The Catholic Crusade against the Movies, 1940–1975

Examines how the Church controlled Hollywood in the golden era of studio production.

Gregory D. Black (Author)

9780521629058, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 13 January 1998

328 pages, 12 b/w illus.
22.7 x 15.2 x 2.2 cm, 0.44 kg

For more than three decades the Catholic church, through its Legion of Decency, had the power to control the content of Hollywood films. From the mid-1930s to the late 1960s the Catholic Legion served as a moral guardian for the American public. Hollywood studios submitted their films to the Legion for a rating, which varied from general approval to condemnation. This book details how a religious organisation got control of Hollywood, and how films like A Streetcar Named Desire, Lolita, and Tea and Sympathy were altered by the Legion to make them morally acceptable. Documenting the inner workings of the Legion, The Catholic Crusade against the Movies also examines how the changes in the movie industry, and American society at large in the post-World War II era, eventually conspired against the Legion's power and so lead to its demise.

Introduction
1. The Catholic coup against Hollywood
2. Cowboys and courtesans challenge censors
3. A foreign challenge
4. The Legion fights back
5. Declining influence
6. A new approach
7. The end of the Legion
8. Conclusion
Bibliography
Filmography.

Subject Areas: Films, cinema [APF]