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Sin in Soft Focus: Pre-Code Hollywood
Showcasing the pre-Code Hollywood era, this is an account of the making of films between March 1930, when the film industry adopted the Production Code, and July 1934, when it became fully enforced. Mark Vieira documents the infamous power struggle between Hollywood producers and the censors, who sought to forbid profanity, excessive violence, illegal drugs, sexual perversion and explicitness, white slavery, racial mingling, suggestive dancing, lustful kissing and the like. visual artistry of the era's controversial films and highlights the careers of screen luminaries such as Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Jean Harlow, James Cagney, Mae West, Clara Bow, Joan Crawford, Claudette Colbert, Norma Shearer, Gary Cooper and Clark Gable.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
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2153 people want to read
About the author
Mark A. Vieira
24 books43 followersMark A. Vieira is a photographer and writer. He makes glamour portraits in the classic Hollywood mode, working in the historic Granada Buildings, where George Hurrell had his first Los Angeles studio. He writes books about the artists, genres, and photographic technique of Hollywood’s Golden Era.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
November 14, 2020
Firstly, the photo reproductions in this book are second-to-none. Just ravishing. The nitrate halo imagery of the film stills of that era can never be duplicated, but at least they're reproduced faithfully here.
Secondly, the text is pithy and to-the-point. This is a good basic primer on the relatively lax Hayes Code era of the early '30s up to 1934 when the strict Breen Office Production Code enforcement went into effect to severely curb sexual, violent and subversive content in Hollywood movies. Ironically, in my view, the strict institution of the '34 Code actually resulted in some ways in better movies (eg, comedy writing got better as writers had to be wittier to skirt the code). This is not the fashionable view now, since the tendency is to favor the rebellious streak in art and culture. But, yes, the pre-Code era, as it's called, was filled with tremendously great films, especially from 1932 to 1934.
There are more comprehensive and scholarly treatments of this subject, from a textual point of view, but this is a good compromise marriage of solid primer text and incomparable illustration.
Secondly, the text is pithy and to-the-point. This is a good basic primer on the relatively lax Hayes Code era of the early '30s up to 1934 when the strict Breen Office Production Code enforcement went into effect to severely curb sexual, violent and subversive content in Hollywood movies. Ironically, in my view, the strict institution of the '34 Code actually resulted in some ways in better movies (eg, comedy writing got better as writers had to be wittier to skirt the code). This is not the fashionable view now, since the tendency is to favor the rebellious streak in art and culture. But, yes, the pre-Code era, as it's called, was filled with tremendously great films, especially from 1932 to 1934.
There are more comprehensive and scholarly treatments of this subject, from a textual point of view, but this is a good compromise marriage of solid primer text and incomparable illustration.
July 15, 2016
A fascinating book about early Hollywood. The Hays and Breen crowd were so eager to save the public from anything naughty. They would feel right at home at the Cleveland convention.
June 18, 2007
Ah, the Pre-Code days, where men could be effeminate, women could be promiscuous, and stories didn't always end happily.
From 1929-1934, movies reflected a very different image than the treacle most people associate with old films. They were raw, gritty, and most of all, realistic. Divorce, crime, prostitution, poverty...all these things were dealt with openly and with brutal honesty. So much was lost when the Hays Code was finally enforced with an iron fist - it took until the 1960s to see that kind of frankness in film again.
The pictures alone in this book are reason enough to read it, but Vieria's writing is informative yet easygoing and engaging. You will get a priceless education into this all-too-short era in motion pictures.
From 1929-1934, movies reflected a very different image than the treacle most people associate with old films. They were raw, gritty, and most of all, realistic. Divorce, crime, prostitution, poverty...all these things were dealt with openly and with brutal honesty. So much was lost when the Hays Code was finally enforced with an iron fist - it took until the 1960s to see that kind of frankness in film again.
The pictures alone in this book are reason enough to read it, but Vieria's writing is informative yet easygoing and engaging. You will get a priceless education into this all-too-short era in motion pictures.
