Pre Code Hollywood and the Great Depression 

aura.com/cinemacities The Dirty 30s ⭐ Further Reading, Sources and Movies Street Scene - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GifTacP8TqM.html Virtue - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Wa-fZKszdzc.html also available free to stream on TUBI tubitv.com/movies/100005735/virtue Safe In Hell watch here: (decent quality) ok.ru/video/1742457146036 buy here on DVD or Blu-Ray amzn.to/3VABPKd Faithless ok.ru/video/309172636323 Wild Boys of the Road is available to stream for free on TUBI: tubitv.com/movies/100012700/wild-boys-of-the-road I Am A Fugitive from a Chain Gang is available free to stream on TUBI tubitv.com/movies/100012217/i-am-a-fugitive-from-a-chain-gang Hells Highway ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-elnY5XoV8Pk.html ⭐ Documentaries ABC News Doc series This Century : Boom to Bust 1920-1929 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RN7ftyZigYs.htmlsi=dERfaudfKjjtiKJE Stormy Weather 1929-1936 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-zSfzFWU5LbY.htmlsi=AX2QDz2j10RRowyz Riding the Rails: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-WKHDW7SexlM.htmlsi=M-LFiPmDjEvTW4dq Stories from The Great Depression ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-TpfY8kh5lUw.htmlsi=dATH_gBK-1ac2wwT American Experience - March of the Bonus Army ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-mSC1lbfXfRQ.htmlsi=O0Es1_t63SFYxadB Bonus Army Routed ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-oNBHTM7hYCY.htmlsi=AWzDVc1nljyNZLip ⭐ Selected Sources Smedley Butler's Full Bonus March Speech July, 1932 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Q_vJH2nrMl8.htmlsi=GbiJL2V8SYyUFpBU Bernice's Story www.loc.gov/resource/wpalh2.21011104/?sp=1&st=text Statistics www.fdrlibrary.org/great-depression-facts#:~:text=throughout the 1920s.-,At the height of the Depression in 1933%2C 24.9%25 of,economic disaster in American history Richard Brody's New Yorker Review of Street Scene www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/street-scene ⭐Newspaper Clippings Caspar Prison Riot www.newspapers.com/article/casper-star-tribune-prison-riot-casper/149569907/ Auburn Prison Riot www.newspapers.com/article/press-and-sun-bulletin-prison-riot/149569702/ Ohio Prison Fire www.newspapers.com/article/telegraph-forum/149749714/ If you love classic films and smart, entertaining deep dive stories about classic Hollywood subscribe to the free cinema cities newsletter 📰screenspectator.substack.com?sd=pf If you're loving these videos consider supporting the channel at: ☕www.buymeacoffee.com/cinemacities ⭐ patreon.com/CinemaCities Members get lots of great extras!

Pre-code movies taught us that today's troubles, abortion, drugs, alcohol and homelessness were always with us. There really is nothing new under the sun.

So many today don't realise how bad it was in the 1930's. My Father left school at 14 & took over his older brother's paper route where he had to cycle 20 miles a day. At 16 he left home to work in a hotel kitchen 60 miles away: he cried himself to sleep for 2 months as he missed home & his mother so much. Another older brother of his had emigrated to Western Australia to work on a farm. His right arm was injured in an accident & when the depression hit he was let go. He got a job in a pub as he could serve beer with his left ( good) hand. Meanwhile he had to beg the family for money to pay for his return to England and medical treatment he needed. My Father said that before WW2 you never left a job however bad it was unless you had another to go to: destitution was always waiting for the unemployed. Thanks for the video & the insights 👍

My grandpa was a child of the depression born 1929 his favorite thing to do was listen to the Lone Ranger on the radio after doing the farm chores.

Both my parents were born in 1920. My mom lived in a garage with her mom & brother, after her dad left. My dad left the farm and lived in a boxcar, traveling from bridge to bridge painting them for the railroad and sending money home. Oddly, they never called me privileged or lorded it over me, what they went through. They were so grateful for everything, it rubbed off on me. I consider it a great gift.

This period, post silent and pre-code films, is my favorite. So many great films, with wonderful actors and actresses, directors and writers and producers, were made during these years. Thank you for focusing on this very special era for film production.

I always look forward to a new post on your channel. I have a master's degree in film studies and I can tell you with assurance that the quality of your content is on a level that could be used as college-level teaching material. Personally I think your channel is the best of its kind on RU-vid.

