FEATURE FILM

The Criminal Code

6.1/10
TMDB33 votes
1931Original: English97 min

After young Robert Graham commits a murder while drunk and defending his girlfriend, he is prosecuted by ambitious Mark Brady and sentenced to 10 years. Six years later, Brady becomes the prison warden and offers the beleaguered Robert a job as his chauffeur. Robert cleans up his act, but, on the eve of his pardon, his cellmate drags him back into the world of violence, and he faces a difficult choice that could return him to prison.

Genres: Crime, Drama
Cast: Walter Huston, Phillips Holmes, Constance Cummings, Boris Karloff, DeWitt Jennings

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THE STORY & THE PEOPLE

About The Criminal Code

LOVE saved him from worse than THE CHAIR

The Criminal Code (1931) is a film in the crime, drama genres. Directed by Howard Hawks. The cast includes Walter Huston, Phillips Holmes, Constance Cummings, Boris Karloff.

Released
1931-01-03
Original language
English
Runtime
97 minutes
Status
Released
Production countries
United States of America
Production companies
Columbia Pictures
Directors
Howard Hawks

The Criminal Code cast & characters

Audience reviews

6.1/10 from 33 TMDB votes. Ratings and reviews are supplied by TMDB. Reviews are attributed to their original authors.

CinemaSerf

TMDB member review

Philips Holmes is really good in this Howard Hawks story of a twenty year old who accidentally kills a man in a silly brawl. The DA - "Mark Brady" (Walter Huston) realises quickly that he could have claimed self-defence for the young man, but the ensuing prosecution ends in conviction and a ten year stretch. Spool on six years and "Brady" is now the warden of the prison and seeing the damage internment has done to…

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Philips Holmes is really good in this Howard Hawks story of a twenty year old who accidentally kills a man in a silly brawl. The DA - "Mark Brady" (Walter Huston) realises quickly that he could have claimed self-defence for the young man, but the ensuing prosecution ends in conviction and a ten year stretch. Spool on six years and "Brady" is now the warden of the prison and seeing the damage internment has done to the young man, he gives him a job as his personal assistant. That relationship is seriously tested, however, when an inmate is murdered and both men must choose their best path to truth and redemption. This is rarely seen, nowadays, but is a well written and constructed prison story with the despair of the younger man writ large - you simply can't help but empathise with him. Huston and Boris Karloff ("Galloway") also find their feet with strong, sparing, dialogue that builds the tension without cluttering it up. It does take a little while to get going, but is well worth the effort.

Questions about The Criminal Code

What is The Criminal Code about?

After young Robert Graham commits a murder while drunk and defending his girlfriend, he is prosecuted by ambitious Mark Brady and sentenced to 10 years. Six years later, Brady becomes the prison warden and offers the beleaguered Robert a job as his chauffeur. Robert cleans up his act, but, on the eve of his pardon, his cellmate drags him back into the world of violence, and he faces a difficult choice that could return him to prison.

Who stars in The Criminal Code?

Walter Huston, Phillips Holmes, Constance Cummings, Boris Karloff, DeWitt Jennings, Mary Doran. See the cast cards above for character names.

How can I watch The Criminal Code online?

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