The Criminal Code
1931 | 97m | English
Popularity: 4 (history)
| Director: | Howard Hawks |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Fred Niblo Jr., Seton I. Miller |
| Staring: |
| 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. | |
| Release Date: | Jan 03, 1931 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Howard Hawks |
| Writer: | Fred Niblo Jr., Seton I. Miller |
| Genres: | Drama, Crime |
| Keywords | warden, pre-code |
| Production Companies | Columbia Pictures |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Aug 10, 2025 Entered: Apr 27, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Walter Huston | Mark Brady |
| Phillips Holmes | Robert Graham |
| Constance Cummings | Mary Brady |
| Boris Karloff | Ned Galloway |
| DeWitt Jennings | Yard Captain Gleason |
| Mary Doran | Gertrude Williams |
| Ethel Wales | Katie Ryan |
| Clark Marshall | Runch |
| Arthur Hoyt | Leonard Nettleford |
| John St. Polis | Dr. Rinewulf |
| Paul Porcasi | Tony Spelvin |
| Otto Hoffman | Jim Fales |
| John Sheehan | 'Mac' McManus |
| Andy Devine | Cluck (uncredited) |
| Bob Kortman | Red, the Convict Barber (uncredited) |
| James Guilfoyle | Detective Doran |
| Frank Hagney | Prison Guard in Yard |
| Al Hill | Jerry |
| Russell Hopton | State's Attorney |
| Harold Huber | Convict in Yard |
| Tetsu Komai | Convict |
| Harry Lamont | Convict |
| Lee Phelps | Detective Doherty |
| Nicholas Soussanin | Convict |
| Jack Vance | Reporter |
| Hugh Walker | Lew |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Martin Flavin | Theatre Play |
| Fred Niblo Jr. | Additional Dialogue, Adaptation |
| Edward Curtiss | Editor |
| Edward C. Jewell | Art Direction |
| David Selman | Assistant Director |
| Glenn Rominger | Sound Director |
| L. William O'Connell | Still Photographer |
| Sam Perry | Original Music Composer |
| Seton I. Miller | Additional Dialogue, Adaptation |
| Howard Hawks | Director |
| James Wong Howe | Director of Photography |
| Ted Tetzlaff | Director of Photography |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Frank Fouce | Producer |
| Howard Hawks | Producer |
| Harry Cohn | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 1 |
| 2024 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 2 |
| 2024 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 1 |
| 2024 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 2 |
| 2024 | 8 | 5 | 14 | 2 |
| 2024 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| 2024 | 10 | 5 | 11 | 2 |
| 2024 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| 2024 | 12 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 2025 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Trending Position
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.