TCM Archives - Forbidden Hollywood Collection, Vol. 1 (Waterloo Bridge [1931] / Baby Face / Red-Headed Woman) Reviews

• Clearing Up the Confusion

  
  By A3TZB9SXJCFMFJ on 2006-10-14
  There seems to be a great deal of pre-release confusion concerning what will actually be included on this upcoming set, and why. In the interest of sorting things out, I should first point out that although this is the first "Forbidden Hollywood" collection to be released by Warner Home Video on DVD, the franchise itself is not new. There were previously two "Forbidden Hollywood" boxed sets and a number of double features released on LaserDisc back in the 1990's. Additionally, quite a few "Forbidden Hollywood" titles were also offered on VHS cassette. From the git-go, "Forbidden Hollywood" titles were only culled from that cache of movies that premiered during the few short years after the introduction of "talkies" and the imposition of the Hays Production Code in 1934.
  
  During this time frame, roughly 1929 to mid-1934, Hollywood studio product became increasingly concerned with subject matter that would later be condemned as taboo after the Code came into effect; these so-called "pre-Code talkies" were filled with characters who indulged in premarital sex, extramarital affairs, and even gay and lesbian liaisons. Films touched on hot-button topics such as rape, abortion, feminism, having children out-of-wedlock, drug abuse, and other social ills. And mind you, these things weren't just delicately hinted at in screenplays ... they frequently were shown on-screen and discussed quite frankly. After the Hays Code was adopted by the motion picture industry as a self-censorship tool, this group of films was deemed unacceptable for future distribution and exhibition without judicious editing to trim out now-objectionable material, and so they became, literally, "Forbidden Hollywood" product.
  
  This new two-disc DVD set will feature three titles, but four films, two of them extremely rare. The first disc will include James Whale's 1931 "Waterloo Bridge", a film once thought "lost" and for the last 20 years only screened at film retrospectives (and apparently once or twice on TCM several years ago). The 1940 remake starring Vivien Leigh, though a wonderful and deservedly beloved film, will not be included here since it is not from the pre-Code era, and was never suppressed as part of the "Forbidden Hollywood" catalogue. Instead, the second film on this first disc will be the racy 1932 Jean Harlow vehicle, "Red-Headed Woman", which pushed the envelope back in the day for its bold depiction of a sexually free secretary who sets her sights on her married boss.
  
  The second disc will include two versions of a single film, the 1933 scorcher "Baby Face", starring Barbara Stanwyck as a blonde bombshell who - after being pimped out by her father in her own hometown - moves to New York and sleeps her way up the corporate ladder to the very top. Many film historians point to "Baby Face" as the single film most responsible for the introduction of the Hays Code, the one that ushered in an era of censorship that was to last for more than 30 years. Intriguingly, the version that so shocked the public was actually an edited version of the original cut, which then disappeared for over 70 years ... until a complete print was found, restored, and finally premiered on the revival circuit in early 2006. That long-awaited, long-sought original version will be included on this set, as will be the edited version that managed to cause such an uproar when it played theatres in 1933.
  
  And there you have it, the official contents of the "Forbidden Hollywood Collection, Volume One", enough to have a large number of pre-Code devotees jumping for joy at the chance to finally see (and own!) some seldom-displayed jewels. Let's just all hope that Volumes Two, Three, and so on are quick to follow!
  
  

• An excellent choice

  
  By A19U5RYULZ0Z72 on 2006-09-11
  The films of Pre-Code Hollywood (before 1934) have always held a special place in the history of Hollywood. The subjects were treated far more realistically than after the Code was imposed. This selection focuses on 3 films with 3 major central performances.
  
  "Baby Face", starring a relentless Barbara Stanwyck, is a 1933 Warner Brothers film which traces the rise and rise of a tart. Stanwyck was quoted once as saying that the film was slated for her to give her glamour but that is the least of it. She is certainly dolled up but it is her tough realism that really makes the role as she leaves a trail of men in her path from poverty to riches. The early scenes in her father's speakeasy are particulary powerful. Look for a young John Wayne in the cast too. The DVD contains the recently discovered Director's Cut before the film was hacked by the Censors, so you really get to see what the fuss was about. It is interesting to observe how the cuts did not destroy the flow of the story. Part of the Censor's objections was that the heroine did not get her come-uppance so the tacked on ending in the cut version assures us that she ends up where she started, which was in fact ambiguous in the original version.
  
  "Red Headed Woman" is probably Jean Harlow's toughest role, playing like Stanwyck a heartless tart who climbs her way to the top. Other actresses on the MGM payroll did not want the unsympathetic role but Harlow, with hair dyed from the trademark platinum blonde, has the requisite humour to put it over. Parts of the film are very funny with Una Merkel entertaining as Harlow's sidekick. The ending is hilarious with no contrived retribution for our heroine. The film really helped put Harlow on top and type cast her in the public's mind even when MGM later softened her image.
  
  "Waterloo Bridge" is the early Universal version of the MGM favorite, this time directed by James Whale. Film historians who have seen this version have always claimed it is far superior to the version starring Vivien Leigh in 1940 with a memorable performance by Mae Clarke. (By the way, that's Mae Clarke peeking out of the DVD Case). It is a treat to see and notable for a very early appearance of Bette Davis in a small supporting role. Compared to the MGM film, this version is much closer to the original play, both in script and the way it is filmed. It has a realism and sense of tragedy which is more moving than the glossy tearjerker from MGM. Douglas Montgomery, as the soldier, is far more convincing than the starry Robert Taylor but you can see why it would never have been the box office bonanza the MGM version was - the difference between parsimonious Universal in 1931 and glamorous MGM in 1940.
  