The greatest era in movies, as densely packed as a neutron star with classics and lesser-known gems. I watched these titles going by as you discussed them and sighed with happy recognition like I was seeing a bunch of old friends. "Safe in Hell" was once virtually unknown but in recent years has seen a great rise in its reputation. I'm glad you included Wild Boys of the Road, a really seminal Depression film about a part of American history not so much talked about. That lad in the newsreel traveling the rails was from my hometown where I still live and I've read old local newspaper accounts of teens hitting the road to find some hope and meaning and to relieve their parents of the burden of feeding another mouth. Heartbreaking. I might have included Three-Cornered Moon (1933) an early screwball comedy but with darker elements of a family's hardships during the era. You crammed a lot into this. Great work.

My parents came to the US in 1933, unable to speak English. Together with their family and friends somehow managed to scrape along thru these hard years and then send their children to fight in WW2. Will we ever be as tough as they when the chips are down? Thank you for this wonderful video.

"I Am A Fugitive from a Chain Gang" is actually a forerunner of more modern movies. According to one article I read, it's one of the first Hollywood sound movies to have a "hyper-present protagonist," a main character/audience surrogate who is in basically every scene of the movie. Now that's so common it's barely even a trope, but that movie was one of the first with lots of amazing POV shots. There's a scene where Paul Muni is in a diner & he's staring hungrily at a hamburger on the grill, but the guy he's with starts robbing the diner & we all see it from his own POV. It was very modern for 1933.

Wild Boys on the Road hits surprisingly hard for its time. It's about kids in the Depression who are so poor that they have to ride the rails like hobos and live by their wits. It's closer to foreign movies like Los Olvidados or Pixote in depicting youth in poverty with no adult supervision than Hollywood movies.

When Roosevelt heard about what Hoover had had done to The Bonus Marchers, he said to someone, "We just won the election."

It is interesting how the "American Myth" really informed the media of the Depression. Before then, everyone was on their own, but as soon as there was enough civil unrest and misery, the message became "we're all Americans. We'll get through this together." That's generally the approach. When times are bad, we're all in this together. When times are good, everyone is out for themselves. That line about the Mayflower is a good example in the later film. The Mayflower came over with a bunch of religious fanatics who were not suited or ready for life in the wilderness. Accordingly, they started to die in droves until they happened to come across Squanto, a native American that could speak English (likely because he was abducted and forced to work in the English merchant marine) and had no family left (likely due to diseases brought by Europeans). He was able to show them what they needed and negotiate with other tribes for food and goods. But even back as far as the 1930's, we had this mythic idea of the Pilgrims as resourceful, capable and pioneering people that begin the whole American myth. Now, even the Depression is part of that myth seen as a moment when the country pulled together, but the reality was far different. The country almost fell apart.

Everyone needs to be educated by this brilliant channel

23:50 ... Smedley Butler marine corps general, author of, "War is a Racket." a must read. your videos are SOOOOOOO great!

Greatest era of US movies. The brilliant upbeat depression movies were the 1st 3 Warners Busby musicals. Footlight Parade would be my all time fave. To think the pre-code era will be 100 years old before long

Nice job. You’ve created a good piece here. It’s important to remember. And to think that generation were about to have to fight WWII.

Wonderful essay on one of the most exciting periods of the art form. And thank you for highlighting the work of Vidor and Wellman, masters of the craft and important American artists who still don’t get their deserved recognition. Thanks again.

Watched on Patreon but felt this was so good watched again here

Find me some new movies to watch... You have a bundle of suggestions that have filled up my playlist. Great channel

There are 8 million stories in this city and here I am naked.

I Am A Fugitive from a Chain Gang is soo underseen. This & Scarface are Muni’s best roles

I'm no film historian, but I do know television production and what you deliver with these videos is well researched, cleverly scripted with well chosen video and audio material... and most of all it's non-formulaic content. The standard you've set for yourself is pretty high, but I believe is is very much appreciated. TCM and PBS should come knocking, but then that might restrict what you have achieved with this channel.

Carole Lombard never forgot and was kind and generous to the end. 💕💜💕💜

You have provided me with a weekend binge. Thanks for this!

My Grandfather was one of those “Hobos” From Cleveland Ohio, he west, looking for work. One year later he met his younger brother at Hollywood and Vine. They tried for at least a year to break into Hollywood movie business as carpenters, electricians or whatever (Both had high school degrees.) Unfortunately he didn’t know anyone in Los Angeles, and the never made it in. They ended back into Cleveland.

Major General Smedley Butler, USMC, 2x MoH recipient, a veteran who infiltrated and exposed corporate-capitalist discussions and planning for a coup d'état against FDR in 1934-5. When he was posted to a debarkation camp in France during WW1, he made the place livable and decent for the deploying troops where before no one cared. Recklessly brave and committed to principle.