July 1, 2009
One of the best books on pre-code films; those movies made in Hollywood between 1930 and 1934, which broke the rules of self-censorship which were really only lightly enforced during that period. Lots of black and white photos in this book. A great reference work that has led me to a great number of pre-code films that I would never have heard of otherwise. A lot of fun to cross reference this films mentioned in this book with the monthly TCM broadcast schedule! Set the DVR to record!
March 15, 2009
Another good book on pre-code movies. Oversized, with great pictures, it is arranged in chronological order and talks about negotiations and cuts in individual films. Lots of stuff on how the censorship office worked
June 1, 2022
So, for some reason my refuge during this tumultuous year has been in the Great Depression. Specifically, films of the 1930s where the dames were fresh, the fellas said 'see?' all the time, and synchronised dance sequences were the only logical way to end a picture.
If you haven't had the pleasure, pre-Code films - largely referring to Hollywood output from 1929 through to about mid-1934 - are sexy, flirty, dirty, dancing, dramatic, comedic, crime-filled fun. Vieira's book is an essential overview of this era, covering all the gossip, the battles with censors like Hays enforcer Joseph Breen, the cut-scenes, and boundary pushing films.
Along with the heavy-hitters like Gold Diggers of 1933, Footlight Parade and 42nd Street - all of which had Busby Berkeley numbers - Vieira provides an exhaustive list of films that will keep obsessive completists like me occupied for years. (Sadly, a number of films are lost to the ages thanks to overzealous censors who insisted that negatives and masters were destroyed. Convention City sounded amazing).
Plus - the photos! They are absolutely gorgeous photos that look as fresh as they day they were taken, some of them stills from the films, while others are saucy publicity photos that would have made Breen hot under the collar.
One of my favourite discoveries was Roman Scandals with Eddie Cantor, not necessarily because it's any good (it's Cantor, so there's an unfortunate amount of blackface) but because it typifies the irreverent tone of the era. Of course, hands-down favourite line of the era comes from Lloyd Bacon's 42nd Street:
Now, if you'll excuse me I have a standing date with Joan Blondell, Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, Guy Kibbee, James Cagney, Claire Dodd, Ginger Rogers, Alice Faye, Mae West and countless others. We'll be downtown in a big way, see?
If you haven't had the pleasure, pre-Code films - largely referring to Hollywood output from 1929 through to about mid-1934 - are sexy, flirty, dirty, dancing, dramatic, comedic, crime-filled fun. Vieira's book is an essential overview of this era, covering all the gossip, the battles with censors like Hays enforcer Joseph Breen, the cut-scenes, and boundary pushing films.
Along with the heavy-hitters like Gold Diggers of 1933, Footlight Parade and 42nd Street - all of which had Busby Berkeley numbers - Vieira provides an exhaustive list of films that will keep obsessive completists like me occupied for years. (Sadly, a number of films are lost to the ages thanks to overzealous censors who insisted that negatives and masters were destroyed. Convention City sounded amazing).
Plus - the photos! They are absolutely gorgeous photos that look as fresh as they day they were taken, some of them stills from the films, while others are saucy publicity photos that would have made Breen hot under the collar.
One of my favourite discoveries was Roman Scandals with Eddie Cantor, not necessarily because it's any good (it's Cantor, so there's an unfortunate amount of blackface) but because it typifies the irreverent tone of the era. Of course, hands-down favourite line of the era comes from Lloyd Bacon's 42nd Street:
"Anytime Annie? Say, who could forget 'er? She only said "No" once, and then she didn't hear the question!"
Now, if you'll excuse me I have a standing date with Joan Blondell, Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, Guy Kibbee, James Cagney, Claire Dodd, Ginger Rogers, Alice Faye, Mae West and countless others. We'll be downtown in a big way, see?
March 6, 2011
Good design. Well written. Chronicles of pop entertainment industry tribulations aren't really of interest to me but I considered buying this. The material is addressed so lovingly. Unabashed loyalty makes this work more credible, useful, informative than the "scholarly" accounts of the 1930 production code and the moral influence of film arts.
December 9, 2015
Beautiful and informative, this coffee table book is the best of both worlds. It is filled with facts about specific films and censorship in general. The photographs are gorgeous and worth seeking out.
February 3, 2013
Coffee table book of great film stills.
