The Catholic Crusade against the Movies, 1940–1975

Examines how the Church controlled Hollywood in the golden era of studio production.

For more than three decades the Catholic church powerfully influenced Hollywood by means of its ratings system. The Catholic Crusade against the Movies examines how the Church acquired such control, and how the changes in the movie industry and American society eventually lead to its demise.For more than three decades the Catholic church, through its Legion of Decency, had the power to control the content of Hollywood films. From the mid-1930s to the late 1960s the Catholic Legion served as a moral guardian for the American public. Hollywood studios submitted their films to the Legion for a rating, which varied from general approval to condemnation. This book details how a religious organisation got control of Hollywood, and how films like A Streetcar Named Desire, Lolita, and Tea and Sympathy were altered by the Legion to make them morally acceptable. Documenting the inner workings of the Legion, The Catholic Crusade against the Movies also examines how the changes in the movie industry, and American society at large in the post-World War II era, eventually conspired against the Legion's power and so lead to its demise.