Film Noir
The Original ‘Scarface’ (1932) Review: The World Is Yours
Released to fanfare and derision in April 1932, Howard Hawks’ brilliant Scarface is the ultimate Pre-Code gangster movie.
By Tod Molloy
Gangster Movies
Gangster movies originated in the cinema of the early 1930’s, inspired the real-life American mobs that rose to prominence throughout the prohibition-era.
Film Noir
‘Baby Face’ (1933): Baby Puts The Censors In The Corner
A decade before ‘Double Indemnity,’ Barbara Stanwyck brought the Pre-Code era to a close with her sultry turn in Warner’s ‘Baby Face.’
Film Noir
‘City Streets’ (1931) Review: Gangster Cowboy Noir
Released by Paramount Pictures in April 1931, Rouben Mamoulian’s City Streets is an overlooked classic of the Pre-Code era.
Film Noir
‘The Public Enemy’ (1931) Review: Pre-Code Beer and Blood
With a $150,000 budget and box office returns exceeding $550,000, The Public Enemy followed Little Caesar in a string of commercially successful gangster films.
Film Noir
‘Little Caesar’ (1931) Review: A Brutal Slice Of Early Noir
Based on the novel by W.R. Burnett, Little Caesar paved the way for films like The Godfather, Mean Streets and King Of New York.
Film Noir
‘Blood Money’ (1933) Review: Pre-Code Crime With Drops Of Gangster Noir
Derided by censors upon its 1933 release, Blood Money was one of Old Hollywood’s final Pre-Code films.
