After
the financial uprising after World War 1 due to the lack of money Europe had to
defend themselves during the war. They often burned old film reels to process
it to use. This gave Hollywood a
chance to expand further and make more films. At that time they doubled the amount of films they make
today, which means they mass-produced to create mass consumption on the
population even during a time of horrible financial depression. The Hollywood Studio System created a
shaky environment.
Hollywood
scandal was at a pivotal point after Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle a well-known
character actor signed with Paramount held a three-day party from Los Angeles
to San Francisco. While they were
in San Francisco, Virginia Rappe was found dead in Arbuckle’s room after a
disputed fight between the two and an alleged rape. Fatty Arbuckle was arrested and put on trial for the murder,
there were three trials it eventually was innocent but he faced being
blacklisted from Hollywood. He never acted again.
In response to the scandal The Hays
Code and the Hollywood Production Code of 1924 were created. The three basic principles of the
production code were no picture should be produced if it lowers the moral standards
of those who see it; no sympathy for crime, evil or sin. Secondly, all films
must show the correct standards of life, subject only to the requirements of
drama and entertainment. Lastly,
law, natural or human shall not be ridiculed, nor shall sympathy be created for
its violation. Other principles of
the code that weren’t okay to show were white slavery, actual childbirth,
co-eds sleeping in the same bed, and surgical operations. Both codes only
lasted a few decades. The Hays Code made Directors have to think more creatively
to get around the rules if they still wanted to explore grittier and darker
themes in their films.
In The Golden Age of Hollywood
there were many other scandals.
Girl 27 a documentary film by David Stenn explores the cover up of the
1937 rape of MGM extra Patricia Douglas.
During an all night party where Douglas was dancing and performing, an
MGM salesman raped her. One day it
was on the cover of the newspaper and the next it was like nothing ever
happened and Patricia Douglas never existed. Douglas disappeared and never returned to Hollywood.
These scandals had an historical relevance, at a time of depression, prohibition a social outcry of pity grew into being the norm. Films were being affected by the social nature this time. Film Noir, a genre that showed the femme fatale a woman vixen ruthless which paralleled to history since woman were asked to work during war-time women had more choices to make and had to possibility to make a life for themselves. While women were ruthless, the Private Eye the man lead who often tried to catch the fatale who was often paranoid and lonely.
These scandals had an historical relevance, at a time of depression, prohibition a social outcry of pity grew into being the norm. Films were being affected by the social nature this time. Film Noir, a genre that showed the femme fatale a woman vixen ruthless which paralleled to history since woman were asked to work during war-time women had more choices to make and had to possibility to make a life for themselves. While women were ruthless, the Private Eye the man lead who often tried to catch the fatale who was often paranoid and lonely.
Works Cited:
http://movies.netflix.com/WiPlayer?movieid=70059385&trkid=496682
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0912586/
Benshoff, Harry M. and Sean Griffin. America on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality at the
Movies. 2nd edition. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009.
