1 / 12

Hays Code (1930-1968) and the Crime Movie

Hays Code (1930-1968) and the Crime Movie. The start…. Hollywood’s scandals: Early 20’s: a murder, a drug overdose, and a manslaughter trial. Hollywood as “Sin City” 1922—Motion Picture Producers and Distributors Association Slaps on the wrists and a lot of “tsk, tsk, tsk”.

KeelyKia
Download Presentation

Hays Code (1930-1968) and the Crime Movie

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Hays Code(1930-1968) and the Crime Movie

  2. The start… • Hollywood’s scandals: • Early 20’s: a murder, a drug overdose, and a manslaughter trial. • Hollywood as “Sin City” • 1922—Motion Picture Producers and Distributors Association • Slaps on the wrists and a lot of “tsk, tsk, tsk”

  3. Formal Enforcement : 1930-1934 • Great Depression comes along, film makers want to make $$ • Sex sells. Violence sells. • 1934: Production Code Administration • Films required a certificate of approval for showings and distribution

  4. What’s in the code… • specific restrictions on language and behavior: sex, violence, and crime = bad. • None of the following:

  5. Other Issues • No films that make audiences sympathize with criminals • Crime never pays (bad guys get bad ends) • Murder and violent scenes must not be shown to make it want to be imitated • Murder and violent scenes cannot be graphic, detail, or, in some cases, visible.

  6. What? More issues? • Sanctity of marriage and the home will be upheld (Huh?) • Adultery and sex cannot be shown • Granted, these may be necessary to plot • If so, they are to be off camera and not discussed. • Directors did find ways around them.

  7. Production Codes Tumble! • Golden Age of Hollywood goes Ah-buh-bye! • What happened to Hollywood? • TV! Fie and a pox on that squawk box! • Hollywood needed sex and violence to sell tickets There was none of that on TV!

  8. Hays Code and the administrators needed to change • Films were changing, becoming racier despite tougher regulations in 1951 • Ticket sales were plummeting • MGM released Blow Up even though it was rejected. (Oh well. So much for the fun!) 1968, Rating system was then formed by the Motion Picture Association of America. • No restrictions on what was filmed • No crazy stuff quite yet—slow to change. I don’t like these here new dang-fidnagled movies

  9. The Crime Film.The original Gangstaz • 1920’s—a wild time with lots of colorful figures • Many came straight out of history: Capone, Bonnie and Clyde, Dillinger. • 1930’s—Great Depression. • A time of unrest and turmoil • Allowed viewers to do what they could never do

  10. Early gangster films helped give birth to Hays Code • Violent! Violent! They were violent! And un-American! • Once production codes came along, gangester films need to become more American • Crime film is American: hard work brings power, wealth and fame.

  11. Bad guys die dishonorably: • Gunned down in streets • Die in the gutter • Lovers die together but cannot touch each other • Falling from a height (literal and figurative fall) • Die a coward, begging and pleading James Cagney in Angels with Dirty Faces (Curtiz, 1938)

  12. Some symbols to watch for: • Guns: used as a sense of power and prestige, also a charm to remain invinsible • Clothing: shows growth, from floppy hats and rags, to pin stripe suits and fedoras. Images from Public Enemy (Wellman, 1931)

More Related