Metropolisforever Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 In 1934, the evil Hays Code was created, which required all filmmakers to obtain a certificate of approval before they could release their movie. Most films were released with a Code certificate. However, many films were released WITHOUT code approval. This is a discussion thread for movies that defied the Code. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredCDobbs Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 Why do you say the Hays Code was "evil"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennethlawson Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 The Hayes code it was evil because it was blanat for of government suctioned, if not backed censorship. The industry ,studios bowed to it to try to keep everyone happy, however it was give a inch and they took a mile, the more they gave into what they wanted, the more they wanted,, and so it wanted. and to got pretty stupid. well, thats my 2 cents worth...lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredCDobbs Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 What does "blanat for of government suctioned" mean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennethlawson Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 Sorry what I meant to say was" blant and/ or government sanctioned," At least that was my understanding of the way that had happened If I'm wrong I'm sure someone will correct me.. the end result was censorship . Sorry for any misunderstanding.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredCDobbs Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 What does ?blant? mean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennethlawson Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 Sorry ,I couldn't get it close enough for spell-check to catch it I finely googled it until I got it,, The word I was shooting for, I think was " blanent" Now I'm not even sure its still spelled right.. Usually it a matter of I can spell it pretty good just can't get it typed right, this time I couldn't even spell it even close... sorry,, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredCDobbs Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 The Code was an industry code, not a government code. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennethlawson Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 I stand corrected, Your right, But as I said end result was censorship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metropolisforever Posted January 3, 2008 Author Share Posted January 3, 2008 In 1915, The Supreme Court ruled that motion pictures are not covered by the First Amendment. In 1952, The Supreme Court reversed its position on movies, declaring that "liberty of expression by means of motion pictures is guaranteed by the 1st and 14th Amendments." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredCDobbs Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 The Constitution allows individual states to decide that issue, under the 9th and 10th Amendments. The First Amendment applies only to the Federal Congress. The 14th Amendment defines the equality of all people within each state. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredCDobbs Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 So what. The issue was profanity, vulgarity, and salaciousness. This board has similar censorship rules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metropolisforever Posted January 3, 2008 Author Share Posted January 3, 2008 The Hays Code was a censorship organization for the entire movie industry. How would you like it if all websites were forced to follow a strict "code"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredCDobbs Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 Sounds good to me. Do you like to go on some message boards and curse and post naked pictures of yourself? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregory1965 Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 Kenneth - I believe the word you're looking for is "blatant". I'm sure most folks will figure it out from the context of your message, even if there are some who are unable to try to do so. So, before this all gets too derailed in semantics, is there anyone out there who can provide good examples of films that circumvented or just plain ignored the code? Examples from the early years (1930s) would be particularly interesting to me. I know of some cases from Richard Barrios' book Screened Out, but all of his examples deal with gay and lesbian issues. I'm sure there are plenty more that weren't covered by this topic, right? The only one I can think of off the top of my head is Clark Gable's utterance of "damn" in "Frankly my dear, I don't give a..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metropolisforever Posted January 3, 2008 Author Share Posted January 3, 2008 >Sounds good to me. >Do you like to go on some message boards and curse and post naked pictures of yourself? Go away. This thread is getting really off-topic. Message was edited by: Metropolisforever Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredCDobbs Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 Greg, here's a non-code short: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_2grwv3hg4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennethlawson Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 Gregory; thanks for clearing up my spelling,,, As for movies that was what the topic was supposed to be movie that were released in spite of Haynes code, disapproval, It would seem that would draw more attention, putting in advertisement that Haynes code had rejected it, would make people want to see it all the more, finding movies released anyway would be interesting.. As for the philosophical debate, lets leave that to another thread, or even message board and just enjoy the movies.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregory1965 Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 Wow - that's great. Thanks for sharing it. It's obviously too cutesy to have been a stag movie, right? So does that mean that it received some kind of theatrical release in its day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daddysprimadonna Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 "The Outlaw" ignored it, but paid the price for it. In principle, I suppose I should be opposed to the Hays Code, but so many wonderful films were made under it that wouldn't have been the same without it, that I can't get too perturbed about it. And it also means that there's a whole era of movies that I can enjoy under the assumption that blatant nudity, violence, and profanity will be curtailed. I think of the wonderful wit of the movie "Kiss Me Kate", and wonder if it would've been so witty if not made under The Code. I love double entendre and risque lines, and they seem to be a lost art now that people can just say anything, without having to couch it in sophisticated wit. Of course, I also love pre-Code films, but most of them were never all that blatant and obvious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredCDobbs Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 Some websites call this a "soundie". I was in a place in New York one time, either an old arcade or a bar (I can't remember), and they had an old "soundie" machine. It was a juke box with a rear-screen 16 mm movie projector in it. It had only a few choices, but it showed a movie and played the music as the sound track on the movie. But to answer your question, yes some small independent theaters, especially in big cities, did show non-code films in the '30s and '40s. A few were made. Most were low budget. I think "Child Bride" was a no-code film. It must have been a no-code film because of the nude swimming scene. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennethlawson Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 Soundie were made around the beginning of WWII and up to almost the end of the war I believe, I have PBS Special on them, I recored last year I think its in my dvd collection, What they are is essentially what today we call a music video. I had never heard of them until I saw the special, Try doing a google search on them, If I remember right they didn't make them for a very long period of time. After WWII they were phased out and I don't think theres many left around anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredCDobbs Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 I think they were too costly, the soundie machines were too complicated, the films quickly got dirty and scratched, and a soundie machine had only a limited number of songs on film. Plus, they didn't bring in much money. They were mostly novelties and eventually were phased out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coopsgirl Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 *The Fountainhead* has some very obvious sexual imagery and it was made in '48 (released in '49). Overall, I don't like the movie but the couple of scenes that I do like are the ones I'm surprised made it past the censors. When Patricia Neal first sees Gary Cooper she is wearing a very tight sweater that leaves nothing to the imagination and he's working in a quarry with a rather large drill. His sleeves are rolled up and we can see all the muscles in his arms tensed up as he works the drill. The camera pans from the drill going into the marble up along his arms and then up to his face. He sees Patricia ogling him and they exchange some very suggestive looks and kinda racy dialogue. Later on she's looking in the mirror while brushing her hair and then also in the mirror we see her flashing back to watching him working the drill. She seems quite "frustrated" and she huffily turns off her lamps on her vanity and goes to bed. Then she takes the poker from the fireplace and smashes the marble in front of it and gets Gary to come up and fix it. It's obvious that he knows she smashed it on purpose and she gets mad when he doesn't immediately play along with her game. In another scene later he very boldly walks into her bedroom at night and she's sitting at her vanity in her nightgown and sees him in her mirror. She gets up to run out but he blocks the door. They struggle for a minute and then he kisses her very forcefully. She manages to wriggle free and then falls the ground. She gets up and runs away again out onto her balcony where she falls again. He's very calmly walked over to her and is just standing over her smirking then the scene fades out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainingviolets21 Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 Coopsgal--that is the reason I love the Fountainhead so much--Cooper and Neal burn up the screen-even though I thought her character was slightly dotty- she really fell for Coop--well what red blooded gal wouldn't--he had more sex-appeal -than any other star of that era or since. I saw a magazine called The Inquirer at the flea market that stated he had a major affair with Sweeden's Anita Ekberg~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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