Movie Production Code Research Paper
The Motion Picture Production Code
In 1930 , The Production Code was introduced. The Hayes Code was essentially censorship of movies. It imposed a very strict, conservative moral code on the movies, completely banning sex, nudity, profanity, gore... from all films. And beyond that, it regulated themes as well, insisting, for instance, that the bad guys always get punished and that the clergy be shown in a generally favorable light. The code focused on the the audience and its desires that the industry’s commercialism promoted. The code consisted moral guidelines that applied to films in the United States. It enforced appropriate content and included rules against profanity, nudity, willful offense to any nation, race or creed; and so on. …show more content…
The code was used to prohibit the lowering of moral standards to the audience. Even with all the enforced rules directors found ways to get around them.
“Hollywood was established by immigrants untutored in the finer manners of corporate capitalism, who occasionally had to be reminded to their civic responsibilities”.
During the 1920s, Hays worked with civic and religious groups to improve their opinion of the movies, a policy that culminated in the writing of the Production Code in 1930 The Depression put a halt to the code, Hollywood needed to make an income and producing films that featured violence, sin; and sexuality was a money maker. During this time there was little enforcement of the code, it was unpreventable. In 1934 the Catholic Church established the Legion of Decency which threatened Hollywood. If producers did not surrender than their movies would be boycotted.
More Code….
The code guaranteed that virtually every movie in every theatre was suitable for all family members to see. And at the time it started, television didn't exist, so movies were the primary source of family entertainment. With the code censoring out any objectionable material, parents didn't have to worry about taking their kids to a movie and being shocked by something crude or violent. The code prevented many movie-makers from making the kind of movies they wanted to make, stifled creativity, didn't allow for a realistic depiction of society as it really existed, and stopped movie-makers from discussing controversial social issues, such as homosexuality. The rules were often prudish they were even banned from using the word "virgin", and even married couples were shown sleeping in separate beds. By the 1960's, social mores had changed so much that the Code was simply outdated. With TV there to fill the bill for clean, censored entertainment, movies needed edgier subject matter to attract adult audiences to theaters. So eventually studios simply started ignoring the Code, and it fell by the wayside. It was replaced by the movie rating system, which allowed studios to make the movies they wanted, but in theory kept children out of adult films, and warned potential audiences when the content might be
objectionable.
In 1930 , The Production Code was introduced. The Hayes Code was essentially censorship of movies. It imposed a very strict, conservative moral code on the movies, completely banning sex, nudity, profanity, gore... from all films. And beyond that, it regulated themes as well, insisting, for instance, that the bad guys always get punished and that the clergy be shown in a generally favorable light. The code focused on the the audience and its desires that the industry’s commercialism promoted. The code consisted moral guidelines that applied to films in the United States. It enforced appropriate content and included rules against profanity, nudity, willful offense to any nation, race or creed; and so on. …show more content…
The code was used to prohibit the lowering of moral standards to the audience. Even with all the enforced rules directors found ways to get around them.
“Hollywood was established by immigrants untutored in the finer manners of corporate capitalism, who occasionally had to be reminded to their civic responsibilities”.
During the 1920s, Hays worked with civic and religious groups to improve their opinion of the movies, a policy that culminated in the writing of the Production Code in 1930 The Depression put a halt to the code, Hollywood needed to make an income and producing films that featured violence, sin; and sexuality was a money maker. During this time there was little enforcement of the code, it was unpreventable. In 1934 the Catholic Church established the Legion of Decency which threatened Hollywood. If producers did not surrender than their movies would be boycotted.
More Code….
The code guaranteed that virtually every movie in every theatre was suitable for all family members to see. And at the time it started, television didn't exist, so movies were the primary source of family entertainment. With the code censoring out any objectionable material, parents didn't have to worry about taking their kids to a movie and being shocked by something crude or violent. The code prevented many movie-makers from making the kind of movies they wanted to make, stifled creativity, didn't allow for a realistic depiction of society as it really existed, and stopped movie-makers from discussing controversial social issues, such as homosexuality. The rules were often prudish they were even banned from using the word "virgin", and even married couples were shown sleeping in separate beds. By the 1960's, social mores had changed so much that the Code was simply outdated. With TV there to fill the bill for clean, censored entertainment, movies needed edgier subject matter to attract adult audiences to theaters. So eventually studios simply started ignoring the Code, and it fell by the wayside. It was replaced by the movie rating system, which allowed studios to make the movies they wanted, but in theory kept children out of adult films, and warned potential audiences when the content might be
objectionable.