  The DVD set contains trailers of "Baby Face" and "Red Headed Woman" and a cursory introduction by Robert Osborne. The film prints are fine given the age of the films. The worst is probably the released version of "Baby Face" but once you have picked up where the cuts were made, you may not view it again, so it doesn't matter.
  
  The package would have been improved with a suitable documentary about the significance of the films, if only because both "Baby Face" and "Red Headed Woman" explore some interesting ideas about the power of woman over men. In both films, men are the victims, in the former of Stanwyck's hatred and the latter Harlow's greed. Both women use sex brazenly to achieve their ambitions.
  
  

• Pre-Code Goodness!

  
  By A2CL0JE11EPADZ on 2006-09-07
  For many fans of Pre-Code cinema, the only options to watching the movies we cherish has been to fastiduously comb through television listings, spend outrageous sums of money on limited release VHS versions or pray that your particular favorite is released with a Signature Collection DVD set. Pre-Codes aren't often given prime time slots and some of the best ones are still vaulted and unavailable in any format. Thank goodness this particular set is being released and may it hopefully be the springboard for the release of many other such sets.
  
  As for the films themeselves, "Red Headed Woman", "Baby Face" and "Waterloo Bridge" are excellent choices both for connisseurs and classic film fans unfamiliar with this particular time in cinematic history. Jean Harlow could not have become the movie myth she eventually did in the post Breen years. Stanwyck, an exceptional actress in many genres, was at her best in many of her Pre-Codes and it's about time her fans got the chance to see one of her devilish best. As a fan of Mark Viera's "Sin in Soft Focus" and Mick LaSalle's "Complicated Women" who has not yet had the opportunity to watch the much praised Mae Clark, "Waterloo Bridge", I cannot wait to see this particular film.
  
  December cannot come quickly enough.
  
  

• Disappointing release

  
  By A3P3W761AJQL3H on 2006-12-15
  I won't bother discussing the films themselves since that has been discussed and if you're reading this you're probably familiar with 30s cinema anyway.
  
  I'd like to express my disappoinment with these DVDS. Not only did Warner Bros (WB, not TCM, because WB owns these films and markets them) do a cheap job on the DVDs by putting two-to-a-disc instead of three seperate discs, as well as an embarassingly "let's do this quick" "introduction" pertaining to the three films (which barely lasts over a minute!), but the discs themselves are mis-labeled! Disc 1 contains the contents of Disc 2 and visa versa. Where is the quality control?
  
  I admit that I am slightly biased, as I am a huge Jean Harlow fan and in this reviewer's opinion Miss Harlow's legacy deserves better than this slapped-together job, but the overall product should've been of a higher quality and the films themselves deserved better than sharing DVD space together, especially given the SRP (suggested retail price) of this product.
  
  

• Cover Your Eyes!

  
  By A37S3ACL57LN62 on 2006-12-31
  The Forbidden Hollywood series on VHS was one of the most exciting for pre-code Hollywood fans. The series featured movies made before there were strict rules placed on what was and was not considered decent in movies, many of them with shocking and very modern subjects including sex, drugs, and crime. This is the first DVD release of that series, two previously released films and a new one.
  
  Let us start with Baby Face, perhaps the most shocking of all pre-code films. We have two versions here, the uncut version and the one that was released to the public. The uncut version features less than ten minutes of new footage throughout the film. It is difficult to recognize all of it because none of it disrupts the flow of the film. The story is about Barbara Stanwyck, a woman who was pimped out by her father to the drunken men who visited their illegal saloon. She has hardened herself to men, and when her father dies, she sets her sights on a large office building and sleeps her way to the top. This might sound dull, especially since this subject is not uncommon in modern films, but Stanwyck's likability and boldness make for a wonderful movie, one you can watch over and over. Watch for an early appearance by John Wayne.
  
  Next we have Red Headed Woman, a film starring platinum blonde Jean Harlow with a dye job. Her character is similar to that in Baby Face, but she's much classier in a beautiful wardrobe. Lil schemes her way into the arms of a married man and does all she can to turn his life upside down. She moves from man to man with no regard for her reputation or the dignity of the men she ruins. Although she's an evil character, we somehow enjoy the ride anyway. Also appearing is Una Merkel as Lil's loyal friend.
  
  Last is a new release, Waterloo Bridge. Mae Clarke plays a chorus girl turned prostitute who meets up with an innocent soldier on leave (Kent Douglass). The two fall in love but she cannot marry him because of her previous life. Clarke's acting is brilliant, subtle, but incredibly telling of her abilities. She seems much more beautiful here than in any other film. This version is vastly different from subsequent re-makes and stands tall on its own. Also appearing is a young Bette Davis in an early role.
  
  Unfortunately, manufacturers made a mistake when labeling the disks. Disk one has photos of Harlow and Clarke but features both versions of Baby Face. Disk two has a photo of Stanwyck but holds the other two movies and the introduction by Robert Osbourne.
  
  All in all, this DVD release is fantastic. Each film looks incredible; the images are clear and beautiful. Each provide a glimpse into an era that was cut short but which still glows with intensity.
  
  
• another rip-off
  By A1O2XS7W1TUI13 on 2006-09-10
  There are easily over 100 Forbidden Hollywood movies of varying quality that are worth a look. And what do we get here? three!!! wow, i'm impressed. Couldn't they at least put out a 5 two sided disc set with 20 movies (these movies are typically not more than 70 to 75 mins) It would be nice if they could put them together by theme too. What do these three movies have in common? Well, Baby Face and The Red Headed Woman are essential (Haven't seen Waterloo Bridge -can't be too bad from James Whale!) Good thing i recorded most of these movies off of TCM 12 yrs ago when they first started. i wouldn't want to be holding my breath for 3 movies at a time! these rip-off artists should really get a life!
  
