16mm Cartoons: Rude, Sexy & Risqué

Animated cartoons of the 1920s and early 1930s were made to entertain the adults in theater audiences—more so than the children! Alcohol, sex, cross-dressing, adultery, and unusually cruel violence were all fair game before strict censorship codes transformed the film industry in the mid-1930s. To showcase this “pre-code” trend, animation archivist and historian Tommy José Stathes will share some especially raunchy examples of these rather ‘adult’ cartoon shorts from his personal 16mm film print archive, and exclusively on the Roxy’s silver screen. An infamous 1920s pornographic cartoon will round out the program, which is intended for a more mature audience.

Films will be followed by a live Q&A session. Recommended age: 18+