The road to self-censorship via Will Hays and the Production Code Administration was a long and complicated one.What ultimately led to the adoption of the Production Code in 1934?

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Organized boycotts by the Catholic Legion of Decency played a significant role in the adoption of the Production Code in 1934. The Legion threatened to organize a boycott of films they deemed immoral or offensive, and their influence led to the establishment of the Production Code Administration, which enforced the code's rigid standards of morality on films released by major studios. While Will Hays's earlier list of "Don'ts" and "Be Carefuls" was a step towards self-censorship, and the release of scandalous films like Mae West's She Done Him Wrong may have contributed to public outcry, it was ultimately the power of organized boycotts that led to the adoption of the Production Code. There was no intervention by the federal government via a Supreme Court ruling.

The Road to Self-Censorship Via Will Hays and the Production