  
• Great films, good choices, poor execution
  By A1GBTHA6FLEO8U on 2006-12-17
  I too have waited a long time to see the Pre-Code films on DVD, but this Warners release is part of the continuing saga from this company to shortchange its fans. The quality of Red-Headed Woman is lousy, worse than the prints I've seen and taped from TCM. Apparently there's someone new overseeing the vaults for TCM/Warners because there's no real attempt to remaster these films properly. The mislabeling of discs also shows poor quality control.
  
  The pluses are the very good prints of Waterloo Bridge and Baby Face, especially the newly-discovered "pre-release" version, which makes more sense than the second version, especially considering the fairly ambiguous ending that doesn't include the obligatory punishment scene censors demanded.
  
  For any of you who are not yet initiated into the fan club of scholars who love the Pre-Code era, this is still a must-have set. The era was really the only one in the history of film that gave women the Nietsche-like "Power" Barbara Stanwyck's friend in Baby Face told her she owns over men. The period from 1930-1934 was rare in that it featured radical stories with women leads who subverted the patriarchal society by using their sexuality one skyscraper floor at a time. The pretense was the exhibitors' desire for as many "women's pictures" as possible; box office was down significantly at the start of the Depression and theatre managers rightfully claimed that 75% of their audience was female. In downtown cities they shopped whenever they could, met each other for lunch, and sometimes hopped from one theater to the other. Hollywood responded by taking advantage of the lax censorship at the time, but when the industry's greatest fear faced them in 1934--the threat of censorship from the New Deal--the studios caved. (See the publication Variety from this era.) No wonder feminist theorists have written so much about this era.
  
  Now, two more negatives before I end this basically downbeat review: No extras--where's the documentary "Complicated Women" or other commentaries? How about the price, $39.95 for just three films with a short running time, when the box set would have been more reasonably priced at $30 list. Come on, folks, let's rally for better quality, more films, extras, and reasonable prices for future box sets. Otherwise we should reconsider our purchases and give a higher priority to companies like Criterion, Paramount, and usually Fox and Universal, who seem to give a damn about our best interests instead of taking for granted the addicts who will give up food for DVDs!
  
  
• A Fascinating Trio of Pre-Code Hollywood Films Highlighted by Stanwyck's Blazing Performance
  By A13E0ARAXI6KJW on 2006-12-07
  Before the Hays Code neutralized the sexually oriented behavior that could be shown in Hollywood movies for three decades, there was a crop of movies that reflected a more laissez-faire attitude toward risqué subjects like promiscuity, homosexuality and drug use. In what looks to be the first volume of an intriguing series, this two-disc DVD set from Turner Classic Movies contains three epochal works from that brief period that started with the talkie revolution and ended abruptly in 1934.
  
  The oldest of the trio, 1931's "Waterloo Bridge", is fairly typical of the pre-code genre and has only a fleeting similarity to the glamorous 1940 MGM version with Vivien Leigh and Robert Taylor. Directed by James Whale before he peaked with "Frankenstein" and "Showboat", this film is set in WWI London and stars the long-forgotten Mae Clarke, an actress best known for being the recipient of James Cagney's grapefruit attack in "The Public Enemy". She plays Myra, an American chorus girl who turns to prostitution when her show closes. Unlike Leigh's ethereal ballerina in the later film, Clarke's Myra is all bitterness with a shaft of hope in the form of an American soldier named Roy, whom she accidentally meets during an air raid. He comes from a wealthy family who find out about her profession, which leads to the inevitable consequences. Clarke is solid as Myra, though she does go overboard in her breakdown scene. Kent Douglass is rather wooden as Roy, though he certainly captures the soldier's callow nature. Done on the cheap by Universal and at only 81 minutes, it's an interesting and sometimes poignant curio thanks mostly to Whale's dexterity with melodrama. A freshly scrubbed, 23-year old Bette Davis shows up in the inconsequential role of Roy's sister.
  
  In full hellcat mode even without her platinum blonde tresses, Jean Harlow has her breakthrough role starring in 1932's more comically oriented "Red-Headed Woman", an obvious MGM product given its high production values. She plays Lil Andrews, an unapologetic gold-digger who seduces her boss Bill Legendre and steals him away from his staid fiancée Irene. Bored and tried of being looked down upon once they are married, she moves on to an older, wealthier man to ensnare but not before she tries to shoot her husband. But Lil's amoral behavior finds her being further rejected, especially when she is caught with a French chauffeur, played by a very young Charles Boyer with his trademark continental flair already established. For all the pain Lil causes to the other characters in the story, she ends up happily unrepentant in Paris, a fact which really defines this as a pre-code movie. At only 21, Harlow is already confident and brassy, even though Anita Loos' script has her teetering precariously between comedy and melodrama. Chester Morris is rather stiff as Bill, but Una Merkel shines as Lil's best friend Sally. Take note of the forthright way the camera lingers on Lil and Sally as they change in and out of their negligees.
  
