The Motion Picture Code of the Great Depression

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The Motion Picture Code of the Great Depression

During the times of the Great Depression, film was viewed as a valuable importance to people. Film during this time of distress contributed to the maintenance of the national morale of America. During this time Hollywood played a valuable part, getting over eighty million Americans to attend theaters, but soon it would become a lot harder as America continued living in the Great Depression.
Everyone in America, even the most troubling of poverty families attended movies. With a movie to watch, Americans sought refuge in a fantasy world. Films during this time were a perfect distraction. Not only for audiences but also for the artist creating their work. It was extremely successful in accessing a world different from our own, but unfortunately because of the depression, movies were too expensive to pay for.
Even the most successfully hollywood production companies weren't depression proof. Just like the local diner in your town, they're not immune to success and poverty. Studio's began to triple in debt and by 1933 movie attendance dropped by forty percent. The industry began trimming salaries, production cost and closed the door to a third of the movie theaters in America. They began resorting to lowering admission prices by 25 cents.
One of the most successful marketing tools, theaters began to create prizes for audience members in attendance. In some theaters prizes were given out to audience members who participated in a raffle. Bank night prizes where the lucky number winner went home with a cash prize.
People during this time valued the escapism movie provided. More than that movies maintained the social reality at that time. Movies were realistic of the...

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...ction code like the depression was a thing of the past. Ratings such as NC-17, R, PG-13 and PG became the new regulating code for production companies.
From the description of both of these codes, it seems to only be used as a censorship for movies. A regulation code goes against the political and personal freedom of an artist. Either it be during the Great depression or our era now, movies should not have to adhere to the rules and regulation of a code. Movies are made to express the times in which we live in. No matter if its an outlet to access a different world from our own, movies should function as a source of expression and fantasy. More than ever movies should be allowed to comfort its audience rather than following a code, whether for our era now or during the depression, movies should still be one of the most valuable sources of comfort and information.

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