Category: Production Code Administration

To Breen or Not to Breen: ‘Casablanca’ From 1942

December 20, 2022
CasablancaEntertainmentFilm & TVOpinionProduction Code AdministrationTimeless Principles
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Commentary In 1601, Shakespeare’s Hamlet asked, “To be or not to be?” In 1942, Hollywood filmmakers asked, “To breen or not to breen?” Just as the immortal bard’s hero decided to endure this “mortal coil” instead of facing the great unknown, Golden Era moviemakers knew they had no choice but “to breen.” You won’t find…

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‘The Wizard of Oz’ (1939): Why It’s the Most Watched Movie Ever

August 21, 2022
EntertainmentFilm & TVOpinionProduction Code AdministrationThe Wizard of OzTimeless Principles
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Commentary It’s hard to think of many old movies which are familiar to most younger people these days. However, one film from the Golden Era of Hollywood that almost anyone will recognize by name is “The Wizard of Oz.” Not every young person is well acquainted with it, and I daresay many people don’t know…

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‘Cocktail Hour’ (1933): The Importance of Pre-Code Films

July 18, 2022
Cocktail HourEntertainmentFilm & TVOpinionProduction Code AdministrationTimeless Principles
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Commentary When I went to the Turner Classic Movies Film Festival (TCMFF) in late April, I had to be very particular when choosing which films to see. They screened dozens of films during the four-day weekend, many of which were played at the same time in different theaters. I ended up seeing fourteen feature films,…

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‘Angels With Dirty Faces’: Hollywood’s Irish Moral Guardians

March 17, 2022
"Angels with Dirty Faces"Arts & CultureBrightFilm & TVJames CagneyPat O'BrienProduction Code Administration
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The commercialism of shamrocks and bunnies frequently overshadows the real meaning of St. Patrick’s Day, which originated as a Christian holiday. To honor the traditional meaning, that is, of morality, I’d like to discuss a serious classic film which is appropriate for the holiday, “Angels with Dirty Faces” from 1938. This film features no shamrocks…

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