Forbidden Hollywood: The Pre-Code Era (1930-1934): When Sin Ruled the Movies

by Mark A. Vieira

In March 1930, representatives of every studio signed the agreement. This “Production Code” should have kept forbidden elements off the screen, but the Great Depression arrived, emptying theaters. To lure patrons back, producers began to violate the agreement.

The market was mostly Protestant. The industry was mostly Jewish-run. Yet a Midwest Catholic minority gained control.

“The attitude of the censor is essentially sadistic,” wrote Floye Gilbert of Oakdale, California. “What he cannot enjoy, he is determined that no one else shall. Of course he pleads on ‘moral grounds.’ But since when have we become obligated to frame our moral standards to another’s specifications?”