Before Hays' Production Code

In 1922 a group of Hollywood producers got together to form the MPPDA, now known as the MPA (though best known as the MPAA): the Motion Producers Association with William Hays in charge.

This was done to:

1. Rebrand their image after a series of highly publicized scandals.

2. To reduce government censorship by negotiating with state and city censorship boards.

3. Also to save money (as it would reduce the risk a movie would be banned in a area, of needing more editors and cuts to films, ect).

Between 1922-1927 guidelines were sent out to help studios avoid censorship, known as The Formula.

1927: a list was created of 26 'be carefulls' and 11 'don'ts'

1930: the first Production Code was written and carried out by the SRC (Studio Relations Committee). It was largely ignored.

1934: With pressure from the newly formed Catholic Legion of Decency, the official Production Code or Hays Code is written by Martin Quigley and Father Daniel Lord. Additionally an enforcement branch of the MPAA, the PCA (Production Code Administration ), was created and headed by Joseph Breen. All films were required to get a seal of approval to be released.

By the late 1950s the Hays' code began losing power due to societal changes and a series of lawsuits.

• 1915-1952: for 37 years the president set by the Supreme Court in Mutual Film Corp. v Industrial Commission of Ohio held that First Amendment protection did not extend to films. This was to overturned until Burstyn v Wilson in what's known as The Miracle Decision.

• 1953: The Blue Moon is released without the PCA's seal of approval.

• 1955: In Holmly v Vaugh a court case that saw filmmakers suing because censorship boards had banned their films. The censorship boards lost their cases post Miracle Decision and thus these local boards started losing power.

• 1965: In Freedman v Maryland this court case fully took the power away from the remaining local censorship boards.

In 1968 it was officially replaced by the MPAA's Rating System.