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The Legion of Decency had strict set of rules and regulations that Hollywood had to adhere too in order to have their movies viewed by the public in good light. If there were suggestive scenes or dialogue it was frowned upon in the Catholic Church there would be speculation to the morality of the film and it's makers. This was a time where Hollywood not only had to worry about it's reception to movie goers, but also it's reception to the church. This idea of censorship appealed to the people who thought that the overall good was more important than individual liberties. [1] The Catholic Church brought its authority to the movie going process in attempts to purify it for the greater good of the people who watch film. They harshly critiqued film and it's morality. A priest from Buffalo, New York went so far as to give a sermon regarding the film industry by spelling out the word "movie" with new meanings attached, "M - means moral menace, O - obscenity, V - vulgarity, I - immorality, E - exposure, S - sex." [2]
Film was in a state of constant progression, with the introduction of sound in film, there was a deep worry for the church that this would bring more subjective material to audiences. "Sound unlocked a vast amount of dramatic material which for the first time could be effectively presented on the screen."[3] This code was meant to "amplify and add to those principles in the light of responsible opinion, so that all engaged in the making of sound pictures might have a commonly understandable and commonly acceptable guide in the maintenance of social and community values in pictures." [3]In 1930 there was a production code (also known as the Hays Code) written that all movie producers had to follow in order to avoid conflict.
The MPPDA created a section of general principles stated that mostly fell in the realm of moral standards, correct standards of life, and standards of human law not be violated whatsoever. [4] Movies were stated as to be for entertainment use, and were frowned upon when extending beyond that definition. After the general principles were stated there were subsections of more specific rules that covered topics of murder, sex, vulgar language, profanity in dialogue, what the actors wore, how they danced, how they practiced religion in film, even the titles that were used for the film. [4] Because the movies were seen as speaking to the morality of the viewer, the church believed that they needed to reflect that morality and not question it or lead them to sin.
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- ^ Wittern-Keller, Lura (2008). Freedom of the Screen. University Press of Kentucky. p. 54. ISBN 9780813172644.
- ^ Wittern-Keller, Laura (2008). Freedom of the Screen. University Press of Kentucky. p. 55. ISBN 9780813172644.
- ^ a b "The Motion Picture Production Code (as Published 31, March, 1930) - Appendix 1" (PDF). Arizona State University. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
- ^ a b Doherty, Thomas (2009). Hollywood's Censor : Joseph I. Breen and the Production Code Administration. Columbia University Press. pp. 352–355. ISBN 9780231512848.