Date and Time for this Past Event
- Sunday, Jun 16, 2024 1pm - 2:45pm
Details
"Pre-Code: Sex and Censorship" electrifies the first AFI Silver Classic Film Weekend. Immerse yourself in the thrilling era of pre-Code cinema, a fleeting moment from the late 1920s to 1934 when films defied convention before the Hays Code stifled Hollywood's boldness. These movies, lighthearted or dramatic, showcased complex women and flawed heroes struggling against social injustice, and unflinching explorations of sex, ambition and crime. Witness legendary stars ignite the screen: Clara Bow, James Cagney, Barbara Stanwyck, Cary Grant, Jean Harlow, Joan Blondell, Spencer Tracy, Warren William, Anna May Wong and Josephine Baker. Festival guests, including film historians Richard Koszarski, Steven C. Smith, Farran Smith Nehme, Katie Gee Salisbury and David Stenn, will introduce each film.
LAUGHTER IN HELL in 35mm
Introduction by film historian Richard Koszarski. Preceded by a pre-Code Hollywood presentation with documentarian and author Steven C. Smith
The economic collapse of the Depression pushed many men out of their place in society. Based on a book by vagabond author Jim Tully, LAUGHTER IN HELL follows a railroad worker, Barney (Pat O'Brien), whose economic and spiritual descent is initiated by an unfaithful wife (Merna Kennedy), leading to murder, prison, being committed to a brutal chain gang and witnessing a racially motivated lynching in the midst of an epidemic. An opportunity for redemption appears when he joins up with fellow refugee Lorraine (Gloria Stuart) to escape to a better world. MoMA curator Dave Kehr wrote, "A rising star at Universal, the director Edward L. Cahn had clearly earned the trust of [producer] Junior Laemmle, who allowed him to create one of the most radical works — politically and stylistically — to emerge from that adventuresome studio."