August 1, 2016
I had read several years ago Mark A. Vieira's book Hurrell's Hollywood Portraits and, as a photographer, had found it extremely useful. Vieira, who is himself a portrait photographer, had actually known Hurrell and was thoroughly familiar with the techniques he had used to create his dazzling black & white portraits of the famous film stars. Some of these, such as the use of fresnel lighting, were fairly obvious while others, such as the choice of orthochromatic film to lighten skin tones, were not readily apparent. The book was essential reading for anyone who wanted to create old style glamour photos.
I found Vieira's Sin in Soft Focus: Pre-Code Hollywood to be equally absorbing if not quite as informative on a technical level. The work deals with the roughly five year period from 1930 to 1935 when that era's moral majority laid siege to Hollywood and sought to censor the wild and wicked films issuing from its studios. As such, the narrative offers a parallel to our own day when rapid technological advances threaten to undermine traditional beliefs. In opposition to one another are the leaders of a relatively new industry against those who see change as a menace to the status quo. In a certain sense, the real concern of moral authorities was with the medium itself rather than with its content.
The "highly objectionable" content of 1930's films seems to us now, of course, perfectly tame. Watching these old films on cable, one wonders what the fuss was about. Depictions of such subjects as cohabitation, adultery, drug use and homosexuality became acceptable decades ago and are now routinely shown in film and print. The creation of such an organization as the Legion of Decency in 1933 seems quaint and old fashioned. But the question of censorship remains as relevant now as it did then. Who is qualified to determine what material is fit to be seen by the general public?
The book is divided into five chapters each of which deals with a given calendar year and details within that twelve month period the struggles between each of the major studios and the censors who had been put in place to keep watch over them. The original code, established in 1930 after the introduction of the first talking film, was a more or less voluntary affair and consisted of the implementation of guidance rules. (Individual states, however, possessed their own censorship boards that were empowered to make cuts to any films they deemed objectionable.) This obviously provides material for some amusing anecdotes as studio heads attempted by hook or crook to get their films past the keepers of the Code. But for the studios, the situation was deadly serious. They had enormous sums of money, at least by Depression standards, riding on each film and needed as large an audience for them as could be found. To that end, it was imperative that the studios include some controversial material simply to lure movie-goers into the theater. Having films bowdlerized cut into box office receipts at a time when the poor economy had already reduced audience size.
While most of the actors and directors mentioned in the book are familiar to anyone with even the slightest knowledge of film history, the real players are such studio executives as Irving Thalberg, Jack Warner and Darryl Zanuck and the Code enforcers such as Will Hays and Joseph Breen. There are many behind-the-scenes glimpses of a now vanished era when the studios were run by a few strong willed individuals rather than corporate conglomerates .
The real stars of Sin in Soft Focus, though, are the stars themselves. They look out at us from one film still after another, each photograph a tour de force of technical skill. Almost every major actor of the period is portrayed here though obviously most attention is paid to those - such as Norma Shearer and Mae West - whose performances were most controversial. The photographs themselves are lovingly reproduced and form the real heart of the book. Vieira's genuine love for these masterworks is evident throughout, and he makes it a point to identify the photographer wherever possible and to point out to the reader the qualities of the photograph itself. Aside from portraits of the actors, there are stills showing scenes from the various films. Many of these - such as those from Madame Satan or The Black Cat - are electrifying even after the passage of so many years.
While Vieira's book is most useful to photographers, it should be read by anyone with an interest not only in motion picture history but also the history of American censorship. In both instances it is an invaluable reference.
I found Vieira's Sin in Soft Focus: Pre-Code Hollywood to be equally absorbing if not quite as informative on a technical level. The work deals with the roughly five year period from 1930 to 1935 when that era's moral majority laid siege to Hollywood and sought to censor the wild and wicked films issuing from its studios. As such, the narrative offers a parallel to our own day when rapid technological advances threaten to undermine traditional beliefs. In opposition to one another are the leaders of a relatively new industry against those who see change as a menace to the status quo. In a certain sense, the real concern of moral authorities was with the medium itself rather than with its content.
