Metropolisforever Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Do not be fooled. America is NOT a free country. The 1945 film Mom and Dad faced hundreds of legal challenges. This film was NOT approved by the Hays Code. However, it went on to become the third highest grossing film of the 1940s. The 1947 film Fireworks was also challenged. Kenneth Anger was arrested on obscenity charges following the release of Fireworks. The case went to the California Supreme Court, which declared the film to be art. Several other films were also challenged for "obscenity". Let's discuss them! ^ _ ^ Message was edited by: Metropolisforever Message was edited by: Metropolisforever Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsclassic Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 LOL A lot of obscene things happen in these forums (thanks to me) A lot of horror films I guess can be obscene The movie Promises Promises was banned in Cleveland because Jayne Mansfield was nude in a scene IS that obscene ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markfp2 Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 To paraphrase old saying "obscenity is in the eyes of the beholder". You got to remember that right up to the 1960's most states and many cities had their own censor boards to rule on movies and could require cuts or even have them banned in their state or community. In many cases, these boards were political appointees and they just followed the "party line" and most took a very conservative view of sex, language and violence back then. Church groups were very powerful in those days too when it came to so called "obscene" films. One of the strongest was Legion of Decency which was part of the catholic church. (I'm not catholic-bashing here folks, just recalling history) Studio heads would be shaking in their shoes just at the thought of having 50 million catholics forbidden to attend one of their films. I remember when I was a little kid in the '50's a film called THE MOON IS BLUE was banned and catholics where not only forbidden to see it, but also forbidden from seeing any film playing at those theatres for six months. My parents refused to take me to a Disney film, a few weeks later, because it was playing at that theatre. What was so bad about the film? One of the female characters was referred to as a "virgin". At least, that's what I've been told, but I neve rdid get to see it. Always struck me funny that despite all the effort to ban "dirty" films, real porn was being shown in the back room of lodges and firehouses, at all male "smokers", to raise money for charity and the censors always turned a blind eye to that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visualfeast Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 The other "word" used in THE MOON IS BLUE was "pregnant". Virgin and pregnant...surely words that can contaminate the mind and cause people to leave the church, and begin lives of debauchery! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metropolisforever Posted January 25, 2008 Author Share Posted January 25, 2008 >The other "word" used in THE MOON IS BLUE was "pregnant". Virgin and pregnant...surely words that can contaminate the mind and cause people to leave the church, and begin lives of debauchery! LOL. Radical conservatives are really silly. From 1933 - 1980, the National Legion of Decency was very influential. The National Legion of Decency is now known as the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Official site: http://www.usccb.org/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metropolisforever Posted January 25, 2008 Author Share Posted January 25, 2008 The Moon is Blue used the words "virgin", "pregnant", "seduce" and "mistress". Horrors! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChipHeartsMovies Posted January 27, 2008 Share Posted January 27, 2008 What's obscene? If Jayne Mansfield being naked is branded obscene --- THAT'S obscene. It's ridiculous to think of someone naked as obscene, but come on, Jayne Mansfield in particular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CineMaven Posted January 27, 2008 Share Posted January 27, 2008 I guess whether we came over on the Mayflower or slave ships...the Puritan ethic trickled down to some (even today) thinking that tastefully done nudity is obscene. Give me Jaynie any day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsclassic Posted January 27, 2008 Share Posted January 27, 2008 Back then when Jayne M did Promises Promises, that nude scene caused Cleveland to ban the movie..it was obscene to the city of Cleveland, back when that movie was made I personally wouldnt call it obscene..id call her YUMMY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casablancalover Posted January 27, 2008 Share Posted January 27, 2008 I hesitate to mention this, but there is a scene from the movie The Day of The Locust where the young male lead, Tod, shows more than is intended when he is in his boxer shorts...I'm not sure if I am imagining this or not, but I've been a big fan of boxers for men ever since. Somewhat related, I always take time to raise a toast to Louise Poirier, inventor of the Wonder Bra! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joefilmone Posted January 27, 2008 Share Posted January 27, 2008 Obscene is in the eye of the beholder. In Europe they show commercials with topless women and no one makes a big deal. America is still puritanical when it comes to nudity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kas_to Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 The Cook the Thief His Wife & Her Lover (1989) this movie gets such rave reviews but I walked out on it at the movie theatre Message was edited by: kas_to Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CineMaven Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 I've never seen it...but wasn't Helen Mirren enuf to keep you in your seat?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casablancalover Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 "Alnall nathrac" I loved how devious Helen Mirren was in Excaliber. My first experience with hot scenes in the movies. That was the movie I hid from my young sons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CineMaven Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 Cute...she was something else in that movie, wasn't she? Are your sons grown up now...even without Helen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casablancalover Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Oh yeah, all grown (28 and 25) up now. I'm pretty sure they had seen the movie without my knowing sometime ago. Maybe it's like the Video generation's version of discovering old Playboy's under the mattress ;-) . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metropolisforever Posted February 1, 2008 Author Share Posted February 1, 2008 The 1963 film Flaming Creatures was seized by the police at its premiere, and was officially determined to be obscene by an NY Criminal Court. The 1964 film Scorpio Rising was censored for indecency, and the case went to the Supreme Court, where it was decided that the film was not legally obscene. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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