During the '30s and '40s Will H. Hays, though not a movie producer, a director nor a studio executive, was one of the most powerful figures in Hollywood. Hays, an ex-attorney and former chair for the Republican National Committee and the U.S. Postmaster General during President Harding's term, became the leader of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America, Inc, an organization created by Hollywood studio-heads to raise the moral standards of feature films. The moguls established the MPPDA in response to a series of scandals and increasing pressure from certain factions. Under Hays, this organization affected the stringent Motion Picture Production Code on July 1, 1934. This code set forth a number of moral standards that Hollywood films had to adhere to. Those that passed muster were given a special seal. Those that failed were either hastily re-edited or faced a lack of distributing outlets. The MPPDA censorship guidelines, known informally as the "Hays Code," had a profound effect on U.S. filmmaking and remained in effect until 1966, even though Hays' administration was dissolved in 1945.
by Sandra Brennan
biography
