Beauty Parlor (1932) / Secret Sinners (1933)

A staple of pre-Code Hollywood was its emphasis on sex, as studio heads felt a certain percentage of films needed the most forbidden of "the seven deadly sins" to sell. Whether by accident or not, an unexpected by-product of this emphasis was stronger female characters and story lines that were proto-feminist in their themes. After the rise of the Legion of Decency and the implementation of the Hays Code in 1934, it would be quite some time before women again saw themselves depicted realistically on the big screen.

Beauty Parlor (BW, 1932): Beauty Parlor is an uncompromising look at the lives of two beauticians, Sally (Barbara Kent) and Joan (Joyce Compton) as they struggle to survive in the big city. Unable to make rent with their meager salaries, both girls fall into becoming escorts for rich older men. A life of ill repute quickly leads to Joan taking the fall in an extortion scam. Sally is forced to marry one of her repulsive clients so she can bail out her friend, but selling her soul may be too steep a price to pay. Director Richard Thorpe had an over 40-year career in Hollywood, mostly spent at MGM. His filmography includes entries in the popular Tarzan and Thin Man series, the historical dramas Ivanhoe and The Prisoner of Zenda (both 1952), and the Elvis Presley vehicle Jailhouse Rock (1957). Starring Barbara Kent, Joyce Compton, Dorothy Revier and Mischa Auer.

Secret Sinners (BW, 1933): Fired from her position as a chambermaid, desperate Marjorie Dodd takes a job as a chorus girl at a burlesque show. She resigns herself to a life of being manhandled until she meets handsome millionaire playboy Jeff Gilbert. Seeing her salvation, Marjorie is devastated when she discovers that Jeff is secretly married. Her depression pushes her into the arms of a brutal gangster, leaving Jeff to choose between Marjorie and his passionless wife. The lovely Cecilia Parker is best remembered as Mickey Rooney's sister in the popular Andy Hardy series. Starring Jack Mulhall and Cecilia Parker.

• drama