  By far, the most interesting of the three films is 1933's "Baby Face", a hard-boiled Warner Brothers film starring a very young Barbara Stanwyck. A consummate master at portraying Machiavellian cool, a technique she perfected eleven years later in Billy Wilder's "Double Indemnity", Stanwyck plays Lily Powers, the well-worn daughter of a violent speakeasy owner in a suffocating steel-town. She has been rendered cynical and numb by years of being offered up as a sexual favor to her father's customers. Once her father dies in a distillery explosion, she hops a freight train to New York and literally sleeps her way up the corporate ladder of a bank. This would come across as preposterous were it not for Stanwyck's blazing work here. With her dead-eyed stare and amoral seduction methods, it is easy to see why men become addicted to her aggressive carnality. One of the young men she seduces along the way is a fresh-faced John Wayne as of all things, an accountant named Jimmy McCoy. The melodrama gets heavy-handed toward the last third of the film with a murder-suicide, a hush-hush job in Paris to keep Lily quiet and the new bank president who is so addicted to Lily that he embezzles company funds to keep her in luxury. A tacked-on ending is somewhat disappointing but not before Stanwyck sears the screen. The film has curious touches like Lily's bonding friendship with an African-American woman named Chico and the German immigrant who teaches Lily about Nietzsche philosophy regarding the importance of avoiding sentimentality.
  
  The first disc contains "Waterloo Bridge and "Red Headed Woman" with an introduction by Turner Classic Movies' Robert Osborne. The second disc has two versions of "Baby Face" - the original theatrical release version and the newly found, uncensored version, which includes seemingly minor edits and scene extensions that really make this an even more fascinating movie.
  
  
• Three great films that typify pre-code Hollywood
  By A2E3F04ZK7FG66 on 2006-12-09
  When Turner Classic Movies first came into existence they cleaned out Warner Brothers' vault of 1930's and 40's era classics. It's about time some of them came out in boxed sets such as this one. The theme of this particular box set is pre-code Hollywood, and includes three films that illustrate why the decency code came into existence.
  
  Film industry censorship began in 1922 following a trio of scandals that rocked Hollywood: the Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle murder trial, the never-solved murder of director William Desmond Taylor, and the drug-related death of matinee idol Wallace Reid. In 1930, a new version of the Production Code was drafted to standardize the censorship requirements of various states, since the inception of talking films made it difficult to arbitrarily cut offending scenes. However, the studios merely paid lip-service to the Code since they were more interested in finding ways to lure dwindling Depression era audiences into theatres. The pre-code era came to an abrupt close beginning July 1,1934, when watchdog groups threatened boycotts of all films and the Legion of Decency was established to monitor movies. Studio heads finally bowed to the public pressure and the era of censorship began, lasting until the establishment of the industry's rating system in 1968.
  
  In "Baby Face" Lily Powers (Barbara Stanwyck), hardened by growing up in a speakeasy, leaves her blue-collar town for New York determined to get ahead by any means necessary. Thanks to some sage advice from a local cobbler (Alphonse Ethier) she has taken to heart the teachings of Nietzsche and has decided to sleep her way to the top, floor by floor. In the end, she's gone through seven men, ruined lives, and lost what little bit of compassion and humanity she may have started out with in the beginning. She's married to the president of a bank and has a suitcase with over a half a million dollars in it, given to her by her husband during good times. However, her husband now is in trouble with the bank over business decisions he has made, and he needs the money that he once gave her to get the bank and himself out of trouble. Will Lily start over in poverty with the man she loves, or will she set sail with the money in her suitcase? It seems funny now, but one of the things that the censors had trouble with in this film and actually cut were some scenes with Lily discussing Nietzche's philosophy of turning situations where one is a victim into where you are in control. I guess this was a dangerous idea during the depths of the depression.
  
  In "A Red Headed Woman", Jean Harlow has her trademark platinum hair dyed an unlikely shade of red. Jean plays Lil, a girl from the wrong side of the tracks who's determined to climb the business and social ladder in the same way that Stanwyck's character did in "Baby Face". Likewise, Jean sets her sights on her boss Bill and refuses to take "no" for an answer. In this film, though, her boss is already married. This doesn't bother or slow down Lil one bit. The shameless homewrecker uses every trick in the book to snag him until her behavior borders on what would be considered "stalking" in today's lexicon. Red Headed Woman wavers wildly between comedy and weighty melodrama, with Harlow showing great comic flair as well as pathos in her portrayal of Lil. More significant, though, is the plot. It is more than a little risqué, and is an example of the type of film that simply couldn't be made a few years later. With marital infidelity, innuendos, violence, and sadism (when Bill finally slaps Lil out of frustration, she says, "Hit me again! I like it!") this is thoroughly adult fare, even by today's standards. Chester Morris was usually cast as a rather boring hero type, which makes him a perfect contrast opposite the amoral Harlow. Once Lil gets what she wants - married to Bill - society and her family do not accept her as such, and continue to side with Bill's cast-off first wife. Lil soon becomes bored with life as an executive's wife and goes back to her old ways. Will Bill see the light or will even more tragedy result for all involved?
  
  While the 1940 remake of the final film "Waterloo Bridge" starring Vivien Leigh might be better known, this 1931 original version of the acclaimed wartime romance stars Mae Clarke, who transcends the tawdry material with a luminous performance that should have assured her of a bigger career. Unfortunately, Waterloo Bridge remained out of the public eye for more than 50 years, leaving Clarke to be best remembered as the woman into whose face James Cagney smashes a grapefruit in "The Public Enemy". Her career never took off the way Harlow's and Stanwyck's did. In Waterloo Bridge, Mae Clarke is an American chorus girl who marries an officer in London during World War I. After he's reported missing, his family cruelly rejects her and, desperate to survive, she drifts into prostitution. However, remember that "reported missing", especially in the chaos of World War I battlefields, does not necessarily mean definitely dead. The heroine in this film, unlike the other two, is a somewhat sympathetic character. This is the one movie I had not previously seen, and it was quite good. It probably would be more remembered if it was not for the remake of nine years later that involved bigger stars.
  
