Breaking the Code: Otto Preminger vs. Hollywood’s Censors

To prevent government censorship of movies, in 1921 the Hollywood studios formed the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America, which imposed a strict Production Code, a system of ethics for the studios to follow. Joseph Breen was hired in 1934 to enforce it, and for nearly three decades, all films needed a Code seal from Breen’s office before distribution. Into this stifling atmosphere came Austrian-born film director and producer Otto Preminger, who was determined to film the award-winning play The Moon Is Blue, which included words such as “virgin,” “seduce,” and “mistress.” Breen was resolute that Preminger would not. Segaloff (The Exorcist Legacy) reveals the intriguing game that ensued between them and how Preminger’s efforts eventually freed the movies from the crushing censorship of the Production Code. The book also details Preminger’s censorship battles over his films Carmen Jones, The Man with the Golden Arm, Anatomy of a Murder, and Advise & Consent. There are useful notes, a bibliography, and an index as well.