Fascinating, excellent video. History lesson based on truth is rare. Love the old classics, but precode 1930s are gems. Hubby and I will enjoy watching these treasures. Thanks!

My grandparents owned farms in the 19teens through the 20s and 30's so my parents were luckly.

General Douglas MacArthur accompanied the troops that cleared the Bonus Army camp with fixed bayonets and sabers.

You are divine. Thank you so much for your hard work.

The movies of this era feel very relevant to me right now.

I'm glad you gave King Vidor a nice shoutout. He is sorely neglected today, and he had some great visual artistry in his movies.

General Smedley Butler was a true patriot, not only to his country, but to those who served under him... how great to see this truth-telling firebrand toward the end of this video.

My mother was born in 1922. As a child of the depression, the poverty forever altered her mind. She suffered from hallucinations and psychosis her entire life. She told me her only escape (from the depression) was the movie theater. She fantasized being the one rescued by the wealthy, handsome man an on the screen. She spent her life in and out of mental hospitals.

“Hoover sent the army, Roosevelt sent his wife” said a WW1 veteran.

Another excellent video. I'm 79 and you continue to expose me to great films that I was not aware of . Thanks.

This is my grandmother’s time. She and her sisters used to tell me how things were back then. The pre-code films are my favorite to watch.

Found my way to your channel and all I can say is well done! Great research, wonderful narration, informative, and introduced me to some movies that I’m not familiar with. Subscribed and will binge more. Thank you for a thoughtful video on the cinema of the 30’s that didn’t rehash the same old movies.

Excellent video. Eerily prescient. I llive in San Diego, and the feeling in the air for many of us is can be summed up in one word- precarium. We’re all one accident, illness, or job layoff away from utter economic despair. It’s sad, but true. California has become a medieval state of the extremely affluent, the threadbare working poor, and the drug addled destitute. It’s a fucking disgrace.

This should be shown in high school. It's a much neglected part of our history. I've seen young adults comments on line and in interviews. It's amazing how much they don't know about our more recent history including WWII. How sad and dangerous. I was born after the Great Depression, but it always interested me and leaned much from my family who survived it.

My dad was born in 1927. Every day while I lived at home, we had a piece of fried meat, and fried or boiled potatoes. Other stuff in season, but always that. It was good, mom was a good cook, but 5 days a week that was it. I asked about that one time. He said “I’m just tickled to have good food in front of me. It wasn’t always this good, or this much.” Ouch!

Excellent, I am nice and early for this one!

I was lucky enough to catch "Safe in Hell" on Criterion Collection. It is gritty and mostly unsentimental. Dorthy Mackaill is amazing in it. She plays tough and vulnerable so well. I don't think I've seen her in anything else, but I really loved her in this movie.

We don't know what real hardship is.

Most economists agree today that Roosevelt's "New Deal" heavy borrowing from banks, tied up capital that industry needed to bring back workers or to expand. Industry couldn't compete with the interest rates the FDR admin was willing to pay for capital to fund its numerous three letter government projects.

I love this channel! Along with film noir, the precode era is another favorite of mine. The snappy dialogue keeps them always fresh and the characters realistic. Despite the sometimes stilted camera, they “move”. I’ve seen a few of these films, so it looks like it’s time to put a few hours aside to watch the ones I haven’t seen.

I just love your documentaries. You have a perfect narrative voice for it too.❤

This was a great video, not only interesting but also surprisingly moving.

Excellent. Thank you so much.

Very well done, thank you

My grandfather went into business buying and selling gold during the depression. He went door to door asking people if they had gold earrings or anything with gold in it. He did quite well back then. I think he also sold bibles for extra money. It sure was a terrible time for the country and the world.

Dorothy McHale: what a queen 🎉

Thank you for such an insightful essay. I've watched most of the films referenced but still can't even imagine what it was like trying to get by during those times. A bit off topic, but what I find fascinating is the post-code high society pictures that seemed to reign in the late 30's (often starring Roberts Young and Montgomery). I'm not quite sure I grasp the appeal of those films to general audiences given what I would assume would be a general feeling of resentment towards the moneyed/idle class. A mystery to be sure. I appreciate the links provided... they should keep me busy for a while.

Sorry to hear about your troubles; one of many, I'm afraid. As always, however, exceptional and intriguing material. Well done!

Thanks for posting links to see these movies. This fascinating.

Another excellent video and several new movies to add to the list.

Great video,Bravo. Kudos to you - great work.

