A SPECTATOR 'S NOTEBOOK
WHAT used to be called the "Hays Office," otherwise the Motion Picture Association, is the organisation responsible for ensuring that all films shown in America are morally O.K., and as such has very considerable power over the British film industry. The way it exercises this power is well illustrated by a letter which has come my way from Mr. Joseph I. Breen, the new head of the organisation, giving his verdict on the script of a British film which is about to go into production. This film is based on a well-known Victorian novel. " The basic story," Mr. Breen opines, " seems to meet the require- ments of the Production Code," but he will not accept the suicide of the principal character because " it is the deliberate suicide of a criminal to escape justice." " If his death were portrayed as acci- dental it would," Mr. Breen thinks, " be acceptable." He then goes on to deal with minor delinquencies. " Page 45. The exclamation ' Lord' should be omitted.... Page 63. The expression ' God forbid that—' should be changed. . . . Page 65. Please change the line ' Thank God' to ' Thank Heaven.' . . . Page ro8. The expression 'Dal/line' is unacceptable. . . . Page 141. The expression ' To hell with it' is unacceptable." And, finally, "Here and throughout, please make certain that the women's dresses at all times adequately cover their breasts." As an example of simian hypocrisy this sort of thing is amusing enough, especially when you contrast it with American films like The Postman Always Rings Twice, which get a fair wind from Mr. Breen ; but it is not so funny when you reflect that Mr. Breen can prevent any British film from competing with American products on the world's most important market by a sufficiently determined and prolonged use of the word " un- acceptable."
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