KICK IN (1931) in 35mm

Special Features: Introduction by film historian David Stenn

Clara Bow’s final film for Paramount plays like a pre-Code noir, steeped in desperation, corruption and moral ambiguity. In what was touted as her first dramatic starring role, Bow gives a raw, sympathetic performance as Molly, the loyal wife of an ex-con trying to go straight. When a crooked friend steals a diamond necklace from the district attorney’s safe, the couple is caught in a web of manipulation, used as pawns by the police in a bid to recover the stolen goods. Things spiral further when Molly’s coke-addicted brother entangles them deeper in the crime and corrupt detectives frame the couple, pushing the film into distinctly proto-noir territory. Bow’s emotional vulnerability onscreen is striking, especially considering she was still reeling from a devastating tabloid scandal the previous year that shattered her public image and spirit. KICK IN has never been released on television, streaming or home video, making it the hardest of Bow’s Paramount films to see — and all the more essential. DIR Richard Wallace; SCR Bartlett Cormack, from the play by Willard Mack; PROD Adolph Zukor, Jesse L. Lasky. U.S., 1931, b&w, 75 min. NOT RATED

Run Time: 75 Minutes

Opening Date: Saturday, November 08, 2025

Genre: Drama

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