  These are all excellent films especially with the restored footage, I found the video quality to be quite good even considering the age of the films, and the insightful commentary by Robert Osborne is always a welcome treat. The only bad thing I can say about the set is the somewhat high price which works out to about ten dollars a film, which is pretty pricey for three older movies, even if they are classics.
  
  
• No virgins here. It's neck & neck
  By A2MFNDNS1L7D16 on 2007-04-20
  between the two tramps most likely to "sleep" their way to the top. There's Jean Harlow as Lil in Red Headed Women & Barbara Stanwyck as Lily in Baby-Face, the movie with the famous song of the same name. Mae Clark as Myra, trolling for men off of Waterloo Bridge, completes this trio of trollops. She is out of the running simply because she's lovable & sympathetic as a World War I hooker in London, trying to keep it together. She actually falls in love with a GI. I give it by a lovely nose to Barbara. The movie is simply better & made better. At this point, she is a better actress that Jean. Lily's been damaged by her barkeep father who pimps her out in steel town. He dies in a fire that burns the saloon down & she heads for NYC. There she selects a high rise bank & goes to work. She has a plan. It's simple. Use sex to work her way up the corporate ladder. She disposes of a young, love-struck John Wayne early on. There is a long list of leading men & I'm sorry I lost count & track. But she works her way thru lots of men discarding each as she moves up the hierarchy. Men die & kill for her. She doesn't appear to like sex that much, only to use it. Rich & notorious, she reaches the top & marries the CEO. But the company is headed for the rocks & her husband is broke & in trouble with the law. She is rich & at first refuses to help. He shoots himself. At this point, she suddenly realizes that she loves this man. That should be the end of the movie, Lily wallowing in the grief she deserves. But the brains at Warner couldn't leave it alone. They tagged another ending on it. Lily's husband recovers from a bullet in the head & they return to poverty & happiness in steeltown. Stanwyck did not appear in that scene. which was obviously shot later. There's a little S&M in Red Headed Women if that's your taste but Baby-Face is still slightly better. You can get all three together, & you should. Together they are *****.
  
  
• Wouldn't it be nice if they found CONVENTION CITY and put on Vol. 2?
  By on 2006-12-11
  This DVD set is absolutely perfect! Three of the most notorious pre-codes on DVD, all restored! I think that it would be AH-MAZING if someone found the fabled smuggled prints of the pre-code of ALL pre-codes: CONVENTION CITY. I heard thet what really made the movie people make the Hays Code was this movie. It made all the people protest. It was supposed to be SOOOO bad that the Warner Brothers ordered all prints of the movie burned, and the negative, too. How sad. But it's said that some people smuggled prints of this movie out of the country for showings. These are films that I think should be on Vol. 2: Red Dust, Goldiggers of Broadway, and Road to Reno. Red Dust especially, because it has been long awaited to be on DVD by Gable/Harlow film fams, and also because it's the one of the best acted and pre-codeish pre-code movie. Ever heard of Harlow's famous rain-barrel scene where Clark Gable trys to pull her out of her bath? Well, it's in here, this movie. For now, let's be grateful that we have these great and rare movies on DVD for us to enjoy. Try Red-Headed Woman first. It's very funny, and showcases the comedic talent of the imcomparable Jean Harlow.
  
  
• Absolutely Worthwhile
  By A67CR6YCB462C on 2007-01-07
  Barbara Stanwyck is fantastic in Babyface. The movie itself is a tad simplistic in places (especially the professor quoting Nietzsche, getting her started on her way). But, she takes it from there, and does a great job. The situations that ensue are very rich, though. I agree with others that Mae Clark is great in Waterloo Bridge. The male lead is also great.
  
  The main reason for packages like this is to not just see some films you probably have not seen before, but to reconsider an aspect of film history. These movies make a compelling argument that the Hays Office, and the subsequent age of repression was also a patriarchal reassertion (even if secondarily). Stanwyck tosses the males around like so many rag dolls; Mae Clark is the one with the power, and headed off, not by a male, but the saintly understanding of her would-be victim's mother (while the step father represents surrogate weak seed, deaf and doddering).
  
  
• Great, but...
  By A3BJT3JHMC45Q1 on 2006-12-07
  I have been looking forward to getting this set for a long time, and it arrived today. The movies themselves are all wonderful, and I have nothing bad to say about any of them. The first problem is small and that is that the discs are mislabeled. The one marked Disc Two with Barbara Stanwyck's picture on it is actually Disc One containing the other two films, and vice versa. The other complaint is that there are absolutely NO extras. These are all very short films, and there would have been plenty of room for something, anything. I was hoping for some commentary. Couldn't they at least have found some shorts to throw in?
  