Your production values are excellent as is the writing and narration. Well done! (IMHO)

Really fantastic presentation. Thank you.

My grandparents said that the Great Depression didn’t affect them that much because they were born and raised on a dirt farm where they grew their own food. My grandfather was saying that when he fought against the Japanese in WW2 he could not comprehend getting a paycheck.

Beautiful and well done! The greatest generation earned that moniker the hard way…

Thanks!

Your voice was a pleasure to hear reading to us 😊

Another excellent documentary from you, thanks!

Thanks for this information.

Really interesting! I’ll check some of them out!

Thanks so much. This new video was worth wait.

In case there are some who are unfamiliar with Smedley Butler, who appears at 23:35 U.S. Marine Corps Major General Smedley Butler who was, at the time of his death, at that point, the most decorated marine in history. "I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street." A man of integrity, who honestly acknowledged his misguided mistakes, owned up to them; and then spent the rest of his life trying to correct those errors, by challenging the crooked politicians & corporate-interests, who sent him to do their bidding.

when i was a kid, the local Fox channel used to show these movies at night. i always went to sleep all depressed (no pun intended). but i couldn't look away either. loved the essay, even though it gave me resurgent ptsd... he he!

Thank you. Amazing Doc

The irony is thought Happy Days would be here again in 1933. Four years later the unemployment rate was still 25%.

A great little documentary!

Extremely well done. Impressive‼️ [ and it takes a LOT to impress me. 📻🙂

great video.

I love pre-codes films street scene is one of my favorites and reminds me a lot of spike lee’s do the right thing

Can always trust Cinema Cities for more film recommendations! Great video

Momma was 8 yrs old when the crash happened. Her daddy died when she was five. Raised by a single mother (a tough old bird as they used to say) with her two sisters. Grandma kept a shotgun and a pistol always handy even after she married for the second time. The family rode freight cars to where the work was and when the work dried up, they would move again. I asked her once what it was really like and she said "You do what you have to do to survive. That's all".

I think you were the one that introduced me to King vedor movies. I saw the one were they start a co-op. Where do you live what state? Thank you for your hard investigative work. My parents grew up during the depression.

In all ways, very well done here! Classy presentation style. 👍

Despite the dramatic times portrayed in this films, I really enjoyed the selection. Very good work.

That was great, thanks. Very similar to now but we don't have the great films to show the time.

that old pre hays code honesty they really don't make them like they used to

The 20s were a wild, drunken party. The 30s were the next-day hangover. In the 40s the men and women who were matured and toughened by the Depression went out and whipped Hitler and Tojo.

Good choices. Also, Dead End. Would also appreciate a look at Hollywood's look at political films most notably Gabriel Over the White House, and Destination Moscow two rarely seen films that were off the wall.

Nice work.😇

Pre-code films were wild and raunchy and didn't sugarcoat anything. If you see a retrospective anywhere, it's worth your time.

I always love your videos, but this might be my favorite. Of the films mentioned, I think I've only seen, The Crowd, Street Scene and Chain Gang, but I'd love to dive further into this era of film. If I were you I'd consider expanding this into something full length. But what do I know, I'm just a two-bit taxi dancer from the wrong side of the tracks. Can't you see, I'm trash! A floozey! Just an endless string of men with their hands all over me. Tangos, waltzes, j-j-jitterbugs! No clean man's gonna want me, I'm just good for dancing. I belong in an ashcan!

@18:09 from Wild Boys on the Road, I recognized Grant Mitchell. He had a small but memorable part in Grapes of Wrath.

Great overview - the outro music is very LA Noire

Fantastic episode. Even by Cinema Cities standards, which is astronomically high.

My favorite era! You picked some of the best, have you seen HEROES FOR SALE (1933)? A great gritty social commentary film.

Thank you

“Wild Boys Of The Road” : FRANKIE DARRO, a Fantastic [ and very much underrated] Actor. 📻🙂

Excellent !

Your well done video and the comments almost say it all. Ironic how the military unconsciously can beat its own at the word from the politicians. Thank you for your work.

My grandfather’s era……amazing.

YES YES YES. THANK YOU ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

This is a video.keep them coming... And i love your final comment

My grandpa grew up in the Great Depression, in the summer he went without shoes to save money and chased ice wagons for the ice chips that would fall into the street. He survived WWII and was able to have a life thanks to the GI Bill of Rights. He told me that "if we ever give them another chance" - by deregulating banking and investing - "those Wall Street fat cats will do it to us again." He didn't live to see the 2008 financial crisis, but I sure remembered his prediction. (BTW we are primed for an even worse crisis any time now.)