Hollywood Censored Morality Codes, Catholics, and the Movies [Paperback]

Examines how films were censored and edited to promote a conservative political agenda during the 1930s, Hollywood's golden age.Based on an extensive survey of original studio records, censorship files, and the Catholic Legion of Decency archives, this analysis examines how hundreds of films were expurgated to promote a conservative political agenda during the 1930s.Based on an extensive survey of original studio records, censorship files, and the Catholic Legion of Decency archives, this analysis examines how hundreds of films were expurgated to promote a conservative political agenda during the 1930s.In response to a series of sex scandals that rocked the movie industry in the early 1920s, the Production Code Administration and the Catholic Legion of Decency implemented a code stipulating that movies stress proper behavior, respect for government, and Christian values. Based on an extensive survey of original studio records, censorship files, and the Catholic Legion of Decency archives (whose contents are published here for the first time), Hollywood Censored examines how hundreds of films were expurgated to promote a conservative political agenda during the 1930s. By taking an innovative view of how movies were made, and the conditions that made them, Hollywood Censored brings together such chapters as Movies and Modern Literature, Beer, Blood and Politics, and Film Politics and Industry Policy to form a rare look at America's most famous industry.Introduction; 1. Restricting entertainment: the movies censored; 2. The Hays office and a moral code for the movies; 3. Sex, sex and more sex; 4. Movies and modern literature; 5. Beer, blood and politics; 6. Legions march on Hollywood; 7. Sex with a dash of moral compensation; 8. Film politics and industry policy; 9. Conclusion; Appendices; Index. Several books about that phase of movie censorship dealing with the Motion Picture Production Code and the Catholic Legion of Decency have been published recently. lÝ