The "highly objectionable" content of 1930's films seems to us now, of course, perfectly tame. Watching these old films on cable, one wonders what the fuss was about. Depictions of such subjects as cohabitation, adultery, drug use and homosexuality became acceptable decades ago and are now routinely shown in film and print. The creation of such an organization as the Legion of Decency in 1933 seems quaint and old fashioned. But the question of censorship remains as relevant now as it did then. Who is qualified to determine what material is fit to be seen by the general public?
The book is divided into five chapters each of which deals with a given calendar year and details within that twelve month period the struggles between each of the major studios and the censors who had been put in place to keep watch over them. The original code, established in 1930 after the introduction of the first talking film, was a more or less voluntary affair and consisted of the implementation of guidance rules. (Individual states, however, possessed their own censorship boards that were empowered to make cuts to any films they deemed objectionable.) This obviously provides material for some amusing anecdotes as studio heads attempted by hook or crook to get their films past the keepers of the Code. But for the studios, the situation was deadly serious. They had enormous sums of money, at least by Depression standards, riding on each film and needed as large an audience for them as could be found. To that end, it was imperative that the studios include some controversial material simply to lure movie-goers into the theater. Having films bowdlerized cut into box office receipts at a time when the poor economy had already reduced audience size.
While most of the actors and directors mentioned in the book are familiar to anyone with even the slightest knowledge of film history, the real players are such studio executives as Irving Thalberg, Jack Warner and Darryl Zanuck and the Code enforcers such as Will Hays and Joseph Breen. There are many behind-the-scenes glimpses of a now vanished era when the studios were run by a few strong willed individuals rather than corporate conglomerates .
The real stars of Sin in Soft Focus, though, are the stars themselves. They look out at us from one film still after another, each photograph a tour de force of technical skill. Almost every major actor of the period is portrayed here though obviously most attention is paid to those - such as Norma Shearer and Mae West - whose performances were most controversial. The photographs themselves are lovingly reproduced and form the real heart of the book. Vieira's genuine love for these masterworks is evident throughout, and he makes it a point to identify the photographer wherever possible and to point out to the reader the qualities of the photograph itself. Aside from portraits of the actors, there are stills showing scenes from the various films. Many of these - such as those from Madame Satan or The Black Cat - are electrifying even after the passage of so many years.
While Vieira's book is most useful to photographers, it should be read by anyone with an interest not only in motion picture history but also the history of American censorship. In both instances it is an invaluable reference.
April 28, 2015
I absolutely loved this book…one of the best “History of Hollywood” books it has been my pleasure to read.
The emphasis here is on a “no man’s land” period from 1930 to 1934 when sound added a new layer to the content that moviegoers might find objectionable in addition to the artistic visual displays from the silent era. With individual states setting up their own film censor boards (and enforcing cuts before a motion picture could be exhibited in their jurisdictions) and fears of the creation of a federal censorship board coming into being, the movie industry attempted to be self-policing through the implementation of a “Don’t Do and Be Careful” policy.
The difficulty, of course, is that artistic people can be very creative in side-stepping rules. Add to that the policy having few “teeth” to require enforcement and the result was a healthy supply of adult themes contained within entertainment permitted for public consumption.
The writer provides us with the story behind the attempts at enforcement, the “political” wrangling that went on behind the scenes, the directors and screenwriters who became masters of “out in the open” concealment, and personal prejudices that emerged and promoted finger-pointing accusations.
As Hollywood becomes more proficient in bending the rules, more extreme measures are taken to “protect the public” through organizations such as the Legion of Decency and, ultimately, the enforcement of a mandatory Production Code. It is an intriguing story.
This would be a wonderfully amusing and gossipy read if it wasn’t for the tragedy of camera negatives being cut (resulting in permanently lost footage) and, in some cases, entire motion pictures being lost. The reportedly hilarious CONVENTION CITY being intentionally destroyed…even the negative…because it ran afoul of the Code and the producer was tired of fending off rental requests is truly disheartening.
In addition to the story it tells, there are two other huge rewards for the reader. The first is a collection of frame-worthy photographs. These are rich illustrations from the movies they represent, beautifully presented. It reminded me of looking through a photo album.
