Skip to content
The Criminal Code poster
6.1 / 10(33 votes)IMDb19311h 37mUnited States of America

The Criminal Code

“LOVE saved him from worse than THE CHAIR”

Synopsis

After young Robert Graham commits a murder while drunk and defending his girlfriend, he is prosecuted by ambitious Mark Brady and sentenced to 10 years. Six years later, Brady becomes the prison warden and offers the beleaguered Robert a job as his chauffeur. Robert cleans up his act, but, on the eve of his pardon, his cellmate drags him back into the world of violence, and he faces a difficult choice that could return him to prison.

Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes

Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.

The Criminal Code (1931) - Walter Huston - New Warden

Type: Clip • Published 2015-08-23

Release History & Theatrical Window

World Premiere

Boston, Massachusetts

Festival / Special Debut

Theatrical Premiere

January 3, 1931

Wide Cinema Exhibition

Key Information & Fast Facts

Director
Howard Hawks
Screenplay & Story
Martin Flavin, Fred Niblo Jr., Seton I. Miller, Howard Hawks
Original Score
Sam Perry
Original Title
The Criminal Code
Country of Origin
United States of America
Spoken Languages
German, English
Runtime
1h 37m
Production Studios
Columbia Pictures

Creative Leadership & Key Crew

Director

Howard Hawks

Screenplay & Story

Martin Flavin, Fred Niblo Jr., Seton I. Miller, Howard Hawks

Original Score & Music

Sam Perry

Director of Photography

James Wong Howe, Ted Tetzlaff

Film Editing

Edward Curtiss

Producers

Howard Hawks, Harry Cohn, Frank Fouce

Department Leadership Roster

Howard Hawks

Howard Hawks

Producer

Harry Cohn

Harry Cohn

Producer

Edward Curtiss

Editor

Howard Hawks

Howard Hawks

Director

James Wong Howe

James Wong Howe

Director of Photography

Ted Tetzlaff

Ted Tetzlaff

Director of Photography

Frank Fouce

Producer

Sam Perry

Original Music Composer

Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Criminal Code.

Featured In Curated Collections

Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Criminal Code.

MNR

17374 titles

THE WEIRDLY-HEELED ABRUPTLY-ATOMIC FLICKERS PROJECT 2021 👠☢️

Everything I watched in 2021

860 titles

Pre-Code Hollywood

Pre-Code Hollywood films, 1929 to 1934.

840 titles

Missing Mine

9983 titles

Howard Hawks

36 titles

Oscar Best Writing Nominees

Complete list of Oscar Best Writing Nominees

1024 titles

Similar Titles to The Criminal Code

Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling

  • 6.9
  • 5.0
  • 6.3
  • 4.9
  • 4.8
  • 6.3
  • 6.3
  • 10.0
  • 6.2
  • 7.2
  • 7.5
  • 6.0
  • 6.1
  • 6.6
  • 7.0
  • 5.8
  • 5.6
  • 6.4
  • 6.0
  • 5.3

More Like The Criminal Code

Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.

7.4
6.8
5.9
6.5
6.5
6.0
7.1
6.2
7.3
6.5
6.2
7.1

Frequently Asked Questions About The Criminal Code

Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.

What is The Criminal Code about?

After young Robert Graham commits a murder while drunk and defending his girlfriend, he is prosecuted by ambitious Mark Brady and sentenced to 10 years. Six years later, Brady becomes the prison warden and offers the beleaguered Robert a job as his chauffeur. Robert cleans up his act, but, on the eve of his pardon, his cellmate drags him back into the world of violence, and he faces a difficult choice that could return him to prison.

Who directed The Criminal Code?

The Criminal Code was directed by Howard Hawks.

Who stars in The Criminal Code?

The principal cast of The Criminal Code includes Walter Huston, Phillips Holmes, Constance Cummings, Boris Karloff, DeWitt Jennings.

When was The Criminal Code released and how long is it?

The Criminal Code was released in 1931 with a total runtime of 1h 37m.

Who composed the musical score for The Criminal Code?

The original motion picture soundtrack for The Criminal Code was composed by Sam Perry.