A young boy in a small town turns to a life of crime. After serving a prison sentence, he returns home determined to go straight but finds himself being blackmailed into a safecracking operation at a bank--organized by his romantic rival, who is planning to set him up to go back to prison again.


If you are looking for some lost masterpiece of early 30s cinema, keep walking because The Penal Code is definitely not it. But if you have a soft spot for dusty, fast-moving melodrama where guys wear trousers up to their ribs, this might actually hit the spot. 🎬People who want deep psychological drama will absolutely...

still_frame

product

still_frame


Comparing the cinematic DNA and archive impact of two defining moments in cult history.

George Melford

George Melford
Community
Log in to comment.
"If you are looking for some lost masterpiece of early 30s cinema, keep walking because The Penal Code is definitely not it. But if you have a soft spot for dusty, fast-moving melodrama where guys wear trousers up to their ribs, this might actually hit the spot. 🎬People who want deep psychological drama will absolutely hate how fast this thing rushes through its plot. It is strictly for folks who find comfort in the creaky, low-budget corners of film history.Regis Toomey plays Bob, a kid from a ..."
Albert Richman
Edward T. Lowe Jr., F. Hugh Herbert
United States


Deep dive into the cult classic
Discover similar cinematic experiences
A Directorial Spotlight on George Melford