Cultureshark goes NAUGHTY (or at least explores Universal's Pre-Code Hollywood collection)

Sometimes I think the term "pre-code" is a little more hype than substance, a gimmick to lure Dumers with suggestions of naughty filmmaking. It's kind of like how companies use the term "noir" rather loosely to apply a nice marketing tag to some of their old flicks. You know what, though? I don't care. It's great to see the Hollywood films of the early 1930s get any kind of release, especially when they're as rarely seen as the ones Universal just put together in its 6-film Pre Code Hollywood box set.

I rented disc 1, a double feature of "The Cheat" and "Merrily We Go to Hell." Oh, there was immoral behavior, even some illicit activity. But let's keep our expectations at a normal level here. Netflix did NOT forgo its standard red envelope in favor of a plain brown wrapper. These are basically two entertaining old flicks, each providing a fascinating window into early Hollywood's view of naughty social life in the (mostly) upper classes.

You see lots of talk of scandal and lots of fretting over moral transgressions, but ultimately what "dates" the pictures (mind you, I wouldn't use that term in a negative sense, as they're quite entertaining today) is not the behavior depicted, but rather the way people react to it. The gambling, adultery, and drinking isn't so unusual, but the shame is. We still have "sinful behavior" today, of course, and we see it all the time in the movies. What's harder to buy in modern society is the notion that people would be so embarrassed by it or try so hard to cover it up. In these pre-code films, a constant threat is someone blabbing to someone's spouses or to the press about what they did. "Imagine the scandal!" Today, yeah, we want to avoid that, but it's not so life-or-death that the avoidance of it could drive a whole screenplay.

"The Cheat" stars Tallulah Bankhead, and speaking of things that wouldn't work today, what a piece of work she is. I believe this is, in relative terms, a "young" Tallulah Bankhead, and though she's not playing a ballbreaker, for some reason she scares more than any of the monsters Universal was pushing in its horror movies of the era. I wonder if anyone ever called her "Tally Ho"?

This movie opens with a look inside one of those noted dens of iniquities where debauchery ran so rampant in the thirties: a yacht club. It's good of the filmmakers to establish this so early; sensitive viewers of the day could presumably head back to the lobby, demand their nickel back, and wait a few years for a Shirley Temple picture to arrive.

It's even worse than you might think, though, because these yacht clubbers are organizing a benefit for the Milk Fund, and we all know what THAT means, eh? We meet a big shot back from some wild safari tour (and we all know what THAT me--ah, never mind). He offers to host the Milk Fund shindig at his estate. He soon offers to host Tallulah at his estate, and she's married to another man!

Tally wants to see his place but not much more, so she spurns his advances. However, she runs up a big gambling debt, and since she simply can't have her husband find out, even though he loves her without reservation and is working on a lucrative financial transaction (I believe the company is called Enron). So she goes back to the big shot and agrees to, er, explore his place further, in exchange for--well, for money.

The creepy "big shot" is played by Irving Pichel, who steals the show with a performance so off-putting, I would have used that "scary Universal monster" line on him if Tallulah weren't top billed. Just listen to the way he says, "My money?" when Tallulah tries to return his contribution to her Get-Out-of-Debt fund. He's both mincing and menacing. Hey, I'm coining a new word: Minicing. I think the word "douchebag" is overused as an insult these days, but if it were widely used in the early 1930s, you can bet this character would be the poster boy.

It all leads to a big entanglement and one legitimately disturbing violent act. Still, "The Cheat" flirts with immorality and gives us a glimpse of that realm, but ultimately provides a scenario that strongly affirms conventional morality. Soon, the mere depiction or implication of pre-code kind of behavior was enough to lead to a Code. It seems pretty ridiculous by our standards because even a pre-code pic like this one is so obviously supportive of the status quo.

But my advice is to watch these movies just to be entertained and not for shock value. Just make sure you look under the bed before you turn out the lights at the end of the night. You sure wouldn't want Tallulah or Irving hiding under there.

Tomorrow I'll talk about the other movie on Disc 1, "Merrily We Go to Hell."