Discussions about the Pre-Code era are certainly not elusive around these parts. This period of Hollywood history is one of the most fascinating, since that brief period between the silent era and the implementation of the Hays Code was home to some of the most boundary-pushing, daring works, the likes of which we wouldn’t see for decades until the dawn of New Hollywood when filmmakers were able once again to approach subjects from a more flexible point of view as far as censorship and decency standards tended to go. At the same time, the films produced during this brief window in the early 1930s were quite a time in comparison to those that would come later, it’s not difficult to see how these stories were potentially controversial. A great example of this comes in the form of Hot Saturday, in which director William A. Seiter adapts the novel of the same title by Harvey Fergusson, which tells the scintillating story of a mild-mannered, demure young bank clerk who finds herself the subject of scandal after she is seen leaving the home of a wealthy local bachelor in the early hours of the morning, an act that has an explanation, but which is entirely overlooked in favour of labelling her a strumpet and woman of loose moral fibre, leading to a series of challenges that she never thought she’d have to face. A very simple film in theory, but one that makes up for its relatively direct approach with some incredibly interesting details, Hot Saturday is a fascinating blend of comedy and melodrama, crafted by a journeyman filmmaker who does not receive his due, despite some consistent work during this period, especially in terms of how he challenges the conventions of a system seemingly designed to keep everyone in order, but which has the opposite effect, spurring on rebellion in unexpected and unique ways.

Looking back at these films made over ninety years ago, we find fascinating details that help us understand dominant mentalities at the time, which often makes these works unexpectedly enthralling and engaging from a contemporary perspective. Hot Saturday is a film that carries a very clear message, and almost takes the form of a morality tale, designed to be shown to potentially rebellious young people as a means to keep them on the straight and narrow (although you can argue this was never all that effective – forced conformity only proves to be fertile ground for louders revolutions) by showing them the outcome of bad behaviour and poor decisions. However, it was far from being as heavy-handed as the “message pictures” that would emerge in the coming years, instead being a more subtle exploration of supposed moral decadence representative of society at the time. It may be set in a very particular time and place, but Hot Saturday covers universal themes, touching on the nature of conservative values and how they define a society, often influencing the perception of young people as they are moulded into supposedly constructive members of society. It can tend to be quite blatant in its messaging, but Hollywood was decidedly much more comfortable explicitly stating its heavy-handed intentions from the outset, and it ultimately doesn’t change the nature of the material too much, nor how it is delivered. The blend of humour and drama is most intriguing since they work in tandem to create this very funny but still quite simple depiction of social values and how they can cause even the most upstanding member of society to become persona non grata without even a moment’s warning.

The heart of this film is found in the performance delivered by the young and captivating Nancy Carroll, who was at her peak during this period and was quickly establishing herself as quite a unique performer, even though a relatively one-dimensional character that is only intriguing based on her wonderful performance. Carroll did not have a lengthy film career, and would step away from cinema only a few years later – but she is very good in this film, bringing a bubbly, effervescent charm to a somewhat reductive story that is massively elevated by her performance. She’s joined by two actors who were also in the infancy of their careers, but who were nonetheless able to use this film as a springboard to better opportunities, becoming Cary Grant and Randolph Scott, two of the most iconic figures in American cinema and icons of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Much like Carroll, both actors were similarly given quite simple roles, but they managed to make their own through the sheer charisma that they brought to every role. There’s something wonderfully charming about both of their performances – Grant, in particular, stands out, since outside of a few small supporting parts where he played second fiddle to bigger stars, Hot Saturday was his first leading role, and he was the definition of debonair charm right out of the gate, even when playing quite a scoundrel, which only makes his performance richer and more intriguing. The film doesn’t put in too much work as far as characterization tends to go, but there’s something delightfully playful about these performances that makes them feel quite special, even at their most straightforward and conventional.

Hot Saturday exists alongside hundreds of similarly-themed films that take a simple premise and use it as the foundation for some social commentary, which was one of the major uses of Hollywood during this period. However, it is certainly not nearly as dull and dreary as so many other films designed to convey an important message and proves to be quite a playful affair, a work drawn from a place of curiosity and humour rather than restricting itself to simply being about conservative values and the importance of living a stringent, virtuous life. There’s not much complexity to it, and it is certainly quite shallow for the most part – but yet we can’t help but be entirely enamoured with the film and its unique approach to exploring these characters and what they represent. Consisting of broad archetypes, cliche-riddled writing and a never-ending stream of lectures about leading a decent life, it’s almost a miracle that Hot Saturday managed to be such a delight. As both a time capsulate of the conventions and traditions of the time and a morality tale about gender roles and interpersonal dynamics, the film is a very effective comedy that is not afraid to subvert expectations on occasion. It’s rarely anything other than wholeheartedly entertaining, and its charm is found in its simplicity – and if anything, its straightforward approach proves that the most effective stories are usually the most simple, especially when it comes to this particular era of Hollywood, where everything seemed so much simpler than it is today.