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Last weekend, a couple hundred fans of both film and fashion came together online to celebrate the life and style of 1930s icon Kay Francis! I couldn't have asked for more excitement for the second event in my 6-part Pre-Code series The Style of Sin. The Pre-Code era of Hollywood refers to the yea read more

Hope everyone had a fun sunny holiday weekend! July gets even hotter with the next in my online Pre-Code series THE STYLE OF SIN. The second event in the 6-part series focuses on the early life and style of Kay Francis with stories behind the style of films like Girls About Town& read more

Last Saturday was the second in my STYLE OF SIN series at the American Cinematheque, and it was focused on the Queen of Pre-Code herself - Kay Francis. I spoke all about the Production Code, Kay's life and career, and then the backstories of our double feature Girls About Town (1931) and Jewel read more

This Saturday is the next event in my 6-part Pre-Code speaker/screening series  at the American Cinematheque! THE STYLE OF SIN: KAY FRANCIS PRE-CODE FILM WITH KIMBERLY TRUHLER Egyptian Theatre Hollywood, CA Talk starts at 1:00 pm  followed by screenings of Girls About Town (193 read more

No actress gave the classic melodramatic weeper more depth than Kay Francis. In a genre crafted to manipulate emotions, she threw herself into the drama with such abandon that you can’t help forgiving her for working your tear ducts so relentlessly. Now on DVD from Warner Archive, Comet Over B read more

As a Kay Francis and Deanna Durbin completist, I was delighted to see the pair starring in the recent Warner Archive release of It's a Date (1940), which is making its DVD debut. The first of four films Durbin would make with director William Seiter at Universal Studios, it's a breezy, charming litt read more

After all melodrama I sniffled through in the pair of Francis flicks I reviewed earlier in the week, I needed something lighter, and I got it with The Feminine Touch. Francis takes a supporting role in this comedy about jealousy in romantic relationships now available on DVD from Warner Archive. Do read more

Image There is no movie genre that makes me ugly cry more profusely than the maternal sacrifice melodrama. Perhaps Barbara Stanwyck has played the most famous of these mothers in Stella Dallas (1937), where she stood in the rain, an outcast, looking through the window at her daughter's wedding, e read more

Kay Francis hits her target in British Agent (1934). read more

Picture perfect Kay Francis in The House on 56th Street (1933) read more

The exceptional Kay Francis was born on Friday the 13th, 1905 and died in August of 1968. She is most likely, the largest of Hollywood’s Golden era forgotten stars, although, this statement has been made repeatedly, it is true none the less. She made more than seventy movies in just seventeen years read more

The exceptional Kay Francis was born on Friday the 13th, 1905 and died in August of 1968. She is most likely, the largest of Hollywood’s Golden era forgotten stars, although, this statement has been made repeatedly, it is true none the less. She made more than seventy movies in just seventeen years read more

The exceptional Kay Francis was born on Friday the 13th, 1905 and died in August of 1968. She is most likely, the largest of Hollywood’s Golden era forgotten stars, although, this statement has been made repeatedly, it is true none the less. She made more than seventy movies in just seventeen years read more

Hey Stella! Barbara StanwyckPublicity Still for Stella Dallas "Offhand how many girls or women whose names are Stella can you name? Not very many we think. However we may be wrong and perhaps you can rattle off the names of 10. So if you name happens to be Stella you don't have to go any furthe read more

  By C. S. Williams read more

  By C. S. Williams read more

  By C. S. Williams read more

Personal Quote:  "A dog has kindliness in his heart and dignity in his demeanor. The finest qualities anyone can have". read more

Today’s Summer Under the Stars spotlight is a quintessential Pre-Code dame – Kay Francis. Like style?  Then you’ll love what Kimberly from GlamAmor has to offer, as she looks at  Francis’ trendsetting 1930s style. And the blogathon welcomes Danny Reid from Can’t Stop read more

Today’s Summer Under the Stars spotlight is on one of Pre-code film’s quintessential dames– Kay Francis. If you’re not familiar with her work, I urge you to tune into TCM today (or set your DVR). I promise you’ll love her. Here’s a tip: Jewel Robbery (airing at 8: read more