Celebrating One Year of Pre-Code Essentials
October 28, 2026
It’s hard to believe Pre-Code Essentials came out one year ago today! Danny and I worked on it for so long that my concept of time is all over the place.
It’s been an incredible year with the book. I didn’t know what to expect going into the release, but we’ve sold more books and participated in way more events (screenings, presentations, signings) than I ever imagined. It’s also been a pleasure meeting fellow fans and receiving so much lovely feedback.
I wrote an article last December on the first month with the book, which encompassed the launch, our mini East Coast tour, and some events in Los Angeles, so if you’d like to read about those, click HERE. The tour has continued over the last year, and I’m so grateful to have so many opportunities to share the book with others. Let’s take a look back at those, shall we?
Thanks to my friend Laura for snapping this picture at the Going to TCM Film Festival Facebook group pre-fest meetup at Hollywood Heritage!
December 2025: Vero Beach Public Library, Florida
This was a special event, because I got to give a talk on early 1930s movies in the town where my parents live, which is the first book event they were able to attend! Some of my other family members and another local friend stopped by, too. It was a small but mighty crowd and meaningful to present a program in a library, especially since I worked in libraries growing up and Danny is a librarian.
January 2026: The American Cinematheque, Los Angeles
I spotted Employees’ Entrance (1933) on the AC’s schedule for early January and immediately reached out. (It was actually one of the movies on the short list for the program I did for them in November 2025!) It was a rainy day, which felt thematically appropriate for this bleak film in which Warren William is the most horrible boss of all time. But it’s a really great example of the pre-Code period, and I was excited to do another intro and book signing with the AC, because in addition to being a member, I also was a volunteer years ago!
James from Old Town Music Hall snapped this picture of me in front of their famous Wurlitzer!
February 2026: Old Town Music Hall, El Segundo
The day after Valentine’s Day, I got to present my first event at Old Town Music Hall: Mae West’s I’m No Angel (1933), which is always a blast with an audience. The book signing went well, too! If you haven’t been, Old Town Music Hall is a charming old-school theater with a Wurlitzer pipe organ. I’ve been to several screenings there over the years and it was fun to go behind-the-scenes (a little) for this screening.
March 2026: Classic Cinema Night at the Cinegrill Theater, Hollywood
In early March, I got to join host José Ignacio Cuenca at his twice monthly Classic Cinema Night at the Cinegrill in the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood for a screening of It Happened One Night (1934). I had long wanted to attend one of these events, and it was a great intro to his series. The set-up was a little different, since José doesn’t normally have guests. While I gave a short intro with him, the main conversation was reserved for after the film; we sat at the front of the stage and engaged in a casual chat with the audience, discussing their thoughts on the movie and taking their questions. I really enjoyed the more intimate atmosphere and hope to return again soon.
Thanks to my husband Sean for capturing this funny framing at the Frida!
March 2026: The Frida Cinema, Santa Ana
I worked with the team at the Frida to program a whole pre-Code day, which was a dream! This was my first visit to the Frida and definitely not my last (as you’ll read in a bit). We chose three very different movies—1933’s Baby Face, 1934’s Heat Lightning, and 1934’s The Black Cat—and I did book signings in between each screening. It was such fun chatting with fellow fans; some people even stayed for all three films! The Frida team is fantastic, and it’s a wonderful venue. I just wish they were closer than Orange County so I could go more often.
April 2026: Gardena Cinema, Gardena
My first time at the family-run Gardena Cinema was to introduce a trio of King Kong (1933) screenings. Unfortunately, these were not as well attended as I hoped for, but those who came enjoyed the show! What I didn't know was that Josh from JPX (short for Jurassic Paleoart Expo) brought an amazing assortment of collectibles ranging from slides of Fay Wray at the movie's 50th anniversary party to busts to posters and beyond that were displayed in the lobby, which was very cool! While it was a quieter event, it was still a blast to work with a local theater, get to know some people there, and check out such a cool mini exhibit.
Not sure if I'll ever get over signing in the same room as Leonard Maltin at TCM Fest! Photo by my resident photographer/husband Sean, again.
May 2026: TCM Classic Film Festival, Hollywood
Danny and I got to do a signing at the TCM Classic Film Festival in May; never in a million years did I think that’s a sentence I would write! I really enjoyed talking with fellow fans in line about the book, and it was heartwarming to see a few people I mentioned the book to come to the signing! I even ran into an alum of my tiny college, Allegheny, who I had met at a past fest, and he showed up, too. TCM fans are our people, and being a fest guest this year and having that experience was truly amazing. We also got to see our book in the TCM Boutique—where it sold out by day 2!—which was a little mind-blowing.
