containing Animal Crackers, Duck Soup and three others, but I've read that the transfers are horrendous, so I didn't.
I didn't think they were horrendous, but then again, I wasn't particularly concerned about the quality. They're worth renting at least.

[Philosophe_rouge]

http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss181/missemmaknight/vlcsnap-14960711.png
27. The Thin Man (W.S. Van Dyke, 1934)

Though some credit for the film's appeal should go to the screenwriters, and W.S. Van Dyke's slick, undistracting direction... there is no denying, the enduring love affair film fans maintain with the Thin Man series is due to Myrna Loy and William Powell. Has there ever been a cinematic match as perfect ? Everything about their collaboration worked, they had both equal talents and the chemistry to match. Their complimentary comedy skills gave a lightness that was so needed to the material, though it never seemed to cheapen the gravity of the crimes. Even as the series began to wear thin (pun unintended), and the quality of scripts dropped, the films are still endlessly watcheable because of the two.

[Philosophe_rouge]

http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss181/missemmaknight/1-10.png
26. Frankenstein (James Whale, 1931)

Touching, emotional and frightening there are scenes in Frankenstein that seem out of touch with the rest of the film. The Frankenstein monster stumbles upon a young girl who offers whim some flowers. Together they sit by the water and throw the waters onto the calm surface of the water, watching them float quietly along the surface. The monster is dazzled by the discovery but soon runs out of flowers. He turns to the girl, and the unfortunate innocence of his understanding of the world, he picks her up and throws her in the water expecting her to float; she doesn't. Not included in all versions of the film, the scene is heartbreaking in that we don't regard the monster with hatred, but rather a melancholy sadness for his ill-conceived destiny. Frankenstein himself, so wrapped up in creating, and finally dissapointed with the result, neglected all responsabilities he had signed on to as father, and well... God. For me, the best monster films are often those where the audience's sympathies lie just as much with the monster as with the victim, because in many ways they are often victim of circomstance, unable to control their actions, or in this case, not choosing to be born. Though having a very primitive understanding of the world, the monster clearly feels unwanted and is mistreated in such a way that his actions are almost justified as an act of self-preservation.

[Philosophe_rouge]

http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss181/missemmaknight/pdvd059ud1-1.jpg
25. Shanghai Express (Josef Von Sternberg, 1932)

There are few filmmakers who I love more than Josef Von Sternberg. His style is incomparable, the light, the smoke, and the mystery... he created a world of unique eroticism that so many filmmakers strive for, but never achieve. Though occasionally his films delve into camp, for the most part, they're brilliant exercises in excessive style. The look (and by extension, the feel) of the film becomes the central idea. Shanghai Lily is a mystery, a beautiful illusion... the perfect woman. Yet, she is a self-fabricated business woman whose business is her body, and her true identity is obscured by the world she creates around her. Dietrich has an acting style that one could mistakingly call "indifferent", she rarely seems involved... even in the most emotionally charged scenes. Yet, watching her when she says nothing at all, one sees a true master at work. The film is about her, about her image... nothing else matters. Words flow, but her movements command each shot. It's sometimes difficult to explain, or even justify, how central some "movie stars" are to cinema... but watching a Dietrich/Sternberg collaboration, there is no doubt that she is as much a part of the cinema, as the light, or the setting or the script. Dietrich is art.

[B-side]

I have The Devil is a Woman on my computer. I'll watch it in the next few days.

[Philosophe_rouge]

I have The Devil is a Woman on my computer. I'll watch it in the next few days.
A Sternberg I've yet to see :(

[Eleven]

Of the Dietrich/von Sternbergs, Devil is a Woman is perfectly in the middle for me.

1. The Scarlet Empress
2. The Blue Angel
3. Morocco
4. The Devil is a Woman
5. Blonde Venus
6. Dishonored
7. Shanghai Express

But they're all pretty awesome.

[ledfloyd]

i didn't realize 34 was pre-code. i love the thin man.

sternberg is a blind spot i need to take care of. i read this in a tarantino interview recently and it made me want to check him out.


"I have to admit to coming to Von Sternberg very late in life," he said. "First, by reading a book about him which made me seek out his films for study. Then his autobiography which is I think one of the finest critical books of cinema art and its limitations ever written. Now I consider that of the cinema geniuses like Kubrick and Welles...my favorite genius is Von Sternberg. I thought I gave Kruger the Von Sternberg treatment more than Laurent."

[Philosophe_rouge]

i didn't realize 34 was pre-code. i love the thin man.

sternberg is a blind spot i need to take care of. i read this in a tarantino interview recently and it made me want to check him out.
It is up until July 1st, I actually checked the dates to be sure :p There is one film that is a bit tricky though, since it had a London premiere before July but American after. IT's a Hollywood film though.

[Kurious Jorge v3.1]

Of the Dietrich/von Sternbergs, Devil is a Woman is perfectly in the middle for me.

1. The Scarlet Empress
2. The Blue Angel
3. Morocco
4. The Devil is a Woman
5. Blonde Venus
6. Dishonored
7. Shanghai Express

But they're all pretty awesome.

Dishonored is way too low!

1. Scarlet Empress
2. Dishonored
3. The Devil is a Woman
4. Shanghai Express (could of easily been titled "Racist Train")
5. Blonde Venus
6. Thunderbolt

[Eleven]

Dishonored is way too low!

1. Scarlet Empress
2. Dishonored
3. The Devil is a Woman
4. Shanghai Express (could of easily been titled "Racist Train")
5. Blonde Venus
6. Thunderbolt

Dishonored is certainly underrated, but Dietrich/von Sternberg is one cinema's great collaborations, thus its placement under some of their more iconic and baroque offerings.

Plus I was only ranking their collaborations, not all of von Sternberg's work.

[Eleven]

Von Sternberg is probably the most visually rich director in the history of film, and all he had were people, sets, and light. Maybe some of the decadent splendor of Fassbinder or pageantry of Paradjanov come close, but really, he's always been in a league of his own.

[Qrazy]

I haven't seen any Sternberg but I don't really agree that Paradjanov and Fassbinder are two of the most visually rich directors of all time. I'll give them top 100.

[Eleven]

I haven't seen any Sternberg but I don't really agree that Paradjanov and Fassbinder are two of the most visually rich directors of all time. I'll give them top 100.

I'm saying that certain aspects of some of their work comes close. For instance, I think Welles is a visually rich director, but not remotely in the same way as von Sternberg is.

[Qrazy]

I'm saying that certain aspects of some of their work comes close. For instance, I think Welles is a visually rich director, but not remotely in the same way as von Sternberg is.

Ahh perhaps the operative term is rich. P and F both have a very textural feel to their imagery.

[Eleven]

Ahh perhaps the operative term is rich. P and F both have a very textural feel to their imagery.

The Scarlet Empress is sometimes absurdly intricately layered. I have a hard time coming up with an analogue for the way he used light and shadow. You gotta get on this blind spot asap, Q!

[Qrazy]

The Scarlet Empress is sometimes absurdly intricately layered. I have a hard time coming up with an analogue for the way he used light and shadow. You gotta get on this blind spot asap, Q!

Will do.

[SirNewt]

http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss181/missemmaknight/MarxBrothersAnimalCrackers_02-1.jpg
28. Animal Crackers (Victor Heerman, 1930)

One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don't know.

Yes, one of their best. Blows "the coconuts" away.