i luv cinema

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • 100 “Must-See”
  • About Me
Home Overlooked Films Tuesday’s Overlooked Film: Baby Face (1933)

April 9, 2013 By iluvcinema 8 Comments

Tuesday’s Overlooked Film: Baby Face (1933)

Many films were lost in the mire of the Hays Code (read more about it here); recent years have warranted a re-visitation and examination of these “lost” films. The “Pre-Code” films often used the titillating themes of sexuality and moral ambiguity to pull in and keep the movie going public deeply flocking to the cinemas.

BABYFACE1933_00289729_1412x1087_071620071627

This week’s overlooked selection, Baby Face starring Barbara Stanwyck and George Brent, is one such example. The tagline reads, She had it and made it pay. Specifically Stanwyck’s Lily Powers uses her feminine guile to work her way up the corporate ladder, ‘bumping’ into the likes of John Wayne along the way.

Thanks to its frank discussion of sex and sexuality, Baby Face‘s release has been said to be (in part) responsible for the institution of the morality–dictating edicts of the Hays Code:

… the original version of the film was rejected by the New York State Censorship Board in April 1933 … The uncensored version remained lost until 2004, when it resurfaced at a Library of Congress film vault in Dayton, Ohio … The restored version premiered at the London Film Festival in November 2004. In 2005 it was deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and selected for preservation in the United States Library of Congress National Film Registry and also was named by Time.com as one of the 100 best movies of the last 80 years. (Source: Wikipedia)

I suggest if you have not heard of this film, seek it out. It is a fine example of a Hollywood that existed for a very short period of time but had a lasting impact on the industry for several decades.

Be sure to check out some other overlooked titles at Todd Mason’s blog, Sweet Freedom.

Filed Under: Overlooked Films Tagged With: Baby Face, barbara stanwyck, George Brent, Pre Code Hollywood

Comments

  1. Patti Abbott says

    April 9, 2013 at 8:20 am

    What a long time it was until we could again see adult themes in movies.

    Reply
    • iluvcinema says

      April 10, 2013 at 10:47 pm

      The TCM Collection of these films is absolutely awesome!

      Reply
  2. Paula says

    April 9, 2013 at 9:04 am

    Great pick Iba! 100% yes, if you have not seen this, find it and watch it ASAP. Not sure that our movies today are even close to where the Pre-Codes were.
    Paula recently posted..If it’s Springtime, Why Is It Still Cold Outside Movie QuizMy Profile

    Reply
    • iluvcinema says

      April 10, 2013 at 10:47 pm

      🙂

      Reply
  3. jackdeth72 says

    April 9, 2013 at 10:32 am

    Hi, iluv!

    Great choice for a forgotten film!

    An adult tale told well. That also reveals how the Hay Code started pasteurizing and homogenizing films. Making them play with safer topics and execution. Lest someone be shocked or offended.

    Reply
    • iluvcinema says

      April 10, 2013 at 10:46 pm

      It also allowed folks to be clever to skirt around the Code 😉 cheeky!
      iluvcinema recently posted..Tuesday’s Overlooked Film: Baby Face (1933)My Profile

      Reply
  4. Todd Mason says

    April 9, 2013 at 11:26 pm

    They had to be Coded in a different way (HIS GIRL FRIDAY, to say nothing of Welles) or they had to be obscure boho items (Maya Deren and her peers) or they had to be made abroad…
    Todd Mason recently posted..THIS AMERICAN WIFE video satire: “The Pledge Drive”My Profile

    Reply
    • iluvcinema says

      April 10, 2013 at 10:05 am

      I have not heard Maya Deren’s name since my film class in college!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

Search

Recommended Read

Captain of Her Own Soul

UC Press

Added to My Video Library

Imitation of Life (1934)

Centers of Film Study

  • JBFC
  • MoMA Film Screenings
  • The Picture House
  • University of California Press (Cinema and Media Texts)

Fast Film Resources

  • Alfred Hitchcock Wiki
  • Alfred Hitchcock-Master of Suspense
  • Film | The Guardian
  • Kermode & Mayo's Film Reviews
  • Park Circus
  • Rotten Tomatoes
  • The Internet Movie Database
  • Tribeca Film

Film Societies

  • BAMcinématek
  • Film Society of Lincoln Center

This is How We Blogroll

  • BBC Film: The Bulletin
  • Cinematic Corner
  • Comet Over Hollywood
  • Critical Women on Film
  • FlixChatter
  • Future of Flim (Tribeca Film Blog)
  • in so many words …
  • Kermode's Film Blog
  • Paula's Cinema Club
  • Roger Ebert
  • Sobriety Test Movie Reviews
  • Superhero Movie Talk
  • Sweet Freedom

Archives

Tweets by @iluvcinema
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact iluvcinema
totalfilm600movieblogs

[footer_backtotop]

Copyright © 2025, iluvcinema ·Streamline Pro Theme · Genesis Framework by StudioPress · WordPress · Log in