What is the Hays code?What is the Hays code?  The Hays, adopted in1930 but not seriouslyenforced until 1934, wasa set of rules governingAmerican filmmakingthat shaped Americancinema for over threedecades. The Code placeda number of restrictionson all films to beproduced, distributed orexhibited by the membersof the Motion PictureProducers andDistributors of America(MPPDA), theorganization todayknown as the MotionPicture Association ofAmerica (MPAA).

Who founded the hays code? In 1922, the presidents of the major motion picture studios, including Samuel Goldwyn, Louis B. Mayer, Jesse Lasky and Joseph Schenck, formed the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors Association of America to resist mounting calls for government censorship of American films. In addition, the founders of the organization wanted to foster a more favorable public image for the motion picture industry and to safeguard the role of then-silent films’ place in mainstream America. Former Postmaster General William Hays, a member of President Harding's Cabinet, led the organization and instituted initiatives to forestall government interference in filmmaking. He oversaw the creation of a system of industry-led self- censorship, known as The Production Code or the Hays Code, a regime requiring the review of all film scripts to ensure the absence of "offensive" material. In 1945, Hays was succeeded by former U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Eric Johnston. During Johnston's tenure the name of the organization was changed to "The Motion Picture Association of America." Johnston inherited the onerous censorship responsibilities associated with the Hays Code, but added to his mission the promotion of American films, which were gaining in popularity overseas in the post-World War II era. Following Johnston's death in 1963, the MPAA's top post remained unfilled for three years, while studio executives searched for a successor.