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APPENDIX II THE MOTION PICTURE PRODUCERS AND DISTRIBUTORS OF AMERICA, INC., OR THE HAYS ORGANIZATION Early in the 1920's there was great pubhc disapproval of a wave of salacious films. Aggravated by a series of scandals involving motion- picture personalities, this indignation resulted in widespread public agitation for censorship of motion pictures both locally and by the Federal Government. Considering censorship undesirable in itself and fearing such action might be the first step to further governmental control, the industry attempted to put its own house in order. Thus in 1922 it formed the Motion Picture Producers & Distributors of America, Inc. Perhaps not solely because of his abilities as an administrator, the industry hired to head this organization a promi- nent political figure, Will H. Hays, then Postmaster General and chair- man of the Republican National Committee. This organization successfully combated the censorship drive of the period, primarily by voluntary restraint in production. However, the ma-iy pictures narrowly skirting the borderline of decency which have been released since then vpry clearly illustrate that the interest of the organization was not in cleaning up motion pictures from a pure moral standpoint; rather, it was to keep motion picture entertain- ment at a level which would not so far violate the mores of the time that renewed censorship activities would come into play. A gradual disregard of pledges following the initial clean-up finally led to the formation of the Legion of Decency early in 1934 as a re- ligious crusade against immoral films. This was followed on July 1, 1934, by a new and more stringent Production Code of Ethics which successfully resisted the renewed attempt to write censorship clauses into the law. It was directed by Joseph I. Breen, whose findings were "subject to review only on appeal to the company presidents of member companies in New York." ^ Although the Hays organization was created primarily in answer to the threat of censon hip, it quite naturally extended its field to resist other activities which might lead to control over the industry by Government. Today it is a regular function of the Hays organization to represent the larger companies before State and Federal legislative bodies. Nor have the activities of the organization been limited to this simple field. The interests of the organization have spread thrqilgh a number of activities which the large companies felt could be profit- ably and legally entered into on a cooperative basis. The following paragraphs briefly outline some of these activities. ' 1935-36 Motion Picture Almanac, p. 800. 65