Author Description

This volume traces the rise and fade-out of Hollywood's attempt at self-censorship, the Production Code of Will Hays and Joe Breen, and the variety of social pressure groups and tensions that converged in fear of the power of the silver screen. Breen emerges as something of a hero for his earnest attempt to respect both the latent art and the blatant commercial interests of the industry. The 11 major case studies include the prolonged disputes over "Dead End," "Gone With the Wind," "The Outlaw," "A Streetcar Named Desire," "The Moon is Blue," "Lolita," and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Leff describes the changing climate, not just in commercial film but in the society of the day, and traces the development of a radically new concept in American film: "the adult movie," a film targeted by adult minds to adult minds. He also includes the whole Code in an appendix. ISBN 1-55584-224-0: $22.50