  
• SIMPLY WONDERFUL....
  By A1GF7BR6K22GZD on 2006-12-06
  Wow. This collection is a real treasure and worth every penny. Three Pre-Code films with en extra print of 1933's "Baby Face" before it was cut. The prints look great with only some mid-film scratching on, I think, 1932's "Red Headed Woman" but it doesn't last and doesn't distract. They look good because great care was taken to preserve them and obviously they are of historical significance. "Baby Face" is very adult with Barbara Stanwyck "sleeping" her way up a huge New York skyscraper but frankly she saves the "sleeping" for the bigger game at the top. It's more like "quickies" on the way up. And she's tough as nails and gives a very entertaining performance. You can tell the parts that were censored because they're more than a little frank. Now, "Red Headed Woman" allows Jean Harlow to play an out and out floozy who's literally manic to marry her already married boss. A young Una Merkel ( who later became a fine character actress) is funny as her gal pal who gets a kick out of Harlow's carrying on. But then it gets pretty serious as Harlow goes over the top when her trashiness catches up with her. Pretty bizarre film really but worth it to watch Harlow. But for me, the real find is James Whale's "Waterloo Bridge". His "Frankenstein" star Mae Clarke plays a world-weary prostitute who falls in love with a 19 yr.old soldier in London WW1. It's a good story (with Bette Davis in a small role) and not at all worthy of censorship. Yes, it's frank and adult but not played at all for sensationalism. Clarke is excellent and should have been a bigger star. It's atmospheric and beautifully made and you can see the Whale genius at work here. Very, very good. This whole package is excellent and I'm already looking forward to Vol's. 2,3,4, etc. Enjoy, enjoy...
  
  
• A solid collection of classic pre-code films that could use special features on the era, films themselves
  By AQP1VPK16SVWM on 2007-01-21
  This collection of three pre-code Hollywood dramas provides an interesting glimpse into what Hollywood could get away with before the Hays Code began censoring films. The "Code" turned films from more adult interesting fare into something that inhabited a fantasy world of separate beds for married couples forcing film writers, producers and directors from shying away from more adult themes. It impacted films for both good ( by preventing more exploitative films) and bad giving birth to the absurd ratings system that we have today (how does a film get a PG to a PG-13 it has to do with the use of the "f" word and it's relationship with sex splitting films into different categories based on semantics a lot of times). While I recognize that ratings are essential to helping parents maintain control of what their children see, it also has become a nearly meaningless marketing advantage (if want to turn a film into a marketing wonder make sure it doesn't have a "G" rating) or stigma that haunts the industry even today (for more info on this see the forthcoming "This Film Has Not Been Rated").
  
  Warner and TMC have combined forces for this look into pre-code Hollywood with a trio of films that would have (or did in one case) suffer at the hands of censors that used a hatchet to remove subtly from many Hollywood films. The first film in this collection "Waterloo Bridge" was the second film (although this was the third film he worked on. Whale also worked uncredited on Howard Hawks' "Hell's Angels") to be directed by James Whale ("Frankenstein", "The Old Dark House", "The Bride of Frankenstein"). Based on the play by Robert E. Sherwood this film is deftly directed which is a surprise given how early this was in both Whale's career and in the history of talkies. Mae Clarke plays Myra a streetwalker who falls for Roy (Douglass Montgomery) a Canadian solider stationed in London who doesn't realize that she's a hooker when he falls in love with her. After Roy proposes Myra runs out on him believing that her sordid past will destroy any chance of happiness for them.
  
  Well acted and directed it's clear why Whale's early films caught on with the public-he has a natural flair as a film director even though his background was in stage directing. The film was later remade in a sanitized version by MGM in 1940. The studio purchased the rights to the original (to take it out of circulation as well as to own all versions of the story) which is why this neglected minor classic has been out of circulation for so long. As a long time fan of Whale's work I have been trying to catch this film for years and always just managed to miss it when it would occasionally be allowed out of the vault. Keep in mind the time when the film was made; the camera isn't as nimble as it would be within a year or two as the camera often had to be encased in a booth to prevent its sounds from being picked up by the sound equipment!
  
  Also included is "Red Headed Woman" a 1932 film starring Gene Harlow, Lewis Stone and Charles Boyer. Directed by Jack Conway and adapted by Anita Loos from a novel by Kate Brush, Harlow is cast as Lillian a lady who will do anything to land a wealthy husband. She picks out Bill (Chester Morris) a man already happily married and damages his married to Irene (Leila Hyams). After Bill gets divorced he marries Lillian but she never gains acceptance by his wealthy friends. She schemes to seduce a wealthy friend of Bill's and later blackmail him.
  
  Yikes! Harlow looks terrific in this film a film that's too revealing by standards that would be instituted in less than two years. "Red-Headed Woman" pulls every cliché out of the drawer regarding "fast" women. There's a brief glimpse of nudity in the film.
  
  Slightly better is "Baby Face" a film that put the bubbles into soap opera. Barbara Stanwyck plays Lily (what's with all the women named Lily or Lillian? What did MGM have against that name?) a girl who runs away from home and finds a job at a bank in the big city by sleeping with the first employer she runs across. She uses the "stepping stones" to success working her way up the corporate ladder. When a thwarted lover takes matters into his own hands and murders the latest in Lily's line of succession, things become a bit complicated for the "Baby Face".
  
  Unlike "Red-Headed Woman" which features a brief section of nudity(!), "Baby Face" plays the story pretty straight even if sex seems to drive everything in the film. Unlike a lot of code films Lily isn't punished for her deeds. It's a fascinating film of the period with breezy pacing (for the time) and an early appearance by a young John Wayne. ***
  
  The film is presented in its original uncut glory and then in a version that the studio recut to make it more acceptable to code standards. With a bit of dialogue here, the right cut there the film appeared to be a bit more "moral" when compared to the original version. I'm surprised that the uncut version survives in any form as most films of the era that were altered are available only in their butchered re-edited versions. ---
  
  
  "Forbidden Hollywood" looks quite good in this transfer. The version I received had the titles on the discs mixed up but other than that (a pretty minor issue), the transfer looks quite good with nice, clean presentations and solid mono sound. The uncut version of "Baby Face" looks slightly better than the final version of the film. I suspect its because the uncut version of the film was probably never released or only had a limited release.
  