August 2026: The Roxie, San Francisco
After a little break, book promo started up again with a screening of Design for Living (1933) and a book signing with Dog Eared Books at the Roxie, which Danny was able to attend, too. The Roxie hosts a pre-Code series (I love to hear that!), and I was told that they moved this to their larger theater because of how many people came out! It’s a joy to get to see pre-Code comedies on the big screen with an audience, and it’s always fun to do events with Danny, too.
September 2026: Cinecon, Los Angeles
Somehow, September ended up being the busiest month for Pre-Code Essentials, which is incredible, because the book had almost been out for a year at the point! I had four events, the first of which was introducing Divorce Among Friends (1930) at the Cinecon Classic Film Festival. I had seen exactly zero movies on the schedule when it was released, and by the time the fest began, I had watched one: this movie. While it’s not the best film, it’s a comedy, which makes it more fun to watch in a theater than at home on YouTube! Plus, it’s a thrill to discover new movies from this era, which happens yearly at Cinecon for me. I also had an author table the day I presented Divorce Among Friends and hung out there in between screenings with a digital version of the film’s pressbook for people to check out. I vastly underestimated how many books to bring, because I sold out of what I brought by lunchtime and had to race home to get more! That was a pleasant surprise.
September 2026: Film Society Chat
A few days after Cinecon, I participated in a private talk with a film society group that was studying pre-Code Hollywood. How cool is that?! The setting was small and intimate, and the members were very educated in the period, so they asked some fantastic, thought-provoking questions, like who would be on my Mt. Rushmore of pre-Code actors, directors, and writers. (That was a tough one!)
Sean couldn't resist getting the various Little Nipper pups in this shot from Old Town Music Hall.
September 2026: Old Town Music Hall, El Segundo
The following weekend I was back at Old Town Music Hall for a screening of the original Scarface (1932). I love presenting this movie because its censorship history is such a rollercoaster; most films’ Production Code files are no more than 100 pages long—then there’s Scarface at over 350 pages! Someone could literally write a book on that. (Not me, but I would read it!) Afterward, several people told me they were fascinated by the censorship background, which absolutely thrilled me, because I love sharing that info; I think that's what makes my intros unique, because for the most part, censorship details aren't widely shared online. Rest assured if you ever see me introduce a film, I will be discussing that movie’s Production Code file (if it exists)! I also did not bring enough books with me to sign, which was becoming a theme…
September 2026: The Frida Cinema, Santa Ana
When Letty Lynton (1932) was unleashed this year after sitting in the vaults for 90 years due to a plagiarism claim, so many theaters around the country screened it. (You love to see it!) The Frida’s team reached out to me to introduce this, which I immediately agreed to. It also allowed me to learn more about this movie’s fascinating legal history, and, of course, its censorship history, which actually revealed qualms about potential plagiarism claims way before that came to fruition. Finding snippets in the Production Code file that related to the legal case MGM would be up against enthralled me, and I was very excited to share that info with a full house. (Attendees enjoyed it too, as many shared with me afterward!) I also brought a box of books to sell at the screening and was pleasantly surprised that most of the books sold.
It was a blast getting to share our love of this era with the Art Deco Society crowd. Thanks again to Sean for the pictures.
October 2026: Art Deco Society of LA, Los Angeles
We had two events in one weekend in October, which was set up that way because Danny was able to come to town for the weekend! The first was a pre-Code presentation with the Art Deco Society of LA at the Philosophical Research Society, a very cool venue I had heard of but never been to before. We brought some pre-Code pressbooks for folks to browse through and a record, “The Golden Age of Hollywood Musicals,” that featured a pop-out of the “By a Waterfall” number from Footlight Parade (1933), which people enjoyed. This was the first long form presentation Danny and I did together, and I must say it went well! The audience was also fantastic, and we sold more books than I thought we would almost a year after publication. (I'm still amazed when that happens, every single time!)
First time doing an author talk! The Palm Springs crowd was fantastic. As was Sean for taking pictures of us all weekend!
October 2026: Palm Springs Cultural Center
The next day we headed to Palm Springs for an author talk at the Palm Springs Cultural Center (another first for us!), a book signing (also successful!), and a screening of The Divorcee (1930). Christopher Lisotta had many insightful questions for us, as did the audience. And getting to watch The Divorcee with a crowd is always a joy, particularly hearing their reactions!
I have one more upcoming event in London in November—a screening of Ann Vickers (1933) at the Cinema Museum—and then 2027 is open! If anyone has any suggestions for venues that screen classic films, please let me know. We’re always open to exploring new opportunities.
And if you’ve gotten this far, thank you for reading and all the support; it means so much to me!
thanks for stopping by!
I See a Dark Theater is a website dedicated to classic movie-going—and loving—in the City of Angels. Whether it's coverage on screenings, special presentations, or Q&As around Los Angeles that you're looking for, or commentary on the wonderful and sometimes wacky world of classic cinema, you've come to the right place for a variety of pieces written with zeal, awe, and (occasionally) wit. Enjoy.
