Sex, Censorship and the Silver Screen

The resurgence of sex-themed films in the 1980s and 90s. Archival material examines the depiction of sexual themes in films.

Hollywood challenges the production codes; ratings emerge. Filmmakers: Russ Meyer, Ingmar Bergman, and Federico Fellini.

Sex symbols and art films open the door to explicit sex. Stars: Brigitte Bardot and Sophia Loren.

The Hays Office set the content standards in Hollywood's Golden Age. Covers the post-Prohibition era of the thirties and forties, which featured Hedy Lamarr, Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, and Veronica Lake.

The double entendres of early talkies roused calls for censorship. Covers the period from 1927 to the mid-thirties and features stars such as Marlene Dietrich, Busby Berkeley and Mae West.

The silent era ended with the establishment of the Hays office.