  While I'm happy to see these films released with nice transfers I would have loved to see more extensive extras included. We get a brief introduction by Robert Osborne and the trailer for "Baby Face" but no commentary tracks which would have been useful particularly given the issues that came to exist after these films were released and a discussion of the Hays Code, it's impact on Hollywood, etc.
  
  According to a recent discussion at The Digital Bits HTF, the set was originally supposed to have a documentary on the pre-code films but Warner ran into clearence issues. However, volume 2 will have six films and a documentary on this era to make up for it.
  
  
  Three pre-code films one of them presented in "before" and "after" edits make this an essential purchase for fans of vintage Hollywood cinema. James Whale's "Waterloo Bridge" is my personal favorite but I'm biased towards even Whale's lesser efforts. All three films are quite good with "Red-Headed Woman" the weakest of the bunch even with the brief nudity evident in the film.
  
  
  
• Three great movies and three great performances
  By A2P1TDEWO0PPX3 on 2007-06-11
  These movies are outstanding in many ways, but in two especially. First they let us know that our grandparents and parents had just as many conflicts with romance, love and sexual congress as we do. Second, they may help to bring recognition to two largely forgotten actresses, Jean Harlow and Mae Clarke.
  A few days ago, after watching China Seas with a friend he asked me, "what is the whole Harlow Legend about" I told him to watch Red Dust, or better still Red Headed Woman. In her early movies Jean was young healthy and full of sass. In her later films as illness overtook her the light was gone. Miss Harlow was always best in comedy. The dramatic roles assigned to her were generally so one dimensional that no actress could have made anything of them. Red Headed Woman is a comedy and Jean sparkles. The movie was a 'succes de scandale' in 1932 and audiences were laughing despite themselves. The kind of raw-naked ambition Jean gives Lill has now become so familiar to us that some people may not get the point. Please bear in mind that in 1932 girls like Lill could not have careers in Law or Politics. Remember, this is a comedy.
  Mention Mae Clark and if people know who you are talking about they will probably recall Jimmy Cagney and the grapefruit. There was so much more and Waterloo Bridge will introduce you to it. Miss Clarke as Myra Deauville is always genuine in a role that could easily become maudlin, cloying and artificial. James Whale created a movie that was sixty or seventy years ahead of it's time. And yes, that is Bette Davis before the wiggling, grimacing and scene-stealing took over.
  
  
• WHAT HAPPENED TO THE 1940 VERSION OF WATERLOO BRIDGE????
  By AL9TBVIEZJUNW on 2006-10-12
  How come the far superior 1940 version of Waterloo Bridge starring Vivien Leigh and Robert Taylor isn't being released too?
  
  
• Another fine production from Turners !
  By A345KF5WMUZ5ZW on 2007-02-20
  Watching Barbara Stanwyck in 1933's "Baby Face" is a refreshing link to Hollywoods Best Days. All this fuss about the Hays Code-why the family sitcomes that come on TV... everynight in fact... make Baby Face as harmless as watching Buffalo Bob & Howdy Doddy. This is some good watching and is really harmless. I love vintage movies and I think this is some of Stanwyck's best acting next to my favorite picture of her's "Stella Dallas". All the different wierd reviews from others like there's not enough info presented on the disc with the movie. What do folks need someone to explain every little aspect of the flick to them.
  I really disagree with the comments that state this movie is what got the Hays code in action. I always read that it was Johnny and Maureen in that naked under water scene from "Tarzan and His Mate".
  Whatever... if you like old Hollywood and great acting then spend the 28 bucks for this set as it is well worth it and believe me it's not the dirty movie stuff that it is made to sound like. Sure Harlow and Stanwyck play rough and tough parts but your not watching the filthy sex takes that so many of todays shows base the whole darn story on...if Turner's did that I would never buy it!
  "Enjoy" Joe Kopeck Parkville, MD
  
  
• Too Much!
  By A2ZY49IDE6TY5I on 2007-03-14
  This is the first in what hopefully will become a regular series of pre-code films. All three films (Baby Face, Red-Headed Woman, and the first version of Waterloo Bridge) push the envelope in regard to their openly dealing with a variety of taboo subjects such as promiscuity, adultery, prostitution. And unlike later post-code films which obliquely tackled the same topics, for the most part the heroines in two of these movies really don't suffer and/or 'pay for their sins'.
  
  Let's start with Baby Face. This is probably the strongest entry or debateably a tie with Red-Headed Woman. Barbara Stanwyk is Lilly Powers, a quick whitted woman who wants to escape her drab (yet unsavory) past by sleeping her way up the social ladder. Stanwyk is just great as she chews up men on her quest for wealth and riches. She's cold and calculating, yet oddly sympathetic on a certain level. If you look closely, you'll even glimpse John Wayne in a incidental part as one of her co-workers.
  
  Red-Headed Woman is basically a variation of Baby Face. This time the protagonist is played very differently by the wonderful Jean Harlow at her comedic best. Harlow makes no attempt at subtlety and camps it up as the homewrecker from hell (or in this case the wrong side of the tracks).
  Undoubtedly, this is one of her best parts in spite of the fact that this film is often ignored. I'd have to describe her character as one really smart and calculating dumb blonde.
  
  The last offering Waterloo Bridge is the weakest entry. It is not nearly as interesting as the previous two pictures and lacks the comedic elements showcased in the former entries. Aside from an early screen appearance by Bette Davis in a supporting role, there is nothing that really distinguishes it as exceptional except its subject matter.
  
