Summary of How the Catholic Church censored Hollywood's Golden Age

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The Catholic Church played a major role in censoring Hollywood's Golden Age by creating the Code of Catholic Ethics. This code regulated what could be shown in movies and led to the rise of independent and European films. The code's effects are still seen today in the Motion Picture Association of America's rating system.

• 00:00:00 This video discusses how the Catholic Church censured Hollywood's Golden Age by writing the Motion Picture Production Code. The code prohibited nudity, indecent dancing, and ridiculing religion, while requiring the promotion of Roman Catholic values. Studios voluntarily agreed to the code in hopes that it would deter government interference, but the Great Depression caused movie attendance to tank and studios became increasingly crazy. The Roman Catholics especially got upset by this, and in 1933 and 1934, they began organizing the Legion of Decency. The code was approved by the Breen office, which made Joseph Breen one of the most influential men in Hollywood. Without the code, your movie didn't stand a chance.
• 00:05:00 The Catholic Church created the "Code of Catholic Ethics" in 1933 in order to regulate what could be shown in Hollywood. This code forced the studios to sell their theaters, leading to the rise of independent and European films. The Code of Catholic Ethics was eventually replaced by the Motion Picture Association of America's rating system in 1967. However, the code's effects on Hollywood's Golden Age are still seen today.