Changes

Hollywood responded by forming the Motion Picture Production and Distribution Association and pledging to write a code governing film content. The producers did this to avoid having the content of their projects come under federal law. The first president of the MPPDA was [[William Hays]].

Hollywood responded by forming the Motion Picture Production and Distribution Association and pledging to write a code governing film content. The producers did this to avoid having the content of their projects come under federal law. The first president of the MPPDA was [[William Hays]].

Hays tried for eight years to enforce a rough moral guideline on film content, but the producers paid him little heed. But with the invention of talking pictures in 1927, the situation became more urgent, and the producers finally agreed to write a formal code. This the MPDAA did in 1930. They did not ''enforce'' this code until the middle of 1934, when [[Joseph I. Breen]] was named to head the new Production Code Administration. With this appointment, and a new rule requiring all films to obtain a rating from the Production Code Administration (PCA), enforcement was definite and consistent.<ref name=Brandeis>Doherty, Thomas, [http://my.brandeis.edu/news/item?news_item_id=105052&show_release_date=1/ The Code Before 'Da Vinci'], ''The Washington Post'', Saturday, May 20, 2006, page A23; quoted in ''Brandeis News'' and retrieved from its on-line archive on April 6, 2007</ref>

Hays tried for eight years to enforce a rough moral guideline on film content, but the producers paid him little heed. But with the invention of talking pictures in 1927, the situation became more urgent, and the producers finally agreed to write a formal code. This the MPPDA did in 1930. They did not ''enforce'' this code until the middle of 1934, when [[Joseph I. Breen]] was named to head the new Production Code Administration. With this appointment, and a new rule requiring all films to obtain a rating from the Production Code Administration (PCA), enforcement was definite and consistent.<ref name=Brandeis>Doherty, Thomas, [http://my.brandeis.edu/news/item?news_item_id=105052&show_release_date=1/ The Code Before 'Da Vinci'], ''The Washington Post'', Saturday, May 20, 2006, page A23; quoted in ''Brandeis News'' and retrieved from its on-line archive on April 6, 2007</ref>

== Workings of the Code ==

== Workings of the Code ==