As far as I’m concerned, San Francisco Chronicle movie critic Mick LaSalle is the Roger Ebert of the West Coast. So I was ecstatic when he agreed to an email interview recently. Here’s LaSalle’s bio “Mick LaSalle is the film critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, and the author of two books on pre-Production Code movies, Complicated Women: Sex and Power in Pre-Code Hollywood, and Dangerous Men: Pre-Code Hollywood and the Birth of the Modern Man. Both were published by St. Martin’s Press. The Turner Classic Movies documentary, Complicated Women, narrated by Jane Fonda, debuted in 2003.” In addition to discussing these efforts, I got to talk to him about his upcoming book, as well as his blog, Maximum Strength Mick, his podcast and his column, Ask Mick LaSalle.

Tim O’Shea: Thanks to DVDs, would you say there more pre-code films available for purchase or rental in recent years?

Mick LaSalle: Yes — there’s the FORBIDDEN HOLLYWOOD series, various musical series that bring out pre-Codes, and a terrific set from Universal coming out in April. Still, to really see pre-Codes, you need to have cable and Turner Classic Movies.

O’Shea: Since the mass availability of pre-code films has increased, would you ever consider revising your two pre-code books, Complicated Women: Sex and Power in Pre-Code Hollywood, and Dangerous Men: Pre-Code Hollywood and the Birth of the Modern Man?

LaSalle: I would consider it, but it probably wouldn’t happen. Of the two, the one I’d like to revise is COMPLICATED WOMEN, because I wrote it very quickly. (I researched it a long time — and for a long time before that, when I didn’t know I was researching it — but once I had the book deal, I only had eight months to turn in the manuscript.) Plus, I was under the impression that I had to strictly adhere to the 65,000 word limit that was in the contract. Had I to do it over, I’d have added about 10,000 words, mainly about actresses besides Garbo and Shearer.

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