Collections/December 2024

Pre-Code Columbia

In the early 1930s—when the censorial Hollywood Production Code wasn’t yet enforced and sex, sin, and sleaze were splashed across the screen with abandon—Columbia Pictures was distinguished by the working-class, populist milieu of their productions, which stood in contrast to the polished, escapist gloss of larger studios like MGM and Paramount. Under the direction of humanist masters like Franks Capra and Borzage, stars such as Barbara Stanwyck ( Forbidden ), Carole Lombard ( Virtue ), and Spencer Tracy ( Man’s Castle ) shone brightly in films that blended bold, realistic narratives with sharp, Depression-era social commentary.

7 films — 0 on the Channel, 7 unavailable