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The '''Motion Picture Production Code''', more commonly named after its most staunch proponent, [[William Hays]], was a comprehensive--and, for most of its life, binding--set of limits on the content of [[motion picture]]s in the [[United States of America]].

The '''Motion Picture Production Code''', more commonly named after its most staunch proponent, [[William Hays]], was a comprehensive—and, for most of its life, binding—set of limits on the content of [[motion picture]]s in the [[United States of America]].

== Pre-Code ==

== Pre-Code ==

In response, many State [[legislature]]s began passing laws regulating the kinds of motion pictures that could be shown within their jurisdictions. In 1915 the Mutual Film Corporation sued to prevent enforcement, by the Industrial Commission of Ohio, of such a law within [[Ohio]]. Eventually the [[Supreme Court]] of the [[United States]] held<ref name=MutvOhio>''[http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=236&invol=230 Mutual Film Corporation v. Industrial Commission of Ohio]'', 236 U.S. 230 (1915), retrieved April 6, 2007, from FindLaw.com</ref> that motion pictures did not enjoy the protection against "abridgment of the freedom of speech" mentioned in the First Amendment to the [[United States Constitution]].

In response, many State [[legislature]]s began passing laws regulating the kinds of motion pictures that could be shown within their jurisdictions. In 1915 the Mutual Film Corporation sued to prevent enforcement, by the Industrial Commission of Ohio, of such a law within [[Ohio]]. Eventually the [[Supreme Court]] of the [[United States]] held<ref name=MutvOhio>''[http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=236&invol=230 Mutual Film Corporation v. Industrial Commission of Ohio]'', 236 U.S. 230 (1915), retrieved April 6, 2007, from FindLaw.com</ref> that motion pictures did not enjoy the protection against "abridgment of the freedom of speech" mentioned in the First Amendment to the [[United States Constitution]].

The 1920's saw the drug-related deaths--and, in two memorable cases, the murders--of a number of film actors and directors. This, in addition to the content of many projects, caused the public to regard [[Hollywood]] with a jaundiced eye.

The 1920s saw the drug-related deaths—and, in two memorable cases, the murders—of a number of film actors and directors. This, in addition to the content of many projects, caused the public to regard [[Hollywood]] with a jaundiced eye.

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]].

# [[Law]], natural or human, shall not be ridiculed, nor shall sympathy be created for its violation.

# [[Law]], natural or human, shall not be ridiculed, nor shall sympathy be created for its violation.

The particular applications were mostly in accord with these principles. The following particulars are noteworthy:

The particular applications were mostly in accord with these principles. The following particulars are noteworthy:

* [[Murder]]s were never to be shown in detail. The operative concerns were twofold: that no person murder another by imitating a murder he saw done on film, and that viewers not be subject to a sick-making spectacle.

* [[Murder]]s were never to be shown in detail. The operative concerns were twofold: that no person murder another by imitating a murder he saw done on film, and that viewers not be subject to a sick-making spectacle.

* Similarly, methods of crime were never to be shown in enough detail as to inspire imitation or, worse yet, to give instruction in crime.

* Similarly, methods of crime were never to be shown in enough detail as to inspire imitation or, worse yet, to give instruction in crime.

* Crime must never "pay." This led, in a number of instances involving adaptations of plots from stage to film, to the requirement that the film end in a manner substantially different from the play. For example, in ''The Bad Seed'' (1956), the child murderess was shown making a desperate search to retrieve the metal-plated shoes she had used to kill her victim, only to die of a [[lightning]] strike.<ref name=BadSeed>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048977/ ''The Bad Seed'' (1956)] at the Internet Movie Database</ref> That scene was not in the original stage script. (Furthermore, the director shot the lightning strike at a wide angle, so that in effect, nature--or [[God]]--struck the fatal blow at a distance.)

* Crime must never "pay." This led, in a number of instances involving adaptations of plots from stage to film, to the requirement that the film end in a manner substantially different from the play. For example, in ''The Bad Seed'' (1956), the child murderess was shown making a foolhardy search, during a [[thunderstorm]], to retrieve a medal that she had stolen from her victim, after her mother had dropped it into the water where the victim had died. The child goes out onto an old and rickety pier, spots the medal, and attempts to retrieve it with a fishing net, only to die of a [[lightning]] strike.<ref name=BadSeed>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048977/ ''The Bad Seed'' (1956)] at the Internet Movie Database</ref> That scene was not in the original stage script. (Furthermore, the director shot the lightning strike at a wide angle, so that in effect, nature&mdash;or [[God]]&mdash;struck the fatal blow at a distance.)

* Intimate interactions not necessary to the plot were not to be shown on camera--and no actor or actress was to appear on camera without a minimum amount of clothing.

* Intimate interactions not necessary to the plot were not to be shown on camera&mdash;and no actor or actress was to appear on camera without a minimum amount of clothing.

* Profane or obscene language was never to be spoken.

* Profane or obscene language was never to be spoken.

* Vulgar, disgusting subjects had to be handled in a manner not likely to nauseate the audience.

