February 28, 2025

I’m going to keep this short and sweet: I’m excited to share that I co-wrote a book with my pal Danny Reid! Pre-Code Essentials: Must-See Cinema from Hollywood’s Untamed Era, 1930-1934 will be published this October from Running Press, and it’s available for pre-order now from retailers like Bookshop.org, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, and more!

My love of pre-Code Hollywood should be no surprise to longtime readers of this blog. What may be surprising is how long we’ve been working on Pre-Code Essentials: Danny, who runs the wonderful pre-code.com, asked me to co-write this book with him in 2016, and I met our amazing editor at Running Press, Cindy, in 2019. 

Almost 20 years ago, I made my first forays into the fascinating Production Code Administration files at the Academy’s Margaret Herrick Library for my thesis on Baby Face (1933). Little would I know the impact that research would have on my life, as those files played a very big role in Pre-Code Essentials.

So, what can you expect from our book? Deep dives into 50 notable pre-Code pictures, for starters. From there, we offer production histories, censorship details,* and commentary on how relevant many of these movies remain almost a century later. (Oh, and we’ve got over 200 photos, including select reproductions from the censorship records!) 

This isn't in the book, but it's an example of some of the censorship files we share. This is from New York state's file on Baby Face: the board's reason for rejecting the first version Warner Bros. sent. (The film was eventually edited enough to pass the New York censors.)

This book stands on the shoulders of those who celebrated the era before us; we owe so much to the work of Mark A. Vieira, Tom Doherty, and Mick LaSalle. While it’s an honor to join the distinguished pre-Code author ranks, I’m also incredibly proud that Danny and I bring a new point of view to these films and the era. That’s especially meaningful to me as the first woman to co-author a pre-Code book. So many strong female characters graced the screen during this period, and so many of their stories and struggles that Hollywood portrayed continue to be relatable today.

I’ll try to share a little bit more from the book before publication here with you. In the meantime, if you have any questions, leave a comment and I’ll do my best to answer! Also, I’d love to offer any subscriber who places a pre-order a signed sticker from me and Danny that you can place inside your book when you receive it. If you’d like one, simply email me a screenshot of your order confirmation at: kim.luperi@gmail.com with the subject line Pre-Code Essentials Pre-Order, along with your name and mailing address in the body. Danny and I will send these out closer to publication, so don’t fret if you don’t receive it soon; they’ll arrive in late Fall. (Please note this applies to pre-orders only, and we're offering it as long as supplies last!)

It’s been a very long journey with countless ups and downs, but I am so excited to share this book with you. Thank you for your support over the years! 

*When available, as censorship files for select films curiously are not in the Academy’s vast collection