Production Code Administration

E48473

The Production Code Administration was the Hollywood industry office that enforced the Motion Picture Production Code, reviewing and approving film content for moral acceptability from the 1930s to the 1960s.


Statements (49)
Predicate Object
instanceOf Hollywood self-regulatory body
film censorship organization
alsoKnownAs PCA
appliedRegulation Hays Code
Motion Picture Production Code
appliedTo American theatrical motion pictures
Hollywood studio productions
basedOnDocument 1930 Motion Picture Production Code text
beganStrictEnforcement mid-1934
country United States
declineBegan 1950s
dissolved 1968
enforcedStandard requirements that crime not pay
requirements that marriage be upheld as an institution
restrictions on blasphemy
restrictions on depictions of crime
restrictions on depictions of sex
restrictions on miscegenation depictions
restrictions on nudity
restrictions on profanity
fieldOfWork film censorship
media regulation
foundedBy Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America
Will H. Hays
fullySupersededBy voluntary age-based rating system in 1968
headOfOrganization Geoffrey Shurlock
Joseph I. Breen
inception 1934
industry Hollywood film industry
issued certificate of approval
jurisdiction member studios of the MPPDA
location California
Hollywood
Los Angeles
operatedDuringPeriod Great Depression
World War II
postwar Hollywood studio era
parentOrganization MPAA
Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America
purpose enforce the Motion Picture Production Code
grant approval seals to motion pictures
prevent government censorship through industry self-regulation
review film scripts and completed films for moral acceptability
replacedBy MPAA film rating system
Motion Picture Association of America rating system
requiredFor major studio film releases
significantEvent introduction of PCA seal requirement for distribution
significantImpact shaped content and themes of classical Hollywood cinema
supervisedBy Catholic Legion of Decency (informally influenced)

Referenced by (1)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Motion Picture Production Code
administeredBy

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