ManCave Movie Club - SCARFACE (1932)

Gentlemen:

The Mancave Movie Club is a men's group that meets face-to-face in Gregg's living room. We'll have food on hand, and if you want to bring a side dish or your favorite snack to share, we'd love that—and you'll definitely earn some gratitude points.

Now that I'm getting to spend more time back here in Austin, somebody specifically requested to get this event going again. And part of that request is that we do a "Pre-Code Gangster Movie".

Your wish is my command.

If you ever wondered why we have an industry ratings system for movies instead of a government run ratings system, come join us for the movie that started the whole debate and at the same time get a good feel for how Hollywood gangsters would be depicted to this day up to and including the ever popular and infamous remake of this film directed by Brian DePalma in 1983.

Put simply, SCARFACE (1932) was both a sign of its times and yet still decades ahead of its time as to how audiences would accept depictions of ruthless gangsters and film violence in general. It was primarily because of this film (and a few others) that in 1934 Hollywood was forced to implement the "Hays Code", a series of what today seem to be laughable rules about what films could and could not show in regards to sex, violence, and criminality if they wanted to be exhibited in mainstream movie theaters. This move was largely done "under the gun" so to speak, as certain members of Congress were threatening government censorship, especially as to ladies showing off a little more than was thought proper and real life gangsters (still a real fixture at the time) being admired as heroes.

The Hays Code largely influenced all mainstream movies and television programs up until 1968 or so, when the production studios developed a new, looser ratings systems after some well-known defections by certain filmmakers and production companies who were struggling to stay financially afloat because of the advent of free television. Additionally, many "arthouse" cinemas were starting to pop up that played "shocking" European-made films. Chances are the Europeans and exhibitors didn't even know who Will Hays was by that time. (Hint--He was Postmaster General under Warren G. Harding who had been fighting against what he saw as 'obscenity' since the 1920's).

But in 1932, when this movie was made, the Code was really nothing more than a series of "suggestions", especially in regards to violence. The movies made at this time were considered "Pre-Code", and contained material that would not be tolerated on screens for almost thirty-five years afterwards, including unpunished crime and premarital sex. Or at least unpunished crime and pre-marital sex that didn't end in disaster for the perpetrators of such heinous acts.

It was in this environment that SCARFACE was released. Prohibition was still a year away from being repealed, and gangsters were running rampant in the streets, especially in large cities like Chicago and New York. What concerned government officials more than anything was the fact that these violent and murderous criminals were seen by many as folk heroes, and although SCARFACE does make an attempt to mitigate things with a "crime doesn't pay" ending, it spends most of its running time gleefully acting as a cheering section for actor Paul Muni's "Tony", a street thug with an insatiable and violent appetite for money and power and an uncomfortable familiarity with his own sister.

I'm always somewhat amused by young people's belief in the "edginess" of Al Pacino's 1983 remake. In reality, pretty much every theme explored in that movie was first explored by this one all the way back in 1932. Perhaps there's not as much joy in displaying gory splatter as there is in Pacino's version, but this version (directed by Hollywood legend Howard Hawks) did many of the same things but left audiences to imagine what was happening off screen - something that was easy for them to do when all they had to do was read the daily newspaper about the latest gangland slaughter. And as any good artist will tell you...what is not seen is almost always much more terrifying than what actually is seen.

So guys and brave gals...come join us for some food and conversation and a screening of one of the most controversial films ever made. Although by today's standards it may not seem all that shocking, it will give you a good idea of why you now see movies made the way they are.

We'll sit, eat, and visit for a 30-45 minutes before the movie, which we'll start somewhere around 12:45 or 1:00. I'll even have a couple of surprises to show you that you may find interesting.