Pre-Code Essentials: Must-See Cinema from Hollywood's Untamed Era, 1930-1934

by Kim Luperi, Danny Reid

From Turner Classic Movies and the creators of @precodedotcom, this is the essential film-by-film guide to must-see cinema from the pre-Code era—a wild and wonderful time in Hollywood history before strict enforcement of a censorship code that ruled moviemaking for decades.
 
With unparalleled freedom in the Golden Age of Hollywood, movies produced during the “pre-Code” era between 1930 and 1934 boldly confronted a wide range of provocative subjects, including sexual freedom, the glorification of outlaws, racial taboos, and class consciousness. Films of the period include beloved classics like Grand Hotel(1932) and King Kong(1933) but also lesser-known gems like I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang(1932) and Ann Vickers (1933). These films, produced at the height of the Great Depression, pushed the limits of contemporary social norms at a time when Hollywood studios were desperate to attract audiences—by any means necessary. Pre-Code Essentials invites modern readers to engage with that history while diving deep into movies that remain, as they were then, adventurous and uncompromising.
 
In their incisive text, film historians Kim Luperi and Danny Reid cover fifty films that take readers through the pre-Code era’s evolution. Perfect for both pre-Code novices and film aficionados alike, the book is packed with detailed production and censorship histories, recommendations, and trivia. Famous names like Barbara Stanwyck, Jean Harlow, Clark Gable, and Ernst Lubitsch get their due, while sidebars spotlight treasures of the period like Ann Dvorak, Joan Blondell, Paul Robeson, Nina Mae McKinney, Dorothy Arzner, Warren William, and Dolores De Rio. Post-Epilogue features discuss availability of the listed films and include the text of the 1930 Production Code. Illustrated by more than 200 photos, Production Code Administration records detailing correspondence between studios and censors, and more, Pre-Code Essentials is both a gorgeous guide and an indispensable resource of Hollywood history.
 
Among the films The Divorcee, All Quiet on the Western Front, Safe in Hell, Frankenstein, Shanghai Express, Freaks, Merrily We Go to Hell, Downstairs, Love Me Tonight, Trouble in Paradise, Three on a Match, The Sign of the Cross, Gabriel Over the White House, The Story of Temple Drake, The Emperor Jones, The Sin of Nora Moran, I Am Suzanne!, The Black Cat, Smarty, Murder at the Vanities, and many more

Genres: Nonfiction, Film, History

243 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 28, 2025

About the author

Kim Luperi was born and raised in New Jersey but has since migrated west to Los Angeles. She wrote her undergraduate thesis on the censorship battle of BABY FACE (1933) and never looked back. Currently, she curates the @precodedotcom Instagram account and is a freelance writer for TCM. She’s written for AFI Fest, the American Cinematheque, and MovieMaker Magazine and covers classic film screenings at ISeeADarkTheater.com.

Reviews

[Monica Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading about these movies and the censorship that came with each film when released and on re-release. Love old Hollywood movies, and this expanded what I knew about the period.

[James Freeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t watch a lot of movies, but I’ve always been curious about the “pre-Code” era. Pre-Code Essentials was the perfect introduction. The authors explain each film in a clear, fun way that never feels too technical. The background stories, censorship notes, and photos helped me understand why these movies were so unique.
By the end, I’d already made a watchlist — something I never thought I’d do. If you’re new to classic films or just want a simple, engaging guide to pre-Code Hollywood, this book is an excellent place to start.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've loved pre-code.com for a long time, so delighted to get to read the book now. Danny's brand of humor is on point.

[Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting annotated discussion of 50 films that the authors believe represent a mix of the most important films of the pre-code period, the ones that most clearly indicate how that short period illuminated things film is often unwilling to touch, such as social and class rivalry in America, the impact of power relationships, the potential for political movements, the kind of power that men can use for dominating women, and certainly more attention to sexual themes for both titillation and serious insights.

This is a book format TCM has created for several topics (silent films, film noir, etc.). Like those, this does a good job of creating a filmography to explore the era in question. Like most of those books it can be read in short bursts, one film at a time, usually discussed in about 4 pages.

But this book is also very focused on the censorship battles of the short period from 1930-34, and how the films and those battles set up the strong code enforcement that dominated films for at least 30 years and influences what Hollywood considers safe even today (like violence is more acceptable than explicit sexuality, for example). The book provides extensive insights on what was considered objectionable, derived from research into the archives of both the film studios and the censorship boards. This makes for fascinating reading, especially when coupled with a discussion of the trends in the films going beyond what the censors wanted to allow.

[Paul Narvaez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is probably geared for a more general audience than the kinds of film books I normally pick up. That said, even as an entry-level, entertainment book, it still has a lot to offer. Some of its recommended film titles dug a bit deeper than the usual suspects ("Baby Face", "Night Nurse", "Red-Headed Woman", etc). It also provides local censorship information for each film which is a novel angle for the bans were always local and not national.

[Mya]

Looking forward to finding some more Pre-Code films to add to my watchlist!!

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is exhaustive in both a good and bad way. I liked all the stills from the movies.