Sep 25, 2020
Universal, 1933: Two little-known James Whale Pre-Codes that adopt divergent attitudes toward adulterous wives. First, treated as farce, in By Candlelight: Paul Lukas plays a butler who gets himself in trouble by masquerading as his playboy boss in order to have more refined erotic adventures. Then, treated as tragedy, in The Kiss Before the Mirror: Frank Morgan and Nancy Carroll get themselves in trouble by becoming fixated on their deceptive mirror images. Also discussed: Code censorship of ass-grabbing, Nils Asther's persona, David Lynch's Lost Highway, and how the Book of Job is a comedy.
Time Codes:
0h 01m 00s: By Candlelight (dir: James Whale)
0h 31m 53s: The Kiss Before the Mirror (dir: James Whale)
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