* Vulgar, disgusting subjects had to be handled in a manner not likely to nauseate the audience.

* Respect for the dead, and for the act of dying, generally meant that dead bodies were not shown, and gruesome deaths were never acted out on camera.

* Respect for the dead, and for the act of dying, generally meant that dead bodies were not shown, and gruesome deaths were never acted out on camera.

* Intoxicating [[liquor]] was not to be drunk unless such drinking was necessary to the plot. Actually, [[Prohibition in the United States|prohibition]] was no longer in force by the time the code came into effect, and so this provision was more honored in the breach than otherwise. Nevertheless, the PCA never passed a project that ''celebrated'' alcohol intoxication.

* Intoxicating [[liquor]] was not to be drunk unless such drinking was necessary to the plot. Actually, [[Prohibition in the United States|prohibition]] was no longer in force by the time the code came into effect, and so this provision was more honored in the breach than otherwise. Nevertheless, the PCA never passed a project that ''celebrated'' alcohol intoxication. More typical were projects that illustrated the dire personal, family, or professional consequences of habitual alcohol abuse.

* Producers were not to hold any religion up to ridicule, or to cast disrespect on "the just rights, history, and feelings of any nation." One repeated practical application of this rule was that the face of [[Jesus|Christ]] was never shown in close-up, but only at a wide angle, if at all. Films like ''The Robe'' (1953)<ref name=Robe>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046247/ ''The Robe'' (1953)] at the Internet Movie Database</ref> and ''Ben-Hur'' (1959)<ref name=BenHur>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052618/ ''Ben-Hur'' (1959)] at the Internet Movie Database</ref> best illustrate this principle.

* Producers were not to hold any religion up to ridicule, or to cast disrespect on "the just rights, history, and feelings of any nation." One repeated practical application of this rule was that the face of [[Jesus|Christ]] was never shown in close-up, but only at a wide angle, if at all. Films like ''The Robe'' (1953)<ref name=Robe>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046247/ ''The Robe'' (1953)] at the Internet Movie Database</ref> and ''Ben-Hur'' (1959)<ref name=BenHur>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052618/ ''Ben-Hur'' (1959)] at the Internet Movie Database</ref> best illustrate this principle.

== Decline of the Code ==

== Decline of the Code ==

The introduction of [[television]] created a new problem for motion-picture exhibitors, in that viewers could now stay at home to watch the sort of spectacle that, heretofore, they had to go out to a public venue to see. So producers experimented with a variety of techniques to distinguish themselves from television, by doing things that television could not do. For example, they changed the aspect ratio of their films from the traditional 4:3 to 16:9, 2:1, or even 2.25:1. But they also agitated for the right to include more salacious content in their films.

The introduction of [[television]] created a new problem for motion-picture exhibitors, in that viewers could now stay at home to watch the sort of spectacle that, heretofore, they had to go out to a public venue to see. So producers experimented with a variety of techniques to distinguish themselves from television, by doing things that television could not do. For example, they changed the aspect ratio of their films from the traditional 4:3 to 16:9, 2:1, or even 2.25:1. But they also agitated for the right to include more salacious content in their films.

In 1954, Joseph Breen retired as head of the PCA. Then an antitrust ruling severely weakened the PCA's power of enforcement.<ref name=PBS>[http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/cultureshock/flashpoints/theater/hollywood.html Howard Hawks' ''Scarface'' and the Hollywood Production Code] from the ''Culture Shock'' series of retrospectives by the Public Broadcasting Service (on-line program note retrieved on April 6, 2007)</ref> Opinions differ as to the particular motion-picture production or productions that might have further weakened the code to make it unenforceable. Perhaps the strongest candidate is [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s ''Psycho'' (1960)<ref name=Psycho>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054215/ ''Psycho'' (1960)] at the Internet Movie Database</ref>, which had multiple elements that the Code forbade: adultery, bank embezzlement, a flight from the law, voyeurism, and ultimately two murders, the first of which was the most gruesome murder staged to date on film.

In 1954, Joseph Breen retired as head of the PCA. Then an antitrust ruling severely weakened the PCA's power of enforcement.<ref name=PBS>[https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/cultureshock/flashpoints/theater/hollywood.html Howard Hawks' ''Scarface'' and the Hollywood Production Code] from the ''Culture Shock'' series of retrospectives by the Public Broadcasting Service (on-line program note retrieved on April 6, 2007)</ref> Opinions differ as to the particular motion-picture production or productions that might have further weakened the code to make it unenforceable. Perhaps the strongest candidate is [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s ''Psycho'' (1960),<ref name=Psycho>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054215/ ''Psycho'' (1960)] at the Internet Movie Database</ref> which had multiple elements that the Code forbade: adultery, bank embezzlement, a flight from the law, voyeurism, and ultimately two murders, the first of which was the most gruesome murder staged to date on film.

In 1968, the now-renamed Motion Picture Association of America abandoned the Code completely in favor of their present ratings system.

In 1968, the now-renamed Motion Picture Association of America abandoned the Code completely in favor of their present ratings system.