It must have been so gloriously invigorating, making films during the first decade since the inception of sound. It seemed both in the pre-Code era and in serials (which I unabashedly adore) that writers and filmmakers threw everything but the kitchen sink at unsuspecting viewers. Though the cynical among contemporary cinephiles could just as well toss it off as creaky filmmaking, since Lord Almighty, it's in black-and-white with no CGI, it's a load of fun (although it does carry the racial stereotypes that were prevalent in cinema at that time, unfortunately). The mid-30's weren't too diffe...