From their beginnings in the 1890s, motion pictures have delighted the public—and upset civic and religious authorities who felt that they needed to be regulated to protect innocent young minds and discourage immorality. As more and more cities and states established film censorship boards during the early 1900s, Hollywood recognized some kind of action was needed. The result was the 1934 Hays Code, which set up strict rules of language and conduct for studio films and lasted more than three decades.
Times changed, and the code was replaced by the voluntary MPAA film ratings system in 1968. Yet 50-plus years later, the ratings system of G, PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17 films continues to have its own set of problems.
Media historian Brian Rose looks at the history of movie censorship and the many ways Hollywood has tried to deal with this continuing issue.
General Information
