MPAA System: 9 Ridiculous Things Hollywood Tried To Ban In 1927

Posted: 04/26/2012 5:20 pm Updated: 04/26/2012 5:20 pm

When the Motion Picture Association of America makes news, it's usually for something negative. Take, for instance, the recent ratings fiasco surrounding the documentary "Bully." For those who don't know, the film was originally rated R due to profanity. Obviously, this didn't go over too well with the studio, who were looking to get the anti-bullying PSA seen by children across the country.

The "Bully" incident isn't the first time the MPAA has flexed their muscles. Since 1922, the Motion Picture Association of America has tried to curb the use of things deemed offensive. Just how offensive, you ask? Let's find out.

In 1927, the MPAA (or, as it was known at the time, the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America) produced a list of "The Dont's and Be Carefuls," a rundown of things that should be avoided in future movies. Now, before you go crying Big Brother, there were a few good suggestions (i.e. the one that banned underage nudity). However, the rest of the guidelines are, by today's standards, absolutely hysterical.

Below, we've listed nine of "The Dont's and Be Carefuls," along with a movie scene that ended up breaking each of them. You can read the entire list of proposed rules over on Lists of Note.

[via Lists of Note]

9 RIDICULOUS MPAA RESTRICTIONS

"Pointed Profanity"
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"Pointed profanity -- by either title or lip -- this includes the words "God," "Lord," "Jesus," Christ" (unless they be used reverently in connection with proper religious ceremonies), "hell," "damn," "Gawd," and every other profane and vulgar expression however it may be spelled;" [Obviously the clip we used above is the censored version of this scene]

Earlier on HuffPost:

FOLLOW MOVIEFONE CANADA

'FONE FINDS
When the Motion Picture Association of America makes news, it's usually for something negative. Take, for instance, the recent ratings fiasco surrounding the documentary "Bully." For those who don't k...
When the Motion Picture Association of America makes news, it's usually for something negative. Take, for instance, the recent ratings fiasco surrounding the documentary "Bully." For those who don't k...
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Herbert Ragan
12:24 PM on 05/01/2012
Might have been better to show how these restrictions were ridiculous even in 1927
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zenchris
Currently in Exile
05:22 AM on 05/01/2012
Man, I can miss out on the scenes of actual child birth.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
madcityy
02:32 PM on 04/29/2012
THIS WAS NOT WELL DONE,,OR DONE WELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
11:22 AM on 04/29/2012
unless there is an advanced reverse-psychology motivational methodology to the way the mpaa operates they seem, since inception, to have continuiously lacked the ability to think progressively or with any depth at all.
10:13 AM on 04/29/2012
The writer failed to discuss the Hays code, which actually went into effect a few years later. It picked up a few of these suggestions and added some America-strenghtening restrictions such as forbidding ladies from showing the inside of their thighs on screen :(
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Frank Lee Mydear
04:34 PM on 04/28/2012
Out of context of its time...this country was very religious then and each state and even counties and cities had their own censorship boards. The MPAA of it's day had to set this up to prevent banning of films. I notice the Moviefone writer didn't leave their name, probably because of the ridicule they would receive for taking a list they didn't write from someone else's blog and apply 21st century morals to 1920's. Yes, most of what we see now is on CSI but without the proper context, these rules actually made movies better back in the day (ilsa spent the night with Rick, but this isn't really clear to the average viewer). The rules relaxed after the war when veterans, who had seen such horrors, started going back to the movies and entering Hollywood and began telling more realistic stories.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Captsharky1
Capt. Merchant Marines, Conservative Atheist
04:28 PM on 04/28/2012
USSR.....United States Similarity to Russia
03:52 PM on 04/28/2012
I don't agree that ALL of these are ridiculous. Some of them, yes, but the ones that are profane, glorifying sex outside of marriage, and drug use, do we really need to see it? The fact people are laughing and think it's "no big deal" nowadays, as if we're superior to the minds of the 1920s, reminds me of this Bible verse, the words of Jesus Christ warning how the world will begin to change, "And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold." Matthew 24:12. Even looking back on my 30 something years of life, I can see these changes in our culture, and I'm CERTAIN things that most of us would find repulsive, inappropriate, or vulgar today, will probably be scoffed at and laughed at by future generations who think themselves superior to us, as the world continues to pull further and further away from the love of God.
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10:06 PM on 04/28/2012
Yes, let's go back to a religious stone age because you like the morals better.
10:33 AM on 04/29/2012
Its not about religious stone age, but using the Lords name in vain should be prohibited. It cracks me up that in some things they will bleep out the words Bitch and Fuck but not when someone uses the Lord's name in vain.
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michaelwg
Pro-Lifers call my Micro-bio a Person
07:51 AM on 04/29/2012
Nothing says morality like socially acceptable crucifixions/stonings/burnings, subjugation of women and minorities, slavery etc. etc.
Truly, things were better without hollywood.
03:48 PM on 04/28/2012
It wasn't "Hollywood" that tried to ban all that stuff, it was a bunch of prudes who called themselves the Motion Picture Association of America.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
CBasilJr
62 Retired Vet
03:34 PM on 04/28/2012
My wife and I had three wonderful children. I wasn't allowed to see the first one.

