Hays Code

The Hays Code was a set of moral guidelines adopted by Hollywood studios in 1930 to govern American film content. Strictly enforced from 1934 to 1968, it restricted depictions of sex, crime, religion, and other subjects.

Production Code Administration: The Motion Picture Association office that reviewed films for compliance with the Production Code. It turned the Code’s guidelines into binding production and distribution decisions after 1934.
Will H. Hays: A Republican politician who headed the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America from 1922 to 1945. He gave the Code its familiar name and led the organization that adopted it.
The Outlaw: A 1943 Western film directed by Howard Hughes and centered on Billy the Kid and Doc Holliday. Its prolonged release dispute centered on the Code’s restrictions on sexualized images.
Motion Picture Association film rating system: A voluntary system that assigns film ratings to indicate suitability for different audiences. It replaced the Code in 1968 with age-based ratings rather than content prohibitions.
Joseph Breen: An American film censor who led the Production Code Administration from 1934 to 1954. His office enforced the Code’s restrictions across Hollywood’s studio system.
Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America: The American film-industry trade association founded in 1922 to represent major studios. The association adopted and administered the Code on behalf of studio members.
Some Like It Hot: A 1959 comedy film directed by Billy Wilder about musicians who disguise themselves as women. Its release without a Code seal exposed weakening studio compliance.
United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc.: A 1948 United States Supreme Court decision that required major studios to divest their theater chains. The ruling weakened the integrated studio system that had helped enforce industry-wide standards.
Motion Picture Production Code: The formal name of the moral guidelines commonly called the Hays Code. This document states the rules that the Code’s administrators applied.
Catholic Legion of Decency: A Catholic organization founded in 1933 to oppose films it considered morally objectionable. Its campaigns intensified pressure on studios to enforce the Code.

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