Hollywood, No Sex Please!

Hollywood changed in 1934. Although the Hays Code had come in several years earlier it was now going to be enforced. All movies had to get the seal of approval, this meant scripts and costumes had to receive prior approval.

America might had been protestant, The Hays Code bought a catholic sensibility to the screen. It was not only toning down sex, violence and bad language but also the values depicted in the stories. No longer you will have women who literally sleep their way to the top.

There was nothing much new in this documentary. It had several informative talking heads and clips from movies.

The Hays Code was a straitjacket put on writers and directors but they found a way to work around the restrictions. They could be more creative or think laterally. The Hollywood film studios found out that they were making more money. Before the Hays Code, some religious groups boycotted going to the cinema.

With the popularity of television in the 1950s. Cracks began to appear in the code, it was no longer fit for purpose. Independent studios were more daring in their subject matter. In the 1960s, the Hays Code started to be ignored. Even major studios were bypassing it as violence in American movies certainly increased.

An informative documentary but nothing too revealing here for me.