Hollywood history is filled with internal battles over what could be shown on screen. The Hays Code defined movie standards for decades, shaping how stories were told to the American public.
This quiz covers the rise and eventual downfall of these strict moral guidelines. You will see questions about specific censored lines, the influence of religious groups, and how studios navigated the rules to avoid big penalties.
Think you have a handle on classic film rules? Try these related topics: check out our Golden Age history, learn about most quoted lines, or browse our pages on troubled productions.
In what year did the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA) begin strictly enforcing the Production Code, commonly known as the Hays Code?
1922
1922
1934
1934
1930
1930
1940
1940
Who served as the primary administrator of the Production Code Administration (PCA) during the height of its enforcement power?
Louis B. Mayer
Louis B. Mayer
Jack Warner
Jack Warner
Joseph Breen
Joseph Breen
Will H. Hays
Will H. Hays
Which classic film caused controversy over the line, ‘Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn’?
Casablanca
Casablanca
The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz
The Grapes of Wrath
The Grapes of Wrath
Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind
When producer David O. Selznick wanted to include the word ‘damn’ in his 1939 production, what did the Hays Office initially threaten to impose?
No fine, but the line was cut
No fine, but the line was cut
A formal warning
A formal warning
$5,000 fine
$5,000 fine
A mandatory $5,000 fine for every instance of the word ‘damn’
A mandatory $5,000 fine for every instance of the word ‘damn’
What was the primary argument used by the Hays Office for banning profanity like ‘damn’ from American motion pictures?
To comply with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences rules
To comply with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences rules
To increase the film’s run time
To increase the film’s run time
To avoid offending religious groups and maintain cultural standards
To avoid offending religious groups and maintain cultural standards
To ensure the film’s international appeal
To ensure the film’s international appeal
Which group was most influential in pressuring Hollywood studios to adopt and strictly follow the moral guidelines of the Hays Code?
Religious organizations like the Catholic Legion of Decency
Religious organizations like the Catholic Legion of Decency
Film critics
Film critics
The general public
The general public
Studio executives
Studio executives
What was the result of test screenings regarding the ‘damn’ line in ‘Gone with the Wind’?
They favored the line and helped convince the censors to keep it
They favored the line and helped convince the censors to keep it
They reacted negatively to the line and insisted it be removed
They reacted negatively to the line and insisted it be removed
Test screening results were ignored by the producers entirely
Test screening results were ignored by the producers entirely
Test screening participants were told the dialogue had been changed to protect them
Test screening participants were told the dialogue had been changed to protect them
How was the ‘damn’ dilemma officially resolved for the final theatrical release of ‘Gone with the Wind’?
The line was changed to ‘I don’t give a hang’
The line was changed to ‘I don’t give a hang’
A $5,000 payment was made by the studio
A $5,000 payment was made by the studio
The line was completely deleted from the screenplay
The line was completely deleted from the screenplay
A fine was avoided because the censors considered it a literary quote
A fine was avoided because the censors considered it a literary quote
Regarding the infamous line in ‘Gone with the Wind’, was it an improvised or scripted choice?
It was inserted by the director to annoy the Hays Office officials
It was inserted by the director to annoy the Hays Office officials
It was entirely improvised by Clark Gable
It was entirely improvised by Clark Gable
Clark Gable added it during a rehearsal without telling the director
Clark Gable added it during a rehearsal without telling the director
It was strictly scripted, taken directly from Margaret Mitchell’s source novel
It was strictly scripted, taken directly from Margaret Mitchell’s source novel
In the 1930s, what was the stance of the Hays Office toward the word ‘hell’ compared to ‘damn’?
They allowed both words as long as they were not used in a blasphemous way
They allowed both words as long as they were not used in a blasphemous way
They allowed ‘hell’ but strictly banned ‘damn’
They allowed ‘hell’ but strictly banned ‘damn’
They considered both ‘damn’ and ‘hell’ to be equally offensive and prohibited both
They considered both ‘damn’ and ‘hell’ to be equally offensive and prohibited both
They allowed ‘damn’ but strictly banned ‘hell’
They allowed ‘damn’ but strictly banned ‘hell’
How did the power of the Hays Code eventually begin to erode in the 1950s?
An actor had a mental breakdown over the censorship rules
An actor had a mental breakdown over the censorship rules
A major actress refused to work on any film that had to comply with the Code
A major actress refused to work on any film that had to comply with the Code
Director Otto Preminger defied the PCA by releasing a film with prohibited profanity
Director Otto Preminger defied the PCA by releasing a film with prohibited profanity
A studio head fired a screenwriter for refusing to change a line
A studio head fired a screenwriter for refusing to change a line
Which Otto Preminger production is famous for being released without the ‘Seal of Approval’ after it was denied for containing the word ‘virgin’ and the line ‘seduce’?
The Man with the Golden Arm (1955)
The Man with the Golden Arm (1955)
Spartacus (1960)
Spartacus (1960)
The Moon Is Is Blue (1953)
The Moon Is Is Blue (1953)
Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
Which factor was primarily responsible for the ultimate downfall of the Production Code in the late 1960s?
