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Code? What code?Even though a "code" was written by 1930, the organization had no real authority. Thats the way hollywood wanted it. They could pay lip service to conservative groups while keeping their movies profitable and filled with sex and violance.To circumvent possible legislation and to assure the public the studios turned to a body they had created in 1922 mppda. The association was set up so the studios could police themselves and avoid any government intrusion on their business. Politician Wil Hayes had been put in charge although the position didn't have any real power but a nice salary of $100,000. A powerful Catholic group the legion of decency finally threatened to stage massive boycotts of films that failed to meet the hays code which would have severely hurt the sudios bottum line so in 1934 the major studios decided that every film they paid for would adhere to the code and they finally gave hays the power to make sure everyone followed suit. It wouldn't be until the 1950's that the code would really begin to crack.Yet in the end the code was just no match for the liberal 1960's with its influx of unregulated popular foriegn films and loosening of obscenity laws. Instead of trying to regulate what went into movies a rating system was created in 1968 that warned people what was already in them. Thats the way it should be If you don't like whats in the film don't see it.
Once Hitchcock came out with "Psycho" - which blatantly violated the Code and did not get its seal of approval - the Code started to mean less and less, and by the mid-1960s it was dead for all purposes (e.g. when "Blow Up" showed full female nudity and when "What's New, Pussycat" featured the f-word).
Score one for Hitchcock for helping to kill the code.
No thanks, I'd rather have flagrant, disgusting, graphic, gross depictions of violence, crimes, sex, gore, and other stuff than ONE IOTA of censorship being allowed here in America.
Location: Jonquil City (aka Smyrna) Georgia- by Atlanta
16,259 posts, read 24,763,471 times
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We don't need any codes for movies that people pay to see or for cable TV. I do think that over-the-air broadcast TV should be subjected to restrictions before 11 PM but none after 11 PM.
Yes, and I think it should be expanded to literature, too. No more books with references to awful things like that, either. Doris Day and the Bobbsey Twins are perfectly capable of giving Americans all the entertainment they will ever need. Gee Whiz, that's swell, fellas.
America is already the laughing stock of the world for the things that are censored in this country, and they way our lives are regimented.
You know what? There are many people who really don't care what the rest of the world thinks of American values and morals. Teenagers and immature, insecure adults, maybe. But not the majority of mature, proud Americans.
Some of the greatest films ever were made during the time ofthe production code. It made writers really think hard, and madethe stories interesting. Plus of course there were great moviestars which we don't have anymore. I met a few of these starslike James Stewart and Mickey Rooney, fantastic personalities.I love american movies and always have, but I find precent dayones mainly made for kids, which is the main audience today. Thetrue worth of a film is can you watch it more than once? Not manymodern day films I'm afraid. But try Top Hat, Gone with the Wind,Andy Hardy, Its a Wonderful Life, Yankee Doodle Dandy, any MGMmusical etc etc they are magical. All these films were made witha restrictive code in place.
You know what? There are many people who really don't care what the rest of the world thinks of American values and morals. Teenagers and immature, insecure adults, maybe. But not the majority of mature, proud Americans.
Some of the pre code stuff is very interesting. Red Headed Womanstarring Jean Harlow is a good example, she lives a very immorallife and gets away with it, not possible after 1934. Same with MaeWests early films, most of the dramas made before 1934 are morerealistic than the later stuff. I love Golddiggers of 1933. GingerRodgers character is called Anytime Annie!!!
While i dont really agree with the code(we live in a free society).
I cant help but to wonder how society would be if this code had been in place all this time.
I think movies do influence people perhaps more than we know...
I think that is true. In the early 1970s after A ClockworkOrange came out, they had a spate of attacks by groupsof teenagers dressed like the Malcolm McDowell gang inthat film. It caused Kubrick to withdraw the film and itwas'nt shown for many years
No. It was stating a reasonable opinion in response to a poster who claimed America was the "laughing stock" of the world, implying that America's morals/values should be dependent upon the approval of others. THAT, to me, is the thinking of an adoescent, who needs the approval of their peers.
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