Movie Monday: Continuing look at the movies of the 1930s

I hope if you’re reading this, you’ve looked at the Hollywood Production Code. Isn’t it a hoot? It’s like your strictest teacher follows you into adulthood and continues to give you rules of good conduct and sexual behavior. There’s so much in it that shows the preoccupation with sexual matters this office had. It also shows how a small band of influential zealots can come to power and inflict their beliefs on a supine populace. And don’t think that the Code is dead. It’s been tweaked and morphed into the MPAA (as opposed to its former life as the MPPDA) but watch the movie: This Film Is Not Yet Rated from 2006 to find out what a bane the MPAA is to creative movie makers.

Watching 1930s Code movies I always laugh at the double bed requirement and the deux ex machina endings. Unfortunately, there is so much more to criticize with the code. Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn from GWTW needed a special amendment written into the Code so it could be used (Wikipedia). Your mind could explode if you think too much on this.

Moving on to 1931 movies and believing a Yahoo list, the most popular movie in 1931 were adventures.
For example:
Convicted - a woman unfairly convicted of a crime
Phantom of the West - an early 10-chapter serial about a rancher who disguises himself as the "Phantom" in order to seek justice
Cavalier of the West - a cavalry vs. Indians western
Mystery Train - a late silent; a woman, a train, jewels (To me, the only interesting thing about this movie is that it starred Hedda Hopper who went on to gossip writing fame (infamy?) and whose son played Paul Drake in the long running TV series Perry Mason.)
U-67 - search for a sunken ocean liner
Branded Men - white hat cowboy vs. black hat ones
The Maltese Falcon - sexually-freer than the 1941 classic; a detective, a beautiful woman, crooks and the black bird
The Vanishing Legion - western serial
The Secret Witness - murder mystery
The Drums of Jeopardy - mad scientist seeks revenge (Here’s another movie theme I may explore: how the movies depict scientists)
Chinatown After Dark - the “Chinese dragon lady” and crime

Of the 30 movies Yahoo lists as the most popular in 1931, the majority are crime and adventure. Which makes me think that Hollywood is really in the same track today. Then, the technology only allowed scary movies to use spooky music and wide-eyed actors to depict fear. Today, CGI and all sorts of advanced technology has moved these movies into the realm of horrific gore and mayhem.

In 1931, Hollywood was on the cusp of 100% sound films and silent movies were still being released. Even Charlie Chaplin released a successful silent film, City Lights, that year.

There were a good section of perennial horror classics from1931 with M, Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Frankenstein. (Another example of the portrayal of wealth in 1930s movies, is that of these four classics, only M depicted the underbelly of society. Dracula, Jekyll, and Frankenstein all lived in wealth, albeit their antics took them to shady place.)

At present, the American Film Institute lists two 1931 films, City Lights and Frankenstein in their 100 best films list.

There were still 1920's “loose” morals in films this year with:
A Free Soul where the good socialite, Norma Shearer, abandons herself to bad gangster, Clark Gable,
Platinum Blonde where the poor reporter marries the rich socialite but in the end rejects her life style for his friends and reporter gal who has always loved him and
Possessed where Joan Crawford goes from tramp to the mistress of wealthy man. (What I found most interesting about this last movie is a present day poster on a movie forum said that this movie showed: “that all the rich weren’t bad and all the poor weren’t good.”)

Using one web site, http://knowledgerush.com/kr/encyclopedia/1931_in_movies/, the top grossing films in 1931 were Frankenstein (Original version had the creature and child playing at the river. The child throws in flower petals and finally the creature throws in the child.), Ingagi, a pre-King Kong, the ape and the virgin sacrifice film and Mata Hari with the sultry Garbo as the sultry Hari. Another sites has Ingagi as a top-grosser at $12,000,000! (Does this belie common sense? Movie prices averaged 24 cents during the depression: http://www.pictureshowman.com/questionsandanswers4.cfm)

A perusal of 1931 releases didn’t bring up any depression-themed movies. We are still dealing with adventure films, “sneaking under the door before the Code gets teeth” films, and some classic comedies.

Next time: 1932, the Great Depression has arrived. Is there a change in how Hollywood shows us life?