Commentary
“To breen or not to breen? That is the question.” I beg your pardon for beginning this film-based article by misquoting William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” Replacing the verb in this quote is a very hackneyed witticism, yet it suits this article’s purpose very nicely. What is the definition of “to breen,” you ask? “Breening” or “Joebreening” is a verb coined by “Variety” in the 1930s to describe an important yet underappreciated step in the filmmaking process during Hollywood’s Studio Era.
If you’ve read my other articles, you probably are familiar with my main focus, the Motion Picture Production Code. Its best days were the first twenty years (1934-1954) after the Production Code Administration (PCA) was formed to enforce it. Joseph I. Breen was the PCA’s leader during its heyday, which ended with his retirement. Even “Variety” noted that Joe Breen was the guiding spirit behind Hollywood’s moral self-regulation by naming the PCA’s unique yet highly effective method of enforcing the Code in his honor….