Breaking the Code: Censorship Collapses and a New Hollywood EmergesModule 5 · COMM/THEA 479W: American Film History

Alfred Kinsey and a New Frankness

In 1948 and 1953, Alfred Kinsey published two reports on American sexual behavior, one about men and one about women. The second report, about women's sexuality, was an unexpected bestseller in its first year (Lewis 240). The popularity would indicate that American attitudes toward sex were getting away from older, more restrictive assumptions. This change was observed in the film industry, and some mature-themed movies were being released without the Production Code Administration's approval. Executives had concerns about playing unapproved films in theaters and were reluctant to do so until audiences failed to turn out (Lewis 240; Lecture).

Jack Valenti and the New MPAA

By the mid-1960s, the old Production Code of the 1930s had become outdated and no longer appealed to the audience Hollywood needed to reach. As early as 1963, industry trade magazines reported on a new ratings system as the MPAA sought the participation of law firm attorney Louis Nizer to lead the reform (Lewis 248). Rather than champion Jack Valenti, an insider from President Johnson's White House with connections in Washington, news reporter and Universal president Lew Wasserman did (Lewis 248). In 1966, Valenti took over as president of the MPAA and advocated for a more modern ratings system. He was right in forecasting that a new generation of film school-trained directors would soon conquer Hollywood (Lewis 244, Lecture).

The "For Mature Audiences" Label

Who is Afraid of Virginia Woolf? directed by Mike Nichols, was the pioneering film in a more relaxed era of Hollywood censorship. Valenti found a compromise that allowed Warner Brothers to release the movie with a special exemption by the Production Code Administration (Lewis 248; Lecture). The studio agreed that this would be a film for mature audiences, and the restriction would be left to the discretion of the theater owners. Other adult films soon followed its success at the box office, where it was ranked third in 1966 (Lewis 249). The number of films designated increased rapidly from six in 1966 to forty-four the following year (Lecture).

Bonnie and Clyde

French New Wave influence entered the mainstream of American cinema in 1967 with Bonnie and Clyde, directed by Arthur Penn. The initial scene features jump cuts and extreme close-ups directly taken from the visual style of Jean-Luc Godard (Lewis 283; Lecture). The sequence does not establish a clear setting but instead sets a mood and ambiance around its two young outlaws. The film is a combination of comedy and unsuspecting, sudden, brutal violence, which had critics scratching their heads upon its release (Lewis 283). Notwithstanding this critique, it was warmly received by audiences and quickly became an era-defining movie.

The Graduate

The Graduate was followed by another controversial film, The Graduate, which was also a challenge to Hollywood's old production code, by Mike Nichols. The picture begins with Ben, played by Dustin Hoffman, feeling out of place in the world of the grown-ups his parents live with (Lewis 285). The Graduate's influence from French New Wave directors such as Bonnie and Clyde is striking, even though the film was made more than two decades prior to the 1960s. It is a mix of several genres altogether: the teen picture, romantic comedy, and melodrama in one tale (Lecture). After only the first of the two runs, the movie had already grossed nearly $40 million, making it the biggest domestic movie of the decade (Lewis 286; Lecture).