By Doug Gerbino
The Warner Archive has released two more volumes in their “FORBIDDEN HOLLYWOOD†series. Marijuana, Lesbians -AND-William Powell speaks Yiddish!
Forbidden Hollywood-Volumes 4 & 5 have been released by Warner Archive Collection. I have been a big fan of this series since The VHS/laser disc days. These pre-code films are a hell-of-a-lot-of-fun to watch, and no one did them better than Warner Brothers. As my cinema guru , Tom Dillon ["The Sage of Grammercy Park"] once said: “You wanna take a shower after watching a good pre-Cceighte Warner Bros. film!†These 8 films are great examples of that genre.
Volume 4-all 1932
JEWELL ROBBERY-William Powell and Kay Francis star in this story of a high society jewel thief who uses marijuana, amongst other things, to get what he wants. Directed by William Dieterle
LAWYER MAN- William Powell and Joan Blondell. Powell stars as a lawyer who workds his way up from the lower east side to Park Ave. with Joan Blondell as his secretary. Powell speaks some lines of Yiddish in this one. The Thin Mensch! Oy! Directed by William Dieterle.
MAN WANTED-Kay Francis and David Manners. Kay is the editor of a society magazine who is in a boring marriage “with arrangements.†Young David Manners needs a job...need we say more? Directed by William Dieterle
THEY CALL IT SIN-Loretta Young and George Brent. Loretta Young is an innocent, small town church organist(!) who is lured to the big city by a soon-to-be-married cad. Directed by Thorton Freeland
Volume 5-1932-33
HARD TO HANDLE-James Cagney and Mary Brian. Jimmy is at his best as a small time promoter who has a number of smart-aleck schemes blow up in his face. It’s how Cagney gets out of these jams that makes for all the fun. Directed by Mervyn LeRoy.
LADIES THEY TALK ABOUT-Barbara Stanwyck. What a dame! Stanwyck goes to prison. Not so veiled allusions to lesbians (caged heat). Butch-looking female prisoner walks by puffing on a cigar. Another prisoner teaching “new fishâ€. Stanwyck the ropes says: “Watch out for that one...she likes to wrestle!†Directed by Howard Bretherton and William Keighley.
MIND READER-Warren William andConstance Cummings. William plays a travelling snake oil salesman who goes from tank town to tank town conning folks out of their dough with all different rackets until he hits on a mind reading scheme. All is working fine till one day one of his fake prediction iturns out to be true-with sobering results. Directed by Roy Del Ruth.
MISS PINKERTON-Joan Blondell and George Brent. Based on a series of popular mystery novels written by Mary Roberts Rinehart, Joan Blondell plays a nurse who helps solve a dark, old house-type mystery while falling for cop, George Brent. Directed by Lloyd Bacon.
After watching these eight fun films, you will find yourself using archaic words and phrases like, SWELL and DAMES and HEY, YOU MUGS!...WHY I OUGHTA...SCRAM!...Do your self a favor and beat it over to the Warner Home Video site and order these two volumes. Then finds yourself someone to to shower with afterwards...you’lls have a SWELL time!
Click here to order from the Warner Archive