Le code criminel

Original title: The Criminal Code

1931
Approved
1h 37m

IMDb RATING

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Constance Cummings, Phillips Holmes, and Walter Huston in Le code criminel (1931)

After a failed attempt at running for governor, D.A. Mark Brady is appointed warden of the state prison where many of the criminals he prosecuted are incarcerated.After a failed attempt at running for governor, D.A. Mark Brady is appointed warden of the state prison where many of the criminals he prosecuted are incarcerated.After a failed attempt at running for governor, D.A. Mark Brady is appointed warden of the state prison where many of the criminals he prosecuted are incarcerated.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.9/10

1.5K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 3 wins & 1 nomination total

Photos51

+ 45

Top cast28

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Walter Huston

Mark Brady

Phillips Holmes

Robert Graham

Constance Cummings

Mary Brady

Boris Karloff

Galloway

DeWitt Jennings

Captain Gleason
(as De Witt Jennings)

Mary Doran

Gertrude Williams

Ethel Wales

Katie Ryan

Clark Marshall

Runch

Arthur Hoyt

Leonard Nettleford

John St. Polis

Dr. Rinewulf

Paul Porcasi

Tony Spelvin
(as Paul Porcassi)

Otto Hoffman

Jim Fales

John Sheehan

McManus

Richard Bishop

Minor Role
(uncredited)

Andy Devine

Cluck - a Convict with knife
(uncredited)

James Guilfoyle

Detective Doran
(uncredited)

Frank Hagney

Prison Guard in Yard
(unconfirmed)
(uncredited)

Al Hill

Jerry
(uncredited)

Director
- Howard Hawks
Writers
All cast & crew
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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The prison yard sequence was shot at M-G-M, using the set originally built for "The Big House" (1930).

Goofs
Paul Porcasi's name is spelled "Porcassi" in the opening credits.

Quotes
Mark Brady: [to Graham] Tough luck, Bob, but that's the way they break sometimes. You got to take them the way they fall.

Crazy credits
The film's credits do not say that Howard Hawks directed the film; instead, they say that the film is "A Howard Hawks Production."

Connections
Alternate-language version of El código penal (1931)

Soundtracks
Romance
(uncredited)
Music by Henry Geehl

User reviews35

Featured review

An Eye for An Eye

"The Criminal Code" is centered around the theme "An Eye for An Eye." This theme is the reason that young Robert Graham is sent to prison, the reason why the prisoners object to the D.A. becoming the Warden of the prison, and the reason why Graham is sent to "the hole" near the end of the film. For 1931, it was one of the first critical looks at this theme. It raises certain questions as to the morals of the law, and the Criminal Code versus the Prisoners Code. Phillips Holmes gives a good enough performance as Robert Graham, and Boris Karloff came off well as the inmate with a bone to pick (months before becoming Frankenstein), but the performance that I liked the most was Walter Huston, who played the D.A.-turned-prison-warden. Huston's character was a wily one, who said "Yeah" and "Yeah?" about a hundred times throughout the film.