I was allowed to enter the delivery room on the second, but my seat near her head kept me from seeing much. Nevertheless, it was a wonderful experience.

When my our thrid child was born, there were complications. It turned out that the umbilical cord was short and looped over our daughters shoulder.

The doctor performed a Ceasarian, and, as the staff knew both me and my wife, I was allowed to suit up and observe the procedure.

After the baby was delivered and my wife came out from under the anesthesia, I almost went into shock due to the blood and the gruesome afterbirth.

My recommendation is both parents be allowed to participate in the birth. However, if it is a Caesarian, don't watch.

Films of birth should be the same, and I believe that refusing to show birth to teens is reprehensible as it forces them to rely on word-of-mouth and tales.
03:27 PM on 04/28/2012
absolutely hysterical. i think a shame. i wish some of these would be enforced. like taking God's name in vain or now nudity is allowed on TV. promoting drug use. The problem is no one believes in rules or standards any more expose your family and kids to everything and then wonder why they are all screwed up. We need to return back to good moral lifestyles
03:46 PM on 04/28/2012
You can always turn the channel. Typical liberal. You don't like something so let's just ban it all. Conservatives look and say to each their own. move on
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10:08 PM on 04/28/2012
Are you serious?
07:55 AM on 04/29/2012
I think you have that backwards.
04:03 PM on 04/28/2012
Well I agree with you! :) I wish they offered a cable package option where we could just avoid the channels that glorify the problems in our society ... wait, that would mean we can't have cable. ... Changing the chanel doesn't alleviate it. Haha! ... Not to mention the commercials. We finally found a decent family films on "ABC FAMILY", only to have it intrerupted by condom commercials and some sort of satanic, demon possession film that was going around in theaters. The preview scared my child - I didn't know it was coming on, so the first 2-3 seconds she did witness scared her & YES, I CHANGED THE CHANNEL. It really pissed me off too!! My husband and I joked, "And now a decent family film, brought to you by condoms and Satan." ... RIDICULOUS!!!
03:22 PM on 04/28/2012
To me there is nothing more beautiful than the female body. Either in silhouette or under the spotlight. I am a big fan!
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Tim Day
Am I waiting to Live or Waiting to Die.....
03:22 PM on 04/28/2012
The Brady Bunch didn't even have a toilet...but then again maybe none of them had rectums either
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10:10 PM on 04/28/2012
Didn't have black people either.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Tim Day
Am I waiting to Live or Waiting to Die.....
10:39 PM on 04/28/2012
Yes there was a black kid in one episode and a black girl...But the Jetsons would suggest that there are no blacks in the future
03:15 PM on 04/28/2012
I guess the writers of this article are too young to know what the term, "white slavery" means. It has nothing to do with whites being sold as slaves, it refers to women being brought in from another State or country for prostitution.
03:13 PM on 04/28/2012
In 1927, movies were pure and wholesome at heart. Now, hollywood has become so outrageous, wicked and evil they should listen to the good ole folk of the past. Modern movies glorify ALL things that are accepted by today' American "culture". This doesn't surprise me in the least bit if you read what is spoken in the Bible about the last days. 2 Tim chap 3, 2 peter chap 3, and pretty much a great deal of Rev. God help, forgive and heal and forgive our Nation.
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10:11 PM on 04/28/2012
Screw your puritanical morals.
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michaelwg
Pro-Lifers call my Micro-bio a Person
07:59 AM on 04/29/2012
Throw out your T.V, turn off your radio, GET OFF THE INTERNET, and become a Quaker if it bothers you. Read your Bible by candlelight. NO ONE IS STOPPING YOU.