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Watching the Barrymore MOBY DICK (1930), a couple of nights ago, I was surprised to hear him utter the word 'brothels' (less surprising in real life, though) during one exchange of dialogue. Would this word have been allowed, or did it just slip through?

There was no strict code yet in 1930, so it wasn't a problem. That's why get topless shots, women sleeping around, etc., during this time.

Thanks for that. Of course I knew things were rather looser then, but wasn't sure how much one could get away with. Can't recall the use of the word 'brothel' in other films of the period, though of course there were places depicted which were clearly establishments of that type... And watched THE BREAKING OF THE DROUGHT (1920) last night, in which at least two of the characters were clearly 'living in sin'...

Reminds me of a gag in WHO DONE IT? (1942) with Abbott & Costello--an acrobatic team is announced as "The Flying Bordellos!"

westegg wrote:Reminds me of a gag in WHO DONE IT? (1942) with Abbott & Costello--an acrobatic team is announced as "The Flying Bordellos!"

Yet another reason why this is my favourite A&C title.

There's a Joe E. Brown film where he plays a mousy botany student -- he identifies one plant with its two-word Latin name, and the second word is "coptifil" (i.e., "copped a feel") I always pictured the Warners scenarists clapping high fives over sneaking that through.

I just watched "Hell's Angels" last night. During the final sequence of aerial combat, "son of a bitch" is clearly heard. Interestingly enough, just a bit earlier in the film, it was "son of a boche."

The Clark and McCullough short THE GAY NIGHTIES (1933) has this nice exchange:

Lady at Convention: "There's the Countess, they say she's a sleepwalker."
Clark: "Pardon me madam, what did you say?"
Lady: "I said she's a sleepwalker!"