Motion Picture Production Code
The Motion Picture Production Code was a set of rules that movies in the United States had to follow to be shown in theaters. It was created in 1930 because some people thought that movies were too violent, too sexy, or just too inappropriate for everyone to see.
Think of it like your parents telling you what you can and can't do. The code told filmmakers what they could and could not put in their movies. For example, they couldn't show people drinking alcohol or smoking, and they certainly couldn't show any nudity or sex scenes. That's why old movies from the '30s and '40s look very different from modern movies.
There were also rules about the kinds of behaviors that could be shown on screen. They couldn't show characters being disrespectful to parents or authority figures, breaking the law, or behaving badly in general. The code even said that criminals always had to be punished in the end, so viewers could see that crime doesn't pay.
So, the Motion Picture Production Code was a way to make sure that movies were appropriate for all audiences, especially for younger audiences. It lasted for over 30 years until it was replaced by a new rating system that we still use today.
Think of it like your parents telling you what you can and can't do. The code told filmmakers what they could and could not put in their movies. For example, they couldn't show people drinking alcohol or smoking, and they certainly couldn't show any nudity or sex scenes. That's why old movies from the '30s and '40s look very different from modern movies.
There were also rules about the kinds of behaviors that could be shown on screen. They couldn't show characters being disrespectful to parents or authority figures, breaking the law, or behaving badly in general. The code even said that criminals always had to be punished in the end, so viewers could see that crime doesn't pay.
So, the Motion Picture Production Code was a way to make sure that movies were appropriate for all audiences, especially for younger audiences. It lasted for over 30 years until it was replaced by a new rating system that we still use today.