The Hays Office voluntarily disbanding after internal corruption scandals
The Hays Office voluntarily disbanding after internal corruption scandals
The introduction of television eliminated the need for film censorship
The introduction of television eliminated the need for film censorship
The decline of the studio system and changing public values made the Code irrelevant
The decline of the studio system and changing public values made the Code irrelevant
The Supreme Court ruled the Code was unconstitutional
The Supreme Court ruled the Code was unconstitutional
What replaced the rigid moral guidelines of the Hays Code when it was formally abandoned in 1968?
Complete government oversight by the Federal Communications Commission
Complete government oversight by the Federal Communications Commission
A requirement that all scripts be submitted to the Library of Congress for approval
A requirement that all scripts be submitted to the Library of Congress for approval
The rating system we use today based on age appropriateness
The rating system we use today based on age appropriateness
The return of local government censorship boards for every city
The return of local government censorship boards for every city
What role did test audiences play in the broader ‘battle over words’ in the mid-20th century studio system?
Test audiences held significant power and often decided which endings were filmed
Test audiences held significant power and often decided which endings were filmed
Test screenings only aimed to test the audience’s understanding of the plot, excluding dialogue analysis
Test screenings only aimed to test the audience’s understanding of the plot, excluding dialogue analysis
Test audiences were used to gauge if a scene with controversial language might be accepted by local censors, not just morality boards
Test audiences were used to gauge if a scene with controversial language might be accepted by local censors, not just morality boards
Test audiences were frequently ignored because studios didn’t trust their reactions
Test audiences were frequently ignored because studios didn’t trust their reactions
How comprehensive was the Hays Code regarding content restrictions?
The Code was only meant for films intended for children and adolescents
The Code was only meant for films intended for children and adolescents
The Hays Code prohibited sexual content but allowed any language chosen by writers
The Hays Code prohibited sexual content but allowed any language chosen by writers
The Code only restricted political speech in films during the Cold War era
The Code only restricted political speech in films during the Cold War era
The Code aimed to control both visual content and every word of dialogue in a film
The Code aimed to control both visual content and every word of dialogue in a film
Which statement best describes the strictness of the Code regarding the word ‘damn’ in the 1930s?
The word ‘damn’ was only allowed if the character was clearly a villain
The word ‘damn’ was only allowed if the character was clearly a villain
The word ‘damn’ could be used only if it was used in a religious, non-profane context
The word ‘damn’ could be used only if it was used in a religious, non-profane context
The word ‘damn’ was prohibited unless it was part of a song lyric
The word ‘damn’ was prohibited unless it was part of a song lyric
The word ‘damn’ was banned regardless of the character’s intent
The word ‘damn’ was banned regardless of the character’s intent
How common was unauthorized on-set improvisation of censored words during the peak enforcement of the Hays Code?
A method of inserting extra lines during shooting to see if they would slip past editors
A method of inserting extra lines during shooting to see if they would slip past editors
A tactic suggested by the Hays Office to maintain a film’s artistic integrity
A tactic suggested by the Hays Office to maintain a film’s artistic integrity
A common practice used by directors to bypass censorship boards during post-production
A common practice used by directors to bypass censorship boards during post-production
Not common; almost all dialogue had to be approved before filming began in strict studios
Not common; almost all dialogue had to be approved before filming began in strict studios
What was the reaction of religious groups when Otto Preminger released films without the PCA seal in the 1950s?
It caused an immediate reform of the Hays Code to include more profanity rules
It caused an immediate reform of the Hays Code to include more profanity rules
It resulted in a total ban on the film’s distribution for 20 years
It resulted in a total ban on the film’s distribution for 20 years
The studio was permanently banned from producing films in Hollywood
The studio was permanently banned from producing films in Hollywood
The Catholic Legion of Decency pressured the public to boycott the theater, which was mostly ineffective by the 1950s
The Catholic Legion of Decency pressured the public to boycott the theater, which was mostly ineffective by the 1950s
Which of the following is true about the nature of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA)?
The MPPDA was run by the U.S. government
The MPPDA was run by the U.S. government
The MPPDA only reported to the President of the United States
The MPPDA only reported to the President of the United States
The MPPDA only governed non-American films imported into the U.S.
The MPPDA only governed non-American films imported into the U.S.
The MPPDA was a voluntary association created by the film studios themselves, not a government body
The MPPDA was a voluntary association created by the film studios themselves, not a government body
Besides profanity, what was a core mandate of the Hays Code regarding narrative structure?
Movies needed to be narrated by a person identifying the ‘good’ characters at the start
Movies needed to be narrated by a person identifying the ‘good’ characters at the start
Movies were required to be black and white until 1950 to ensure moral tone
Movies were required to be black and white until 1950 to ensure moral tone
Movies could only be shot on studio lots to avoid public moral risk
Movies could only be shot on studio lots to avoid public moral risk
Movies had to have a ‘moral’ conclusion where evil was punished
Movies had to have a ‘moral’ conclusion where evil was punished
Why did the film industry initially decide to form its own self-regulatory body like the Hays Office?
To prove that Hollywood could regulate itself and avoid government-mandated censorship laws
To prove that Hollywood could regulate itself and avoid government-mandated censorship laws
To raise taxes on all films produced in California
To raise taxes on all films produced in California
To mandate that all films be approved by the Vatican first
To mandate that all films be approved by the Vatican first
To stop the spread of communism in the film industry
To stop the spread of communism in the film industry
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