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Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema

20071h 10mElaina Archer

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Synopsis

Before the G, PG and R ratings system there was the Production Code, and before that there was, well, nothing. This eye-opening documentary examines the rampant sexuality of early Hollywood through movie clips and reminiscences by stars of the era. Gloria Swanson, Mary Pickford, Marlene Dietrich and others relate tales of the artistic freedom that led to the draconian Production Code, which governed content from 1934 to 1968. Diane Lane narrates.

Documentary
Hays CodeCensorship

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Frequently asked questions

What is Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema (2007) about?

Before the G, PG and R ratings system there was the Production Code, and before that there was, well, nothing. This eye-opening documentary examines the rampant sexuality of early Hollywood through movie clips and reminiscences by stars of the era. Gloria Swanson, Mary Pickford, Marlene Dietrich and others relate tales of the artistic freedom that led to the draconian Production Code, which…

Who stars in Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema?

Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema stars Diane Lane (Narrator (voice)), Chris Basinger (Self), Jeanine Basinger (Self), Cari Beauchamp (Self), Leatrice Joy Gilbert (Self). The film was directed by Elaina Archer.

How long is Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema?

Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema has a runtime of 1 min and premiered in 2007.

Where can I watch Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema?

Streaming availability for Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema changes by country and service. TasteRay tracks where it is available across Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Max, Apple TV+ and 50+ other platforms — the current options for your country are shown on this page.