Sin on the Silver Screen: The Story of Hollywood Censorship Part 2/3 • Bogie, Bacall and the 1940s

Prostitution and drug use. Glorified gangsters. Savage monsters and unpunished villains. During the mid-20th century, many Hollywood moviemakers defiantly ignored the strict “Production Code” guidelines created in 1930, which were supposed to keep movies morally “clean.” In this three-week series, hosted by documentarian Steven C. Smith, we’ll hear the fascinating story of how Hollywood censorship began, in the wake of Jazz Age scandals, and find out what brought the era to an end.
IN LOVE AND WAR: BOGIE, BACALL AND THE 1940s
In July 1934, Hollywood surrendered to pressure from religious groups and began rigidly enforcing the Production Code. But smart filmmakers could still smuggle forbidden content into their movies. And World War Two sparked another shift in movie content. Returning servicemen and women had confronted unimaginable horrors abroad, and post-war films often reflected the change.
A perfect example is the risqué film noir The Big Sleep-this week’s movie, starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, who married during its production. We’ll find out how one of Hollywood’s greatest directors, Howard Hawks, turned an “unfilmable” detective novel by Raymond Chandler-filled with pornographers, naked nymphomaniacs, drug addicts and more-into one of 1946’s biggest hits.