Juan Monroy — American Film Industry: Class 5, Classical Hollywood Studio System

Major Studios
- Five Majors
- Three Minors
- Exercised Tight Control over Filmmaking
- Dominated Film Industry
Contract System
- studio staff worked under exclusive contracts
- economy of scale and efficient
- distinct filmmaking style from specific studios
Studios and Stars
- option/adhesion contract
- actors received stage names
- controlled public images
- controlled merchandising
Classical Hollywood Cinema
- contract system
- tight studio executive control
- linear, third-person storytelling
- seamless visual editing
Major Studio Heads
- Irving Thalberg, MGM
- Darryl Zanuck, Warner Brothers
Star Scandals
- Stars: Too Much Money, Too Much Partying
- Olive Thomas, apparent drug overdose, 1920
- William Desmond Taylor, unsolved murder, 1922
- Virginia Rappe, crushed to death, 1921
  - Fatty Arbuckle, tried three times, ultimately acquitted
- “raised eyebrows” of government and the public
- arranged boycotts
- introduction of morality clauses
Will Hays
- Republican National Committee chairman (1918–21)
- Campaign Manager for Warren Harding Presidential bid (1920)
- Postmaster General (1920–21)
- close relationship with Harding-Coolidge-Hoover administrations
MPPDA
- self-regulation
- imposed “standards”
- lobbied government
- public relations
“Don’ts” and “Be Carefuls”
- drafted by Hays and the MPPDA
- 11 Don’ts
  - profanity, suggestive licentious nudity, depictions of white slavery, drug trafficking, childbirth
- 25 Be-Carefuls
  - depictions of criminal activitiy
- not to encourage unwashed masses from emulating what they see on screen
- rarely followed by producers and distributors
Production Code
- Daniel Lord (Jesuit priest) and Martin Quigley (editor of Motion Picture Herald)
  - drafted production regulations, independent of Hays and the other studios
- catechism: set of lessons and rules
- promised a higher level of “wholesome entertainment”
Production Code Areas of Concern
- Crimes against the law
- Sex
- Vulgarity
- Obscenity
- Profanity
- Costume
- Dances
- Religion
- Locations
- National Feelings
- Titles
- Repellent Subjects
“Precode” Era
- Col. Jason Joy and Dr. James Wingate
- 1930–34: studios mostly ignored the Production Code
  - sex comedies She Done Him Wrong (1933)
  - gangster films Little Caesar, 1931 Public Enemy 1931 Scarface 1932
  - exotic adventure films Tarzan, the Ape Man 1932
  - monster films Dracula 193 King Kong 1933
  - melodramas Madame Satan 1930 Young Sinners 1931 Call Her Savage 1932
Catholic Legion of Decency
- formed 1933
- made own film-rating system A “All Ages” C “Condemned”
- boycotts hurt theatrical attendance and profits
  - Philadelphia, May 1934
Production Code Administration
- Issued Certificates of Approval
- MPPDA created PCA July 1, 1934
  - gave up integrity of individual filmmakers
  - received peace and stability with public
- Joseph Breen newspaper man & catholic pro-censorship activist
- Production Code would regulate Hollywood for
FDR