The second reward is a description of what was cut from many of the films…and, as a treat for film fans, what was rediscovered and restored. There are multiple mentions of Turner Classic Movies being responsible for restored prints, creating an invaluable service.
Narratives such as this one can often be a dry collection of facts. That is not the case with this book. The story is fascinating, and I always looked forward to continuing my reading and enjoying the remarkable photographs.
I cannot recommend this book too highly. It is a definite treasure!
The emphasis here is on a “no man’s land” period from 1930 to 1934 when sound added a new layer to the content that moviegoers might find objectionable in addition to the artistic visual displays from the silent era. With individual states setting up their own film censor boards (and enforcing cuts before a motion picture could be exhibited in their jurisdictions) and fears of the creation of a federal censorship board coming into being, the movie industry attempted to be self-policing through the implementation of a “Don’t Do and Be Careful” policy.
The difficulty, of course, is that artistic people can be very creative in side-stepping rules. Add to that the policy having few “teeth” to require enforcement and the result was a healthy supply of adult themes contained within entertainment permitted for public consumption.
The writer provides us with the story behind the attempts at enforcement, the “political” wrangling that went on behind the scenes, the directors and screenwriters who became masters of “out in the open” concealment, and personal prejudices that emerged and promoted finger-pointing accusations.
As Hollywood becomes more proficient in bending the rules, more extreme measures are taken to “protect the public” through organizations such as the Legion of Decency and, ultimately, the enforcement of a mandatory Production Code. It is an intriguing story.
This would be a wonderfully amusing and gossipy read if it wasn’t for the tragedy of camera negatives being cut (resulting in permanently lost footage) and, in some cases, entire motion pictures being lost. The reportedly hilarious CONVENTION CITY being intentionally destroyed…even the negative…because it ran afoul of the Code and the producer was tired of fending off rental requests is truly disheartening.
In addition to the story it tells, there are two other huge rewards for the reader. The first is a collection of frame-worthy photographs. These are rich illustrations from the movies they represent, beautifully presented. It reminded me of looking through a photo album.
The second reward is a description of what was cut from many of the films…and, as a treat for film fans, what was rediscovered and restored. There are multiple mentions of Turner Classic Movies being responsible for restored prints, creating an invaluable service.
Narratives such as this one can often be a dry collection of facts. That is not the case with this book. The story is fascinating, and I always looked forward to continuing my reading and enjoying the remarkable photographs.
I cannot recommend this book too highly. It is a definite treasure!
April 3, 2021
-the pre-code era is basically the sexy costume section of a halloween store, like you have everything from sexy nurse to sexy satanist to sexy animorph.
-literally everyone is extremely hot, even the ones who aren't obviously hot. like honestly you'll never see gloria stuart aka the old lady from titanic the same way again. norma shearer? hot. ruth chatterton? hot. boris karloff? hot. edward g. robinson? hot.
-horniest film moments include claudette colbert bathing in donkey milk in the sign of the cross, myrna loy in love me tonight, the menage a trois finale in design for living, and pretty much any moment tarzan is on screen.
-all your favorite bisexuals are from this era: dietrich, garbo, stanwyck, tallulah, charles laughton to name a few.
-one star deduction for not mentioning jewel robbery (1932) in which william powell robs a jewelry store by giving everyone marijuana.
-literally everyone is extremely hot, even the ones who aren't obviously hot. like honestly you'll never see gloria stuart aka the old lady from titanic the same way again. norma shearer? hot. ruth chatterton? hot. boris karloff? hot. edward g. robinson? hot.
-horniest film moments include claudette colbert bathing in donkey milk in the sign of the cross, myrna loy in love me tonight, the menage a trois finale in design for living, and pretty much any moment tarzan is on screen.
-all your favorite bisexuals are from this era: dietrich, garbo, stanwyck, tallulah, charles laughton to name a few.
-one star deduction for not mentioning jewel robbery (1932) in which william powell robs a jewelry store by giving everyone marijuana.
