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Censored Hollywood: Sex, Sin, and Violence on Screen
Examining how film censorship reflects the morals & politics of the time, this book chronicles Hollywood's notorious Production Code, its attempts at self-regulation, & the development of today's rating system. B&W photos.
312 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 8, 2020
I am endlessly interested in Old Hollywood and particularly the era of the Production Code, which is why Censored Hollywood caught my eye.
Censored Hollywood tells the story of the Production Code Administration: how they came to be, what they did for Hollywood, how it came to be dismantled, and how it influenced modern rating systems. As a film nerd, I was fascinated by all this information. I didn’t know the particulars of the Code itself, which are listed in their many iterations, and I didn’t know the complicated history between the Code and foreign films. Also, did you know that couples couldn’t be in the same bed because of the British censors, not the American ones? I didn’t!
Occasionally, the book does date itself. It opens with the rating of Basic Instinct being a timely, contemporary example of a ratings fight. That film came out in 1992, and this book was published in 1994. He references Showgirls as an upcoming film that might have a ratings problem, and I laughed so hard because he doesn’t know what a mess Showgirls is going to be. I’m also not sure what has changed with the MPAA rating system since 1994, so I’m not sure how accurate some of that section is.
Still, if you’re a film nerd interested in the Production Code, you have to read Censored Hollywood.
Censored Hollywood tells the story of the Production Code Administration: how they came to be, what they did for Hollywood, how it came to be dismantled, and how it influenced modern rating systems. As a film nerd, I was fascinated by all this information. I didn’t know the particulars of the Code itself, which are listed in their many iterations, and I didn’t know the complicated history between the Code and foreign films. Also, did you know that couples couldn’t be in the same bed because of the British censors, not the American ones? I didn’t!
Occasionally, the book does date itself. It opens with the rating of Basic Instinct being a timely, contemporary example of a ratings fight. That film came out in 1992, and this book was published in 1994. He references Showgirls as an upcoming film that might have a ratings problem, and I laughed so hard because he doesn’t know what a mess Showgirls is going to be. I’m also not sure what has changed with the MPAA rating system since 1994, so I’m not sure how accurate some of that section is.
Still, if you’re a film nerd interested in the Production Code, you have to read Censored Hollywood.
March 10, 2024
The title sounded promising but it bit off a bit more than it chewed. Fiends of decadence, the birth of censorship in England, movies for adults, invasion of France, parental guidance. Every chapter had an explaining photo from a movie but overall the read dragged a bit. Nothing new either. For fans only!
March 1, 2017
Good history of the MPAA and such. Didn't realize it was the same Frank Miller of comic book fame. Don't think that is correct.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews