Pre-Code Hollywood movies often echoed the real life impact of the Great Depression. Barbara Stanwyck stars in the picture as a young woman who’s essentially been prostituted out by her father. Eventually, she becomes independent but still uses her sexuality to survive. Pre-Code Hollywood wasn’t about sexuality per se; it was about the freedom to explore sexuality. Filmmakers commonly explored power dynamics between men and women during this time, and sex was a major bargaining chip between the characters. There was cinema before, during, and after “the code.” But not all films before the implementation of the code are considered Pre-Code movies.
- After World War II, radical film movements began to sprout all over the world, such as the French New Wave, Italian Neorealism, and Scandinavian Revival.
- Few films of the Pre-Code era are as celebrated as Jack Conway’s Red Headed Woman.
- The Divorcee was nominated for three Academy Awards and won one (Best Actress for Norma Shearer — who was one of the most famous Pre-Code actresses).
- But the censorship of Hollywood by the MPPDA may be the most significant of all censorship periods in film.
- At the time, cinema wasn’t legally protected under the First Amendment.
These are just a few of the rules Hays hoped to enforce in the 1920s. Cinema continued to move into unrestrained directions, largely in spite of those who condemned it. Now that we understand what was going on in Hollywood during this time, let’s jump into some of the most iconic Pre-Code movies. Advanced Filmmaking Techniques A visual medium requires visual methods.
The ‘new Hollywood’ Revolution
Hays and the MPPDA were so upset with the content of the film, they immediately demanded it be pulled from circulation. Despite its enormous influence, Baby Face wasn’t entered into the National Film Registry until 2005. Gangster movies were incredibly popular in the Pre-Code era — there was something innately alluring about criminal life to moviegoers at the time. At the time, cinema wasn’t legally protected under the First Amendment. So, the Hollywood Production Code Administration basically ruled Hollywood for a long time, from 1934 to about 1950.
Highlights From The Hays Code
As such, they paid Presbyterian leader William Hays an enormous salary to work with studios and the government to develop a perdidos temporada 1 censorship code. The Divorcee was nominated for three Academy Awards and won one (Best Actress for Norma Shearer — who was one of the most famous Pre-Code actresses). Many cinema historians cite The Divorcee as one of the most important films of the Pre-Code era. The film isn’t radical by today’s standards, but considering the time, it was a big step forward for the depiction of realism in relationships, and sexuality. As far back as 1922, the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America was trying to censor Hollywood. The roaring ’20s brought about a radical change in the way the American people viewed sexuality.
This brief, yet hugely influential period in Hollywood, is known as the Pre-Code era. James Whale’s Frankenstein adaptation is one of the most iconic films of the Pre-Code era and one of the best horror films ever. Monster movies became incredibly popular during this time due to the advent of sound, prosthetics, and special effects. Frankenstein made great use of all the new filmmaking technology, and it was a big hit with moviegoers. But whenever too much progress is made in the right direction, there are those who will try desperately to bring things back to the status quo. Several high-ranking members of Christian churches were upset about the direction cinema was going.
Legacy Of Pre Code Cinema
In an unprecedented move, the major studios essentially letauteur filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese run the show. This is the story of how New Hollywood rewrote the rules for mainstream filmmaking. As a result of the shift from silence to sound, Hollywood pictures started to veer in new, experimental directions. Some films flirted with nudity, others portrayed criminals in a positive light.
Pre Code Hollywood Definition
Few films of the Pre-Code era are as celebrated as Jack Conway’s Red Headed Woman. Jean Harlow stars in the picture as an ambitious young woman who will do anything it takes to get ahead. Most of the time, she relies on her sexual prowess to advance herself. The artistic freedom enjoyed by Hollywood filmmakers in the Pre-Code era would once again return decades later. In the mid-60s, the massive cultural shift in America also invaded the film industry.
Pre Code Gangster Movies
Master the art of visual storytelling with our FREE video series on directing and filmmaking techniques. Many of the topics and themes from Pre-Code were expounded upon in the works of directors like Jean-Luc Godard and Federico Fellini. Even though these films had their fair share of critics, particularly the Catholic Church and fundamentalists, they weren’t largely censored. After World War II, radical film movements began to sprout all over the world, such as the French New Wave, Italian Neorealism, and Scandinavian Revival. These movements all pushed cinema in new, and daring directions; just like Pre-Code Hollywood did. Baby Face is very much about the difference between captivity and freedom; structurally, financially, and sexually.