  Overall, I stand by my 5* rating since I found all films enjoyable. And of course I have a new wish list for other pre-code films I'd like to see as entries for this series.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• An Informative Analysis/Comparison (Babyface, pre- and post-Code)
  By AXLHKGBWCXGCU on 2007-05-13
  Exactly what I was looking for. While taking a law in literature course in law school this past year, the professor directed the class to watch Babyface and observe how it was transgressive in light of the Hays Production Code. Pretty neat that one's able to watch both the pre- and post-Code versions of Babyface and see how the versions essentially reflected the prevailing moral code at the time, and how that moral code differed depending on other related socio-economic factors (e.g. the Great Depression). Anyway, I'd recommend this set for the sole reason stated above. I did also think Babyface pre-Code was an extremely intelligent and witty movie and thoroughly enjoyed watching it although it was required as an assignment. I also enjoyed the other films included in this set.
  
  
• LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF THESE DVDS!!
  By A294052ABY14J8 on 2007-04-10
  Boy, I don't remember Barbra Stanwyck looking like this back on the ranch in that tv series I grew up with. She is foxy and sooo slutty! I just can't believe anyone was so foolish as to want to be totally deleted from the film (ie Walter Brennon). The best parts were deleated, the train sequence where she sells her body to stay on the train as well as the old mentor's words of wisdom that basically set up the entire movie's plot! I LOVED BABY FACE AND RED HEADED WOMAN, but the Waterloo Bridge was only so so. I loved this set for the insights it gives into the taboos. And gay love is only hinted at(unfortunatly). Such an independant prostitute would not be ashamed of her feelings for the lovely black Chico. The two of them are simply adorable together!
  I recomend these films to all into film history.
  
  
• Forbidden Hollywood
  By A38YJCY2ARLQH8 on 2007-03-19
  This is a well produced video from an age of Hollywood that most people are not aware of. I was particularly impressed with the uncensored production of Baby Face. Alan
  
  
• Baby Face steals the show!!!
  By A3LLSAKBBC6ITZ on 2007-04-12
  This is Warner's first set of many of pre-codes to be released under the Forbidden Hollywood in the next few years. Volume 2 will be out later this year with 6 films, instead of 3 and a new documentary. Starting in 2008, we'll be getting 2 sets per year!!!
  On to the review. Honestly I was disappointed when they announced only 3 films were going to be in the set, but Baby Face makes up for all that disappointment. Even today, the film shocks you because it is so brazenly sexual especially for such a film made in 1933. Red Headed Woman is my 2nd favorite. It gives Jean Harlow time to deliver her signature rapid fire delivery and I loved when she gets slapped in the face and says she loves it. My only real complaint with the set is that the first pressing of the discs were marked incorrectly with Baby Face being on the disc with Harlow's face on it and vice versa, but to my knowledge this has been smoothed out. Grade B
  
  
• Forbidden Pleasures !
  By A1BVOOHATR2CDI on 2007-05-30
  Oh man ! What a treat to have these movies together. And the knockout punch was having BOTH versions of "Baby Face". The quality was excellent and I am thrilled with my purchase. I am looking forward to Volume 2.
  
  
• Excellent collection of its kind.
  By A2P6J47LTJXFLI on 2007-06-26
  The three films in this collection are fine examples of pre-code Hollywood. In this edition the prints are at release quality. It's wonderful to be able to travel back to the period and experience the movie industry back then. Of the three Baby Face is the superior film, perhaps so because Barbara Stanwyck was so outstanding even back then in her mid-20s.
  
  
• Great collection
  By A21U8UHHFSP7Q7 on 2007-11-21
  I always trust and enjoy TCM - my favorite TV station -and this film package is no exception. I especially like Baby Face. The price is good and the films are fun!
  
  
• Great DVD's
  By A1YBNXN4KP76NJ on 2007-02-13
  I love old movies, and this vol. #1 was a great set. Can't wait for vol. #2. It is something to see the older actors when they were young. Thanks for a great set for dvd's.
  
  
• Suggestive Approach to Selling
  By A29FBQMIB0PQFG on 2007-02-20
  I purchased these because of the suggestive approach they used to sell them.. I have watch one and enjoyed it. The fun of these is the old style movies and the characters who play the parts. I do not regret purchasing these and look forward to viewing the other two.
  
  
• Forbidden Hollywood
  By A2ACMUUT8IN7D8 on 2007-02-22
  This DVD is fascinating! We are history fans and this very enlightening
  DVD is loaded with facts and cuts of movies that you won't believe.
  
  
• Rare Movies Restored
  By A2EFFV8H2GFN8E on 2007-02-24
  It is invaluable to have these rare movies readily available instead of locked away in vaults for decades. They are indispensible pieces of film and social history, and hopefully their appearance will signal the arrival of many more titles like them.
  
  

• TCM Archives - Forbidden Hollywood Collection, Vol. 2 (The Divorcee / A Free Soul / Night Nurse / Three on a Match / Female)
• Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 4 (Act of Violence / Mystery Street / Crime Wave / Decoy / Illegal / The Big Steal / They Live By Night / Side Street / Where Danger Lives / Tension)
• Preston Sturges - The Filmmaker Collection (Sullivan's Travels/The Lady Eve/The Palm Beach Story/Hail the Conquering Hero/The Great McGinty/Christmas in July/The Great Moment)
• Daisy Kenyon (Fox Film Noir)
• Myrna Loy and William Powell Collection (Manhattan Melodrama / Evelyn Prentice / Double Wedding / I Love You Again / Love Crazy)