July 23, 2009
A very satisfying survey of pre-code Hollywood, with glowing publicity photos and stills. The author does meander quite a bit - the narrative is supposed, I think, to be organized by epochs within the code but it jumps around and tries to address themes like abortion, gay people, etc at the same time - but the pictures make up for it. I did resolve to watch the movies cited in this book, and I watched exactly one, the thoroughly delightful A Free Soul, in which Norma Shearer learns society won't let her bone gangster-Clark Gable in peace but has to get all judgy at her. I suppose her character's supposed to be reprehensible but I liked her a great deal.
April 29, 2013
A really excellent look at the "pre-code" period from 1930 to July, 1934. The author gets into great detail about the games the studios and the "Hays Office" played during this time. The films of this period deal with themes and/or situations in a more frank manner. Some of these films were so notorious, that that were unable to get approval later from the "Breen Office" for re-release. Beautifully illustrated with some very rare production stills, this is a must for anyone wanting to know more about this unusual period in American film.
February 19, 2015
This would get a four-star for the pictures alone, as it really is more of a coffee table book anyways (and I'm a sucker for old-Hollywood pics, especially Silent-Era or Pre-Code). That said, there was some good information in there as well, especially for those not really familiar with the concept of Pre-Code. Not much I hadn't already heard before, but once again, wasn't really in it for the words so much as the pictures. :D
September 26, 2011
Prior to 1934, when the Production Code started to be enforced, Hollywood indulged in an orgy of cinematic sex, sin and sleaze. This was the notorious pre-code era. The highlights of this book are the stills (gorgeously reproduced) that capture the flavour of this notorious era of movie wickedness. Highly recommended.
August 4, 2007
Great coffee-table book on pre-Code Hollywood.
March 28, 2009
The text was very interesting and well-put together, but I kept getting distracted by all the pretty, pretty pictures.
March 31, 2012
What a fascinating project!
Read the review on Truth Beauty Freedom and Books>>>
Read the review on Truth Beauty Freedom and Books>>>
February 25, 2012
Hubba-hubba! Now these are my kind of moving picture shows!
October 3, 2016
this book was about the "code" era of film. absolutely fascinating history, made me wish I could view many of the films mentioned.
November 14, 2016
A good film resource book, but not something one reads for enjoyment.
October 21, 2017
An engaging history, that make my need-to-watch-list swell.
I really need to pop in "Search for Beauty" as it seems too naughty to exist.
The listing of surviving film with cut scenes intact begs the question of if the number has multiplied in the years since the publication. Obviously, the discovery of "Convention City" would have made headlines, but Is Dracula ('31) still missing cuts? Did Escapade/Maskerade at WB/Turner come free of its rights-issues?
I really need to pop in "Search for Beauty" as it seems too naughty to exist.
The listing of surviving film with cut scenes intact begs the question of if the number has multiplied in the years since the publication. Obviously, the discovery of "Convention City" would have made headlines, but Is Dracula ('31) still missing cuts? Did Escapade/Maskerade at WB/Turner come free of its rights-issues?
August 12, 2018
A wonderful large-format library find, detailing the history of American films after the Roaring Twenties, when talkies scared the moralists. Films were butchered and many original works were permanently lost on the cutting room floor. This book is well-researched, contains many high-quality full-page photos, and includes helpful appendices (texts of the production codes and a list of 100 "pre-code" films and their availability at publishing date, 1999).
April 9, 2024
i need older films to be easier to find and watch because there is an entire catalog of clark gable films that i cant watch because they're not on streaming nor on any pirating website. desperately need criterion to release a starring clark gable collection bc i don't know how much more of this is can take
March 4, 2020
Fascinating account of a bygone era of Hollywood. I'm faccinated by that time period, so this was right up my alley. What we see from Hollywood now seems to have nothing the the craziness of 1930. Wow.
November 18, 2023
I would recommend this book to anyone who is new to film history. However if you've read any books about pre code Hollywood or specifically about Universal Monster movies or Noir films can skip this book.
January 7, 2019
Beautiful photography and interesting to read about how they were created.
September 27, 2022
Outstanding book on a very provocative time during the studio era. Well researched and an engrossing read.
March 9, 2019
A really excellent book, thorough yet concise. As others have mentioned the pictures and film stills are all incredibly clearly reproduced. It's a minor detail, but I also really appreciated that credit was given to the cinematographer/lighting designer under the images when relevant.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews