DVDBeaver are preparing information for a 'Pre-Code' page. We hope to compile a complete list of these films - or the most prominent ones at least.

PRE-CODE - Created before the censorship Production Code (also knows as Hays Code) that was instituted in 1934 and was in effect for about 30 years (abolished in 1968). Technically, 'Pre-Code' describes films between March 1930, when the Production Code was adopted, and July 1934, when it was amended and enforced.  The Code disallowed profanity, excessive violence, illegal drugs, risqué sexual elements.

Between 1929 and 1934, Hollywood was governed by a voluntary code of decency. During this period, women characters were often tough-talking, sexually aggressive, and independent. Under pressure from church and state decency groups, a code with enforcement powers was implemented in 1934. The effect of the 1934 code (which remained in effect until the late 1960s) has been hotly debated recently. LaSalle, film critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, makes it clear what he thinks, blasting the code as a measure "to prevent women from having fun. It was designed to put the genie back in the bottle' and the wife back in the kitchen." He calls the code, as enforced by Joseph Breen, "anti-art," antiwoman, and anti-Semitic.

By July 1934, responding to pressure from what dissolute screenwriter Ben Hecht called "churches and civic leagues still stand guard against the art of the underpants," Hollywood agreed to a program of Catholic censorship led by Joseph Breen, a staunch, starchy body. For nearly four years, the movie capital had alternately mouthed and ignored the provisions of the 1930 code, particularly its list of "Don'ts and Be Carefuls": VD, ridiculing religion, seduction, rape, depictions of theft or murder, gruesomeness, men and women in bed together, surgery, drugs, miscegenation and nudity.

These films are simply incredible! It's a totally different world. Unfortunately, most of these movies are not available on DVD and even some VHS are priced astronomically. According to some rumors, Warner Brothers is preparing a pre-code set to be released next year.

Some of the best examples are:

 

42nd Street (1933)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
A Free Soul (1931)	NOT AVAILABLE ON DVD YET
Animal Crackers (1930)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Animal Kingdom, The (1932)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Applause (1929)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Arrowsmith (1931)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE AND REVIEWED HERE
As You Desire Me (1932)	AVAILABLE ON VHS HERE
Baby Face (1933)	AVAILABLE ON DVD
Barbarian, The (1933)	NOT AVAILABLE ON DVD YET
Bat Whispers, The (1930)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Behind Office Doors (1931)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Betty Boop - America's Sweetheart (1933)	AVAILABLE ON DVD FROM FRANCE HERE
Betty Boop's Rise to Fame (1934)	AVAILABLE ON DVD FROM FRANCE HERE
Bird of Paradise (1932)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE AND REVIEWED HERE
The Black Cat (1934)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE AND REVIEWED HERE
Blonde Crazy (1931)	AVAILABLE ON VHS HERE
Blonde Venus (1932)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE and REVIEWED HERE
Born to Be Bad (1934)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Call Her Savage (1932)	NOT AVAILABLE ON DVD YET
Check and Double Check (1930)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Cleopatra (1934)	NOT AVAILABLE ON DVD YET
Cocoanuts, The (1929)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Counsellor at Law (1933)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Damaged Lives (1933)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Dance, Fools, Dance (1931)	AVAILABLE ON VHS HERE
Dark Horse, The (1932)	NOT AVAILABLE ON DVD YET
Death Kiss, The (1933)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Design for Living (1933)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE AND REVIEWED HERE
Dinner at Eight (1933)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE AND REVIEWED HERE
Divorcee, The (1930)	NOT AVAILABLE ON DVD YET
Dixiana (1930)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE AND REVIEWED HERE
Dracula (1931)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Duck Soup (1933)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE AND REVIEWED HERE
Easiest Way, The (1931)	NOT AVAILABLE ON DVD YET
Ecstasy (1933, Czech - aka Ekstase)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Employees' Entrance (1933)	AVAILABLE ON VHS HERE
Female (1933)	AVAILABLE ON VHS HERE
Footlight Parade (1933)	AVAILABLE ON VHS HERE
Frankenstein (1931)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Freaks (1932)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE AND REVIEWED HERE
Free and Easy (1930)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Front Page, The (1931)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
George White's Scandals (1934)	NOT AVAILABLE ON DVD YET
Goodbye Again (1933)	AVAILABLE ON VHS HERE
Grand Hotel, The (1932)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Hallelujah, I'm a Bum (1933)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Hell's Angels (1930)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Horse Feathers (1932)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE AND REVIEWED HERE
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE AND REVIEWED HERE
I Cover the Waterfront (1933)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Illicit (1931)	AVAILABLE ON VHS HERE
I'm No Angel (1933)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Indiscreet (1931)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
International House (1933)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Invisible Man, The (1933)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
It Happened One Night (1934)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Kennel Murder Case, The / Nancy Drew...Reporter (1933)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Kept Husbands (1931)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
King Kong (1933)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE, HERE REVIEWED HERE
Kongo (1932)	NOT AVAILABLE ON DVD YET
Ladies They Talk About (1933)	AVAILABLE ON VHS HERE
Lady for a Day (1933)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Lady Refuses, The (1932)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE AND REVIEWED HERE
Lady with a Past (1932)	NOT AVAILABLE ON DVD YET
Little Caesar (1930)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE AND REVIEWED HERE
Lonely Wives (1931)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Love Me Tonight (1932)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Mädchen in Uniform (Germany, 1931), aka Girls in Uniform	AVAILABLE ON VHS HERE
Mata Hari (1932)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE AND REVIEWED HERE
Match King, The (1932)	NOT AVAILABLE ON DVD YET
The Merry Widow (1934)	AVAILABLE ON DVD IN BRAZIL HERE or VHS HERE
Millie (1931)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
The Miracle Woman (1931)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE AND REVIEWED HERE
Monkey Business (1931)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Morocco (1930)	AVAILABLE ON GERMAN DVD HERE ,REVIEWED HERE
Mouthpiece, The (1932)	NOT AVAILABLE ON DVD YET
Mummy, The (1932)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Naughty Flirt, The (1931)	NOT AVAILABLE ON DVD YET
Night Nurse (1931)	AVAILABLE ON VHS HERE
Of Human Bondage (1931)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE AND REVIEWED HERE
The Old Dark House (1932)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
One Way Passage (1932)	NOT AVAILABLE ON DVD YET
Phantom Broadcast, The (1933)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Platinum Blonde (1931)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Public Enemy, The (1931)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE AND REVIEWED HERE
Purchase Price, The (1932)	AVAILABLE ON VHS HERE
Queen Christina (1933)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE AND REVIEWED HERE
Rain (1932)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Red Dust (1932)	AVAILABLE ON VHS HERE
Red Headed Woman (1932)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Roman Scandals (1933)	AVAILABLE ON VHS HERE
S.O.S. Iceberg (1933)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Scarface (1932)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE AND REVIEWED HERE
Scarlet Empress, The (1934)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE AND REVIEWED HERE
She Done Him Wrong (1933)	AVAILABLE ON VHS HERE
Sign of the Cross, The (1932)	AVAILABLE ON VHS HERE
Sin Takes a Holiday (1930)	AVAILABLE ON DVD HERE
Skyscraper Souls (1932)	AVAILABLE ON VHS HERE
Smiling Lieutenant, The (1931)	NOT AVAILABLE ON DVD YET