"If motion pictures present stories that will affect lives for the better, they can become the most powerful force for the improvement of mankind."

Looking back at the Motion Picture Production Code (Hays Code)

(pre-code)

Here’s a video that offers a brief (6 minutes) but biased look at the Hays Code:

(Here’s the full text of the Hays Code.)

To frame this solely as “Catholic censorship” is dishonest.

Don’t get me wrong, there are aspects of the Hays Code that have not aged well. But take a good look around at the films over the past six or seven decades to get an idea of what “entertainment” has become without any guidelines.

Meanwhile, in the time that the Hays Code was in effect, artists had no trouble creating classics like Casablanca, Citizen Kane, It’s a Wonderful Life, High Noon, and dozens upon dozens more.

What do you like or dislike about this Hays Code excerpt?

No picture shall be produced which will lower the moral standards of those who see it. Hence the sympathy of the audience should never be thrown to the side of crime, wrong-doing, evil, or sin. This is done: 

1. When evil is made to appear attractive and alluring, and good is made to appear unattractive. 

2. When the sympathy of the audience is thrown on the side of crime, wrongdoing, evil, and sin. The same is true of a film that would throw sympathy against goodness, honor, innocence, purity, or honesty. 

Note: Sympathy with a person who sins is not the same as sympathy with the sin or crime of which he is guilty. We may feel sorry for the plight of the murderer or even understand the circumstances which led him to his crime: we may not feel sympathy with the wrong which he has done. 

The presentation of evil is often essential for art or fiction or drama. This in itself is not wrong provided: 

a. That evil is not presented alluringly. Even if later in the film the evil is condemned or punished, it must not be allowed to appear so attractive that the audience's emotions are drawn to desire or approve so strongly that later the condemnation is forgotten and only the apparent joy of sin is remembered.

b. That throughout, the audience feels sure that evil is wrong and good is right.

I’m not oblivious to the myriad pitfalls of any human or group of humans deciding what is and isn’t moral for everyone. The genie is out of the bottle and it’ll take divine discernment to recalibrate.

I’m also not oblivious to the reality that the majority of today’s content is NOT “affecting lives for the better” or serving as the “most powerful force for the improvement of mankind.” Not even close.

Inarguably, we could and should be doing far better. That will not happen in a healthy way until we first collectively recognize and accept the need for change.

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